After Registration
Your Western Identity is your UWO secure User ID and Password. It is your key to accessing central services at Western (tax receipts, grades, statement of account, updates to personal information including name, address, phone/email), and is required to access your AQ course in OWL, Western’s Learning Management System.
*Please Note: Your Western Identity, which includes your Western student number, secure user ID and password, is different from the login used to access your registration profile in the AQ Registration Portal , which requires an email address as the username and a selected password.
If you are new to Western, selecting Activating Your Western Identity below, select No and follow the steps provided.
If you are a previous Western student or have taken an AQ with Western before, you already have a secured login and password and do not need to set up your Western Identity, you simply need to reactivate it. If you have forgotten your information, please follow the Western Identity activation instructions below (under Yes).
If you are unsure if you have a previous affiliation with Western, please select Not Sure.
Activating Your Western Identity
Trying to Access your Course?
Have you previously completed an AQ or Braille Certificate course, taken an undergraduate or graduate course with Western or previously applied to the University?
Multifactor Authentication (DUO)
Western uses Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to access many services including Student Center and Office 365 (including email). MFA is an authentication method in which a user is granted access only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to prove their identity. Duo Security is being used to secure MFA enabled services at Western University.
In order to access these services you will be required to set up DUO, click here for more information or copy and paste this URL https://mfa.uwo.ca/ into your browser.
Textbook Information
Most Western AQ courses use online resources. The exception is our Religious Education courses. To verify if your course has a required or suggested textbook, please access the Course Search tab on the AQ Registration Portal. The required text information is contained within the Course Offering section. If there are multiple sections listed, please select "Expand For More Information".
Finding Your Course Online
* You will not have access to your course on the online learning platform OWL before the official start date.
Following is an overview on navigating through OWL.
Log into OWL with your Western Identity user ID and password. Once logged in, you will be on the OWL landing page below.
Your course will activate online on its start date, at which time it will appear across the top with the course code. You can also go to your course by clicking on More Sites.
When you click on your course tab, or find your course under More Sites, you will see a variety of tabs on the left hand side. Please access each of these tabs to view information for your course.
Ensure to access your course syllabus within the Course Syllabus tab to access important information including Western’s policies (i.e. medical and plagiarism), evaluation and rubrics, assignment and discussion expectations, etc.
Web Browser
The course site works best with Google Chrome as your web browser. Please note: ASPirE courses are not designed to be accessed from a phone. A tablet, laptop or desktop will be required.
Depending on the web browser you are using, you may need to change your security settings to enable mixed or unsafe content and/or always allow pop ups in order to be able to view links within the course.
Navigation of the Course Site
It is important to use the “Back”, “Next”, “Return to Lesson” and “Refresh” buttons within the course site. Please do not use the back button on the web browser.
Instructor Contact
If you have any problems, questions or concerns, email your instructor in the Messages tab.
Evaluations & Expectations
Courses are 125 hours in total, as required by the Ontario College of Teachers. They include 100 hours of online learning where you will be participating in the discussion forums and working in groups on a collaborative inquiry project. The remaining 25 hours are allocated to readings and assignments or tasks. In the Summer this represents a time commitment of approximately 40 hours per week.
Western AQ courses are asynchronous. Our online courses are NOT “live”. All participation in the Forums is through posting. You can be online at any time of the day/night; however you MUST be online regularly and consistently to be successful in the course. If you register for the four-week Summer session, you will be expected to be online and actively participating every day. Doing so will be crucial for you to remain on top of the course and to complete all the expectations in the required timeframe. You must participate in and successfully complete EACH component of the course in order to pass.
Withdrawals, Refunds, Awards
Please click the appropriate link below to access information pages.
For Awards - Registration tab - Tuition, Refunds, Tax Receipts, Awards
For Refunds & Withdrawals - FAQ page - How do I withdraw from an AQ or Certificate course?