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FAQ

The Company

Who are we?

The project is being co-ordinated by SITAM-AB. SITAB-AB is being assisted by a number of project partners, whose details are listed on the website.

What is eTelestia?

Telestia is the name of a project aimed at developing a global online network offering localised eLearning content and services in the fashion and clothing sector in a number of languages. www.eTelestia.com is the accompanying website. eTelestia delivers the learning content in the following languages: English, French, German, Greek, Norwegian Spanish Romanian,Turkish, Arabic, Russian.

Where are you based?

Our Headquarters are at 127 Ravenor Park Rd. Greenford, UB6 9QZ ,London,UK

How can I contact you?

You can write to us at: 127 Ravenor Park Rd. Greenford, UB6 9QZ ,London,UK

The Courses

What can i study?

Fashion Express Learning offers courses on Pattern Construction, Fashion Design, Pattern Grading and Virtual Factory. You can choose to register on one or more courses, depending on your requirements. You can choose to study a theme as a complete module, or you can choose to study shorter sub-modules from each theme.

Can I really learn how to be a fashion designer from a home-study course?

fashionexpresslearning.co.uk courses can certainly give you the knowledge and skills required. Our courses have been running successfully for a number of years with very good results. If you follow the course, you will develop the skills and knowledge required to let you turn your garment ideas from imagination into reality. And although we can’t guarantee you’ll be the next Versace or Vivienne Westwood, the fashionexpresslearning.co.uk course will give you the skills and confidence to start creating your own garments. After that, who knows what might happen?

Why should I choose to study with you?

Our courses have proven extremely successful over a number of years and are used in a number of institutions worldwide already. Now you can benefit from that experience from the comfort of your own home and study at your own pace, with the reassurance of knowing that there is always a helping hand via the fashionexpresslearning.co.uk website if you have any difficulties.

I’m not interested in learning how to become a designer. Can I just learn how to make a few outfits for myself?

Of course. You can select modules or part of modules to suit your requirements. If all you want to do is learn how to make an outfit for a special occasion, then you can. Remember though, that whatever your goal, you will have to learn the basics first. Our courses are delivered in organised, structured modules that are designed to be studied in a certain order and you will be guided through all the modules required to meet your goal. If you have a goal in mind, but are unsure of which modules you should register for, contact us by email and we will be happy to assist you in tailoring your course to meet your needs.

Why must I wait for a CD with the software to be sent to me? Can’t I just download it from the internet?

Unfortunately not. The Core Application Software contains a lot of information including video clips and is large in size. The time it would take to download over the internet is prohibitive, and therefore we have produced a CD-ROM from which you can install the software. By using a CD-ROM, it also means that if you have any problems with your computer, you can reload the software without going through a lengthy download process again.

How much time must I set aside for my studies?

This will depend on which courses you take. The ‘Available Courses’ section gives more information on the length of each course.

What equipment must I buy and where can I get it?

fashionexpresslearning.co.uk will supply the drafting template and instructions as part of the course. You will need to buy basic drafting tools and perhaps other equipment, depending on which courses you are taking. The basic drafting tools required are: Drafting paper, pencil, eraser, scissors, pins, tape measure. You should be able to buy all your equipment at a haberdashery store.

What happens when I have a problem or I don’t understand something?

You will be assigned an Online Tutor (OT) when you start your course. If you experience any difficulties or have any problems, you should contact your OT via the student pages of the fashionexpresslearning.co.uk website. Your OT is there to help you through your studies every step of the way.

What do I do if I have a problem with my Online Tutor?

If you have a problem with your OT then you can contact fashionexpresslearning.co.uk using the confidential email address provided to you for this purpose.

Will I get a recognised qualification at the end of my studies?

The fashionexpresslearning.co.uk courses are home study courses, and therefore you will not receive a qualification from eTelestia. However, our courses are recognised by a number of examining bodies, higher education institutions and other bodies worldwide and can be used towards a recognised qualification in many instances. For more information on how you can use your eTelestia course towards a recognised qualification, please contact us by email, stating which course(s) you are taking or are interested in and your country of residence.

How is the course delivered to me?

A CD-ROM will be sent to you by mail, which contains our Core Application Software. Using this, together with your unique username and password, which we will also supply, you will be able to download your assignments over the Internet to your chosen computer and then study in your own time.

Technology

What sort of computer must I have?

The minimum requirements are PC Pentium II, 233 MHz, 56 Kb RAM, 56Kbps modem, graphics accelerator card, Win 95/98/2000/NT/XP/VISTA. For the complete 3-part course you will need 600MB of free hard disk storage. If you are not doing the full course, the amount of hard disk space required will be less.

Will your software work on a Macintosh?

Almost all of the eTelestia courses are available for Mac Computers. If you have a Mac Computer you need to notify us with your order so that we can send you the Mac Version of the Software.
Telestia Creator-CAD Software, Virtual Factory and some parts of the Road to Fashion Programmes are not available for Mac Computers. In this case, you can run the programmes on your Mac through a Virtual PC environment with XP, i.e. you can use a utility called ‘BootCamp’ or if you want to run Windows and Mac applications at the same time — without rebooting — you can install Windows using VMware or Parallels software. Please have a look at the relevant link where you can find this information on the apple website: http://www.apple.com/macosx/compatibility/

Can I still take your course if I don’t have my own computer?

The course is designed to run on one computer, so if you don’t have your own computer but have access to one then you can still take the course. You must remember, though, that you will have to use the same computer throughout the duration of your course.

I share a computer with someone else – how can I make sure they don’t access my eTelestia program?

If someone has access to the PC you are using for the course, you can not prevent them from launching the Core Application Software and looking at it. However, they will not be able to benefit from the course modules you have already downloaded unless they have access to your drafting template and tools. Also, they will not have access to your unique username and password which is used to determine, via the website, which module you have access to next as part of your course and therefore will not be able to download new material to your Core Application Software.

My computer has broken and I have lost / can’t access my course software – what can I do?

There are safeguards built into the program to ensure students only download each assignment once. This is to prevent unauthorised use of our training materials. However, if you have experienced a problem please contact your Online Tutor via the website, explaining the exact nature of the problem and we will provide a solution for you. Remember that you should keep the Core Application Software CD-ROM safe after installing it in case you need to reinstall it.

I don’t know that much about computers, will I still be able to take the eTelestia courses?

You don’t have to know anything about computers to take our courses. The courses are set out in the simplest way, so you will only have to concentrate on your lessons and not on how to use the computer.

What if something goes wrong with my computer while I am taking the course?

If you find you are having some technical difficulties with your computer, then please contact us via our website explaining the exact nature of the problem and we provide a solution to you. Please remember to keep the Core Application CD-ROM safe after installing it in case you need to reinstall it.

Is the course taken on the internet?

No the courses are not taken while you are on the internet, you will only have to go on to our website to download your learning package. Once you have done this you are able to work on the lesson from your computer without the use of the internet.

General

I’d like to know if there are any other students doing this course in my area. Can you help?

We keep all our students’ personal information confidential, and we will not divulge that information to a third party, even if they are a fellow student. However you are able to find other students in your area via the website, or post a message yourself asking for any other students in your area to contact you.

What is this ‘free interactive demo’ you mention and how will I get it?

The ‘interactive demo’ demonstrates a part of the Core Application Software to give you an idea of how the course works. It can be downloaded from the website once you have registered.

When I finish my course, what help can eTelestia give me starting my career?

We are planning to develop the website to incorporate an area for employers and students where they can post their vacancies and availability. We hope to further develop this area of the website to contain links to other worldwide websites that students may find useful in their search for employment.

How much time will it take to complete my course?

For each course you have an estimated time necessary to finish it. This is with the assumption that you will devote between six to nine hours a week in studying and applying our lessons. If you don't have this time then you can extend the time needed for the course. That together with our experience from previous students has prompted us to define the support needed and offered by us, as described in the cost of the course.

Are the courses structured in to chronological lessons one taken after the other?

All of our courses are set out in an easy learnable packages. You will complete these lessons in the order set out to you, to make sure you have required the skills necessary to move on to the next step.

How will I know how I am progressing?

In our courses you are expected to construct the patterns in every lesson for practice. Once you familiarize yourself with that, you are asked to complete a number of tests. For each of those tests you have the possibility to self assess yourself with the answers provided. Then you can discuss the results with your tutor to be given suggestions for the progress of your studies.

What if I need extra assistance?

"As soon as you sign up for one of our courses you will be assigned your personal online tutor. Your tutor is there for you if you require any assistance and to help you in any way with your learning process. Also if you are having any technical difficulties the I.T department are always standing by to help and of course our adminstration team are easily accessible through email. For whatever difficulty you may have we are here to help."

I cant afford to pay for the whole course at once is there anouther way i can pay?

Yes there is!!! We are now offering you a new way to study Womenswear with eTelestia. It will allow you to study the same course, at the same price, but in 3 equal parts. This gives you the flexibility to “Pay as you Go”. Please see the Womenswear Pay as you Go page for more information.

Will I be able to take this course from home? What will I need to be able to complete the course?

"The fashionexpresslearning.co.uk courses are home study courses so every aspect of the course is organized for it to be learnt in any environment. When you register for your course you will be provided with a complete list of the items you will need but we have found from experience that you probably have most of these items already at home. If you take one of our many types of pattern construction courses you will need a flat table, a sewing machine (you don’t need an expensive or advanced sewing machine to complete our courses) Drafting paper – (Brown paper, cake lining paper, ) pencil, scissors pins and tape measure. All this is available at you local haberdashery store. If you decide to take one of our fashion courses you will only need to acquire a pencil and drawing pad. fashionexpresslearning. will supply you with the necessary template."

What are the eTelestia templates?

There are three AB Templates- one for the Pattern Construction Course ,one for the Fashion Design Course, and one for the grading course. These are basic tools you will need to enable you to draft your patterns and designs. They are constructed from highly durable materials and with care will last you for a life time.

What if I am unable to complete the course in the time you have set me due to work commitments etc?

This is something you should discuss with us when you first sign up for your course. Under special circumstances we may be able to arrange a flexible learning agreement. In order for you to receive the tutor time you need. Please contact us regarding this when you decide which course you will be taking.

Confidentiality of Information

Who has access to the personal information I give you when I register such as home address, telephone number and email address?

Only authorised employees of Fashion Express Learning have access to the information you provide at registration and those details will only used in connection with providing you with your course and related Fashion Express Learning information.

Why do you need this information?

We need your contact details to send you your course information, Core Application CD-ROM and Drafting Template, and to keep you updated with information relevant to your course.

Do you sell your mailing lists to other outside companies?

No. We do not and will not sell our mailing lists to other companies

Will I get lots of unsolicited emails if I give you my email address?

No, you will only get emails from Fashion Express Learning relating to your registration or inquiry. If you wish no further contact with Fashion Express Learning at any time, all you have to do is email us asking to be removed from our mailing list, and we will ensure that you receive no further communication from us. (hyperlink to email template and subject box pre-completed)