Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit our website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners about how users interact with their sites.

At Global Communication Academy, we use cookies to enhance your learning experience, remember your preferences, and analyze how our website is used to continually improve our services.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. They enable basic functionality such as page navigation, form submissions, and access to secure areas. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information about pages visited, time spent on the site, and any errors encountered. This information helps us improve our website's performance and user experience.

Functional Cookies

These cookies remember your preferences and settings to provide a more personalized experience. They may remember your language preference, course interests, or other customization options you've selected.

Learning Progress Cookies

For students enrolled in our programs, we use cookies to track learning progress, save course completion status, and maintain continuity in your educational journey across different sessions.

How We Use Cookies

• To ensure our website functions correctly and securely
• To remember your login status and preferences
• To track course progress and learning achievements
• To analyze website traffic and user behavior patterns
• To improve our content and course offerings
• To personalize your learning experience
• To prevent fraud and enhance security
• To provide customer support and technical assistance

Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services that place cookies on your device. These services help us provide better functionality and analyze our website performance. Third-party cookies may include:

• Educational technology platforms for course delivery
• Video hosting services for instructional content
• Analytics services to understand user behavior
• Payment processing services for secure transactions
• Social media integration for content sharing

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they use cookies and collect information.

Cookie Duration

We use both session cookies and persistent cookies:

Session Cookies

These temporary cookies expire when you close your browser. They help maintain your session while navigating through our website and ensure forms work correctly.

Persistent Cookies

These cookies remain on your device for a specified period (typically 30 days to 2 years) or until you delete them. They remember your preferences and help provide a consistent experience across visits.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options for managing cookies:

Browser Settings

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your learning experience.

Cookie Consent

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept or customize your cookie preferences. You can change these preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting our site.

Opt-Out Options

For analytics and performance cookies, you may opt out through browser settings or third-party opt-out tools. However, opting out may limit your access to certain features and personalized content.

Educational Platform Cookies

Our online learning platform uses specialized cookies to enhance your educational experience:

• Progress tracking cookies that save your course completion status
• Assessment cookies that maintain quiz and exam session data
• Preference cookies that remember your learning settings
• Communication cookies for student-instructor messaging
• Calendar cookies for class scheduling and reminders
• Resource access cookies for course materials and downloads

Security and Data Protection

We implement appropriate security measures to protect the information collected through cookies. This includes:

• Encryption of sensitive data transmitted through cookies
• Secure transmission protocols (HTTPS) for all cookie data
• Regular security audits and updates
• Limited access to cookie data by authorized personnel only
• Automatic expiration of cookies to minimize data retention

International Students and Cross-Border Data

If you are accessing our website from outside Sri Lanka, please be aware that cookies may involve the transfer of information across international borders. We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and maintain the same level of protection for your information.

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will notify users through our website or other appropriate communication channels.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and protect your information.

Technical Cookie Information

For technical users who want detailed information about our cookie implementation:

• Cookie names follow standard web development conventions
• Data is stored in accordance with web security best practices
• Cookie domains are restricted to our website and authorized subdomains
• HttpOnly and Secure flags are applied where appropriate
• SameSite attributes are configured for cross-site request protection

Learning Analytics and Progress Tracking

As an educational institution, we use cookies to support learning analytics that help improve educational outcomes:

• Tracking time spent on different learning materials
• Identifying areas where students may need additional support
• Measuring engagement with interactive content
• Personalizing learning paths based on progress and preferences
• Generating reports for instructors to improve course design

This data is used solely for educational purposes and to enhance the learning experience for all students.

Mobile Applications and Cookies

If you access our services through mobile applications, similar technologies to cookies may be used. These include:

• Local storage for offline course access
• Device identifiers for personalization
• Push notification preferences
• App usage analytics for improvement

Contact Information

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please visit our main website to find appropriate contact methods. We are committed to addressing any concerns you may have about how we collect and use information through cookies.

For technical issues related to cookies or if you experience problems with website functionality due to cookie settings, our technical support team can provide assistance with browser configuration and troubleshooting.