This is the latest of our weekly newsletters for staff about the work underway to ensure the continuity of Teaching, Learning and Assessment for our students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Today we are covering:
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We are planning for teaching, learning and assessment to look considerably different in the 2020-21 academic year as social distancing and travel restrictions continue, and as the most vulnerable members of our community need to teach or learn remotely. The framework set out for 2020-21, including the University’s strongly preferred model for teaching and learning, provides a steer for academic departments when developing local plans for how modules and courses will be delivered. The Curriculum Changes Log is being introduced to collate, record and approve changes to modules and courses in a consistent, systematic way. All academic departments are asked to compile, agree and submit a Log preferably by 4th August or by 28th August at the latest.
We have engaged with faculties and a number of academic departments over the last week to ensure that we strike the right balance between maintaining oversight of what is changing next year and not unnecessarily adding to workloads at an already strained time. That feedback has helped us to clarify the very narrow range of information that needs updating in module records, to add clarity to the Log and guidance, and to increase flexibility on the deadlines for submitting the Logs and updating module records. On the latter, we know that some departments are ready to submit now and others need more time, which is why we have sought to stagger the deadlines.
See the Curriculum Changes Log and read the supporting guidance.
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As we move from the emergency delivery of this term back towards a more consultative approach to planning teaching, learning and assessment next year, we are taking pragmatic steps to gauge students’ views to inform this planning. We are beginning with a light-touch student survey this week and next. The survey will evaluate students’ experiences of the last term and seek their views on how we make next year’s blended learning environment as supportive and engaging as possible. With over 1,300 responses in the first 24 hours, we are asking for the help of all staff in maintaining this momentum so that we have robust data ready for use across departments and central teams within the next few weeks.
Read more about the end-of-term survey and how it can be promoted to students.
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We have previously published information on how we will deliver the September exams session and on the method for approving alternative assessment methods. This week, we confirm the timescales by which we will prepare for the session over the coming months. The updated guidance contains information on the process of confirming reassessment methods, including confirmation of the September timetable, and the deadlines for the creation of assessments in the Alternative Exams Portal (including assessment in Moodle or QMP through the AEP).
Read more on the deadlines and information required for preparing for the September reassessment period.
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The Student Immigration & Compliance Team has developed a section on the Student Immigration Staff Intranet page answering some of the common queries we are receiving from academic departments.
New FAQs for staff include information on:
- English language test centres closure - what is happening now?
- What if international students can't get a visa or travel to the UK at the start of the autumn term?
- When should international offer holders apply for their Tier 4 visa?
- Where international students are unable to travel to the UK in time to start the academic year, are they expected to engage with their course remotely during the first few weeks of their course?
- If an international student starts their course remotely, would they still be eligible for the 2-year Graduate Route work visa when they complete their course?
There is a separate New Student FAQ webpage, which will be updated regularly to capture offer holder queries. Please feel free to signpost offer holders to this webpage in the first instance if you receive any visa-related queries.
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Queries?
We have launched the Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) Helpdesk as a single place for TLA-related queries to central teams during the Covid-19 situation. We have a dedicated team managing the Helpdesk to ensure your query is resolved sooner and always gets to the right specialist team when needed.
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