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Corona – Update: Teaching and examinations

Information on support with online formats, on the TUWEL update and a survey on distance learning.

Photo of the main building on Karlsplatz with the heading "Covid-19 Info", the update time and the update link: www.tuwien.at/corona

A very unusual, challenging and exciting year 2020, which demanded a lot from us, lies behind us. In the past year, I have seen a great dedication to the students on the teaching side as well as creativity in the development of new teaching and examination formats on behalf of many lecturers. As a result, despite COVID-19 and the associated restrictions and lockdowns, we were able to maintain teaching and examination operations to a large extent, taking into account studyability and maintaining quality standards. I would like to thank you all for this!

I was very surprised and concerned by the HTU's mailing to the lecturers yesterday and the HTU press release. Precisely because I experience that the majority of the lecturers show great commitment, the sweeping condemnations and the populist approach are incomprehensible. Personally, I am very curious to see how HTU intends to restore trust.

Unfortunately, courses and examinations in February and in the summer semester of 2021 will still not be able to be held in "normal operation".

February 2021

Due to the latest developments regarding Covid-19, what we feared has now materialised. The scheduled face-to-face exam dates will have to be rescheduled very quickly to an alternative online format. If it is not possible to change to an online examination format, a request for attendance must be submitted via our form at least two weeks before the date, which can only be approved by the Vice Rectorate for Academic Affairs.

TUWEL update

Due to the TUWEL update and the lecture-free period in February, no exams (online and attendance) should be scheduled between 13.02. and 17.02.

On 16.02. and 17.02.2021 TUWEL will be updated to Moodle version 3.10 with all the already proven functions. TUWEL will not be available during this time.

As usual, the TUWEL documentation - cheat sheets and video tutorials - will also be updated. You will find these in time for the update in the course "TUWEL Tutorials": https://tuwel.tuwien.ac.at/course/view.php?idnumber=tuweltutorials, opens an external URL in a new window.

The TUWEL team will also provide information on the main innovations of the new version in time for the update.

Summer semester 2021

As already announced, the summer semester 2021 will be planned similarly to the winter semester 2020/21. However, due to current developments, the decision also had to be made that the first year of study must also take place online.

The following points must therefore be observed:

  • All courses and examinations must, if possible, again be held in a distance learning format.
  • The compulsory courses of the first year of study must also be held online.
  • If it is not possible to switch to Distance Learning, an application for attendance must be submitted using our form.
  • The following exceptions do not require approval via the form:
    • Laboratories with an appropriate safety concept
    • Practical courses with an appropriate safety concept

If you need support with the conversion of face-to-face examinations to online examinations, or with the implementation of online courses, you can contact the Distance Learning Team at distancelearning@tuwien.ac.at. Likewise, if you need staff support to cover peaks in delivery – be it technical or exam supervision – due to the conversion of your exam to an online format, you can request this at distancelearning@tuwien.ac.at (at least two weeks in advance).

We are close to finalising a document – "Paper-based online exams: Do's and Don'ts for a successful implementation", in order to establish uniform rules and requirements at TU Wien. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that, for legal reasons, participation in an online examination may not be linked to consent to the recording of the examination.

Since our pool of student teaching assistants can only cover peak demands, please take into account possible additional capacities for examination supervision by adding additional student teaching assistants to the corresponding courses in your research areas.

Distance Learning Survey until 15.2.2021

As we would like to know how you have experienced the change to an online format in the last year, I would like to ask you to participate in the Distance Learning Survey, opens an external URL in a new window. The survey will run until 15.2.2021 and will then close automatically. The results will be used, among other things, for the further development of Distance Learning and will also be incorporated into the planning of the 2021 summer semester and the associated guidelines and scenarios.

 

Thank you very much for your support!

Best regards,

Kurt Matyas, Vice Rector Acade