Distance education
Here, you will find information and ideas about distance education for you as a techer. First of all, you should use Zoom or Moodle in distance learning.
Examination
The government has recommended a temporary transition from written exams to other examination formats that do not require physical presence learning. How does that affect me?
According to the decision, Mid Sweden University will deviate from the regulations and from the examination format of the course syllabi. The new decision came into force on 18 March.
It is up to each course/programme to find the right alternative examination format and to communicate it to the students. If the format is not changed because the exam will take place in the next days, it can be cancelled and instead be offered at the next planned examination sitting.
The dialogue between Head of departments, course and programme representatives and Directors of studies, as well as documenting all changes, so that course syllabi may be officially changed afterwards, in line with UKÄ requests.
What do course representatives have to do in order t follow the regultions when moving to online education?
It is important to carefully document the changes in the course syllabus, when changing the course format, examination format etc.
Only the syllabus content needs to be updated.
UKÄ requires us to documents all the changes we make, but it can be done afterwards, for instance by means of a decision by the Head of department.
Is a student entitled to an extra examination sitting if he or she cannot or decides not to take an examination?
No. A student who cannot, or chooses not to, take an exam, we will offer a retake and later on an extra examination sitting.
The decision to change the examination format does not mean individuals or smaller groups will have extra examination sittings.
Students who are taking the examination show symptoms of cold/ flu, or have been to risk areas, but still come to the examination hall. Can we tell them off, and if yes; based on what criteria may we do do?
In this case, we may refer to the regulations the Swedish Council for Higher Education, UHR, has proposed for the SweSAT this spring. It means that the Vice-Chancellor can decide on a code of conduct that come into effect in cases like these, where we deal with an active, communicable disease.
The students taking the examination must be informed that if they are ill or have visited a risk area, they ahould not come to take the examination. In cases where they come anyway, the Board of Discipline may suspend them afterwards for doing so.
If a student travels to campus or to a learning centre only to find out that the examination is taken digitally; do we have to pay for the travel expenses?
If we have acted carelessly, thus causing the situation, we may have to pay a reimbursement, but normally not. The carelessness is the difference in this case. If we have caused the student economic loss by taking unnecessary measurements and not informing the student of this, thus giving him or her the opportunity to adapt to the decision. Looking at the measures taken in the rest of the country and globally, we consider these losses to be minimal, and we cannot be considered to be overreacting to the threat of the coronavirus.
How do we handle the notification of special support?
If you have registration for the exam in Ladok, the students who have the right to special support can report their need for support. When the registration is closed, teachers only need to contact the Examination Coordination to check for any notifications regarding support (which in this situation only applies to extended time, 40% of regular writing time). If you do not use Ladok, you need to inform the students that they must show their certificates of support to you.
Here you will find contact information for the Examination Coordination.
How do students get their written exams back?
The process below does not apply when examinations including correction are performed completely digitally in for example Inspera or Moodle.
During the current pandemic, the exam function can carry out the dispatch and storage of corrected paper exams according to the following process:
1. The students need to be registered in Ladok in order for the scan to be completed (this can be done afterwards if the exam is already written - the department administrator / administrator places a locked registration opportunity and reports to the students who have written. NOTE: This must be done before the result reported in Ladok! It is still recommended that exam registration is always done in Ladok, not least because students who have the right to special support can report it in the way they are instructed to do.
2. In order for a corrected exam to be scanned by STUA, the institutions need, to the Examination function, to supply an unwritten original paper exam, which shows the examination questions, date and course code. Along with the original exam, the students' written exams are enclosed where it is stated which student has graduated (for example printed from mail or other system).
3. In cases (for example when answers have already been sent to the student) where only examination questions must be scanned for archiving, they are sent to the exam coordination. In cases where there is no registration opportunity in Ladok, a closed registration opportunity is arranged by the administrator / administrator when the exam is sent.
4. No copy, neither digital nor on paper, is stored with teachers after they have been scanned, they must be deleted or sorted out.
Support for teachers
Who can I call if I need ad hoc teaching support?
We are introducing a new phone number for ad hoc teaching support for teachers, regardless of whether you are teaching at campus or in another location.
The number is: +46(0)10-142 84 65
Support for issues that are not ad hoc: distanssupport@miun.se
Filming lectures
We are currently offering additional support for teachers who need to film their lectures etc. Please contact distanssupport@miun.se for support.
What technical solutions and support are available to change the course format from on-campus to digital solutions?
Currently, we are working to create good conditions for the transition from campus courses to digital options. As a first step, the university may prioritize support to distance education with planned, on-campus, course units.
To do so, we need to have a readiness in terms of the extent, to which our systems can handle such a change. A designated team focusing on digital solutions will repeatedly follow up this work.
What is important to think about regarding copyright for me as a teacher?
Here you can read more about copyright and find out what you need to think about when sharing material with students.
I miss equipment like Web camera, headset or software?
You order here , the Service Portal. Help with your order, contact IT Helpdesk.
Education
As a teacher, can I use the teaching premises?
Yes, teachers have normal access to the teaching premises, and you can use them for distance education.
What happens if students do not follow the university rule to isolate themselves after a visit to a risk area?
The Swedish Higher Education Authority, UKÄ, answers:
Supported by the discipline regulations of the Higher Education Ordinance, the university can suspend students from studies if they do not follow the university´s code of conduct.
If needed, can we change the examination form for a specific course? Can we, for instance, change a written examination to a take-home examination, even if the course syllabus says written examination?
The Swedish Higher Education Authority, UKÄ, answers:
The course syllabus contains legally binding regulations on examinations, which must be followed by the university. However, The Agency will not criticize a university that urgently has changed the examination form due to the risk of spread, without changing the regulations first.
Can students use group rooms and open spaces on campus if they need to?
Yes, if they need to to be able to study, but it is of utmost importance that all students stay at home if they show flu-like symptoms, even if the symptoms are mild. Follow the recommendations issued by the Public Health Agency of Sweden. Students need their Miun card and code to access the buildings and group rooms can be booked.
Distribution forms course / course torque
If we want to change the form of distribution for a course or course, for example, a part of a distance education that will take place on campus must be changed to a digital alternative - what do we have the opportunity to do?
The actual form of distribution for a course or an element is related to the course occasion and not to the syllabus. As UKÄ has taken a position on how they will assess decisions regarding changed form of examination, we will open the same solution with regard to changed form of distribution. This means that the form of distribution for a course or course is possible to change so that a course is carried out, for example, via a link instead of on site on campus.
In the work, we need to be prepared for how our systems can handle such a change. It is being followed up successively by the operational group dealing with the operational issue of digital solutions.
The momentum we want to make available through digital alternatives has a compulsory presence - what can we do?
If it is a course element where compulsory attendance prevails, attendance can be done via link or on site on campus. It is not the physical location that is relevant to a compulsory element, but the key is the active participation in the element itself.
To consider: There may be elements that happen in lab rooms or the like and that require physical presence. In cases where these cannot be carried out, it is up to the business concerned to decide for themselves whether the examination can be moved to the next opportunity or if a decision is needed to move the examination to an extra set date and when it would be possible to do so.
Schedules
If staff members wish to change the course format to a digital alternative, for instance Zoom, how can they change the schedule information?
Teachers can change the information in the schedule itself, as a note. They do not have to contact the scheduling staff. However, the scheduling staff members are available for support or to answer any questions the teachers may have.