Our response to COVID-19

Blended learning

Blended learning means that courses will be delivered via a mix of on-campus and online activity. Our on-campus delivery will be carried out in line with Polish government advice and instruction, including the appropriate social distancing requirements. It is your choice whether to attend on-campus delivery initially or not.

If you are unable to join us on campus at the start of your course, we offer a fully online route for the vast majority of our courses as long as there are no specific requirements for on-campus activity (e.g. laboratory, workshop, simulation sessions etc.) that cannot be managed online.

Our timetabling will attempt to avoid large gatherings of students and to minimise the number of days per week that commuting students will need to travel onto campus.
You will be taught in the same small groups (pods) for any on-campus activities – e.g. tutorials, laboratories, studios, practical assessments etc. Assessments will normally be completed and submitted online.

All of our courses and modules will be delivered on the Aula learning experience platform. This mobile-first teaching and learning platform is simple to use and will allow you to have online conversations with your lecturers and fellow students more easily. Hundreds of our students have already used and liked it. As the first UK university of our size to use Aula, the platform is designed to enhance and strengthen the way we deliver teaching and learning, now and into the future, whether this is online, on-campus or a blend of both.

Campus management

We are putting in place a number of additional health and safety measures in our Wrocław campus. These include:

Enhanced Building Hygiene

• High traffic common areas in university buildings on campus will receive a regular deep clean with anti-viral disinfectant.
• Day cleaning staff will focus on cleaning touch points using anti-viral disinfectant.
• Hand sanitiser points and anti-viral wipes will be available.
• Mobile sanitising stations will be installed in all entrances and on each floor.
• ‘Fogging’ of areas will take place where appropriate. This is a method of deep cleaning which disinfects the air and surfaces within an office/workspace.

Social distancing

• Social distancing signage, floor markings, queuing and one-way systems will be in place on campus.
• Restricted numbers will be permitted in buildings to encourage social distancing.
• Student numbers will also be managed in other areas including the library, social and other informal campus areas.
• We will instigate a booking system for spaces that are popular, such as the library, to make sure all students have the opportunity to access them.

Welfare and mental health support

We are committed to providing you with a high level of wellbeing support and all of our normal services will be available online. These include:

• Access to our counselling and mental health service
• A dedicated team of welfare and disability advisors providing advice and support
• Access to our suite of Connections Matter resources designed to help you stay connected and healthy, both mentally and physically
• Access to Togetherall, a completely anonymous digital mental health support service available online 24/7 to allow students and staff to express themselves freely and openly

For new students, your induction will cover what support is available to you.

To explore the range of services we offer, visit the student support section of our website.

Teaching and learning

• What will learning look like?

  Subject to there being any changes in Polish government advice, we will be offering an on-campus teaching experience but should this change a blend of on-campus learning and online learning will be adopted to ensure you have a consistent and high-quality experience.

  If you are unable to join us on campus at the start of your course, we offer a fully online route for the vast majority of our courses as long as there are no specific requirements for on-campus activity (e.g. laboratory, workshop, simulation sessions) that cannot be managed online. It is your choice whether to attend on-campus delivery initially or not.

  If you are a new student, you will have a comprehensive online induction before you begin your study. Access to online induction will be available as soon as your place is confirmed.

• What will my timetable look like?

  We are currently working course by course to determine how your timetable will look. If we are required to deliver a blended approach we will attempt to provide at least five hours of on-campus timetabled learning per student each week during each block, with the remainder delivered online.

• When will my timetable be available?

  New students will receive their timetable and induction before they start (see our Academic Calendar).

• What is online teaching and how will it work?

  Online learning comprising online seminars, discussion and directed activities, will take on average 15-20 hours per week, with the rest of the time focused on self-directed learning and assessments.

  Courses and modules will be delivered on the Aula learning experience platform. This is where you will access your learning materials and connect with lecturers, tutors and others on your course easily.

  Aula is designed to be social, with conversation and engagement at the heart of the student learning experience. It is mobile friendly so you will be able to access learning on a range of devices. The look and feel is similar to social media platforms, and aims to create an online community which supports students with the social side of learning that you would usually receive when attending lectures in person.

• What will on campus delivery look like?

  Social distancing requirements mean that on-campus activity has to be reduced. Timetabling will be managed to avoid large gatherings of students and to minimise the number of days per week that commuting students will need to travel onto campus, and students will be taught in the same small groups for any on-campus activities e.g. tutorials, laboratories, studios, practical assessments etc. – these will be referred to as ‘pods’.

  For the safety of all students, wherever possible, you are encouraged to only attend campus for your timetabled learning, for one-to-one appointments, and when using booked study spaces.

• What are teaching pods and how will they work?

  A ‘pod’ is a group of students who are taught together to reduce the number of people they are in contact with.

  Pods are not the same as bubbles in schools. A bubble is a group of students who only ever stay in one physical classroom with the same peers and the same teacher.

  In your pods, you will:

  • Use different rooms (especially where they are accessing specialist facilities)
  • Have more than one member of staff teaching you

  On-campus students should still not be in ‘close contact’ even when they are part of a pod, and should still adhere to the Polish government rules of social distancing.

  Pods will be made up of a maximum of 30 students, apart from in exceptional circumstances where key activities cannot be delivered online or through smaller groups and the activity has been suitably risk assessed.

• Will assessments take place online?

  If the blended learning experience is required, wherever possible and practical, assessments will be completed and submitted online, and on-campus assessments will be converted to online assessments. This is to ensure that where on-campus or specialist facilities are essential for an assessment, there is maximum availability. We are not planning on having on-campus exams except for where there is a specific requirement of a course. You will be advised about your specific assessments by your Module Leader/Tutor, or will be able to find the information you need in Aula.

• If I need to isolate or I am shielding during the start of my course, will there be a remote option for my classes?

  We’re aware that the next academic year will bring a degree of uncertainty with the potential for some periods of greater restrictions in place, some students needing to shield or isolate for their protection, and some students choosing not to come to campus. Where you are not able to return to campus, we are offering a fully online route for many of our courses for the next academic year as long as there are no specific requirements for on-campus activity (e.g. laboratory, workshop, simulation sessions) that cannot be managed online.

  Course information, materials and content will be available online through the Aula learning experience platform, our online library services and more.

• Will block dates remain the same if courses are delivered online?

  Yes, the academic year structure will remain the same. See our Academic Calendar.

• Do these measures apply to all courses?

  These measures apply to all courses taught at Coventry University Wrocław.