Student Update: Teaching and learning this year and support with your studies

Please be aware that this information was shared with students by email and correct at the time of sending. For the latest Covid-19 guidance, please visit our coronavirus webpages: www.wlv.ac.uk/coronavirus. If you are a student who has a query or needs support, please log a helpcall with ASK@WLV in e:Vision (www.wlv.ac.uk/evision).

As we move into the first few weeks of teaching in the new semester, I want to provide you with more information about our plans for your teaching and learning this year.

• Teaching activities online and on-campus
• Timetables and Student check In
• Students who are unable to return to campus
• Support with your studies
• Safety on campus

Teaching activities online and on-campus

Teaching and learning activities that take place in person on our campuses will be at the heart of your studies this year. As long as Government guidance permits us to do so, we will maintain our normal levels of on-campus teaching as much as possible. We have learned a great deal from the last 18 months, and students have reported positive aspects of having access to online resources and support. We don't want to lose these positives and have built them into how we teach this year. 

Lectures

Large lectures in groups of fifty or more will be delivered online. Some lectures for smaller groups will also be held online if this enables us to use your time on campus for more interactive learning activities. You'll be able to access all recorded lectures at a time that is convenient for you via Canvas, our virtual learning environment. Any 'live' sessions that require you to join at a specific time will be included in your timetable.    

Seminars and practical activities

Smaller group activities, like seminars, labs, workshops and other practical activities, will take place on campus. These activities are included in your timetable. Please ensure that you have accessed any recorded materials before attending the related on-campus seminar, workshop or practical class.  

Tutorials and meetings with your personal tutor or academic coach

One-on-one meetings with your personal tutor, academic coach, or lecturer may occur online or on campus. You should have a conversation with the person you are meeting to make arrangements that work best for you both.   

You should follow our guidelines for safety on campus and any instructions from the session leader when attending teaching activities on campus. In particular, we encourage you to continue to wear a face-covering in communal areas and not close windows to maximise effective ventilation. Due to the ventilation systems, we request that no one open windows in the Millennium City Building (MC) and the Housman Building (MX) at City Campus. These spaces have a different type of cooling system, and the addition of any windows being open will cause various issues. 

If you have any concerns about teaching and learning activities on your course, I would encourage you to speak to your personal tutor or academic coach. You can find out who your personal tutor is in e:Vision by selecting the My Details tab and clicking the Personal Tutor button. 

Your timetable and Student check In 

Your timetable is available in the MyWLV app, under the Calendar button.   

Your timetable will indicate whether your teaching sessions will be in-person or delivered online. If it's an in-person class, there will be a room number provided. If it is a scheduled online lecture, there will be a link to a live interactive session.   

When you attend any scheduled teaching activities, online and on campus, you'll need to use Student Check-in to register, using the MyWLV app or by visiting myattendance.wlv.ac.uk.  

Please ensure you use your University (wlv.ac.uk) email address and password to log in to the system.   

Once you've accessed Student Check In, you'll see a list of your upcoming teaching activities. At the beginning of the session, you should find the correct activity and select Present. You'll then be asked to enter a six-digit code which will be provided by your session leader. Select Yes to confirm your attendance.   

To get the most out of your studies, you'll need to attend and engage in all your classes and activities, but we understand that occasionally this may not be possible. If you have to miss a class through illness or other unforeseen circumstances, the University is here to support you.   

You can find more information about using Student Check In, including how to report an absence and keep track of your attendance, on our website.   

Students who are unable to return to campus 

We recognise that not all students will be able to return to campus due to medical reasons. In such cases, subject to medical evidence, we will explore whether teaching can be made available online. Please be aware that this will not be possible for all courses, and in these cases, it may be necessary for you to defer your studies until you can return to campus.    

If this applies to you, please contact your Faculty Student Services via the e:Vision Helpdesk.   

Support with your studies 

Our Skills for Learning team can help you to develop more effective approaches to your studies and assessments. You can access a range of online skills resources, academic skills workshops and book appointments for one-to-one support.    

In response to Covid-19, the Skills for Learning team now offers support with developing your digital skills for studying, for example, using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Canvas.    

Students can join weekly workshops and drop-in sessions that cover studying online.  

Upcoming sessions  

• Monday 4 October, 9:30 am – 11 am: Harvard Referencing 
• Monday 4 October, 2:30 pm – 4 pm: Introduction to academic writing 
• Tuesday 5 October, 12 midday - 12:30 pm: Bitesize workshop - Paraphrasing 
• Tuesday 5 October, 2:30 pm – 4 pm: Starting your literature review 
• Wednesday 6 October, 2:30 pm – 4 pm: Finding academic information 
• Thursday 7 October, 2:30 pm – 4 pm: Introduction to reflective writing 
• Friday 8 October, 9:30 am – 11 am: Introduction to critical thinking 
• Friday 8 October, 2:30 pm – 4 pm: Thinking about your dissertation 

Find out more and book a session 

Student Support, Health and Wellbeing  

Studying during this time may challenge you in unexpected ways, especially when you're balancing your studies with work and home commitments. If you feel stressed or anxious, you can find the support you need at the University.     

Through our Student Support and Wellbeing team, you can access lots of different support services:  

• Disability support  
• Mental health and wellbeing  
• Multi-faith Chaplaincy  
• Funding and finance  

All students can access online mental health and wellbeing support 24/7 through Togetherall – an online community monitored by trained professionals. Please check our self-help resources webpage or complete the mental health and wellbeing support registration form if you need additional advice or help.       

Find out more about the student support services available and how to access them here: www.wlv.ac.uk/support.  

Safety on campus  

The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic means that studying on campus is somewhat different. The University remains committed to ensuring that students have the best learning experience possible, but we need to place the safety of our community at the heart of everything we do.  

Everyone accessing the University campuses should:   

• Behave responsibly, following our safety on campus guidelines and government guidance, observing the measures in place to ensure our campuses are safe and Covid-informed.  
• Wear a face-covering and give everyone plenty of space when moving around campus and in busy communal areas (e.g.,  catering outlets and corridors).   
• Clean workspaces before and after use, including the keyboard and mouse in PC areas.  

Please be aware that in line with Government guidance, there is currently no requirement to follow one way systems on campus and no restrictions on the number of people accessing lifts and WC facilities. At present, the current Covid-19 pandemic signage on campus will remain in place. This will enable us to re-activate measures quickly if required due to and new local or national restrictions. 

Please visit our safety on campus webpage for more guidance and our FAQs, which include information covering building ventilation, face coverings and on-campus signage.  

Stay up to date with the latest information       

Please keep checking your University WLV emails and reading these updates. We are committed to keeping students up to date. We do this by email, on our social media channels (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) and the University student news webpage.       

Visit our dedicated Covid-19 webpages for information on how you can stay safe and help protect our University community during the pandemic.      

Thank you, and stay safe.  

Professor Julia Clarke   

Deputy Vice-Chancellor