Instituto Superior Técnico

Conselho Pedagógico

COVID – 19 | Clarifications

Clarifications and Good Practice 2nd Semester 2019/2020

[last update 06/19/2020]

 

The following clarifications are intended to provide some indications related to academic and pedagogical matters within the scope of the IST Contingency Plan for COVID-19.

In the end, we suggest some strategies that allow more efficient monitoring of the processes and changes that occur at this stage. In this sense, suggestions will also be made at the level of communication between the Pedagogical Council and the IST Students’ Representatives Commission.

These guidelines seek to minimize the impact on teaching and evaluation of the courses for the 2nd semester 2019-2020 and were also sent to the Coordinators and Department Presidents. It should be noted that, due to the exceptional regime in which we find ourselves, the Academic Guide should be interpreted with some latitude, since we anticipate that changes in assessment dates, changes in assessment methods, among others, may occur at this stage.

We count on your sense of responsibility so that, in an orderly and serene manner, you clarify any doubts that may arise among our colleagues. For any additional questions contact the Pedagogical Council at cp@tecnico.ulisboa.pt.

Clarifications

Teaching:

  • All classroom teaching activities have been suspended since 9 March and were formally and remotely resumed on 18 March. Following the decision taken by the University Coordination Council of the University of Lisbon (CCU-UL) at the day meeting April 3, it was decided to maintain the suspension of all classroom activities until the end of the academic year 2019/2020. (changed 4/10/2020)
  • All teaching activities related to the academic year 2019/2020 must be completed by the end of July, except for some specific cases related to practical and laboratory activities. (added 4/10/2020)
  • Use of classes by videoconference (https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt/pt/aulas-por-videoconferencia/ ) or other electronic alternatives (e.g., previously recorded classes, videos, slides, among other support material, and the preparation of specific content for distance learning)
  • Make an announcement until Sunday, April 26, on the UC page for which they are responsible, the remote assessment method they will use, in order to inform students in a timely manner of the changes introduced. (added 4/22/2020)
  • Ensure schedule for doubts electronically (email, video conference or tools such as slack, etc.)
  • Ensure that all summaries are published on the day of class.
  • Provide all the support material at Fénix, it is recommended that it be done before the respective classes.
  • It is recommended to prepare test and exam statements in advance as a preventive measure in view of the possible forced absence of the teaching staff.

Evaluation:

  • All assessment activities for the academic year 2019/2020 will run until the end of July, without prejudice to exceptions such as the completion of dissertations and final masters and doctoral work. (changed 4/10/2020)
  • In all evaluation activities, knowledge assessment should be promoted by remote means, through existing platforms or to be made available. (added 4/10/2020)
  • The components of continuous assessment affected by the interruption of in-person classes (e.g., mini-tests, forms, projects, laboratories, etc.) should preferably be replaced by alternative components of continuous evaluation, online or otherwise, to minimize the impact on the exam schedule.
  • In particular, all in-person tests scheduled until the end of May are cancelled and may be replaced by online or other alternatives defined by the head of the UC.
  • If the alternative assessment methods imply changes to the test schedule previously defined, the agreement of the course coordinator and students’ representative must exist, according to the usual procedure.
  • The Coordinators of each course must inform the Pedagogical Council of all the proposed changes and the calendar modifications must follow the usual procedures of articulation with the GOP.
  • The rules for accessing the Special Season may be reviewed depending on the course of the events. In particular, access to the Special Season for students in the 1st cycle of Integrated Masters will be made possible, only to UCs in the 1st cycle, in which they have enrolled in the academic year 2019/2020 and provided that the total number of ECTS to complete the 1st cycle is 15 ECTS or less. (added 4/22/2020)
  • The results of a UC must be released up to 7 days before the test/exam of the Normal Season of that UC and the results of the test/exam of the Normal Season of a UC must be released up to 7 days before the test/exam of the 2nd Season of that UC. (added 4/22/2020)

School Calendar – Examination Period:

(added 4/22/2020)

The exam preparation period will take place:

Exam Preparation: 1 June – 14 June (the week from 1 to 5 June can be used for oral presentations, discussion of papers/projects/reports, opening hours)

Remote assessments will take place in the following periods:

Normal Season: June 15th – July 1st (includes Saturdays);

Season of Appeal: July 9 – July 24 (includes Saturdays);

Special Season: September 1 – September 9 (includes Saturday).

The deadlines for launching banknotes are as follows:

(subject to confirmation)

Normal Season and Appeal Season: 31st of July;

Special Season: September 13th.

Master’s Dissertations:

  • Master’s thesis discussion can take place as long as the President of the Jury and the Student are in the same room, and in which all members can participate by videoconference, as long as the technical conditions exist.
  • In any case, for technical or other reasons, it will be up to the President of the Jury to evaluate and decide if the discussion is maintained or if it is postponed. In exceptional cases (e.g., mobility students and dissertations dependent on experimental work), the supervisor may, in collaboration with the course coordinator, propose a reorganization of the work.
  • The master’s thesis can be delivered in digital format, not being required to be delivered in paper format.

Deadlines for the delivery of Master’s Dissertations:

For dissertations carried out in the 1st semester of 2019/2020:

Provisional delivery deadline: 15 September

Provisional classification release: 31 October

For dissertations carried out in the 2nd semester of 2019/2020:  [last update: 06/19/2020]

Provisional delivery deadline: 31 December

Provisional classification release: 31 January, 2021

Good practice

Remote learning:

In the light of the exceptional events that we are facing, it was necessary to make some adjustments to the teaching methodologies for the 2nd semester of 2019/2020, as well as to the applied evaluation methods, installing a new paradigm at IST. To ensure the success of a distance learning system, the entire academic community will be called upon to collaborate. For this, students should take an active and responsible part in this change. Therefore, and in order to establish a transparent and serious pedagogical regime, each one will be responsible for ensuring, with high moral and ethical standards, the proper functioning of classes, assessments and other pedagogical moments or verification of knowledge that may take place. (added at 03/18/2020)

Moreover, it can be consulted here the page destined to provide some more practical guidelines for teaching courses (UC) remotely made by the Pedagogical Council.

Communication:

At this stage, it is extremely important that communication is clear and effective. Bridges must be established between the different actors (students’ representative/colleagues, students’ representative/coordinator, students’ representative/students’ representatives, students’ representative/CP) to ensure that information circulates without any flaws.

The official means of communication continues to be Técnico’s e-mail, leaving at the discretion of the students’ representative to use alternative ways, such as social media groups (Facebook, Whatsapp, among others).

It is also the students’ representative’s role to collect feedback from students and professors regarding the new functioning of the UCs – for this, it is considered good practice to systematically collect opinions to diagnose any problems that exist in the implementation/execution of new teaching methodologies, new evaluation methods, among others. To prospect these opinions, it is recommended the use of response forms available online, such as Google Forms.

Attention is drawn to the fact that it is extremely important not to spread information that has not been confirmed by the Management Bodies or other official entities.

Changes Monitoring

In order to keep track of the changes that are being made, it is suggested that students’ representatives prepare a document available to all students of the respective year in which they compile the changes in force. This document may include a summary of changes for each UC, as well as possible dates of evaluations, doubts schedules, among other pedagogically relevant moments.