Please discuss this with your lecturer or the Head of Department.

The revised academic calendar is in the process of being approved at present and will be communicated shortly.

There will be re-assessments and re-exams for semester 1 and 2.

The work covered and the assessments conducted will be the same in the two pathways. It is just the way that learning and teaching will be delivered in the two pathways that differs. Pathway 1 will largely be done digitally until students get onto campus to do lab and experiential learning work and some augmenting tutorials and flipped classes for revision. Pathway 2 learners will learn, where possible, with materials that they have at home that link to the learning outcomes of the module. When they get onto campus, they will continue to cover the same work as Pathway 1 learners, with an intensive delivery approach that blends contact opportunities with digital learning on the same module sites that Pathway 1 students accessed.

Assessment tasks will be the same for each pathway; however, as normally is the case for sick tests and re-exams, there will be different equivalent versions of tests and assignments. Many modules will no longer have exams, but you will rather be assessed using a range of assessment activities (e.g., short tests, essays, assignments, portfolios, etc.). Your lecturer will communicate the changes to the assessment tasks in your modules to you.

Many modules with exams have been changed to continuous assessment modules (where you will be assessed using a range of assessment activities across the term). It is only some modules in the final year of a programme and in professional programmes where the exams will remain. Exams will only be taken online if students do all their tests online and have been properly prepared to take a high-stakes assessment online.

The standard quality assurance mechanisms will be in place for both pathways to ensure that students are provided with learning experiences that enable them to achieve the learning outcomes of a module. Moderation practices will be strengthened to ensure that module assessments are rigorous and fair.

You do not have to sign up for one of the two pathways. Instead, we want to encourage all students that have a computer, laptop, tablet and/or Smartphone plus connectivity to the Internet to start on Pathway 1 so that you pave the way for Pathway 2 students to receive more intensive LT when they get back to campus. From 21 April, your lecturers will contact you. lecturers will assist you to assess whether you will start in Pathway 1 or 2. Your lecturers will also be able to connect you with your classmates that are on the same blended pathway as you. If your lecturer does not contact you, you can always contact your lecturer to tell him/her that you need assistance regarding the right pathway for you.

It will take a time to adapt to online learning. We hope that Pathway 1 learners do the compulsory preparatory module that will give you tips for how to change your mind-set and learn effectively online. Tutors, SI leaders, academic advisors, Student Success Coaches and counsellors will provide you with an online learning and psycho-social support network to help you to adapt and succeed with Digi LT. However, it is possible for Pathway 1 learners to shift to Pathway 2. If, despite your best efforts, you find that you cannot adapt, have a chat to your lecturer or someone in the support network about shifting between the pathways.

Both pathways will be challenging. Pathway 1 learners will have to adjust to a very different way of learning. Pathway 2 learners will possibly have a period of time where they make slow progress with studies but then pick up the pace of their learning when they get back to campus. But, learners on both pathways will cover the same work and do the same assessments. So there will be no academic advantage in terms of being on Pathway 1 or 2.  

As can be seen in the table below, Pathway 1 learners start engaging actively in learning for about 6 weeks, while Pathway 2 learners engage in learning that is possible from home. The resumption of face-to-face teaching for Pathway 2 learners will be linked to when lockdown ends and when the national date for students to return to campus is announced. While Pathway 2 learners will end the first semester a little later than Pathway 1 learners, all learners will start the second semester at the same time. This will mean that students will be on a single blended pathway in the second semester, as is normally the case.

² Re-exams and special exams for Pathway 1 learners will be synchronised with Exams for Pathway 2 learners.

The published 2020 Academic Calendar will be revised. We have developed three or four scenarios to adapt the Academic Calendar, which have been approved by the Executive Committee of Senate. Some of the details of the Academic Calendar cannot be finalised until we know the date that students can start returning to campus. As soon as we have a national directive around when students can return to campus, a revised Academic Calendar will be published.

We are committed to providing every student with the opportunity to complete the 2020 academic year.

Both pathways require some academic activities to be completed on campus. The earlier students can return to campus, the greater the possibility that the first and second semesters will be completed in 2020. By moving the second semester re-exams and special exams to January 2021, it is possible to complete the second semester in 2020. However, the end date of the second semester examination period is likely to be in December and not November.

If students can only return to campus later in the year, it might still be possible to finish semester 1 and complete the academic work for semester 2 in 2020. But, the second semester exams might have to be in January 2021.

Whatever happens, we will complete the 2020 academic year and will adjust the start date of the 2021 academic year if necessary.

We have made a commitment that all students will be given every opportunity to complete the 2020 academic year. As we phase learning and teaching in, we will prioritise final year students as far as it is possible.

We are acutely aware that Pathway 2 learners may have a slower start to actively resuming their learning, as they do not have a device or connectivity. Where possible, lecturers are currently assessing if these students have taken their textbooks and notes home, and what the best ways are to have contact with them and what their support needs are. It might be possible for some lecturers to provide some learning activities via SMS or WhatsApp, or to couriering learning materials if possible. In addition, we are engaging radio stations to get slots to present lecturers for some of the modules with large enrolments or that are high-risk. Pathway 2 learners will not be expected to hand in any assignments or write tests during the time that they are learning remotely. Support mechanisms in terms of tele-counselling and learning support will be available to Pathway 2 learners while they work from home. We would want Pathway 2 learners to be among the first students that are allowed to return to campus. A blended learning approach will be used to take them through their modules and they will be given sufficient time to prepare for and conclude assessment activities.

To provide avenues for Pathway 2 learners to connect with the university, we suggest that you use the following options:

• Contact your lecturer via email or telephonically
• Our contact centre can be contacted via SMS on 0800 504 911 during office hours. Operators will either answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can.
• Students are encouraged to access a number of coping mechanisms on the Student Portal that will assist students maintain their mental health and wellbeing through resources available or contact a counsellor.
• Contact a success coach via email: LearningDevCoaching@mandela.ac.za
• Look for information on Mandela University’s coronavirus webpage

The pathways include preparation for learning in different ways. For example, for Pathway 1 learners there is a compulsory preparatory module that we developed to assist students to learn online. Students will be invited to engage with the module in the week before learning and teaching resumes. We have also developed a remote learning guide for Pathway 2 learners. They will get access to this as we phase in the start of learning and teaching activities. When Pathway 2 learners return to campus and have to do online learning as part of the blended approach, they will also do the preparatory online module. For both pathways, the preparation for learning on alternative pathways has a strong focus on how the student must adjust their thinking and attitudes and develop as self-directed learners.

Students on both Pathways need to develop a schedule/timetable of the learning activities they need to engage in each week. The rule of thumb would be to spend 5 hours per week per module. This would leave 5 to 10 additional hours per 40-hour week to work on long assignments, revision for a test, connecting with fellow students, etc.

In addition, the necessary academic and psychosocial support to will be available to enable students to learn successfully and adapt to changed circumstances. This will include tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, augmenting tutorials, writing assistance, success coaching, academic advising, and counselling on various platforms.

In addition, lecturers will be in regular contact with students. Where students are not working consistently or at all, they will be sent personal ‘nudge’ messages to encourage them to focus on their learning and to find out what hindrances they are experiencing that they could be assisted to overcome. Lecturers will also have systems in place to be able to monitor student progress and the extent to which they are completing the required work and assessment activities.

Experiential learning activities such as lab work, studio sessions, and practicals might be able to be achieve to an extent via simulations. However, the majority of these activities will have to be undertaken face-to-face when students return to campus.

In faculties with lab, studio and experiential learning facilities, planning is taking place to determine how many students can safely be in a lab or studio at a point in time. The university will also ensure that hand sanitizers, soap, and water are available, that venues are sanitized and cleansed regularly and that the university complies with all national regulations related to keeping ennvironments hygienic and social and physical distancing protocols.

Work-integrated (WIL) and school-based (SBL) learning, clinical training and other experiential learning requirements will be finalised at a faculty level and guided by the adjustments approved by professional bodies, where relevant. Lecturers will communicate directly with students about changes to the requirements and how these will be achieved.