Last week, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel decided that all educational activities in the second semester would take place digitally. The switch to digital education was unexpected and abrupt. Therefore students have questions: How will exams be organised? What about the quality of online education?
VUB’s main aim is to prevent the prolonging of courses due to the coronavirus situation. To allay uncertainty, we can confirm that we are doing everything we can to ensure exams will take place in June 2020, including on campus. There will be a mix of online and offline evaluation formats. All lecturers and programmes are looking at what adjustments will be necessary, such as a change in exam formats, remote examinations and organisational measures around social distancing.
The new measures for each programme will be coordinated and defined in the coming days and weeks, in consultation with the faculty and student representatives, and will be communicated via Canvas in the week of 20 April 2020. Questions to which the university already has an answer will be answered. Where we do not yet have answers, we will say so.
VUB is striving to adhere to the academic calendar as far as possible, but we are also looking into the possibility of a limited extension to the exam period. We will ensure that everyone gets a period of vacation. This is of course subject to new measures imposed by the national security council or changes in the evolution of the coronavirus crisis in the coming days and weeks.
To ensure proper oversight of this transition, discussions are taking place between the rector, vice-rectors, deans and student representatives. There are also regular consultations between VUB and other Flemish and francophone universities, and with the Flemish minister for education.
Managing the uncertain progress of the coronavirus situation is a challenge for all of us. We are all experiencing frustration and the need for flexibility.
To optimise and guarantee the quality of online education, the department of Education and Student Affairs has moved up a gear since the abrupt switch to distance learning. We are supporting lecturers to run their digital classes as smoothly as possible and have developed a bilingual website about distance learning for lecturers, online and live information sessions, a lecturer forum learning platform and a helpdesk that is staffed 7/7. As a result, online education is gradually improving. A complete, high-quality transition to digital education takes time. VUB is counting on everyone’s understanding.
PowerPoint presentations cannot be considered online lesson material; teaching is required. Students who have questions about the organisation of education are invited to contact the helpdesk of their faculty. Each faculty will communicate this information via Canvas.
For information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.vub.be/coronavirus or email coronavirus@vub.be.