For Academic Staff

The Student Learning Support Guidelines provide useful practices to guide teaching staff in their interactions and communications with students. ECU is committed to providing a flexible and supportive learning environment for all our students, and we have established a range of policies and practices to guide staff in their connections with students.

It is important for students to know what to expect in thier interactions with their teachers and the processes associated with unit delivery. The Student Learning Support Guidelines will help you to guide students’ expectations and to ensure that interactions, communication and information exchanges are consistent and effective.

The following items describe the expectations of the University in relation to the manner in which communication and information processes and interactions will occur in teaching activities. Course and Unit Coordinators should seek to ensure that wherever possible, communications and interactions occur within the parameters described below and to provide reasonable alternatives where these are not be possible.

On-Campus Students

• In the first week of a teaching period, students should receive a copy of the unit outline and unit plan, the details of which should be discussed and explained in class. Hard copies should be made available to students who request them.
• • The Unit Outline should be a copy of the current outline in the Course Management System.
  • The Unit Plan should include a list the timetabled classes with times and rooms, a schedule of the learning and teaching program, full descriptions of assessment items, assessment marking criteria, lecturer and tutor contact details, staff consultation times, and other relevant details relating to the delivery of the unit.
• Each unit should have an online presence which should include the unit outline, the unit plan, and, electronic forms of the resources distributed in class which are able to be distributed electronically.
• Important notices and relevant resources should be made available electronically within two working days of distribution in class.
• Messages sent to teaching staff by students should be answered within two working days.
• Students will be able to meet (face to face) with teaching staff during advertised staff consultation times or at a mutually convenient time.
• Where possible and practical, students should be able to submit assessment items electronically. If electronic submission is not a standard element of a unit, students wishing to submit electronically should be able to communicate with the lecturer to organise how this will be done.
• Where possible and practical, assignment feedback should be returned to students within ten working days of submission/due date.
• Sufficient feedback should be given on assessments to demonstrate the allocation of marks and strategies for improvement.
• Students should be advised of the structure of any exam and have access to sample questions, answers and marking keys and/or other relevant review materials.
• If a class is cancelled, a dated message should be placed in the venue and where possible, an email sent to all students giving advanced notice and details of any alternative arrangements.
• Ongoing informal and formal student feedback should be collected during each teaching period and subsequent cohorts of students advised of changes that have resulted from the feedback.

Off-Campus Students

• On enrolment, off-campus students should receive a welcome letter from the Student Service Centre providing information about studying off-campus/online and information on how and when to access course materials.
• On commencement of a teaching period, off-campus students should be able to access unit materials electronically through the Student Portal.
• Each unit site should contain, at a minimum:
• • The Unit Outline, a copy of the current outline in the Course Management System.
  • The Unit Plan containing a schedule of the teaching and learning program, a full description of assessment items, assessment marking criteria, lecturer and tutor contact details and availability, and other relevant details, relating to the delivery of the unit.
  • Details of optional resources and their availability.
  • The learning activities, materials and resources required to complete, at least, the next two weeks of the teaching period.
  • Sufficient information to allow students to manage their own schedule and pace of work across the learning period.
• Where possible, alternative arrangements should be made to supply learning resources for students who cannot access resources and supports through normal channels.
• Unit Coordinators should initiate email contact with students in the week prior to commencement of the teaching period.  This contact should use students’ ECU email account, and contain instructions for accessing the online unit materials.
• Online tutors and lecturers should be allocated to students in the first week of the teaching period.
• Where students are responsible for finding and/or supplying their own learning materials, this should be clearly indicated at least five working days in advance.
• The resources should demonstrate parity with on-campus study (where appropriate), be aligned with unit outcomes and be sufficient to support successful completion of unit outcomes.
• Unit Coordinators/Tutors should endeavour to contact any enrolled student who has not “appeared” in the online unit within the first two weeks of the teaching period.
• Responses to student email and messages should be answered within two working days.
• Students should receive a regular review communication which indicates unit progress, unit expectations and other issues that may have arisen in the unit.
• Where possible and practical, assessments should be submitted and received electronically.
• Where possible and practical, assignment results should be available to students within ten working days of submission/due date.
• Sufficient feedback should be given on assessments to demonstrate the allocation of marks and strategies for improvement.
• Students should be advised of the structure of any exam and have access to sample questions, answers and marking keys and/or other relevant review materials.
• Ongoing informal and formal student feedback should be collected during each teaching period and subsequent cohorts of students advised of changes that have resulted from the feedback.
• In the first week of a teaching period, students should receive a hard copy of the unit outline and a thesis/project unit plan, which will be discussed and explained.
• The thesis/project unit plan should contain a description of the supervisor’s contact details, schedule and progressive milestones, submission and assessment requirements.
• Supervisors should maintain regular contact and establish the frequency, method and expectations of meetings with each student. Actions required by the students and/or supervisor/s for subsequent contact should be recorded.
• Supervisors will monitor a students’ performances carefully relative to the standard required for the degree, and ensure that inadequate progress or work below the standard expected is bought to students’ attention as early as possible. The supervisors will help develop solutions to problems as they are identified.
• Where possible and practical, students should be able to submit items for review electronically. If electronic submission is not a standard element of a unit, students wishing to submit electronically should be able to communicate with the lecturer to organise how this will be done.
• • Where possible and practical, feedback should be returned to students within ten working days of submission.
  • Supervisors should provide clear and concise feedback with enough information to guide the student towards satisfactory progress.
  • Supervisors should advise students about opportunities for publication (where appropriate) and ensure that they receive appropriate credit for publications and intellectual property.
  • Supervisors should give students the opportunity to discuss suitable reviewers and examiners where applicable.
  • Ongoing informal and formal student feedback should be collected during each teaching period and subsequent cohorts of students advised of changes that have resulted from the feedback
  • A discussion board to support organised class interactions and communication. 

Project and Honours Students

Note:

• The relevant procedures in relation to the supervision of Research and Higher Degree students at ECU is already recorded in the ECU policy, Supervision of Post-Graduate Research Students.
• Failure in any regard to meet the standards required by the Guidelines shall not, of itself, be a ground for, or evidence in support of, a student appeal under the Academic, Enrolment and Academic Progress Rules.