To our wonderful College students, we thank you very much for completing the survey ‘Your Online Learning Environment’. Your feedback has been extremely helpful for the College to understand your experience of studying remotely, and is already driving improvements.
Your feedback was organised into various categories including Technical, Timetable, Assessment, Tutor, Motivation, Student Services and Positive Feedback.
As you took the time to provide your feedback, we have taken the time to listen. Please see some of the ways the College has been able to respond below. This is not all. The College is continuing to analyse your feedback and see how we can improve your experience. We will provide you with further updates as we go.
Improving internet connection:
Slow connections and lagging are
frustrating! There is a lot more internet traffic these days, which can impact
on your connection. Please try:
> Sitting closer to your router
> Connecting to your router using an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi
> Turning off other devices using the internet at the same time (e.g tablet, phone, tv)
> To ensure your internet connection is not interrupted or slowed, ask other people in your house not to watch Netflix or download large files while you are in the virtual classroom
> Contacting your internet provider check if there are connection issues in your area
If you are unable to study due to your internet connection, please contact Student Services at collegeservices@adelaide.edu.au.
Managing lesson time:
Thanks to your feedback, teachers are now planning their lessons to have frequent rests (every 30 or 40 minutes) to break up the lessons. Use these breaks well. Here are a few ideas:
> Meditate - take a moment to sit quietly and simply focus on your breathing or download the Headspace App for mini exercises.
> Have a snack - snacking on something healthy can help you boost your energy levels.
> Tidy up – put a few things away to clear your head and your work space.
> Drink Water – hydration is good for your brain.
> Go for a quick walk – try to get outside for a brisk walk around the block.
Some of you have reported that 2-hour lessons are too long. Some of you have reported that classes are too short. Your teachers have been awarded some flexibility regarding this aspect of class management so that they can adjust to suit your group.
I’m unsure of the help I need:
These are really difficult times, and we hear your concerns. The College Student Services team are ready and waiting to help you, and you can book appointments here to talk about any issues.
If your concerns are more personal, you can speak with our School Counsellor.
I don’t understand everything/lecturer can be difficult to understand online:
Switching to a new mode of learning can be challenging. College teachers still have consultation hours to discuss things that are missed/not understood in class. Please remember to book a consultation time with your teacher if you need to discuss some items from class.
Also remember to access all of the academic support available to you:
> GAE: Check your class page in eCollege for the link to the RE-CAP plan
> FSP: Book a TAP session
> DTP/PMP: Book in at the Maths Learning Centre, the Writing Centre, or a PASS session
Please also remember to ask questions in your Zoom classrooms. You can raise your hand using the Zoom tool, or your camera. We want College classes to be interactive and engaging, so it’s important that you ask questions, and offer your opinions.
We have shared this feedback with your teachers. This will help them to better manage your classes, and help them adapt their teaching to the needs of your class.
Too many assessments:
Your feedback about the number of assessments and the pressure you are experiencing is highly valuable. This specific item is being addressed by the University of Adelaide College Learning and Teaching Committee, who are mapping assessment schedules so that your workload can be better coordinated.
If you are unable to complete an assessment on time, or at all, please contact your teacher directly, or your Student Services Team to see what solutions we can find for you.
Our goal is the same as your goal – for you to be successful in your studies and progress to the University of Adelaide. Let’s work together.
I don’t like being on camera:
Of course, it is going to be different switching to online classes (and maybe a bit difficult if you’re shy). Please remember that all subjects/courses at the College contain a Participation grade, which comes from your contribution in class. To properly be assessed, the teacher needs to be able to see and hear you. BTW: Your classmates are likely looking at the teacher (or themselves!)
We also understand that some of our students are working in different time zones. If you are unable to attend your zoom sessions then make sure you access the materials online through MyUni or eCollege. The College can monitor your access to these resources to see that you are engaging.
If you have serious concerns about your ability to participate online contact us so that we can help you further.
I prefer face-to-face lessons:
We completely understand.
Every higher education and private education provider in Australia has switched to online delivery in an attempt to slow the rate of infection of COVID-19, as per government advice. For the latest updates, please remember to download the Government’s “Coronavirus Australia” application from Google Play or the App Store This is to protect the health and safety of everyone. We absolutely want to get back to face-to-face delivery as soon as possible.
We also recognise that you may be missing your friends and classroom atmosphere, so a variety of activities have been planned to bring people together via Zoom. Go to a free gym class, for example. Join the events hosted by the Student Social Club, or join activities at the Adelaide University Union. Study Adelaide is a great place to connect with peers and communities.
Many more activities are moving to online formats, and we will continue to tell you about these via social media.
My timetable keeps changing/my classes are inconvenient:
We understand that there are some inconveniences associated with the move to remote learning and travel restrictions keeping students in their home countries, or in Australia. The College assures you that we are doing everything we can to accommodate each and every student.
For our offshore students, we have removed 8am-10am classes to help with different time zones. This might not be convenient for some students in Adelaide.
We have adjusted our attendance monitoring procedures to instead monitor participation. Students’ participation can be measured on their interaction with online resources if they are unable to attend live Zoom sessions.
As the College adjusts to decisions made at the University of Adelaide, and the need to manage classes and staff differently, some timetable/teacher changes have been necessary.
The College anticipates only a couple more changes for Degree Transfer students this semester. We will make sure to communicate with you as early as possible. Students may experience some changes to their timetable next semester, depending on what happens with the COVID-19 situation over the next few months.
Please rest assured that the College strives to minimise disruption to students wherever we can.
Fee reductions/financial hardship:
We understand that some students are really missing the face to face classes. The College is working around the clock to deliver the same high quality experience to you at home as you had in the classroom (and maybe even better in some ways!).
The Student Services Team is working harder than ever to make sure you have the help that you need at this time, as well as the social connection, and information to help you get on with your life and studies.
We can assure you that we are striving to deliver the same if not a better learning experience to you at this time. For this reason, the College fees will remain the same so that we can assure we have the resources we need to support you.
If you are experience financial hardship and are worried about your ability to support yourself, please contact us or make an appointment so that we can find resources and ways to support you through this difficult time. Your appointment can be confidential.
When is the last day I can change my enrolment for this semester?
The College is proud to have provided students with a very high level of flexibility with enrolment changes this semester.
Any further enrolment change requests will be considered on a case by case basis and decisions will be driven by ensuring your ability to be successful in your program and progress to the University of Adelaide. Deferral/suspension of study requests for this semester will be accepted until Friday the 8th of May 2020.