Running 2nd Level Schools (Post DTS) during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

For all post-DTS Lecture Phase Course Instances in these special circumstances

Considerations for alternative course delivery during the coronavirus restrictions

This is a challenging time for all of us involved with the UofN.  Our usual on-site mode of offering training to students is, in most cases, not currently possible.  Some of you may be considering alternative ways to continue to offer training and we have been considering ways to enable that.

The options below provide two alternatives for how to deliver a full UofN lecture phase through some form of online communication where this is possible and record this within the UofN records system.

The choice you make will depend on your circumstances and the nature of your course.  The UofN courses we deliver to students at our bases are not only about content delivery and the more formal aspects of a course.  The non-formal and informal aspects such as skills practice, workshops, one-on-ones, small groups, interacting with others, sharing meals together, work duties, etc are also of importance in achieving the learning and personal formation that are so much at the heart of our training.  Please be considering those aspects when creating an alternative way to deliver your course.  Some courses may be less adaptable to an online approach than others.

If you need help to consider which of these options is suitable for your course you can consult with college leadership.  If you want advice about online training tools or how to register an Online Extension Studies course (option 2 below) email es@uofn.edu.

Option 1

Run your current registered course in complementary ways using online communication and learning tools such as zoom, skype, google classroom, basecamp, moodle, etc to provide teaching and engage with students whether they are at their own home or in isolation on your base.  The planned community aspects of your course especially worship, intercession, small groups, one-on-ones, social gatherings are expected to be facilitated through video connections and online learning tools.

This option is specifically for these exceptional circumstances and for the period that restrictions prevent you from running your course as normal.  This option is available for all post-DTS Lecture Phase Course Instances in quarter 2 and quarter 3 of 2020.  If the restrictions on travel, schools, gatherings etc are prolonged the time to run courses as Option 1 will be extended appropriately and with enough advanced notification.

When reporting the course through the Course Instance an explanation of how you delivered the course must be documented.  In the course evaluation you will see additional fields to identify the course as “online due to special circumstances” and for evaluation.

Option 2

Register your course through UofN Online Extension Studies during this period.  This option may provide more flexibility in how you deliver the course.  Such a course can still incorporate ways to encourage and enable personal application of learning as this is important in all UofN training.

Credits gained through extension studies (LCU credits) can potentially be considered for inclusion in UofN degrees.  This happens through a transfer credit process including consideration of how well the extension study course matches the learning of the related Full Learning Week course.  Extra consideration will be given in this regard to courses taken this way during this period due to the exceptional circumstances we all face. If you switch to an OES delivery make sure your students are aware of this.