#03 - addendum Virtual Teaching and Online Exams
in the Statute Part Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs
On August 10, 2021, the senate of Graz University of Technology, upon the proposal of the rectorate, passed the statute section Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs with a new chapter on „Virtual Teaching and Online Examinations“ (§28a - §28e). As of October 1, 2021, this part is now in force and valid.
Thus, the existing guideline on „Virtual Teaching“ from 2017, which was described in the article HS#03, is no longer valid.
Key points of the statute part on virtual teaching
Below are a few excerpts from the statute section:
- §28b (1): "Teachers may use digital teaching and learning elements and formats as didactic
tools in their courses." - §28b (4): "Teachers may hold the contact hours set for the course in the form of synchronous
virtual teaching, unless another form is dictated in the curriculum."
This means that teachers are free to decide where to hold their classes (face-to-face and/or virtually), as long as the teaching is synchronous (i.e., classes with simultaneous interaction).
- §28b (5): "In individual cases, the responsible Dean of Studies may approve holding the contact hours planned for the course in the form of asynchronous virtual teaching as a substitute." This means that time-delayed virtual teaching, e.g. an online course with non-synchronuous interaction opportunities, such as a discussion forum, must be approved in advance.
- §28b (7) points out that "before the beginning of the semester, students will be informed in the course description available in the online system about the course concept and the planned use of digital teaching and learning elements and formats as well as virtual teaching" in order to ensure smooth and plannable instruction.
To sum up, the previously applicable threshold for the possible extent of virtual teaching has been removed in order to give teachers the opportunity to make the best possible didactic use of the advantages of virtual teaching.
In addition, a new chapter on online exams has been added to the statutes, which regulates the conduct of oral and written online exams.
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