Information about teaching 2020-2021

ON CAMPUS AND BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAMS

How will teaching be organized?

2020-2021 will be an exceptional academic year, which will be organized around a blended teaching model. BSM-UPF will prioritize a teaching scenario with blended sessions ensuring the maximum amount of on-campus teaching, following the health and safety measures in force at all times during the academic year. We thus intend to maintain on-campus sessions in small groups, which will also be available through videoconferencing for students who are not able to travel to the Balmes building.

To make this possible, classrooms in the Balmes building have been fitted out with audiovisual technology that will make it possible to offer an immersive and fluid learning experience for both students in the classroom and those who connect remotely (those who are unable to attend or those who, due to the need to comply with the official stipulated capacity rules, must take turns in attending).

We have also incorporated recording of on-campus classes in our blended format. This will ensure teaching continuity for students who, for health reasons or due to being in different time zones, cannot follow the sessions live.

In this context, the academic objectives and the interaction of participants with their colleagues and faculty will be performed with the same quality parameters for all of our students.

This blended teaching scenario means that:

1. 100% of on-campus sessions will be taught in the Balmes building[1] and broadcast remotely live[2]
2. In the case of programs in which the number of students exceeds the classroom capacity stipulated by the health authorities, attendance shifts will be set up.
3. For students in remote shifts in other time zones: sessions in programs that have students enrolled from outside the EU and the Schengen Area and who cannot travel for reasons beyond their control will be recorded.

Student-lecturer interaction

Teaching at BSM-UPF is conducted on-campus and that means there is regular face-to-face interaction between students and lecturers. This interaction will be maintained in the blended training format, adapted to the new situation. Student-lecturer interaction will not necessary be live.

Students and lecturers will use the tools BSM-UPF has made available to maintain interaction. These include the global classroom forums on the eCampus, e-mail communication and live student service sessions through Zoom videoconferencing.

Teaching Guides

All programs will have a study guide and/or teaching guides for subjects setting out both the contents and the competencies, the learning results and the assessment tools taken directly from the course of studies, and a detailed calendar. The subject teaching guide will also allow students and teachers to have an idea of the overall work involved in the subject.

Learning materials on the eCampus

Students will have documentation available on the eCampus about how the program operates (guides and calendar) and the learning resources organized by subjects that will include presentations, lectures, multimedia learning materials and outlines of the assessable activities.

Assessment adapted to blended learning

BSM-UPF's assessment model is based on continuous assessment and is student-focussed. This means that students perform various assessable activities throughout the program and receive feedback on those activities throughout that period.

BSM-UPF's continuous assessment model will be maintained and the training activities will be adapted to the blended teaching format, and will include assignment of tasks and/or performance of exercises on the eCampus.

BSM-UPF's postgraduate programs require a minimum of 80% attendance. These requirements will continue to apply to both on-campus sessions and remote sessions. Control mechanisms will be implemented that are adapted to each of the session types.

Safe spaces

All of BSM-UPF's teaching spaces have been prepared to teach classes with all necessary safety measures for both students and lecturers. The spaces' capacity has been calculated in accordance with the provisions in the University Sector Plan and the protection measures imposed by the health authorities at any time will be applied. Hand washing, keeping a safe distance apart and wearing facemasks will no doubt be applied throughout the course.

Apart from the usual teaching spaces (classrooms), when necessary BSM-UPF will increase the spaces that can be used as study rooms by students so that students have a safe working environment at the school.

Forced virtualization

The blended format will be maintained as long as it is compatible with the health situation and the criteria set by the Catalan, Spanish and European authorities. If there is a resurgence of the pandemic, a group has to preventively quarantine themselves, or on-campus training is suspended by the authorities: on-campus activity will be moved on-line within no more than three days from the situation being declared.

For this hypothetical scenario of suspension and forced virtualization, BSM-UPF has established a teaching continuity plan in which remote teaching will be channelled through the virtual campus, eCampus, to continue to broadcast sessions, allow interaction and maintain the envisaged work rate with sufficient personal help and flexibility to allow students to make academic progress.

This scenario would involve:

• Maintaining the academic calendar: 100% of teaching sessions will be broadcast live on the dates and at the times set for on-campus sessions.
• Recording of all of the sessions broadcast in order to allow access by students in other time zones or those unable to connect in real time.
• The minimum attendance requirement will continue to apply to both on-campus sessions and remote sessions. Control mechanisms will be implemented that are adapted to each of the session types.
• With regard to assessment: we will ensure that the assessment activities focus on the subject matter taught in live sessions, audiovisual contents and resources made available to students. If part of the subject matter has been modified due to a change in planning, the envisaged activities will be appropriately adapted.

[1] Except for certain courses of the Ll. M. in Professional Legal Practice, already communicated to students

[2] The technical and connection equipment students will need to follow remote classes under good conditions can be viewed at the following link:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/es/articles/201362023-Requisitos-del-sistema-para-PC-Mac-y-Linux