Guidelines for face-to-face and virtuality

Scope: These guidelines have been prepared for the development of face-to-face, online or mixed academic activities to be carried out in the academic units that make up the University of the Arts of Ecuador.

Purpose: The purpose of these guidelines is to establish a structure within the modality of face-to-face and online education and its combinations, as well as the use of the corresponding technological tools. Its validity is subject to changes from the competent bodies.

Creation and uploading of syllabus per course

Each teacher has the responsibility and obligation to create a syllabus for each subject he/she teaches, which must be aligned with the learning contents included in the micro-curriculum of each academic unit.

The syllabus will be elaborated in the Academic Management System (SGA), detailing the contents and weekly activities, as well as the material and activities assigned for the development of the subjects.

The period to upload the syllabus in the SGA and in the MOODLE (Virtual Campus) will be from one week before to one week after the beginning of classes.

The teacher must socialize the syllabus with the students, as well as the grading methodology during the first week of classes. If there is consensus with the students and if it is pertinent, the teaching staff may readjust the syllabus until the second week of classes. The coordination/direction/head of department must approve and add their respective signature of responsibility until the third week of classes, coinciding with the sending of the final syllabus to the Academic Planning Office.

It is the responsibility of the School/Department Directorates and Heads to follow up on the uploading and approval of the syllabus. Failure to upload the syllabus will be considered a serious offense and the School/Department and Department Heads will initiate the corresponding sanctioning processes during the fourth week of classes.

Number of weeks

The semester is distributed among 18 weeks and is structured as follows:

• Week 1-7       Training activities
• Week 8           First midterm
• Week 9           Combination of review of exams, grades, academic tutoring/counseling activities for students with difficulties or those taking the course for the 2nd or 3rd time, with classes as planned.
• Week 10-16 Formative activities
• Week 17         Second midterm
• Week 18         Handing in and grading of exams and make-up work.

The teacher should consider national holidays and other information to adjust class content to the actual weeks in which it will be taught. In the event that his/her class coincides with national holidays, he/she should, if necessary, assign material for the students to work on. On holidays that are decreed as mandatory subject to recovery, teachers must proceed to the recovery of these classes.

Evaluation Components

The Academic Regulations (CES, Art. 66) establish the transparent, fair and equitable nature of the evaluation. The same shall be progressive and permanent, and shall consist of summative and formative evaluations that shall be applied “at least twice during the academic period each”. The objectives, contents, rubric, grading criteria, means, environments and instruments to be used in the evaluation must also be determined and disseminated through the syllabus (Art. 67), so it is the teachers' obligation to describe the percentages, as well as the activities that contribute to the evaluation in the syllabus.

For all summative tasks or activities, there must be a corresponding evaluation rubric, which will consider the criteria for grading and their values.

The results must be made known to the students in a timely manner.

Make-up Examination

The Academic Regulations (CES, Art 67, e) states: “Each IES may consider make-up processes for the approval of subjects, courses or their equivalents, in accordance with the academic requirements it establishes. The remedial evaluation may be performed only once during each academic period, when the student has not reached the minimum passing grade of the subject, course or its equivalent. In these processes, the IES must consider that the students have the necessary time to prepare for the evaluation”.

The Internal Academic Regulations of the University of the Arts (Art. 27) do not make explicit the obligatory nature of the recovery. In this sense, the consideration of the make-up exam is optional and is at the discretion of each teacher in coordination with their academic authorities, whose existence must be clearly indicated in the syllabus of the subject.

The make-up grade is averaged with the final grade. Students with an average of less than 4 points in the final grade will not be allowed to take the make-up exam.

On the other hand, it is necessary to consider that students have the right to request a regrading (CES, Art.67, f), after having reviewed their final grade with the teacher in charge.

Formative research as a cross-sectional axis

In accordance with the Academic Regulations, teachers must incorporate activities and approaches that allow the development of skills related to research and/or research in the arts, according to their subject, encouraging artistic innovation and the deepening of humanistic knowledge. Research activities remain as fundamental activities within university teaching.

Promotion of reading and writing skills and activities of the Academic Writing Center (CEAT)

In all subjects, activities that promote reading will be programmed, as well as assignments that exercise writing skills within their own disciplines. The CEAT has different support and development mechanisms as part of the student accompaniment for the strengthening of writing in the form of workshops or tutorials.

The teaching staff may request and include in their syllabus such workshops or guidance as activities that the students must fulfill as part of their training, and may include their fulfillment in the student's evaluation.

Group work component

This type of activity fosters (inter)learning communities, collective thinking and helps students to integrate into a collaborative or cooperative environment. It also contributes to problem solving and fosters peer learning. Additionally, group work contributes to the creation of inter- or transdisciplinary activities, so at least one group activity should be contemplated.

Communication between faculty and students

Institutional mail is the official means of communication of our University. It is the responsibility of the faculty and students to check their inbox to be informed of class events and artistic and academic events within the University. The Moodle messaging system and the SGA are complementary and can also be used on a case-by-case basis.

Communications between professors and students, as well as attendance to virtual classes must be made under the student's own name, avoiding signing or presenting oneself with pseudonyms or e-mail addresses that do not allow verification of the identity of the attendees.

Justification for absences

Medical certificates must be endorsed by the Health Department of the University of the Arts or be issued by the University of the Arts to justify absences. In the case of absences due to complications caused by COVID-19, the teacher, the career coordination or head and the Health Department must be notified.

We appeal to the teacher's sensitivity in the case that the student cannot cover expenses for tests or must take care of his or her family members; this in view of the student's commitment to recover his or her classes and make up the deliveries at a later time. Absences will be justified in the SGA by the teacher.

Biosafety Protocol

The biosafety protocol will be published on the University's website and must be followed while students and faculty are inside the University of the Arts facilities. The rules involve: use of masks, hand washing, personal hygiene practices, distancing, ventilation of the place, mobilization to open spaces, among others. Compliance with biosafety protocols is mandatory for all students and for academic, academic support and administrative staff.

Definition of academic hour

The academic hour is the time in which the academic or academic support staff and students focus on specific activities of a subject; it has a duration of 50 minutes.

At the end of the stipulated time for each class, the designated personnel may proceed to clean the spaces designated for these activities.

Aforo de aulas

Cada aula tendrá un aforo definido por la Secretaría Académica en coordinación con el especialista en seguridad ocupacional. No se podrá modificar el número máximo de estudiantes designados en un espacio dentro del SGA. Cualquier eventualidad, contactar a su coordinador o jefatura más cercana.

Classroom mode

In face-to-face classes, the academic control and attendance of students will be recorded weekly through the SGA. Students are allowed to enter the classroom up to fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled class start time.

According to the Internal Academic Regime, the minimum attendance percentage to pass a course will be equal or higher than 75%; if this percentage is not reached, the student will fail the course. The participation field in the evaluation module (PART out of 100) will be available for those who wish to grade participation in their subjects. In the case of considering this criterion, the syllabus must detail the way in which participation will be evaluated or graded, taking into account that both participation and attendance are criteria that establish minimums for the approval of a course. For participation, the criterion for approval is a score greater than or equal to 75%.

Online modality

Para las asignaturas en la modalidad en línea, el componente de participación reemplazará la asistencia. Para estas modalidades será necesario ingresar dicha calificación (PART) al momento de registrar la nota final del periodo académico.  Dicho componente responde a la valoración integral de competencia de los estudiantes, así como la revisión general de los resultados de aprendizaje.¹ Participation is graded out of 100, which may include the completion of assignments, homework, lessons, projects, participation or others. The minimum participation grade will be equal to or greater than 75%; failure to achieve this percentage will result in a failing grade.

In the case that there are synchronous activities evaluated, it will be mandatory to offer alternative activities that allow to perform them asynchronously.

Hybrid or blended mode

For courses that are programmed in a hybrid or blended mode, attendance to face-to-face activities will be considered, which must be planned and notified in advance. In both cases, both attendance and participation will be considered with a minimum requirement of 75% for approval. The teaching staff may decide the grading depending on the activities of the subject as long as it is described in the syllabus and takes into account the minimum approval criteria of participation and attendance.

In this modality it will not be necessary to offer equivalent or substitute activities to those programmed in person.

Participation Policy Section

Each teacher must decide the elements and their weightings that will contribute to participation. These will be established in the syllabus in the Participation Policies section, which may consider the following elements:

• Activities: assignments, homework, projects, readings, etc.,
• Classroom, lab, or space activities (for face-to-face activities).
• Online or face-to-face activities.

In all modalities, the syllabus must clearly define how participation will be graded. In face-to-face subjects, if it is the teacher's decision, the activities that will count towards the participation parameter must be made explicit.

Protocol in Case of Reduced Capacity

If, due to the effects of the pandemic or another unforeseen event, capacity limits must be reduced, it will be possible to return to the online modality with exceptions determined by the Academic Vice-Rectorate in coordination with academic units and the availability of technology for hybrid classrooms. 

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Virtual Classroom In-Person Modality

All subjects will have access to the use of the University’s virtual learning environment (Moodle). Faculty will provide evidence of materials, resources, or activities within the virtual campus as support for academic activities.

Virtual Classroom for Online/Hybrid/Semi-face-to-face Modality

For subjects under the online, hybrid, or semi-face-to-face modality, it is mandatory that the course and its design be reflected in the virtual campus, implying that:

• The course must be methodical and progressive through videos, readings, discussion forums, materials, etc.
• The course must specify for each activity what needs to be done, whether the activity is mandatory or optional, synchronous or asynchronous, the corresponding evaluation rubrics, and deadlines or completion dates.
• In the semi-face-to-face or hybrid modality, the syllabus must indicate attendance days or the student rotation method.
• The videoconference link (Zoom, Teams, etc.) must be available.

Monitoring the activities carried out by students is important both to ensure the regularity of the teaching/learning process and to provide timely feedback on their tasks.

When a student’s participation is found to be minimal or nonexistent, it must be reported to University Welfare and the program coordinators, directors, or heads.

Videoconferences

Videoconferences or synchronous classes will be scheduled in advance and only during the established class timetable.

All participants must log in with their first and last names for attendance registration on videoconferencing platforms, adhering to the established code of ethics and policies for preventing abuse and gender-based violence.

Faculty retain copyright over videoconference materials. Any reproduction outside of class requires the author’s explicit permission.

Recorded Classes in Different Modalities

All videoconference sessions must be backed up on OneDrive cloud storage, with the corresponding link posted on the virtual campus.

• In the in-person modality, recording is optional.
• In the semi-face-to-face modality, recording is optional for in-person activities but mandatory for virtual sessions.
• In the online modality, all sessions must be recorded and uploaded to Moodle.

If competent authorities mandate a shift to the online modality, recordings must be uploaded with their respective links to Moodle.

Faculty responsible for overseeing the Graduation Unit will share with students the guidelines for this purpose, as well as the evaluation rubrics, at the start of the graduation process, for both instructors and students. For those who have failed the Graduation Unit twice and must take a comprehensive exam, the Academic Unit must provide information on the syllabus, exam format, and rubrics to be used. These briefings should preferably take place in the prior academic period and definitively before the start of the academic period in which the student must take the exam, ensuring that preparation time for comprehensive exams or projects matches the time students have to prepare graduation projects.

The subjects of support to the graduation unit must incorporate the dates of advancement and pre-defense in their respective syllabus.

In the case of the third enrollments and the complex exam, the teacher assigned to the subject will be in charge of accompanying and clearing up any doubts that may arise, especially in the presentation of the practical component of the exam.

Obligations of the faculty

The faculty has the obligation to:

• Elaborate and enter the syllabus in the SGA on the dates stipulated by the Academic Vice Rectorate.
• Upload the syllabus in Moodle and socialize it in class.
• Enter the SGA and register classes with their contents on a weekly basis.
• Plan, prepare and teach classes.
• Issue reports to the coordinators, directions or department heads.
• Train in relation to the use of academic or technological tools of the University, as well as the improvement of their teaching methodologies.
• Organize weekly content in the virtual campus in the following modalities: online, blended and hybrid.
• Establish meeting dates or days within the established schedules, attend the scheduled meetings.
• Provide or facilitate access to materials or resources as much as possible through links to minimize traffic.
• Socialize assessment rubrics for assignments and exams.
• Grade assignments and provide feedback or tutorials as appropriate.
• Observe the performance of students with 2^nd and 3^rd enrollment or irregular attendance or performance and perform the respective follow-up, through the scheduling of academic tutoring, counseling or when requested by the student body.
• Notifying student's prolonged absence to Student Welfare.
• Deliver and upload grades in the SGA in the times stipulated by the Academic Secretary.
• Announce evaluation elements and mechanisms.

Obligations of the Student Body

The student has the obligation to:

• Read the syllabus and content for each of their classes, stay informed about the evaluation models, as well as the activities in which their participation is required.
• Attend classes, whether in-person or online sessions, according to the modality of the course.
• Complete the activities stipulated in class.
• Check the virtual campus and email weekly.
• Review, read, study, and prepare the materials proposed in class.
• Complete and submit assignments within the specified deadlines.
• Fulfill the synchronous or asynchronous activities assigned in class.
• Request tutoring in the case of a second or third enrollment, or if the grade for the first partial is below 7, to ensure their performance in the subjects.
• For courses with a self-learning component, complete the activities and report any issues, difficulties, or problems with the platform to the course instructors/facilitators.
• Report to the Academic Vice-Rectorate if any instructor is repeatedly absent from class schedules.

• Synchronous activities will take place only during the class schedule assigned in the enrollment timetable.
• Synchronous videoconferences will be documented through the link in Moodle.
• Allow a break every 40 minutes during synchronous classes.
• Distribute time between synchronous and asynchronous activities.
• Indicate the start/submission date and the closing/deadline date for all activities. For asynchronous activities, allow a minimum of 72 hours for completion.
• Provide instructions for all submissions, whether graded or not.
• Evaluate activities with a rubric and provide feedback within a period not exceeding two consecutive sessions from the submission date.
• Assess learning in various ways, whether formative or summative, consistently or periodically, through exams, projects, individual and group assignments, forum participation, etc.
• Schedule alternative or recovery activities in case of difficulties attending synchronous activities.

Course Structure in the Virtual Campus

The course structure must include a general section and a section for each of the 18 weeks. The elements to include in each section are as follows:

General Section

• Presentation – Welcome message/student introductions.
  • Announcements – Space for instructor communication with students.
  • Syllabus in PDF format.
  • Tutoring requests and proposed schedule.
  • Access to the course’s core and supplementary bibliography (files or links).
  • Link for synchronous class meetings, or in the weekly section.

Weekly Section

Each weekly section must guide students from activity to activity and include various elements via links, such as:

• Slides
  • Explanatory videos or tutorials.
  • Learning resources or materials. 
  • Activities: Forums, assignments, notes, Zoom link, etc.
  • Assessments – Formative and/or summative with evaluation criteria (rubric).
  • Class record in video or audio format (for virtual classes or activities). For synchronous classes, it is essential to upload the video or audio link or the OneDrive folder or video link.

**The use of other videoconferencing platforms is permitted, but the recordings of these classes must be uploaded to the Virtual Campus, regardless of the platform used.**

Use of Bibliographic Materials

• All teaching materials must be referenced to their authors or sources.
• For resources obtained from digital databases, include the URL or link.
• Reinforce the use of bibliographic citation standards to avoid plagiarism and promote knowledge of academic writing norms.
• The upload of materials is limited to 25MB within the virtual campus. Link all materials in the OneDrive digital repository with the respective URL in the Virtual Campus to avoid overloading the campus servers. Multimedia assignment submissions can be made via OneDrive URLs.

Rights Over Audiovisual Materials

It will be necessary to inform students about the policy on image and usage:  In the context of virtual and recorded classes, the University of the Arts recognizes the image and voice rights of instructors and students (Constitution, Art. 66, numeral 18) as well as the moral and patrimonial rights of artistic and intellectual production (Constitution, Art. 22). Any reproduction/distribution/digital storage of classes in any medium or through social media must be expressly authorized by each instructor.

The University provides the following digital support:

• Academic Management System – SGA.
  • Moodle Platform (UArtes Virtual Campus).
  • Zoom for videoconferences
  • Office365 Suite
  • Arts Library
  • Digital Repositories

If other tools such as YouTube/Vimeo/etc. are used, they must be reflected in the virtual campus via a link. If other messaging services are used, they must have the capacity to export (chat, video, audio, etc.), so their records can be uploaded to the virtual campus.

For the development of this educational process, the faculty-student body must train/have trained in the use of:

• Management of the Moodle platform (UArtes Virtual Campus).
• Management of Office365 tools
• Management of libraries and virtual repositories
• Creation and management of videoconferences – Zoom/MS Teams

If training is required, communicate this to your coordinator or supervisor to schedule an induction through the Directorate of Academic Success Support.

Zoom videoconferencing tool

The University has a specific number of designated PRO accounts based on the request of each unit. To schedule your class:

1. Schedule the weekly meeting time.
2. Obtain the link and post it on the virtual campus.
3. Record the class on your local drive and upload the recorded class to the OneDrive repository.
4. Obtain the video or recording link and place it on the Virtual Campus.

Office365 Tools

The Office 365 toolset includes the Microsoft suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), which can be downloaded and installed on your computer and will work as long as the institutional email remains active.

• In Outlook email, you can organize mailing groups and generate calendar events that can serve as reminders for your students.
• In Microsoft Teams, videoconferences can be held with no time limit, with recordings automatically uploaded to the OneDrive cloud.
• The OneDrive virtual repository is available to all users, where they can also back up their work, submit assignments via URL links, and collaboratively create or edit documents.
• Forms is a form application where you can conduct quick surveys with students, which can be identifiable or anonymous.

In case of email access issues, get in touch with soporte.tics@uartes.edu.ec

Academic Management System (SGA)

This is the core system for the University’s academic management. The following options are available:

• Access to virtual libraries contracted by the Institution
• Teacher evaluations
• Grades
• Class opening, general content registration, and attendance tracking
• Class schedules
• Syllabus upload
• Assignments and file sharing (optional)
• Academic tutoring registration
• Scheduling and registration of advising sessions
• Thesis tutoring registration
• Submission of requests through the SGA
• Generation of Academic Certificates

Virtual Campus

The virtual learning environment adopted by the University is the Moodle platform, where class development can be conducted or supplemented with online interaction tools and activities. It is structured as follows:

• School or Department
  • Academic period
• Offered courses

Objectives of the virtual learning environment

• Centralize information and monitor activities for both in-person and virtual classes.
  • Provide access to resources for both students and teachers.
  • Offer flexibility in timing for completing activities.
  • Promote active and responsible learning.
  • Encourage autonomous, cooperative, or team-based learning.
  • Foster interactions between students and teachers.
  • Promote knowledge and use of virtual tools.
  • Maintain a record of assignments and grades.

Relationship between SGA and Virtual Campus

The interrelation between the SGA and the Virtual Campus will occur through the following activities:

• The SGA is the place to record institutional activities for governing and evaluating bodies of Higher Education in the country.
• Each teacher must register their academic activity in the SGA and carry out its development and activity tracking in the Virtual Campus.
• The syllabus must be included in both the SGA and the Virtual Campus.
• Grade registration is done in the SGA during established periods.

Roles in the Virtual Campus

The roles established on the platform that can be requested from coordinators or heads are as follows:

• Manager: Access to courses and ability to modify them. Does not participate in the courses.
• Course Creator: Creator of new courses.
• Academic Director: Access to all courses without editing permissions for supervising the teaching of their unit’s faculty.
• Academic Coordinator: Access to all courses and ability to edit them to facilitate academic oversight of their respective Schools or Departments. They can also assign teachers to these courses and enroll students.
• Teacher:Creation, modification of activities, and grading within a course.
• Teacher without editing permissions:Viewing activities and grading.
• Student:Access to the course, able to view and participate in its content and complete scheduled activities.
• Guest:: Tiene privilegios mínimos y normalmente no están autorizados para participar o escribir.

Withdrawal or changes in student enrollment records will be processed in the SGA/Moodle by the Academic Secretariat.

Role changes or enrollment of teaching assistants (Teacher without editing permissions) can be requested from coordinators or heads, who have permissions to make these changes.

In case of changes in directors or coordinators, send an email to formación.virtual@uartes to make the respective update.