PCE Virtual Learning Environment

From: Nidup Dorji

 Dear Colleagues, I would like to inform that our Colleges are to be closed until further order. HPM has sent me the following directive:

All schools and institutions to be closed until further order, we are monitoring the general COVID19 situation very closely, within the country as well as globally.

Situation within the country is under good control but getting worse globally; therefore many Bhutanese staying overseas are returning home.

Bhutanese returning home will have to come on their own and will be quarantined; in identified facility for 14 days, minors (less than 18yrs) will be home quarantined under strict written understanding with their parents.

No cause for panic. Just a precaution due to many Bhutanese returning from other countries. We need to now vigorously adopt online teaching/learning. Please take care and manage the situation gently.

The meeting on 18^th March convened on the urgency, as the classes are called off for 2 more weeks on the directives from the office of the Prime Minister via the office of the Vice Chancellor. All Programme Leader attended to the call for the meeting, called by the management, and this meeting convened, for a very urgent and necessary decision which are as follows:

With the suspension of the class classes from 9^th of March to 18^th March, the regular classes cannot be conceivable owing to the risk that prevails with COVID 19. The College Academic Committee, comprising of President, Deans & Programme Leaders have ascertained the use of College Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as a model and platform for online learning. The discussion on using other software application was proposed in which the committee of PLs decided the college VLE served as the standard dais. The other application of learning and teaching like “Google classroom,   Zoom, Padlet, Wechat and Camtasia” can be assisted to the VLE. It can be used as supplementary application to reinforce and will be at the obvious choice of the individual tutor. If there are other software for teaching and learning, it is encouraged.  

There was a proposal in using the “Camtasia” as it is a convenient and usable for an interactive classes.  This software suite, created and published by TechSmith, for creating video tutorials and presentations directly via screencast, or via a direct recording plug-in to Microsoft PowerPoint will be made accessible to the faculty and will be available by 18^th only ( Please see the email sent by Dawa Pem for download the software). On the proposal submitted by the members, the IT section of the college has made a delivery of the software and where the faculty could self-learn use the software application as a gadget for teaching and learning during a time like this, “COVID19.”  

The time table that was proposed from 19^th March as “PLAN B” to execute (Classes that was missed from 5^th of March to 18^th) is not applicable with the recent directives from the office of the Prime Minister.

The roster that is on line remains “status quo” and can be made applicable if we are to come back to the regular classes. The academic secretariat will let your office know on the updates of the academic time table.   

With some of the faculty members still slagging the academic responsibilities in the use of VLE to upload teaching learning materials, the programme leaders are secured of the responsibilities to monitor the status of upload. There are cases of the VLE uploaded with the work plan only, and in the next in Academic Meeting on 25^th of March, the programme leaders will submit the case by case report of the faculty, not uploading the teaching, learning materials. The office of the Dean will make this reports evidence for issuing the office memo on the academic negligence. Therefore everyone is requested to attend to the use of VLE as a very important task in the times of crisis like this.

In line to this, on the recommendation of the President, the College Academic Task Force has been formed lead by the DAA. The following faculty members has the Term of Reference (ToR) to ensure

      I.         online teaching and learning system

    II.         successful completion of the module

  III.         submission of assignment

  IV.         uploading the materials in the VLE

    V.         attendance of online participation 

The task force is appointed with the immediate effect on 18^th March, 2020, to regulate the responsibilities: The following members are:

      I.         Examination coordinator

    II.         B.Ed Primary Programme Leaders (General)

  III.         B.Ed Primary Programme Leader (Secondary)

  IV.         B.Ed Primary ( Dzongkha)

    V.         Diploma Physical Edn and Coaching , Programme Leader

  VI.         Teaching Practice coordinator

VII.         M.Ed Inclusive Programme Leader

VIII.         PGDE, Programme Leader ( Lopen Rinchen Gyamtsho is the interim PL)

The regular teaching practice will be difficult to schedule as there is a closure extended for two more weeks (Directives from the PMO’s office, 18^th March). In this line, the Teaching Practice Unit will present a report on delivering the best of the best practices on the 25^th of March, 2020 at 9 of the clock.

The coordinator, Dr. Rinchen Tsewang will present a teaching practice modality convenient to the students, mentor in the school, supervisors and the college academic administration. The previous meeting on 9^th March decided on the numbers of teaching plan, analysis and reflection paper. Since the situation in the schools are no different from the college, TPU’s proposal for Teaching Practice will have to look for another way of Teaching Practice. 

The modality of examinations need to change with the prevailing situations and the office of the examination and the secretariat proposed “no change”  on the submission of the assignment and the course work assessment.  All the tutors need to adhere to the regulations by the wheel (WAL).

However with the situation very complex, and if the normalcy is not recommenced, the PLAN B situation in examination will commence which is:

1.     Open book examination for high order thinking which will be guided by the examination unit where the hard copy of the examinations will have to be submitted to examination secretariat (Attach Test Blue Print).

2.     The objective type and short answers type can be set as online quiz and be evaluated.

3.     There is a provision, discussed, that some of the examination based module could be arranged as a course work (President) and this could commence but seek the approval from DAA and the Examination Unit).

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COMES INTO SET-UP ONLY IN CASE IF THE SITUATION PREVAILS.  The PLs meeting convened every Wednesday will keep you informed.  

All the assignments will be submitted, directed by the Definitive Programme Document (DPD). And the PL will keep track and update with the examination secretariat on the submission. If there are some inconsistencies (difficulties) arising with the submission, please inform the PLs and DAA   

Seeing the difficulties of maintaining the students’ attendance in situation of virtual and online learning, the PL considered a modality of attendance where the students’ participation is accounted for attendance.  If there are no signs of students showing up in any form on the VLE, discussion and submission of assignment, this can rate their attendance. PL discussed, it is the only way of maintaining the attendance account. The module tutors will keep informing of the status of students attendance to the PL and similarly it is with PL to the DAA.

The Library services remain open from Monday to Friday if the students need to avail the services. If any case, the situation persists, the President requested the possibilities of facilitating the E-library for the students.  

All the academic matters will be resolved with the collaborative effort of the PLs and the Deans. The academic secretariat will be informed of any academic administration, like attendance, time table and to module upload. The services could be handled bilaterally between the DAA and PL for programme validation, APRC, APMR and PQC.

It is also put forward that in case of a call for academic urgency, the office of the DAA will call on the alert to the office of the Administration where by the faculty and the PL are requested to respond positively to notification by the Administration.

1.     Teaching Practice Unit: An alternative model of Teaching Practice to redress the current situation.  Dr. Rinchen Tsewang

2.     Examination modality: Proposing a convenient practice of examination. Dr Gembo Tsering

3.     VLE upload: All PL report the status of materials upload

4.     Library usage: Number of library users. Statistics. Sonam Deki

5.     VLE usage: Statistics. Academic secretariat. Mek Bir (Academic secretariat)

6.   Students email: Send all email address of the studen