April 5, 2020

COVID-19 response update: UOW ready for remote learning

DVC (Education) praises staff for transitioning subjects online quickly

The University of Wollongong (UOW) will restart its autumn semester online tomorrow (Monday 6 April), just two weeks after suspending on-campus lectures and tutorials in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

By Monday, over 1,000 undergraduate and postgraduate subjects will be ready for online delivery for when students require them. This is 99.9% of the subjects we hoped to deliver this semester to our students.

Last month (Monday 16 March), UOW announced an extension of the mid-session recess to allow academic and professional staff to prepare for and transition to remote learning. The mid-session recess, originally scheduled to begin on 13 April, was moved forward to Monday 23 March.

In those two weeks, more than 1700 staff members have been trained in new web platforms and in preparing to teach online.

Professor Theo Farrell, UOW’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), has been leading the move to remote delivery.

He said the University aimed to ensure all students had a positive learning experience in the new online platform, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.

“This is truly an academic year like no other and one that we could not have predicted when the autumn session began at the start of March,” Professor Farrell said.

“COVID-19 has presented immense challenges to the higher education sector. At UOW, we are striving to make the coming months as interactive and intellectually enriching as possible for our students.”

Professor Farrell said he was incredibly pleased with the efforts of staff to adapt to remote learning, particularly considering the short timeframe.

“UOW staff have gone above and beyond in converting subjects to remote learning. It has been a huge task, but our staff, both academic and professional, have delivered.

“Through these careful preparations, we aim to ensure a high-quality, remotely delivered learning experience for students, with excellent support in place for students and teaching staff.”

One of the priorities for the University is in ensuring students from all backgrounds receive support during the transition and beyond. This includes support in accessing IT systems and high-speed internet, and for mental health concerns related to COVID-19.

Professor Farrell also reiterated the University’s desire to listen to student feedback as remote learning commences.

“This is a journey we are on with our students. We are communicating with them regularly and we will be listening to them at every stage.

“We want to hear student feedback and we encourage students to provide feedback via our feedback webpage or via their course coordinators.” Professor Farrell said.

All UOW campuses in Australia remain open and accessible to students who need access to a computer or internet. Libraries at UOW’s Wollongong, Shoalhaven and Sydney CBD campuses are also open and operational.

Strict physical distancing restrictions, enforced by the NSW Government, remain in place on UOW’s campuses and libraries.