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Frequently asked questions

How much time do students need per unit?

To get maximum benefit from the self-study programme, students should plan to spend about four hours per unit on reading, completing the activities, and reflecting.

What sort of pace should students work at?

Students should work at their own pace, but complete each unit by the due date the lecturer gives them, if any. Each unit builds on the work of the previous one; so if students find themselves unable to complete a unit within the given period, they need to try to catch up with the content and the activities before starting the activities of the next unit.

What are students committing to when completing the self-study programme?

Encourage students to see this course as helping them develop skills that they need for their studies and for their future jobs, rather than just as something they have to complete.

Students should try to commit themselves to:

• Keep to the course schedule
  
• Complete the activities
  
• Reflect on their learning
  
• Respect the learning agreement
  

How do students learn to use the learning platform?

The students will need to go through an induction section before starting the course. Some students may be already familiar with our online learning platform Moodle. If they are, then they will be able to skip through some pages and complete the activities in the course induction quickly.

For all other students, we recommend allowing about one to two hours to become fluent in using the platform. They should read the instructions and complete the activities we provide in the course induction.

What if students have a technical issue?

If students ever have any doubts about technical or logistical matters, they can refer to: 

• This set of frequently asked questions 
  
• Moodle Tips 
  
• Helpful fellow students or 
  
• Their lecturer/tutor who is responsible for overseeing this self-study programme
  

What support can students expect?

We recommend that a lecturer or tutor, who is responsible for overseeing the self-study programme, supports the students. However, we encourage students to try to solve their problem on their own before approaching their lecturer. They should do so by:

• Reading the course induction diligently before they start the course
  
• Looking into the course induction again when they encounter a difficulty with the learning platform
  
• Checking whether their fellow students have encountered the same difficulties or may even know a solution
  

We encourage all students to be helpful to their fellow students whenever required, as this creates a supportive learning environment.

How can students discuss things?

We encourage the students to be active in discussing what they have been learning with their fellow students. Their lecturer may provide some space for that in their lessons or an online discussion forum can be set up. However, even if lecturers decide not to do that, students will benefit from informal discussion with their fellow students. We encourage them to take any opportunity to start discussions for example, during lunch breaks or when they meet up socially. This allows them to share ideas and experiences and build on each other’s work and knowledge.

What if students have a question about the online course content?

If students have any questions relating to the academic content or learning, we encourage them to discuss informally with their fellow students and/or in the classroom if their lecturer provides space for that. They can also use the literature at the end of each unit and the optional activities to deepen their understanding of the course content.