Faculties can now make their own decisions over Local Cohort Extensions and some of your assessments may be moved forward to a new date. To enable you to keep up with any changes to assessment deadlines, please log onto Blackboard regularly, to see the most up-to-date information that has been posted by your Faculties. 

A time-constrained assessment is a term used to describe an assessment that must be completed within a limited time frame.  For example, the questions are released at on a specific time and date and must be answered within a specific period and then uploaded into BlackBoard as instructed in your assessment task. Sometimes the period will be restricted to a number of hours.

A time-constrained assessment used as an alternative for a traditional examination, could be different from the examination that you were expecting to sit. For example, the number of hours you would have been allowed in an examination hall/lab etc has been adjusted to accommodate the need to complete tasks in an online environment.   

Structure of the time-constrained assessment

The structure of the online time-constrained assessment is likely to be the same or very similar to the structure of the examination paper that you would have completed if we were not in the current pandemic.  For example, how many sections the paper is divided into, and how many questions in each section you are expected to answer.  Follow the structure exactly as it is set out. Ensure you have carefully read all the requirements as not all modules will follow the same format.

We realise that there may be technical issues that could prevent you from submitting your work. Do not panic if this is the case, but follow these instructions:

Technical difficulties when submitting an assessment

If you experience technical issues that prevent you from submitting your work, then you must: 

• Capture evidence by taking a screen shot/photo of the problem;  
• Log a call with the IT Services Helpdesk before the deadline
• Please make sure you include the Module code and the phrase ‘assessment submission error’ in the ‘Short description’ field
• Make a note of the call reference number;
• After logging the problem, email the work to the relevant module leader, including the reference number of the logged call if possible. 
• Providing the above process is followed your work will be accepted and marked.
  

Please note that without a screen shot, and follow up email to your module leader, your work will be treated as a non-submission.

Technical difficulties during an on-line time-constrained assessments - fixed start and end times

If you experience technical issues during an online time-constrained assessment with a fixed start and finish time and these technical issues impact on your ability to complete the assessment within the time frame, then you must: 

• Log a call with the IT Services Helpdesk
• Make a note of the call reference number;
• Inform your module leader of the difficulties experienced and notify them of the IT call reference number. This must be done within 24 hours of the assessment deadline.  
• The module leader will then review the case to determine whether it is possible to re-set the assessment or whether there is an alternative solution. 

Technical difficulties during an on-line time-constrained assessment - longer-term fixed time-period

If you experience technical issues during an online time-constrained assessment, that must be completed within a longer-term fixed time-period, and those technical issues have impacted on your ability to complete the assessment within the allocated timescale, then you must: 

• Log a call with the IT Services Helpdesk
• Make a note of the call reference number;
• Submit your work via email to the module leader within 24 hours of the deadline, together with the IT call reference number. 

Should you be unable to follow the processes above due to technical difficulties please contact the Advice Zone for advice. 

Preparing for an assessment

 If you have technical issues that impact on your preparation for an assessment, an individual extenuating circumstances claim should be submitted, with supporting evidence such as screenshots and a call reference number, following the normal process. 

Online learning delivery

If a University outage affects online learning delivery for part of a session, the academic staff member and students should log out and log back in within a 15-minute time-period. 

If a University outage affects online learning delivery for a whole session, the academic staff member must either re-arrange the session or deliver it in an alternative format. 

We recognise that many students are facing disruption as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This may be because students themselves, or people close to them, are unwell or are in a high-risk group, or because they have needed to take time out to travel home, or have additional caring or work responsibilities. If you have Covid-19 symptoms, or you are unable to submit an assessment on time due to disruption caused by coronavirus, you can self-certificate. These claims will not require supporting evidence.