ONLINE TEACHING AND

LEARNING GUIDELINES
ONLINE TEACHING AND
LEARNING GUIDELINES
2022
 ONLINE TEACHING AND
LEARNING GUIDELINES

OUTLINE
1. UG ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY ................................................ 4

1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 4

1.2 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Application and Scope................................................................................................................... 4

2. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. 5

2.1 Methods of Online Course Offering............................................................................................ 5

2.2 Keywords .......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................... 7
2.4 Related or Reference Policies ....................................................................................................... 7

3. ONLINE TEACHING GUIDELINES.................................................................................... 8

3.1 Faculty Obligations ......................................................................................................................... 8

3.2 Class Size .......................................................................................................................................... 9
3.3 Support .......................................................................................................................................... 10
3.4 Content for Online Teaching and Learning ............................................................................. 10
3.5 Recording of Lectures .................................................................................................................. 12
3.6 Use of Content Created for Online Teaching and Learning ................................................ 13
3.7 Privacy in Online Teaching and Learning ................................................................................ 14
3.8 Intellectual Property and Copyright of Online Teaching and Learning Content ............. 14
3.9 Office Hours and Availability to Students .............................................................................. 15
3.10 Part-time Lecturers/Faculty................................................................................................ 15
3.11 Online Course Review & Approval .................................................................................. 15
3.12 Academic Integrity .............................................................................................................. 15

4. STUDENTS AND ONLINE TEACHING ........................................................................... 16

4.1 Student Services ........................................................................................................................... 16

4.2 Student Learning .......................................................................................................................... 17

5. ONLINE LEARNING ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES ........................................................... 19

5.1 Principles of Online Assessment ................................................................................................. 19

5.2 Forms of Online Assessment ....................................................................................................... 20
5.3 Methods of Online Assessment .................................................................................................. 21
5.4 Training .......................................................................................................................................... 23
5.5 Online Teaching and Learning Assessment Technologies/Platforms .................................. 23
5.6 Timetabling .................................................................................................................................... 24
5.7 Assessment Proctoring (Honour Pledge/Login/Cyber Security) .......................................... 24
5.8 Thesis/Dissertation Assessment .................................................................................................. 25

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5.9 Plagiarism ...................................................................................................................................... 25

5.10 Archiving of Examination Materials ................................................................................. 26
5.11 Redress of Assessment Scores............................................................................................ 26

6. ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING QUALITY GUIDELINES ....................................... 27

6.1 The Main Academic Quality Assurance Institutions ................................................................ 27

6.2 Quality of Teaching Staff........................................................................................................... 28
6.3 Online Examination ...................................................................................................................... 29
6.4 Assessment of Online Teaching of Courses ............................................................................. 30
6.5 Student Evaluation of Teaching and Courses .......................................................................... 31
6.6 Approval and Review of Online or Hybrid Courses and Degree Programmes .............. 32

7. ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING INFRASTRUCTURE GUIDELINES ........................ 34

7.1 Acquisition, Deployment, Security and Maintenance of E-learning Infrastructure ........... 34

8. BREACH ....................................................................................................................... 37

9. SERVICE ....................................................................................................................... 38

9.1 Dissemination ................................................................................................................................. 38

9.2 Guidelines Implementation, Administration and Maintenance ............................................ 38

10. APPENDIX A - ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING ETIQUETTES ........................... 40

10.1 Etiquettes for Academic Staff ........................................................................................... 40

10.2 Etiquettes for Students ........................................................................................................ 41

11. APPENDIX B - Samples Honour Pledge .................................................................... 43

12. Appendix C: Moderation guidelines......................................................................... 43

13. USE OF THESE GUIDELINES ...................................................................................... 43

14. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 44

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ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDELINES

1. UG ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY
1.1 Purpose
The University of Ghana is committed to promote academic excellence using the highest
international standards of teaching, learning and leadership development. This commitment is
affirmed in its most recent Strategic Plan (2014-2024) with the statement that, “As the leading
university in Ghana, the responsibility of producing the next generation of thought leaders to
drive national development is one that we must embrace and influence through innovative
teaching and learning methods.”

The Online Teaching and Learning Guidelines ("the Guidelines”) seeks, therefore, to provide
continuity in the quality and climate of teaching and learning through new and emerging
technologies. It is primarily designed to advice faculty, staff and students in the delivery of
online teaching and learning.

The Guidelines ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations, promote operational
efficiency, and manages institutional risk by specifying the best or recommended practices for
online teaching and learning across the University.

These Guidelines and other relevant documents can be accessed at: http://www.ug.edu.gh/

1.2 Objectives
The objectives of the Guidelines are to provide an enabling environment for online teaching and
learning through the development and enactment of the best or recommended practices for:
1. The training and provision of adequate support and resources for faculty, students
and staff for online teaching and learning;
2. The setup and delivery of courses and degree programmes in partially (hybrid) or
fully online formats;
3. The assessment of courses delivered partially (hybrid) or fully online;
4. The monitoring and assurance of quality in online teaching and learning;
5. The appropriate and consistent terminology and vocabulary for online teaching and
learning;
6. The appropriate technologies and security measures approved for online teaching
and learning; and
7. The appropriate use and maintenance of infrastructure for online teaching and
learning.

1.3 Application and Scope

It shall apply to all academic courses offered partially (hybrid) or fully online by the University
of Ghana.

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2. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

2.1 Methods of Online Course Offering

1. Online Course: A course where all of the content is delivered online. Typically has no
face-to-face meetings, teaching occurs online synchronously and/or asynchronously.

2. Face-to-Face Real-time Online: Teaching occurs in real-time and online with students
and faculty present synchronously via technology and from different locations. This mode
of instruction does not permit any in-person meetings. Students may join a class either on
campus or from their homes as the situation permits.

3. Face-to-Face (Traditional Teaching Method): This is the traditional form of instruction

that happens in real-time with both students and faculty present at the same location.
This mode of delivery may adopt a course management system or web pages to post
the syllabus as well as assignments, and students may use these platforms for the
submission of their work.

4. Hybrid/Blended Course: A course that combines online and face-to-face delivery. A

substantial proportion of the content is delivered online, typically uses online discussions,
and has a reduced number of face-to-face meetings.

5. Web-Facilitated Course: A course that uses web-based technology to facilitate what is

essentially a face-to-face course. It may use a course management system or web pages
to post the syllabus and assignments. This is not considered an online or hybrid format.

6. Remote Online: In this method, teaching occurs online but asynchronously. Lecturers and
students do not have to be present at the same time. There are no scheduled meeting
times, with students and lecturers engaging content at different times. All course materials
are made available to students online at advertised times.

Every course shall specify the method and mode of delivery, which may include one or
a combination of the above methods.

2.2 Keywords
1. Lecture: This is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach students
about a particular subject, given by academic staff, faculty or guest as in the fulfilment
of the academic service of the University.

2. Lab Activity: An academic activity that takes place in a laboratory with the purpose of
presenting information or teach students about a particular subject through
demonstration and experimentation.

3. Discussion: A discourse on a particular subject, as part of class or lecture activity, with

the purpose of learning. It may occur among students or between students and a course
or class convener, being the lecturer.

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4. Seminar: This is largely a participatory presentation and discussion on a subject topic.

Unlike a lecture that is more authority-based, seminars are peer-based and focus on
interaction, debating and active participation of the audience.

5. Academic Administrator(s): These are senior academic faculty with administrative

responsibilities for the management, planning, directing, controlling and evaluating the
University's resources within a Unit, including people, budgets and facilities. This may
include, a Provost, a Dean, a Director, a Chair of an academic position and a Head of
Department.

6. Academic Staff, Faculty or Lecturer: This refers to all persons whose primary assignment
is teaching, research, and/or service. People holding an academic rank such as professor
or lecturer, or the equivalent of any of these academic ranks will be considered as
Academic Staff.

7. Student: This refers to any person or group of people registered for the purpose of
obtaining an academic qualification at the University of Ghana.

8. Unit: This refers to a college, institute, school, research centre, department, or other
academic division to which an Academic Staff is assigned.

9. Protected Material: This refers to literary and scientific works protected under Section 1
of the Copyrights Act, 2005 (Act 690). It applies to the reproduction of published
materials in the form of writings; drawings and graphic works of an artistic, scientific or
technical nature; pictures of paintings, sculpture and other visual arts, architectural works
and articles of artistic crafts or applied arts (models as well as the work themselves)
musical scores with or without texts; photographic works and pictures; and also forms,
tables, catalogues and similar material that compile a substantial number of items or
that are otherwise protected under Act 690.

10. Reproduction: This refers to the making of copies by means of photographic,

xerographic, digital or similar methods, including printers and telefax machines in
transmission mode, but refers only to copying onto paper and transparency or slides. It
includes the making of masters for stencilling, the making of copies by means of tracing
or transcribing, printing out from electronic information systems stencilling, offset, etc.
and the making of copies on microfiche and similar media, but not other photographic
imaging processes. As part of technical process for making paper copies, transparencies
and slides for an end user, digital copies may be made but does not extend to exploiting
the copies in digital form whether by means of electronic display on screens, transmission
via local or external networks, including via email or storage on electronic information
system or on diskette or CD ROM, or similar media.

11. Personal Data: This refers to data about an individual who can be identified from the
data or other information in the possession of or likely to come into the possession of the
University, its officer, employees, and authorised agents.

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2.3 Abbreviations
ACQSDC – Academic, Curriculum, Quality and Staff Development Committee

AQAU – Academic Quality Assurance Unit

CAQAC – College Academic Quality Assurance Committee

E-Lerning, e-learning/eLearning – Electronic Learning

UG – University of Ghana

UGCS – University of Ghana Computing Systems

LMS – Learning Management Systems

2.4 Related or Reference Policies

The online teaching and learning guidelines refers to other existing policies in the University.
Hence, these Guidelines shall be used with a reference or in relation to the following policies:

1. Guidelines for Using the Turnitin Software to Determine Plagiarism in University of

Ghana, September 2016
2. Policy for Students and Staff with Special Needs: Facilities and Services, October 2019
3. Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy, 2017
4. University of Ghana Research Ethics Policy, December 2013
5. Plagiarism Policy, September 2016

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3. ONLINE TEACHING GUIDELINES

3.1 Faculty Obligations
Faculty have the responsibility of establishing the course syllabi - learning objectives,
learning outcomes, forms of assessments, required/recommended readings and the session
outline. All faculty possess the right to determine the instructional pedagogy in the courses
assigned to them. Faculty are also responsible for assessing the learning outcomes, providing
timely responses to students and submitting the final grades. The responsibilities of faculty
with regard to students are primarily instructional and scholarly, and secondarily
administrative. Faculty through personal study and research, shall pursue academic self-
improvement or course improvement; keeping abreast of new developments, and research
that leads to a useful or original contribution toward the advancement of knowledge and
understanding. Faculty shall undertake administrative work as required including committee
work at various levels (departmental, faculty, university).

In discharging their duties, faculty shall ensure the following:

1. That a student-centred learning environment is created through the provision of key

information regarding the course. This should include a detailed course syllabus, support
services available to students, and clear communication on course expectations.
2. That an active and engaging learning environment with dynamic activities is created.
Independent of the method of teaching, there must be content presence. Faculty must
engage with their students during the scheduled periods. This may be achieved through
online interactions and engagements. Faculty can use any of the UG approved
technological tools for teaching.
3. That prompt responses are provided to student inquiries. Faculty are advised to clearly
state their response times for student inquiries in their course outline. This helps promote
active presence.
4. That online courses are well organised, easy for students to navigate, predictable, and
provide ongoing student support and constructive feedback.
5. That all communication with students is clear and polite. It is always essential for faculty
to provide precise and clear information to students. Such information shall be widely
disseminated using all available official means.
6. Where a student needs the permission of faculty to register for a course, such permission
shall not be withheld unless the student does not satisfy the requirements for registration
or there is an approved policy to limit the number of students to be enrolled for that
course.
7. Faculty shall at all times comply with the relevant statutes of the university and
recommended guidelines in their interactions with students.
8. Faculty or other persons, such as teaching assistants and part-time lecturers, SHALL NOT
accept money or other services, rendered in kind, from students or their guardians or
parents, for assistance with any course for which the said faculty is duly engaged to
teach as part of the faculty’s official duties. Students shall immediately and with urgency
report such faculty to the Head of Department, Dean of School and/or Provost of
College.
9. Information concerning the courses offered online, such as course outlines, assignments
and faculty's details, shall be readily accessible to students. Faculty shall also make
known the times they are available for consultation to students registered for their
courses. This shall be stated clearly in the course outline and posted through other
approved media. Any change to these times, either temporary or permanent, shall be
communicated to students. In the case of a permanent change, the Head of Department

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shall be notified. In cases where a student needs an in-person appointment with a faculty,
then an appointment has to be booked.
10. A faculty shall not take any action that may be deemed to be vindictive against any
student, particularly a student who has filed a complaint about that faculty, whether the
complaint was substantiated or unsubstantiated.
11. Unless under extenuating circumstances, a faculty shall not cancel, miss, terminate or
shorten a scheduled class. In case of a need to reschedule a class, the faculty shall:
a) inform the class at the earliest possible time;
b) inform the Academic Administrator of the Unit at the earliest possible time; and
c) where possible, ensure that appropriate substitution or make-up instruction is
provided.
12. In discharging their instructional responsibilities, faculty shall act with academic integrity,
scholarly competence, and pedagogic effectiveness by providing students with pertinent
materials in a timely manner, maintaining familiarity with current policies and
responsibilities regarding privacy, copyright and human rights, and by adhering to
regulations pertaining to instruction, reporting and evaluation at the University.
13. All students are to be treated fairly regardless of gender, faith, sexual orientation or
ethnic background.
14. Where Faculty processes personal data of students, they shall keep such information
confidential. They shall not disclose it to any third party unless required by law or in the
course of the discharge of their duties.
15. Faculty shall ensure that their computers or computer system is protected from
unauthorised access or attacks.
16. Where a faculty suspects that an attempt, whether successful or unsuccessful, has been
made by any person to gain unauthorised access to, disrupt or misuse an information
system or information stored on such information system, or that a computer or computer
system has been accessed without authorisation or attacked, the faculty shall report same
to the University of Ghana Computing Systems (UGCS).
17. Programme/Course Review Committees of academic units shall periodically review all
courses and programmes, including course descriptions, to ensure that the material to be
presented is current and appropriate and the Handbooks are clear and accurate. The
review process shall be in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Academic
Quality Assurance Policy, 2009.
18. The Heads of Department shall provide the names of faculty assigned to teach particular
courses and sections at the earliest possible opportunity to respective academic units and
UGCS in order to ensure the efficient delivery of online teaching and learning.

3.2 Class Size

The maximum class size shall be determined by the academic unit delivering the course.
However, student demand may require maximum class size to be flexible. Depending on
the department, graduate and teaching assistants may be available to assist with course
responsibilities as determined by the faculty. If graduate assistants or teaching assistants
are desired, the request should be made to the College through the Head of Department
prior to the course start date for clearance and approval.

Where necessitated by large class sizes or other circumstances, the Unit shall ensure that
faculty and/or designated substitutes are available for individual consultation with Students
for a reasonable amount of time on a known and posted basis.

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3.3 Support
1. As required by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) all faculty are required
to be well prepared to teach hybrid and online courses. Faculty involved in teaching
online courses shall undertake training on online teaching and learning (as designated
by the University) and shall include the use of online course management system tools.
2. Heads of academic units are to ensure that only staff who can demonstrate competence
in the use of the University’s LMS shall be allowed to teach online.
3. Faculty shall be required to undertake courses that will enhance their skills in instructional
design and pedagogy, course management strategies, assessment of hybrid and online
course effectiveness.
4. UGCS shall provide dedicated technical support to faculty engaged in online teaching.
5. Every effort shall be made to cater for faculty with special needs.

3.4 Content for Online Teaching and Learning

3.4.1 Nature of Content
General outline of what faculty can use in an online teaching environment and especially
for recorded lectures shall be made available to students.

A. *Books, journals and similar

1. Reproduction from books, journals and similar works shall be consistent with the
provisions of the publisher and also with the terms of agreement between the
University and the Reprographic Rights Organisation of Ghana (CopyGhana). For
each employee, student etc, reproduction from a single book or similar publication
is limited to fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of pages. However, an entire
chapter or similar unit, an entire short story or an entire scene of a play may be
reproduced from one and the same publication.
2. The extent of reproduction from a single book or similar publication that is no longer
available commercially or directly from the publisher shall be limited in
corresponding fashion to thirty-five (35%).
3. Before the right to reproduction beyond the limits set is exercised, the employee or
student shall write to the publisher through Copy Ghana and satisfy itself that the
particular publication cannot be be obtained within a reasonable time by means of
publishing on demand or a similar method1.
4. Where Faculty, officers, staff or students need to make copies of protected material
beyond the limits permitted under this Policy, or should there be need to make digital
copies, the University shall contact CopyGhana to use its best efforts to assist in
obtaining permission from the author and the publisher.

B. *Short works
1. Reproduction from short works and similar works shall be consistent with the
provisions of the publisher and also with the terms of agreement between the
University and CopyGhana. (If the source is electronic, permission must be sought
from author and/or publisher.)

2. An entire short story or an entire scene of a play may be reproduced from one and
the same publication

1 If the source is electronic, check the Terms of Use. If multiple copying is prohibited, seek permission.

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C. Who may reproduce protected material?

Subject to the limitations set forth in these Guidelines, reproduction of protected material
may be carried by employees of the University, students, members of the university’s
committees and boards, and other governing or advisory bodies, as well as other bodies
directly connected to the university.

D. Where shall reproductions be made?

Reproduction of protected material shall be carried out by means of equipment that the
University owns, leases or otherwise by contract has at its disposal or through third party
providers authorised by the University. That notwithstanding, the University may have
the reproduction carried out outside the University where the University does not have
the reproduction equipment, when this is necessary for technical or economic reasons or
because of lack of sufficient capacity or when the party who undertakes the reproduction
has an agreement with the University.

E. How to use reproductions

1. Reproduction of protected material may not be carried out in order to substitute for
copies produced by a publisher or for copies of other published materials that are
commonly available for purchase from sales outlets, publishers, or similar parties,
and which it would otherwise be natural for the user to obtain.
2. Reproduction shall be carried out only for the purpose of use in the University’s
educational activities and administration at the institution. Internal use includes
employees supplying reproductions to colleagues at collaborating educational
institutions, or to coordinating bodies at such institutions or bodies. Necessary
reproduction may be made for distribution to external parties when this is done as
part of the processing of official business, as part of commissioned research, or when
those receiving the copies are contractual parties.

F. *Diagrams, graphs, illustrations, and artworks

1. Work of Visual art and photographic pictures may be reproduced only from
already existing reporoductions in books, periodicals or similar printed matter.
2. No rights shall be granted to illustrate original texts or texts written by others with
photographs, drawings or similar images reproduced from publications when the
originals of the illustrations can be easily obtained from the Illustrators, from pictures,
archives or from similar sources.
3. The reproduction of musical scores (regardless of the form in which they were
published) for use at public performances that are not part of educational activities,
nor for use by the organised choirs, bands, ensembles and orchestras that are not
integrated in the educational activities is prohibited.
4. The extent of reproduction of sheet music (be it a score or similar publication of a
single musical work) from collections of sheet music (collection of scores of two or
more musical works) shall be limited to 15%, but with a maximum of ten (10) pages
from each separate publication. However, it is permitted to reproduce one whole
movement or similar segment from the sheet music for use in instruction in music theory.

G. PDF from online database or University library

Materials taken from such sources shall be in accordance with the Terms and Conditions
set out in each case.

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H. Websites
Where content (deemed relevant for use by an academic staff or a student) is copied
from a web page or pages of a website, and the author is identified, the source shall
be acknowledged, and the date of storage and name of the establishment shall be
stated. Further, the use of the content shall be in accordance with the Terms and
Conditions of using the content as stipulated by the author, the establishment or both.

I. Ghana Government material

Bills, Acts, regulations, bylaws, parliamentary debates, select committee/Commission
reports, inquiries and judgments of Ghanaian courts and tribunals (Other Ghana
Government material) are subject to copyright. The authors and sources of these
materials should be appropratiely acknowledged when used in academic and research
works and activities.

3.4.2 Rights of Faculty

Faculty own the copyright for materials they produce for a lecture and have the right to
restrict the recording and distribution of that material.

Faculty can perform, play or show a creative educational work in the course of work for
the University, as long as the audience is made up of students and/or staff. This means
faculty can use most material commonly used: play an original audio or video recording,
click on a link to display web content; display an image, graph, table et cetera. For
example, a lecture that is open to the public, such as an Inaugural Professorial Lecture,
is a ‘public performance’ and, therefore, can also be used in the course of work.

However, any material included in a lecture that was not produced by the faculty
(images, sound and video recordings, literary texts, et cetera) belongs to someone else.
Faculty are to ensure that they have legal and ethical obligations to use such materials
appropriately and to demonstrate good copyright practice to students.

3.5 Recording of Lectures

3.5.1 Recording of Lectures by Students
Faculty reserve the right to give consent for students to record a lecture. However,
students shall be advised that such recordings shall be used for research or private study
only. Faculty are put on notice that the University may not be able to control subsequent
distribution.

The appropriate wording of advice for students permitted to record lectures are as
follows:
Copyright Warning Notice - This material may be used only for the University of
Ghana’s educational purposes. It includes extracts of copyright works copied under
copyright licenses. You shall not copy or distribute any part of this material to any other
person. Where this material is provided to you in electronic format you may only print
from it for your own use. You shall not make a further copy for any other purpose.
Failure to comply with the terms of this warning shall expose you to legal action for
copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by the University of Ghana.

Students shall not publish or sell such recordings in any form (this includes, but is not
limited to, the Internet and hard copy publication). Students shall not upload such

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recordings and other teaching materials provided by faculty to online platforms without
notifying and gaining permission from the lecturer.

3.5.2 Faculty Initiated Recording

If a faculty wishes to record and distribute his/her lecture/presentation, and when such
recording does not require University resources in excess of what would usually be
allocated in similar instructional settings, the faculty shall have copyright ownership rights
to and plenary control over the subsequent use of the recordings subject to the
University’s license and the privacy protections in Section 3.7.

Before recording, the Faculty must:

1. Use the copyrighted materials of others only in accordance with the University’s
copyright licensing agreements and Ghana copyright legislation.
2. Obtain permission for the use of material not covered by the University’s
copyright-licenses or exceptions under the legislation.
3. Advise the audience that the lecture is being recorded and take reasonable steps
to avoid inadvertently recording audience members.

Although the University does not assert ownership of such recordings, it shall have a non-
exclusive, royalty-free right and license to use and retain copies of such recordings for
instructional/educational purposes.

3.5.3 University-Directed Recording

University-Directed Recordings are those created at the specific direction of a University unit
for the University’s ownership and use. An example of such recordings is the portfolio of
teaching videos developed for distance education through a contractual agreement
between the Department of Distance Education and a faculty. A recording shall be deemed
a University-directed work if it is created pursuant to a written agreement between the
faculty and the University unit or pursuant to the standing policy of the unit in which the class
is taught. Before recording, the lecturer must:
1. Use the copyrighted material of others only in accordance with the University’s
copyright licensing agreements and Ghana copyright legislation.
2. Obtain permission for the use of material not covered by the University’s copyright-
licenses or exceptions under the legislation.
3. Complete legal documentation which details the provisions of the University-directed
recordings.
4. Advise the audience that the lecture is being recorded and take reasonable steps to
avoid inadvertently recording audience members.

3.6 Use of Content Created for Online Teaching and Learning

When a copy of a lecture, be it video or other electronic formats (such as PDF), is made
available to students, e.g., via UG LMS, the lecture becomes a ‘course material’, and the
same rules apply as to a coursebook or handouts because multiple copies of the material
may be made.

All decisions regarding the current and subsequent use of recordings shall further the
University's mission of teaching, research, and community service. University-directed

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recordings or faculty-initiated recordings shall be archived by the University and made

accessible to the University community for internal use.

Before any recordings and other forms of lecture materials are used beyond the University
of Ghana or made otherwise available, the faculty shall be consulted if possible to ensure
academic quality and verify the content's currency. Any commercialisation or external use
of University-directed recordings or other lecture materials shall occur only with the written
permission of the faculty who created the content. The contribution of the faculty shall be
appropriately acknowledged in any future use of recordings or other lecture materials if
the faculty indicates a desire for such attribution.

Income derived from University-directed recorded lectures may be distributed with respect
to the agreement between the corresponding University Unit and the faculty. Where an
agreement does not exist, income will be distributed in accordance with relevant UG policies,
including the UG IP Policy and UG Research Policy.

3.7 Privacy in Online Teaching and Learning

Faculty and students engaged in teaching have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Assurance of privacy encourages open discussions on issues and ideas without fear that any
statements made may be used for inappropriate purposes and, thereby, enhances learning.
The University's obligation not to infringe upon the reasonable privacy expectations of
faculty, staff and students in classrooms and other instructional settings is subject to
applicable national laws and University regulations.

Student-initiated, faculty-initiated, and University-directed recordings of student activity

online, in classrooms, or in other instructional settings may be used by the faculty and
registered students for internal class purposes and by only the students during the period in
which the course is being offered. Recordings in which student activity is included may be
subsequently performed, displayed, or made available online or otherwise only with the
informed consent of the students involved or if all student activity is excised. A faculty-
initiated recording that includes student activity may be retained by the faculty member
only for his or her individual use.

3.8 Intellectual Property and Copyright of Online Teaching and Learning Content
1. Faculty shall retain intellectual property rights over all teaching material developed for
their respective courses in line with the University of Ghana Intellectual Property Rights
Policy.
2. Other faculty seeking to make use of these materials shall seek the consent of the
copyright owner. It may be permissible to make some copyrighted materials available
to students if they are:
a. Directly related and integral to the course content;
b. Accessible only by students enrolled in the course;
c. Does not exceed the length or amount displayed in a face-to-face class; and
d. Students are made aware of the university’s copyright policies, specifically that
course content may be subject to copyright laws and protections.

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3. Those course(s) which the University has developed are the intellectual property of the
University.
4. Faculty in presenting their academic or research work shall explicitly acknowledge any
contribution of students or research assistants in carrying out that work.
5. Faculty shall be mindful of the Data Protection Act and respect the confidentiality of
information about students. Information on the academic performance of Students shall
be kept confidential by faculty at all times unless the release of such information is
authorised by a student or required by his/her instructional team or requested by an
administrative officer in accordance with the University policy on the release of
information.

3.9 Office Hours and Availability to Students

1. All Faculty shall make known in their course outlines their scheduled office hours as part
of their instructional workload.
2. Heads of Academic units are to ensure that the workload of lecturers is within prescribed
limits.
3. Faculty are not required to be available to answer student queries outside of their
scheduled office hours. In emergency situations, appropriate measures shall be put in
place by Faculty and Heads of Academic units to address student concerns.
4. Faculty may make themselves available to students via phone, email, chat, video
conferencing tools, or other convenient technological tools, officially approved by the
University for faculty and student interaction.

3.10 Part-time Lecturers/Faculty

1. Part-time Faculty shall be expected to fulfil all requirements needed to teach online
courses just like full-time lecturers.
2. Part-time Faculty shall be provided with adequate access to the LMS and other resources
that may aid them in their online teaching.

3.11 Online Course Review & Approval

1. All courses developed for online delivery shall require review and approval. This process
is expected to be initiated at the departmental level with a three-member committee
for undergraduate course and the graduate studies committee for the postgraduate
courses according to the Academic Quality Assurance Unit (AQAU) guidelines. Report
from the committee should be collated and submitted to AQAU for final approval before
lectures start online.

2. Faculty are expected to regularly review and update their course content in line with
the University policy.

3.12 Academic Integrity

Online programmes and courses present new challenges to ensuring academic integrity
which needs to be addressed in the programme design. Online programmes and courses
shall conform to University policies on academic integrity.

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4. STUDENTS AND ONLINE TEACHING

This section of the guidelines covers:
(1) Student Services – Training, Rights and Responsibilities, IT Support Services and
Logistical Support; and
(2) Student Learning – the Learning Management System (LMS) in use by the University
and the accurate and fair assessment of student learning outcomes embedded in
course outlines.

4.1 Student Services

The Online Teaching and Learning environment requires that many more students resident
on-campus and/or off-campus connect with faculty, administrative staff, and peers online
and access courses, programmes and materials in the virtual space. UG’s online and blended
courses are designed to provide students with the convenience and flexibility to learn and
complete the requirements for academic programmes. As such, the courses maintain the
same quality and rigour found in the traditional classroom environment.

In Student Services, the online teaching and learning guidelines focus on the following areas:
Training, Rights and Responsibilities; IT Support Services and Logistical Support.

4.1.1 Training
UG is committed to the highest standards in teaching and learning. As part of this
commitment, the University shall provide new and continuous students with the requisite
training to enable them to succeed in their online and blended courses and programmes.
The training shall encompass:
a) Mandatory Orientation to the online teaching environment
b) Emerging Technologies for Online Teaching & Learning, including the University’s
LMS
c) Online and Open Education Resources,
d) Copyright and Fair Use
e) Online Classroom Etiquette (Netiquette)
f) Plagiarism

4.1.2 Responsibilities and Rights

The university regulations governing the responsibilities and conduct of students for on-
campus in-person teaching shall apply to online teaching and, therefore, students shall be
expected to comply with existing University regulations and policies, including:
a) Students shall be responsible for their registration. They need to register before
they can participate in the online lectures.
b) Students shall attend a mandatory orientation by the University.
c) Students shall actively participate in online lectures.
d) Students shall comply with copyright and fair use policies
e) Students shall comply with Online Classroom Etiquette (Netiquette) (See Appendix
A).
f) Students shall comply with the Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy.
g) Students shall comply with the Research Ethics Policy.
h) Students shall comply with the Plagiarism Policy.

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i) Students shall comply with the Guidelines for Using Turnitin Plagiarism Detection
Software and any other guidelines for plagiarism detection.
j) Students shall have the right to use student facilities and services as enshrined in the
University Regulations for Junior Members.

4.1.3 Student IT Support Services

The University recognises that not all students are adequately prepared for the
opportunities and challenges of teaching and learning in an online environment. In this
respect, the recommended support services for students shall include, but are not limited to
the following:
a) Appropriate support services shall be provided for students in the use of the
University’s LMS and emerging technologies.
b) Help desk and self-help support shall be provided.
c) Tutorial videos shall be provided.
d) Course advisors, teaching assistants, tutors, and graduate assistants shall be
provided as appropriate.
e) Faculty and students’ E-learning Ambassadors shall be appointed and resourced to
provide the needed assistance to other students.
f) Counselling and Career Centre shall provide students with emotional support and
other psychological services.
g) The University shall provide support services for Students with Special Needs as
outlined in the Policy for Students with Special Needs: Facilities and Services.

4.1.4 Logistical Support

1. The University shall provide information to students on computing devices (such as
laptops, tablets, or smartphones) required for online teaching and learning.
2. The University shall provide access to its computing facilities on the various campuses,
including the UG Learning Centres in the regions. This access may be of immense support
to students with limited or no access to the personal computing devices required for online
teaching and learning.
3. The University shall cater for the logistical needs of Students with Special Needs through
Assistive Technology Solutions from the University of Ghana Computing Systems (UGCS)
and other relevant units.

4.2 Student Learning

For effective learning to take place, the University shall ensure that students and faculty,
where necessary, are provided with the requisite resources to achieve the following:
1. Students shall have a clear understanding of what faculty expect from them, as well as
what they are to expect from faculty in general.
2. In the online learning environment, particularly with its focus on technology-based and
self-directed learning, faculty shall anticipate their students’ needs for clarity by posting
well organised and detailed course syllabi, which shall be accessible in prominent
sections of the course sites.
3. Regular assessments shall be employed to gauge students’ understanding of course
materials and for faculty to determine what students have learned. The University is
committed to providing a frequent, fair and accurate assessment of student learning.
4. Faculty shall provide sufficient and timely feedback to improve students’ performance.

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5. Students shall be responsible for soliciting additional feedback about their performance
to help them in decision-making about their progression and/or lack of it.
6. Academic staff may responsibly and appropriately promote the use of Social Media to
support student learning if there is an appropriate educational purpose - this means that
social media use:
a) is directly related to achieving the learning outcomes defined in the expected
learning outcomes in a course, and
b) offers benefits for student learning that may not be met in face-to-face
contexts or through the use of other technologies
7. Students shall gauge their readiness for online learning by self-assessing their skills-
levels in the following items and making the necessary efforts to acquire the
competencies they lack as needed:
a) Persistence
b) Effective Time-Management Skills
c) Effective and Appropriate Communication Skills
d) Basic Technical Skills
e) Motivation and Independence
f) Good study environment

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5. ONLINE LEARNING ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES

This section examines the guidelines for online learning assessments and the importance of
integrating contextual factors in online learning. For the purposes of these Guidelines, an
assessment is defined as an ongoing process of gathering, analysing and reflecting on
evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve future student learning.

5.1 Principles of Online Assessment

5.1.1 Reliability and Validity of Online Assessments
Reliability and validity principles that apply to in-class assessments or paper-and-pencil
examinations have become more prominent with assessments designed for online
environments. While validity describes the adequacy or appropriateness of interpretations
and uses of assessment results, reliability refers to the consistency of assessments scores over
time; that is, if an instructor is able to administer a test to the same students at different
times, the results or scores shall ideally be the same.

There is evidence to show that factors such as test administration, aspects of test construction,
the way in which students take the test, the activities of assessors and other circumstances
could affect the reliability of the test results as well as the validity of the inferences made
from the test results (Slavin, 2012). The principles of reliability and validity underpin the
assessment practices in the online teaching and learning guidelines. Specifically, all
assessments shall be reliable and valid.

5.1.2 Fairness and Inclusivity

In addition to being reliable and valid, all assessments shall be fair.
1. Fairness in assessment shall be viewed in terms of; i) absence of bias, ii) equitable
treatment of assessments, iii) equality in outcomes and iv) opportunity for all to learn.
2. In assessing students, their specific backgrounds and needs shall be considered. The
assessment methods, strategies and techniques shall be appropriate for and compatible
with the purpose and context of the assessment.
3. Fair and inclusive assessment shall include, but are not limited, to the following
procedures:
a. Developing and choosing methods for assessment
b. Collecting assessment information
c. Judging and scoring student performance
d. Summarising and interpreting results
e. Reporting assessment findings
f. Developing and selecting methods for assessment
g. Collecting assessment information
4. The AQAU shall ensure that faculty are trained on fair and inclusive assessment principles
and methods.
5. Students shall be provided with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, or behaviours being assessed in a variety of ways applicable to online settings.
6. Procedures for judging or scoring student performance shall be appropriate for the
assessment method used and be consistently applied and monitored.
7. Procedures for summarising and interpreting assessment results shall yield accurate and
informative representations of a student's performance in relation to the goals and
objectives of instruction for the reporting period.

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8. Interpretations of assessment results shall be made with due regard to the limitations of
the assessment methods used as well as the conditions under which the assessment was
completed.
9. Assessment reports shall be clear, accurate, and have practical value to the student.

5.2 Forms of Online Assessment

Assessment, whether in face-to-face learning or online learning, is an integral and prominent
component of the teaching and learning process. It has multiple roles depending on the
intended learning outcomes. For this reason, faculty shall ensure learning outcomes are
aligned with what is taught and learned and the knowledge and skills assessed. Specifically,
for formative and summative online assessments:

1. Faculty shall be trained in choosing, developing, administering, scoring, interpreting and

providing feedback on assessments with consideration for assessment for learning,
assessment as learning, and assessment of learning.
2. Faculty shall use inferences about student progress to inform their teaching to support
assessment for learning.
3. Student progress shall be monitored to inform their future learning goals as a measure
to ensure assessment as learning.
4. Faculty shall use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student
achievement against goals and standards to support the assessment of learning.
5. Both formative and summative assessments shall be used to support the achievement of
learning outcomes.

5.2.1 Formative Assessments

Formative assessments shall include but are not limited to the following:
1. Activities that students undertake to obtain information about their (students) learning;
and
2. Giving students feedback that, they can use to improve their performance.

5.2.2 Summative Assessments

Summative assessments shall include but are not limited to the following:
1. Judgement made on work that results in the student being awarded a grade may include
formative elements such as quizzes, class presentations, group assignments and mini-
projects; and
2. Assessments, such as examinations, used to determine scores or grades.

5.2.3 Weighting of Assessment

1. Weightings of the various assessment components shall depend on the nature of the
course delivery. For fully online courses, the continuous assessment shall constitute up to
70% but not less than 30% of the total mark used for grading.
2. For courses delivered using a combination of face-to-face and online approaches, the
continuous assessment shall constitute up to 70% but not less than 50% of the total mark
used for grading.

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5.3 Methods of Online Assessment

All assessment methods shall be designed to assess different levels of cognitive, affective
and/or psychomotor skills. An online assessment can be delivered synchronously using real-
time online test tools, where students respond simultaneously as the assessments are given
within specified periods or asynchronously, where the responses are provided at times
different from when the tasks are given. Faculty need to make decisions according to content
and context when synchronous or asynchronous assessment mode is most effective to support
and measure student progress (see Table 1).
1. For formative (ungraded) synchronous or asynchronous assessment, students shall have
unlimited attempts to get it right with regular undelayed feedback.
2. Whichever assessment method is used, provision for ‘reasonable adjustments’ shall be
made to accommodate students with special needs.
3. Faculty shall optimise the effective use of multiple media to reach all students most
appropriately.
4. Online assessments shall cover the various levels of Bloom’s taxonomy as appropriate
(see Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
5. In all methods of online assessment, items for synchronous or asynchronous assessment
shall cover as many as possible levels of the following taxonomy:
a. Remembering - where students shall be required to recognise and recall facts;
b. Understanding - where the emphasis shall be on students’ ability to explain facts
and make appropriate inferences from them;
c. Applying - where students act out plans and ideas/concepts;
d. Analysing - where general ideas are broken down into specific ideas/concepts
and synthesised into ‘new’ general ideas;
e. Evaluating - where students make use of various validating methods to arrive at
appropriate judgements; and
f. Creating - where students devise strategies to solve real-life problems.

Table 1: Assessment Tasks and Combination of Assessment Methods

S/N Assessment Method Exemplars and Relevance
i. Forum discussions These allow students to share ideas, explore topics, and
improve their comprehension in a meaningful manner. The
Forum’s tool in the UG LMS, for example, allows faculty to
create an unlimited number of discussion forums, and it is
integrated closely with other tools such as Resources and
Gradebook. This can be used for group work/assignment
ii. Quizzes These can take the form of multiple-choice tests made up of
randomised items with single or multiple correct responses. The
Tests & Quizzes tool in the UG LMS allow faculty to create online
quizzes. These may be created question by question, through
already prepared text, or imported from a formatted file.

iii. Assignments/ Essays These are made up of written responses for online submission
through the UG LMS and platforms including emails and other
approved media. Faculty shall accept multiple file types as
attachments as prescribed by the examiner, such as in word,
pdf, video and audio format.

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S/N Assessment Method Exemplars and Relevance

iv. Presentation This may involve synchronous oral presentations or asynchronous
submitted recorded audios or videos or slides. Students can
describe in a short video how an assignment was carried out.
v. Dialogue Simulation This is an interactive exercise which mimics real conversations
between students and faculty, and can be used to make
presentations of assignments. It allows students to master
communication skills without any risk of making mistakes as in
real time conversations. This exercise is most useful in
asynchronous assessment events.
vi. Case-based/skills This involves real practical scenarios on discussion boards and
assessment chat rooms to allow for self-assessment, peer-assessment and
instructor assessment.
vii. Task-Based This involves using simulations to test practical and experiential
Simulations knowledge and assess proficiency. Tasks may include various
datasets with focus on interpretation.
viii. Branching Scenarios These lead students down different paths in a manner that every
choice brings them closer to the learning outcome and helps them
to focus on navigating a situation and overcoming obstacles.
ix. Group Collaboration This provides an opportunity for students to engage in
Projects with synchronous or asynchronous group discussion with their peers
Feedback and instructor to clarify and share their understanding of
relevant issues and seek feedback from peers and facilitators.
x. Performance (e.g. This may involve reflections on selected videos as well as
Performing Arts, students videoing activities for presentation.
Medicine, Nursing)
xi. Portfolios Digital artefacts may include creative models and transcripts of
reflections on models.
xii. Laboratory work This may involve records of simulated skills, experiments and
transcripts of video recordings [refer to skills lab section also]

xiii. Examinations These may involve a combination of randomised multiple-choice

items, essays and open book examinations to be submitted
within prescribed periods. Students shall be helped to gain
practice with the required technology before they use it for all
forms of summative assessment to ensure the technology
supports learning rather than impedes it

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5.4 Training
The University of Ghana shall provide appropriate training for faculty, administrators, staff
and students on the following:
i. Effective use of the UG Learning Management System and other technologies
ii. Facilitation of online teaching, learning and assessment
iii. Online Ethics
iv. Any other relevant skills and issues

5.5 Online Teaching and Learning Assessment Technologies/Platforms

The University commits itself to provide the technological infrastructure/platform required
to support online teaching and learning as well as the formative and summative assessment
of students.
1. The University shall make its online assessments student-friendly, easily accessible and
free from hassle for faculty and students.
2. The UGCS shall assist and support faculty in designing, implementing, and supporting
online assessments.
3. The University shall bear the responsibility for providing the enabling environment to
ensure that faculty and students are supported in their efforts to deliver effective online
teaching and learning experience.
4. Online assessment resources such as high-capacity computing centres/labs, stable and
high-speed internet connectivity, and wi-fi installations shall be available on all
University campuses.
5. UGCS shall provide regular training for staff and students on the University’s Learning
Management System and establish a virtual help desk during the examination periods
to promptly resolve online assessment-related challenges for both students and faculty.
6. Heads of Academic units are required to establish virtual help desk to aid students on
unit-specific enquiries.
7. Every effort shall be made to guarantee the credibility and integrity of examinations
through the adequate provision of the mandatory technological infrastructure and
resources.
8. The University of Ghana has adopted the SAKAI Learning Management System (LMS)
as its LMS for the delivery of its teaching and learning experience. All assessments of
students’ performance shall be undertaken using the SAKAI LMS and shall assume any
of the prescribed examination formats.
9. Examination materials for any course shall be uploaded on the SAKAI LMS or a
University-approved platform for students’ access.
10. Examinations shall be delivered through SAKAI. However, examiners in consultation with
their students may adopt one of the following applications for examinations only if
approval is sought from the Dean of the School through the Head of Department:
a. Zoom application h. Remind
b. Microsoft Teams i. Slack and other similar ones
c. Google Classroom j. Goto Meeting
d. Skype k. Adobe ConnectPro
e. Free Conference Call l. Elluminate
f. WhatsApp m. Linc LMS
g. WebEx n. Jitsi meet
o. Big Blue Button
11. Learning Analytics tools shall be used to support the assessment of online teaching,
learning, and course advising.

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5.6 Timetabling
The Online Teaching and Learning Guidelines specify the procedures to be applied by the
University to achieve coordinated and consistent timetabling practices of its online
assessment, teaching and learning activities. Specifically, a single optimised University online
assessment timetable shall be produced in a timely manner each semester.
1. The standard teaching day is from 7.30 am to 7.30 pm, Monday to Friday. However,
for examination timetabling purposes, all online assessments shall be restricted to the
hours between 7.30 am to 7.30 pm, Monday to Sunday, except where the examination
duration is given in days. Where an assessment is required to take place outside the
specified hours, permission must be sought from the Dean of the School and/or the
Academic Affairs Directorate.
2. The University, through academic units, shall publish an online teaching and learning
timetable and indicate the periods for Interim Assessment (I.A), continuous assessments,
and End of Semester Examinations.
3. The University, through academic units, shall publish an online examination timetable for
all online teaching activities at least four weeks prior to the start of the End of Semester
Examinations.
4. All general-purpose facilities and specialist facilities supporting online assessment, such
as computer labs, shall be registered in the timetable system.
5. The primary consideration when scheduling online teaching activities is the student
experience, including facilitating student attendance and participation, maximising
student choice and flexibility, and allocating online teaching resources in accordance
with pedagogical needs. The same principle shall apply when drawing the online
assessment timetable for each semester.
6. Timetabling decisions shall maximise the effective and efficient utilisation of the
University’s computing systems and spaces.
7. The University shall ensure that the online assessment timetable is consistent with the
health and safety regulations and University policies in relation to work, life, equity and
diversity.
8. Changes to the published timetable shall be restricted to minimise disruptions to
assessments and other academic work schedules.
9. The timetable shall be available to those who need them in a clear and accessible way
and posted at the appropriate University portals.

5.7 Assessment Proctoring (Honour Pledge/Login/Cyber Security)

The University shall take reasonable measures to promote academic integrity and follow
best practices that reduce the likelihood of academic integrity violations. The University shall
take progressive steps to ensure that students demonstrate the highest level of compliance
with the academic integrity rules of the University when taking online examinations (See
Annex 1).

5.7.1 Guiding Principles

In instances where supervised off-campus online assessments are not practical or possible,
the University shall employ a variety of ways to guarantee high levels of academic integrity
for its online examinations, including the underlisted:
1. Where necessary and possible, the University shall employ the services and expertise
of an Off-Campus Proctor who shall be officially verified and approved.
2. The University shall also employ other online proctoring systems comprising hardware or
software requirements that enhance identity verification or test security.

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3. All students taking any form of online examination shall be required to accept an honour
pledge; “I affirm that I will not give or receive any unauthorised help on this assessment and
that all work will be my own” prior to taking the examination. Students who fail to accept
the honour pledge cannot access the examination paper.
4. Students shall always be required to login with their University-given credentials to
access all online examination papers.
5. Whenever possible, infrequent high-stakes examinations shall be replaced with more
frequent lower-stakes quizzes that build on one another.
6. Multiple choice questions shall be replaced with short answer or essay or project-based
assessments whenever possible.
7. For quizzes primarily intended to promote learning (i.e. formative assessment) rather
than assessment (i.e., summative assessment), students shall be allowed to take quizzes
multiple times with no time limit.
8. Where it is difficult to replace high-stakes examinations with more frequent lower-stakes
quizzes, the following approaches may minimise students’ collision while taking an
examination:
a. Set a time limit on the quiz.
b. Use short answer or essay questions.
c. Randomise questions and answers.
9. Essay type examinations shall be set up on the SAKAI LMS as Assignment in the Course
Site with submission through Turnitin software to generate Originality Test (Similarity
Index) to analyse and affirm academic integrity.

5.7.2 Skills Assessment

In skills-based training, emphasis is placed on innovative education to support students to
avoid preventable errors in real-life. High-fidelity simulation (HFS), intermediate or low
fidelity simulation needs to be part of essential skills training.
1. There shall be a skills laboratory for all programmes where students are required to
undergo practical or skills training.
2. Sites for skills training shall always be kept safe and consistent with all health protocols
as defined by the University and the Government of Ghana.
3. All equipment used in simulations shall be safe for use, cleaned and stored appropriately
after use.
4. Students shall be provided with resources and training to prepare them adequately for
real-life situations.
5. Resources to be used in the skills laboratory shall be prepared and made available to
students at the appropriate time.

5.8 Thesis/Dissertation Assessment

Thesis or dissertations submitted by students enrolled in an online degree programme shall
be assessed with respect to thesis and dissertation assessment guidelines as provided by
the graduate and doctoral handbooks of the School of Graduate Studies.

5.9 Plagiarism
1. The University is committed to the highest level of integrity and ethical standards. It shall,
therefore, ensure that the academic work of its staff and students is of the highest
standard.

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2. All issues pertaining to plagiarism shall be guided by the University’s Policy on

Plagiarism. The conduct of assessments should also be guided by the policy.

5.10 Archiving of Examination Materials

1. Copies of all examination questions, soft scripts and marking schemes/grading criteria
must be submitted to the department through the Examination Officer within four weeks
from the last date of the examinations in a zip folder.
2. End of semester examination questions and marking schemes/grading criteria that must
be kept with the department shall not include Question banks of multiple-choice items.
3. University of Ghana Computing Systems shall be responsible for providing electronic
storage space (e.g. cloud space) to all departments for backing up the copies of all
examination questions, soft scripts and marking schemes/grading criteria.
4. Examination scripts shall be held for a period specified by the University, after which
they shall be destroyed/deleted from the University’s records.
5. The library shall publish all non-multiple-choice items.
6. The library shall work with Departments and College Academic Officers to publish all
non-multiple-choice items before the next semester begins.

5.11 Redress of Assessment Scores

Students who seek redress of their online assessment scores shall follow the University’s
procedure for redress of assessment scores.

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6. ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING QUALITY GUIDELINES

This section examines the measures enacted to ensure online teaching and learning quality.
It covers the governance of quality assurance, quality of teaching faculty, online
examination, online assessment, assessment of students for admission and student evaluation
of courses and lecturers.

6.1 The Main Academic Quality Assurance Institutions

6.1.1 Council
The University Council is responsible for determining and shaping the overall strategic
direction of the University. This strategic direction includes leveraging new and emerging
technologies to create an all-inclusive learning environment that fosters high quality teaching
and learning for enhanced societal impact.

6.1.2 Academic Board, College Academic Board and School Management Committee
The Academic Board is responsible for operationalising and coordinating all policies and
providing the necessary support to faculty and students to adopt online pedagogies and
teaching practices that create an engaging learning experience for students with the
support of the College Academic Board and the School Management Committee.

6.1.3 College Academic Quality Assurance Committee

The College Academic Quality Assurance Committee (CAQAC) is a sub-committee of the
College Academic Board and is charged with the following responsibilities:

a) To advise the College Academic Board on the future development of the College on
academic and curriculum matters;
b) To advise the College Academic Board on matters relating to the establishment of
new departments;
c) To advise on new courses of study for the College taking into consideration the human
resource needs of the nation; and
d) To advise on staff and development programmes for academic staff of the College.

6.1.4 Academic Quality Assurance Unit

The AQAU is directly responsible for overseeing and ensuring academic quality in all online
programmes as well as teaching and learning activities within the University and its Affiliate
Institutes. The Unit is charged with the following responsibilities:

a) Advise the CAQAC on the development of periodic training programs and resources for
faculty to engage with new online pedagogies.
b) Facilitate and directly oversee the training of faculty on the use of online resources and
other development initiatives relating to enhancing the quality of online delivery of
courses and research.
c) Conduct, in collaboration with the UGCS, regular audits of existing online resources to
facilitate high standards of online delivery of courses and programs
d) In collaboration with the UGCS, oversee the development of a vibrant and up-to-date
page on the University’s website regarding online teaching and learning resources to
promote a high quality and engaging learning experience for students.

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e) Disseminate on a regular basis resources, guides and support programmes related to

the quality enhancement of online teaching and learning in the wider community.
f) Organise annual online assessment of faculty and courses as well as surveys with
emphasis on quality of online course contents and delivery.
g) Perform any other functions relating to quality assurance of online teaching and learning
as may be directed by the Academic Board of the University.

6.2 Quality of Teaching Staff

6.2.1 Recruitment
Academic staff or faculty recruited to teach at the University of Ghana shall have the
requisite academic credentials. As part of the recruitment process, competencies in online
teaching and learning shall be encouraged. Irrespective of staff competence, mandatory
online teaching and learning training shall be provided for newly hired academics. Such
training shall include but is not limited to:
a) Effective use of the teaching and learning management system used by the
University,
b) Facilitation of online learning and teaching,
c) Online assessment
d) Netiquette
e) Any other relevant skills and issues

For academic staff who are already part of the University, online teaching and learning
competence shall be encouraged as indicators of career development. The AQAU shall have
a programme to support staff promotion processes with adequate online teaching skills,
both at the time of appointment and for continuous refresher training, for all faculty
members. The existing standards for quality online teaching and online course quality shall
be used as a benchmark for determining training needs

6.2.2 Training
To ensure that academic staff re-orient their mindset to switch between the traditional face-
to-face and the online environment when delivering their courses, they need to be
empowered with expertise in the following areas:
a) UG LMS competency training
b) Instructional Design
c) Administration of examinations to preserve integrity
d) Netiquette for online teaching and learning

6.2.3 External Assessment

In addition to external assessment of technical aspects of courses and thesis, external
assessors shall be periodically invited and empowered to assess the university's online
teaching readiness and capacity at all relevant levels, including Departments, Schools,
Colleges, Balme Library, UGCS, and higher administrative levels. AQAU shall develop tools
and standards for online teaching readiness and capacity assessments.

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6.2.4 Monitoring and Evaluation

The AQAU is responsible for overseeing the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and
review of the Online Teaching Quality Assurance Policy. In undertaking this exercise, the
AQAU shall consult key units necessary for effective online learning, including Colleges,
UGCS, Balme Library, School of Continuing and Distance Education, to establish a procedure
for monitoring and evaluating the policy.

6.3 Online Examination

The University of Ghana online examinations shall allow students the flexibility to sit the
examination in an environment of their choice. Regulations relating to in-person
examinations, including moderation of questions, students’ assessment and examination
grading, shall be enforced for online examinations. Every effort shall be made to guarantee
the credibility and integrity of examinations.

Departmental Examination Moderation Committees, made up of senior and experienced

teaching staff, shall moderate all examination in accordance with the moderation guidelines
attached as Appendix C and report to the Dean of the School. To ensure the integrity of
online examinations and guard against situations where students may have an unfair
advantage over others, guidelines and protocols shall be developed by AQAU.

6.3.1 Conduct of Online Examination

UG online exams shall be hosted on the UG LMS or any other platform approved by the
University. Students are required to comply with all instructions provided. Any student who
believes that an error has been made in the content of an examination question shall
immediately report it electronically for action to be taken.

6.3.2 Online Examination Invigilation

Heads of Academic Units and Examination Officers shall establish appropriate measures to
ensure that online examinations are conducted with integrity and free from examination
malpractices. Examinations may be synchronous or asynchronous (take-home examination).
Instructions for online examinations shall be well communicated and on time and shall be
consistent with the conduct of in-person examinations. Through the UG LMS and other
approved examination platforms, the assigned invigilators and examiners shall provide a
report for each course on the following items:
a. Course Code and Name
b. Date and time of examination and duration
c. Examiner(s) and Invigilators
d. List of registered students for the examination
e. List of students who participated in the examination
f. Structure of examination (no. of sections and questions)
g. Confirmation of moderation of examination
h. Feedback from students after the instructions were provided
i. Form and means of submission of answers
j. Key events and concerns during the examination period
k. Remarks or feedback from the examiner(s) and invigilators.

The University may procure an online proctoring tool to aid the invigilation of examinations.

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6.3.3 Monitoring of Online Examinations by Superintending Committee

The University of Ghana Examinations Superintending Committee, in collaboration with the
Academic Affairs Directorate and the UGCS shall monitor the conduct of online
examinations. The UGCS shall:
1. Monitor the process of online examinations (example scheduling, technology, etc.)
2. Ensure that examination questions meet the university online assessment standard.

Academic Affairs Directorate shall develop online forms with the key monitoring parameters
to be completed by the Examinations Superintending Committee.

6.3.4 Academic Integrity

All work submitted shall be the student’s own efforts. UG shall investigate and penalise any
activity which gives students an unfair advantage. Actions that constitute an offence include,
but are not limited to: cheating, attempting to cheat or assisting someone else to cheat,
substitution for an examination or completing an assignment for someone else. The University
policy on plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct shall be enforced.

6.3.5 Absence from Examinations

Students unable to take an examination due to illness or other circumstances shall report an
absence by submitting a Self-Absent Note to the Department Examinations Officer as soon
as the student is able to do so. Preferably such notices must be sent before the examination
is due or no later than three days after the examination. In the case of any long-term illness
or impairment, the student is recommended to contact his Department for advice and
support. The submission of the self-absent note may be done in-person or electronically. A
medical doctor shall validate health-related notes, preferably from the University Hospital.

6.4 Assessment of Online Teaching of Courses

6.4.1 College Academic Board and School Management Committees
The College Academic Boards and School Management Committees shall provide oversight
for the development and regulation of online teaching, learning, research and assessment.
The Board shall have the mandate to constitute any Committee for that purpose and supervise
same. It shall also make recommendations to the appropriate University Committee on online
academic issues based on reports of these Committees.

6.4.2 Departments, Institutes and Centres

Responsibility for online teaching and research at the undergraduate and graduate levels
lies squarely on Departments, Institutes, Centres and other Academic Units. In undertaking
these responsibilities, Academic Unit shall adhere to any guideline, provided by the College
Academic Board and School Management Committees as well as the Standards for Quality
Online Teaching and the UG Standards for Online Course Quality.

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6.5 Student Evaluation of Teaching and Courses

Student evaluations of course instructors’ teaching and course content are important for the
online teaching and learning process because it helps course instructors modify their
educational methods to align with student learning needs and can be used as the basis for
evaluations of teaching effectiveness in administrative decisions (promotion). Rubrics for
evaluating online teaching shall be provided by AQAU. However, Academic Units are
encouraged to develop measures to monitor and improve the quality of teaching during the
semester. This faculty-led evaluation of online teaching may include soliciting feedback from
students after the first online lecture, mid-semester evaluations or after key milestones
defined by the course instructor/lecturer. AQAU may periodically request such reports.
There are several media on the UG LMS that faculty may use for evaluation. These may
include the use of tools such as:
• Blogs
• Electronic survey
• Focus groups
• Informal feedback
• Wikis
• Forums

The choice of medium shall depend on the specific circumstances for a particular course.

Heads of Departments shall also consider international best practices and ensure the seven
principles of good practice and effective teaching are emphasised by course
instructors/lecturers. These principles of good practice include:
• Encourage student-faculty contact
• Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
• Use active learning techniques
• Give prompt feedback
• Emphasise time-on-task
• Communicate high expectations
• Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

6.5.1 End of Semester Evaluation Process

The University, through the AQAU, shall ensure that there is a procedure in place for dealing
with student evaluation of teaching and courses at the end of every semester. The results
shall be communicated to the lecturers for that course. . All students taking the course shall
complete an online questionnaire that the AQAU shall prepare. The online questionnaire
shall be analysed by the AQAU and the results sent back to the lecturer through the College,
School and the Departments. The findings shall be communicated to students indicating any
actions to address any problems raised or reasons for not taking action. The Head of the
Department is to ensure that key issues that impact the course and teaching quality are
discussed with the lecturer involved. Where it is felt that the Department cannot address an
issue, the Head of Department shall ensure that it is brought to the attention of the University
via the Dean and Provost of the College. Everything shall be done under strict
confidentiality. The Provost of the respective College shall serve as a discussant in cases
where Deans are the course instructors.

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6.5.2 Response Rate and Reporting Structures

The AQAU shall undertake course and lecturer evaluation at the end of every semester. The
response rate for an assessment shall be more than 40%. The AQAU shall consider ways to
improve the response rate in situations where the response rate is low. Course and lecturer
evaluation reports shall be forwarded to the lecturer involved through the College, School
and the Department.

6.6 Approval and Review of Online or Hybrid Courses and Degree Programmes
6.6.1 New Online or Hybrid Degree Courses and Programmes
1. Departments are responsible for deciding which courses as well as which degree
programmes shall be offered in an online or hybrid format. Departments shall be
encouraged to develop individual policies regarding the process for determining which
courses as well as which degree or programmes may be offered in an online or hybrid
format.

2. Academic Units shall introduce new online courses in line with societal or market demands,
while the procedure for the review and accreditation of online programmes shall follow
the guidelines provided by the University of Ghana and the National Accreditation
Boards.

3. New online or hybrid degree programmes or programme modifications shall be

reviewed in accordance with the usual new programme proposal approval process. Any
department or degree programme in which at least 50% of the instruction is offered
online shall be required to provide their online teaching and learning strategy consistent
with these guidelines.

4. New online or hybrid courses shall be approved through the regular

curriculum/programme review process, following the same process as any new course.

5. No individual, programme, or department shall agree in a contract with any private or

public entity to deliver courses or programmes on their behalf without prior University
approval.

6.6.2 Converting Existing Courses to an Online or Hybrid Format

In the case of existing courses, approval for the use of online or hybrid instruction is within
the purview of the Department.

6.6.3 Online Course/Programme Review

In conjunction with the Graduate Studies Committees, the Head of Academic Units will be
responsible for coordinating the development and review/development of new Courses and
the accreditation of programmes at the Departmental level. Academic units shall submit all
their online courses for review by the ACQSDC at least once every five years. Online course
review shall involve curriculum changes, appropriate standard of content and include the
frontiers of knowledge. All online courses/programmes shall be reviewed in accordance
with the processes outlined in the Academic Quality Assurance Policy.

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In the case of the review of graduate programmes, recommendation by the School of

Graduate Studies shall be required by the College Academic Boards. Reviewed online
courses and programmes shall have a content report that shall detail all procedure followed
in the review process. All online programmes shall be approved by the Ghana Tertiary
Education Commission (GTEC) before it is mounted.

6.6.4 External Examiners

In line with the policy of the University of Ghana, the services of External Examiners shall
be restricted to graduate programmes only. The services of an External Examiner shall be
extended to undergraduate programmes only at the request of Academic Units in
exceptional circumstances. External Examiners shall be nominated by the Colleges
Academic Boards on the recommendation of an Academic Unit and shall be appointed by
the Academic Board of the University. The External Examiner shall submit an annual report
to the Provost of the College through the Head of the Department and the Dean of the
School, with a copy to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Students Affairs.

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7. ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING INFRASTRUCTURE GUIDELINES

This section provides guidelines for the selection, deployment, and appropriate usage of
technologies to support online teaching and learning at the University of Ghana.

7.1 Acquisition, Deployment, Security and Maintenance of E-learning Infrastructure

7.1.1 Acquisition and Deployment
The University is accountable for the acquisition and licensing of the online teaching and
learning infrastructure, including other support software such as plagiarism software, et
cetera. The E-Learning Technical Team is responsible for ensuring the infrastructure is
appropriate, reliable, available, secure and robust to deliver online teaching and learning
within the University.

To provide guidelines for the acquisition and deployment of online teaching and learning
infrastructure, there is a need to define what constitutes the infrastructure. In UG, the online
teaching and learning infrastructure consists of subsystems, namely:
a) The Network and connectivity
b) Server & hosting requirements
c) Base operating systems and associated software
d) Learning management system module (Application, Database, Content and Storage)
e) Supporting infrastructure
i. Student Information System
ii. Authentication
iii. Multimedia Delivery Channels (Big Blue Button, Zoom, MS. Teams / MS
SharePoint, and other emerging channels.)
iv. Instructional designers and support personnel
v. Data Security & Integrity

The proper functioning of each of the identified subsystems is critical to the optimal function
of the e-learning systems. Hence, there must be a conscious effort to ensure continuous
operation, monitoring and maintenance.

An E-Learning Technical Team, led by an e-learning manager, is responsible for online

teaching and learning infrastructure. The team consist of members from the following units
of UGCS:
a) E-Learning and Assistive Technology
b) Networking
c) Systems
d) Security
e) Multimedia
f) Application Development
g) Preventive Maintenance

The e-learning manager shall decide and advise on the hardware and software required
to support the online teaching and learning infrastructure. Content, however, shall be
provided by various learning facilitators or faculty.

At the time of developing the online teaching and learning guidelines, the University had
adopted an open-source Learning Management System (SAKAI) that the E-Learning Unit is
responsible for managing. Recommendations for change in the usage of SAKAI as the de-

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facto learning management system shall be approved by the Academic Board or its Business
Executive Committee upon a recommendation from the UGCS management and the AQAU.

The officially accepted Plagiarism software for use by the University is Turnitin. The E-
Learning Unit manages this service and shall make it available to the University community
through its integration into the Learning Management System. The use of this software is
governed by the University’s Plagiarism Policy and guidelines on the usage of the Turnitin
Software.

The University is in the process of deploying a Lecture Capture system to aid in the
recording, management and streaming of videos/lectures. Guidelines for lecture recording
have earlier been outlined in Section 3.5 of the online teaching and learning guidelines.

The E-Learning Unit shall be responsible for discovering and recommending the adoption of
any other proprietary or open-source technologies required either for integration into the
LMS or use as a standalone system.

All hardware required to support e-learning shall be hosted in-house. In cases where this is
not possible, the e-learning manager, in agreement with the UG Chief Information
Technology Officer, shall determine where such hardware may be hosted in the university's
best interest and accordance with existing policies.

In line with the above, software required for e-learning shall also be hosted in-house on
the University’s servers or in instances where they cannot be hosted on servers, in locations
agreed upon by the e-learning Manager and the UG Chief Information Technology Officer.

7.1.2 Security and Maintenance

In conjunction with the e-learning manager, physical and data security and maintenance
shall be scheduled as part of UGCS preventive maintenance and monitoring.

Retention of content on the UG LMS shall be reviewed and or archived at the end of every
year. Procedure for retrieving archived content shall be a formal request to the Pro VC
Academic and Student Affairs and if granted, the UGCS shall be informed formally to
action the request.

Existing ICT Policies governing acceptable use, retention and other relevant policies shall
also govern the best practices under which the online teaching and learning infrastructure
shall be supported.

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7.1.3 Training and Technical Support

Training and technical support for faculty and students shall be provided by a college
support team consisting of pedagogical experts, eLearning champions and instructional and
material development experts and a technical support team from UGCS. In relation to the
training for faculty and students that have been outlined earlier, the support teams shall
provide, specifically:

Technical Support
• Training in the use of tools in the Sakai LMS and applications for video conference
such as Zoom and Big Blue button.
• Creation of courses
• Enrolment of Students unto Course
Teaching and Learning Support:
• Instructional Design
• Material Development such as audio-visual and text materials
• Use of any authoring tool as recommended by faculty and E-Learning Unit
Student Support
• The UGCS E-Learning and the Assistive Technology Unit shall regularly offer a wide
range of workshops, and other training opportunities in the use of the Sakai Learning
Management System for students with special needs, particularly first year students.
• Students are provided with appropriate levels of technical support, to resolve
problems encountered with University supported technologies.
Learning Centres
• The UGCS E-Learning and the Assistive Technology Unit shall offer e-learning
champions identified within the learning centres a wide range of workshops, and
other training opportunities in the use of the Sakai Learning Management System
for faculty and students on a trainer of trainees basis.

7.1.4 Students with Special Needs

The Assistive Technology Solutions Unit of UGCS shall work with the e-learning team to
provide support and address the concerns of students with special needs. The Unit offers
instruction, training, and support for assistive technology tools for students with disability.

7.1.5 Software and Service Support

The current and recommended or ideal State of Online and Teaching Infrastructure
• SAKAI – Open LMS
• Turnitin – Plagiarism Software
• Microsoft Teams – Standalone Collaborative Tool.
• ZOOM – Standalone Video Collaboration.
• BigBlueButton - Video Conferencing tool within Sakai
• Authentication is handled by the UG enterprise resource planning system (ITS)
• Enrolment of students and courses creation have been automated.

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• Storage is supplied by UG Infrastructure storage currently at 20TB. Storage should

be upgraded with respect to the needs of the university.
• Application maintenance is outsourced to vendors.
The eLearning technical team shall in consultation with the user community recommend new
software/applications to support online teaching and learning. The team shall provide
support for the software approved for use by the UGCS.

8. BREACH
1. Generally, a breach of any provision herein contained may not be subject to disciplinary
proceedings, provided always that any such breach shall not constitute a breach under
any other policy, regulation, Statute of the University or national law.

2. A breach of any provision of these Guidelines constituting a breach of any policy,

regulation, statute, national law or the Terms of Settlement with CopyGhana shall be
subject to disciplinary proceedings under the University of Ghana Act, 2010 (Act 806)
and the Statutes of the University of Ghana.

3. Where a breach of any provision of these Guidelines also constitutes an offence under
the national law, a person despite being prosecuted under national law shall be subject
to disciplinary proceedings under the relevant laws of the University.

4. A breach of this Guidelines constituting a breach of any provisions of the The Data
Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843); Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038); Electronic
Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) shall immediately be reported in writing by any officer
or member of the University community with knowledge of any such breach to the
University of Ghana’s Data Protection Supervisor, Office of the Legal Counsel, with
copies to the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research Innovation &
Development.

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9. SERVICE
9.1 Dissemination
The Online Teaching and Learning Guidelines shall be readily accessible to University
members, especially faculty and students. Multiple communication methods shall be
employed to widely disseminate policies and guidelines, namely:
• Educational Seminars
• Print via academic units
• Electronic via UG website

9.2 Guidelines Implementation, Administration and Maintenance

These guidelines as presently set forth, and as they may be amended from time to time, are
binding on every faculty and student.
i. The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs is responsible for the
enforcement, implementation, administration and management of the guidelines.
ii. Provosts, Deans and Directors are responsible for ensuring that faculty or academic staff
and students within their units comply with provisions in these guidelines.
iii. The University shall develop supporting guidelines and other relevant documents to
facilitate the execution of these guidelines. The absence of these other documents shall
not in any way nullify the applicability or enforceability of these guidelines in their
current state or as may be amended from time to time.
iv. These guidelines shall take effect immediately upon adoption by the Business Executive
Committee or the Academic Board of the University.
v. Any amendment shall be effected in a similar manner.

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Figure 1 provides a summary of the best practices for teaching online.

Figure 1: Best Practices for Teaching Online.

Source: Andrew Salcido & Jessica Cole. Best Practices for Teaching Online. TeachOnline, 22 Aug.
2019

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10. APPENDIX A - ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING ETIQUETTES

10.1 Etiquettes for Academic Staff

1. Record your lectures – Do not stream them. If students are unwell or are struggling
with internet access, they may miss a live streamed lecture. Record videos instead and
send them to your students so that they can watch them in their own time (Lee, 2020).

2. Show your face – Research has shown that lecture videos that show instructors’ faces
are more effective than simple narrated slideshows. Intersperse your slides with a video
of yourself (Kizilcec, Bailenson, & Gomez, 2015).

3. Keep videos short, where possible – Videos longer than 15 minutes can cause issues
of slow downloading and student distraction. If you have more to say, record two or
three short videos.

4. Test out slides – Make sure you test slides on a smartphone before shooting your
lectures, so all text is readable on small screens. Font sizes, colours, template designs
and screen ratios can be double-checked.

5. Use existing resources – It is unrealistic to expect that you, on your own, will produce
a semester’s worth of high-quality videos. You may use pre-developed resources
available online and provide students with clickable links.

6. Make videos open access to your students – Using open resources helps prevent
access problems for students. If any of your suggested resources are not accessible, you
may receive an inbox full of student emails and eventually waste all your time
troubleshooting. Spending a few extra minutes carefully searching for fully open access
materials may save you a headache later.

7. Give specific instructions – When you suggest online media which runs for longer than
15 minutes, students may be put off watching. Instead, suggest the exact parts they need
(e.g. 13:35 to 16:28) as this can even make students more curious. When you provide
more than two resources, label them in the order you want students to approach them.
Simple numbering, based on the level of difficulty or importance of each resource item,
can be of great help for your students.

8. Provide interactive activities – Most learning management systems, such as Moodle,

Edmodo and Blackboard, include a range of functions to create interactive learning
activities such as quizzes. Step-by-step guides to creating them are widely available
online. Use them.

9. Set reasonable expectations – When you create quizzes, you shall make sure all
questions can be answered by referring to the given learning resources. When you ask
students to write a summary of lecture videos, you shall make it clear that this is not a
serious report. Making this as a mandatory assignment but a low-stakes task may
produce the best outcomes and responses from students. A set of 15 quiz questions or a
300-word limit may be sufficient to engage students for 30 minutes.

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10. Use auto-checking to measure attendance – If you tell students that their attendance
shall be measured by their participation in a quiz, it may increase compliance. However,
you may not have time to check them all, so use the automatic checking and grading
features on the learning management systems.

11. Use group communication carefully – Group communication shall not be used for
direct teaching. Instead, set up “virtual office hours” on a video conferencing tool like
Zoom. Simply log in at the appointed time and wait for students. Focus on providing
social support and checking if any issues need to be addressed immediately. This can
be a great way to collect student feedback on your online teaching as well. Make
meetings optional and be relaxed. No need to be frustrated when no one shows up:
students are still happy to know that this option is available.

12. Let students take control – You can set up online group spaces for small groups of
students and ask them to support and consult with one another before sending emails to
you directly. You can post a couple of questions to help students break the ice and start
a conversation. Encourage students to use the communication tools they prefer. Some
groups may click well, and others may not, but this little tip can make students feel
socially supported and reduce your inbox traffic.

13. Do not hide your feelings – Online teachers’ emotional openness is a great
instructional strategy. Tell your students that it is your first time teaching online and you
are learning while teaching. Explicitly ask them to help you, reassuring them that you
shall do your very best to support their learning as well. They may be sympathetic since
they share the same emotions, and you may be set up for success.

10.2 Etiquettes for Students

1. Choose a good location – As parents and students plan for online lessons, it may be
important to think through an ideal location. The most important thing is to have a clean
and non-distracting background. If a student must work in their bedroom, the student
shall make sure the bed or decorations are not prominent in the background. If possible,
the student may set up a desk with materials ready and a neutral background.

2. Do ask questions – Connected to these thoughts on participation is the importance of

asking questions during an online meeting. Your teachers are there to support and help
you, and it makes it easier on everyone if you can ask a question while together in an
online meeting. If you are experiencing some confusion or have a question about
something, it is likely that someone else has that same question. Speak up!

3. Before asking a question, check the instructor’s FAQs or search your Learning
Management System resources and/or the internet to see if the answer is obvious or
easy to find.

4. Be forgiving – If your classmate makes a mistake, whether it is a typo or grammatical

error, do not badger him or her for it. Just let it go.

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5. Be courteous and formal – “Hey, teacher, heeeelp!” is probably not the best way to
ask your lecturer a question. You shall communicate with your lecturer in the same way
that you would speak to your boss or a potential employer. Also, any email you send
your lecturer shall always include your name, course code and name, designated class
(and group), and contact number.

6. Keep up with all assignments – One of the challenges posed by online learning is the
increased level of responsibility that students may have for their own learning. It can
be tempting to put off assignments with multiple days before their due date. However,
doing this once can have a spiral effect, where, because you are rushing to make up
yesterday’s assignments, you now have less time to work on today’s assignments,
meaning you are likely to get behind on what’s due tomorrow as well.

7. Think before you hit the send button – Think carefully about the content of your
message before contributing it. Once sent to the group, there is no taking it back.
Grammar and spelling errors reflect on you and your audience might not be able to
decode misspelt words or poorly constructed sentences.

8. Check your email regularly – There are a few reasons that checking your email
regularly is important. First, your teachers may be emailing your assignments,
instructions, and links to online meetings.

9. Submit files the right way – You may not be printing assignments and handing them to
your teacher in person, so knowing how to properly submit your work online is key to
your success as an online student. Online course instructors often establish ground rules
for file assignment submissions like naming conventions that help them keep things
organized. This includes using acceptable file formats, like double spacing your research
papers, using 12 font size, and either Times Roman, Arial, or Calibri style for text, and
submitting each work in the correct assigned toolbox online. Not all work goes on the
Discussion Board, Term papers are submitted in a separate area where it can be checked
for plagiarism.

10. Check for grammar – Always make an effort to use proper punctuation, spelling and
grammar. Trying to decipher a string of misspelt words with erratic punctuation frustrates
the reader and distracts from the point of your message. On the other hand, it is
important to be reasonable about others’ grammar mistakes. Nobody likes the grammar
police and scolding a classmate because he or she used “your” instead of “you’re”.

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11. APPENDIX B - SAMPLES HONOUR PLEDGE

Before assessment/ examination

I pledge to abide by the rules and regulations governing assessments/examinations at the
University of Ghana.

I commit to uphold fairness, honesty, integrity and the highest ethical standards of this
assessment/examinations and promise not to compromise this assessment/examination in any
way.

⃝ I agree ⃝ I disagree

After assessment/ examination

I have neither extended nor received assistance on this assessment/examination (You can only
submit after checking this box □)

12. APPENDIX C: MODERATION GUIDELINES

• Examination questions shall go through University of Ghana prescribed quality assurance

standards.
• All Departments shall moderate their questions before they are administered to students.
Questions shall usually follow the University of Ghana rubrics where feasible (e.g. Take-
Home examinations).
• Moderation shall also focus on the accuracy of content, spelling, punctuation, and the
avoidance of ambiguity in the structure of questions.
• Heads of Department shall work with their respective Examination Officers to ensure that
assessment briefs are provided by lecturers, which shall outline the type of assessment task
(multiple-choice, essays, etc.), format (word count or length, referencing styles/requirements),
and the deadline for submission of questions.

13. USE OF THESE GUIDELINES

vi. These Guidelines shall be used together with the University’s Policy on Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), data protection, electronic transaction and
cybersecurity.

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14. REFERENCES
Anderson, L. W. and Krathwohl, D. R., (Eds.) (2001) A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing: A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives. Boston, MA. Allyn
& Bacon.

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Published on …………………………………

Assented to in………………….2022 under the hand of

………………………… ……………………………..
Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo (Rtd) Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
Chairperson of Council, University of Ghana Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana

UG Online Teaching and Learning Guidelines 2022 Page 44 of 44