Learning and teaching experience

Learning tools at your fingertips

Our learning model gives you access to a suite of online tools to supplement your on-campus studies – including video material, academic readings, podcasts and guided activities, such as discussion forums and workshops. 

Learning and Engagement opportunities

As a UWS student, a range of learning and engagement opportunities will be available to you, such as:

• seminars, lectures, tutorials & workshops
• laboratory-based study & practical classes
• presentations and practical activities
• exhibitions, events & fieldwork
• social & sports activities
• support sessions
• digital learning tools including podcasts, webinars, videos & readings to supplement campus studies

Meeting your personal tutor

During the Welcome Week, all students will be allocated a Personal Tutor. For returning students this may be the same one you have had previously or you may be allocated someone new. This is usually a lecturer from your course who can offer you support and guidance with your studies. Your Personal Tutor will set up a meeting in the early part of Term 1, and thereafter you should meet at least once per term and maintain regular communication.

It is important that you fully engage with your Personal Tutor, even when things are going well, as they can help you to make good decisions and to get the most out of your time at UWS. They can also assist if you have a problem with any aspect of your studies. If you do have any issues, you should contact your Personal Tutor as soon as possible rather than wait until your next scheduled meeting.

Your responsibilities as a UWS student

As a UWS student you are expected to:

• Take responsibility for your own learning
• Make effective use of the support and guidance available to you across the University
• Abide by the principles of good academic practice (referencing guidelines; ethics awareness, avoiding plagiarism etc)
• Engage with your allocated personal tutor and other support frameworks to highlight issues affecting progress, academic performance or wellbeing
• Familiarise yourself with the Regulatory Framework (PDF), in particular the Assessment Regulations
• Maintain a high standard of personal conduct in your relations with staff, other students and visitors to the University
• Meet the attendance and engagements expectations (PDF) for all components of your programme of study

Attendance monitoring

At UWS we want you to succeed throughout your whole UWS journey. We expect you to engage with your studies and in-person attendance is mandatory. All students are expected to attend classes and engage academically with their studies. This means regularly attending and participating with timetabled on-campus classes, joining and being involved with online teaching sessions, completing and submitting assessments on time and engaging with other activities. At UWS we know that the more you engage with your studies, and with the University as a whole, the greater your chances of success. 

To register your attendance, you must scan in on campus using your physical or digital ID card. You will find this on your UWS student app. You are expected to scan in once a day if you have timetabled, in-person classes, this allows us to measure whether you are attending your classes and in the event of an emergency it gives us essential information about who is on campus and where they might be. We know at times the unexpected happens such as feeling ill or issues with public transport. If you are going to miss a class you must contact your programme leader or academic team and let them know the reason for your absence.

As you come on campus for your classes keep an eye out for the attendance scanners. Look on the Student App for a full list of locations, click the Locations tile and then choose “Attendance Scanning Points”. The locations of the scanning points will be dropped onto the map.