With Online classes there are few challenges and constraints. If the faculty is not able to conduct the class at given schedule, then you may inform the HOD/Director and reschedule the class. To Inform the students you may use the Class WhatsApp/ Facebook groups and Digital Noticeboard on the LMS to coordinate and reschedule the class.

Each HOD/ Director/ Chairman has an administrative privilege, similar to Attendance monitoring System, though which they can check and monitor which faculty has uploaded course file and Course Materials. The same will be done by the IT Services Center. Therefore, it is mandatory for each faculty to upload their course file and course materials as these will be monitored by authorities.

NO, we need to satisfy 3 credit hours, which includes pre-recoded video lectures, live lectures sessions, Q&A sessions, live chat etc. using any software the faculty feels comfortable.

Therefore, you can plan 2 credit hours of pre-recoded video lecture and 1 credit hour of live online session, or other way around.

If the course list or assignment is incorrect, then kindly send the updated course assignment list through your Director/Chairman to Director ITSC at (director.itsc@usindh.edu.pk).

In order to be able to upload longer video lectures, you need to verify your new YouTube Channel account. To that, you should have received an email from YouTube to verify (check Spam) otherwise go to YouTube Creator Studio setting and check verification under settings. 

Currently only Single file can be uploaded in Assignment section per week. Therefore, you need to prepare the list of students or group of students and their individual tasks in MsWord and then upload it on the LMS.

Yes, SOP given by HEC has allowed the use of WhatsApp or any other tool for communicating with Students. However, you would still be required too conduct online lecture at least once a week and record it, upload it on YouTube and LMS for official record. You may use Zoom or Google Classroom, or Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams for that purpose.

 In current situation, the laboratory work may also be conducted in same way using Video based demonstration of the physical lab work with explanation. And a online Q&A session may be held to further explain the lab process and interact with the students

If the course list or assignment is incorrect, then kindly send the updated course assignment list through your Director/Chairman to Director ITSC at (director.itsc@usindh.edu.pk).

The support for Sindh/Urdu/Arabic script has been incorporated in the LMS. You can type or copy paste the content in course file fields.

The YouTube is used because the file Size of Video data is quite large and if included directly in LMS, would create an extra burden on the allocated space and expansive on university overhead. Secondly, Video playback requires lot of bandwidth, which will create network speed and bandwidth related issues if hosted in University LMS servers. Due to which the decision was made to use the YouTube, as all the file size, database size, network bandwidth is managed by YouTube servers and no overhead is on university network.

Each student of class can be notified through the Digital Noticeboard under each faculty profile in LMS.

Yes, you can record the PowerPoint with just audio explanation to save the lecture. Just use the PowerPoint. 

If course is shared among two faculty members, then each faculty is still required to upload their part of Course file and Course materials under relevant sections. 

Yes, using the Digital Noticeboard section of the LMS, you can send any message to all students of the course, and only those students of class will be able to view that notice.

Yes you still need to upload the course file data starting from January, and then add the course materials for weeks 1 to 8 as well, as many students might have missed those classes or they might not have the lecture materials/slides/handouts/notes as the university and its photocopy shops are closed. So its recommended to add all course material data.

Yes, you can access and edit/ update the course file and course material section easily. Simple login to the LMS portal and access you course under course file section. 

Each department has been asked to prepare a special class timetable for online teaching, so that the teacher and students know the class time in advance and there is no conflict in online class timing of multiple teachers.

Yes, Since we are not teaching face to face, it is recommendation by HEC and University of Sindh SOP to use Video lectures and Online live classes to meet students and teach courses online. We can have pre-recorded video lectures or live lecture sessions as desired feasible by the teacher

It is recommended that the Course File and Course material sections must be complete for all weeks. Initially, the Course File section must be completed, as without it you would not be able to upload the Course Material. Then upload course material for all weeks, as it is possible that many students might not have obtained or attended the classes during January or February, or they may not have complete notes / handouts/ slides.

Since the exam will be from complete course, therefore, it is better to have full course material on the LMS.

The Course material should already be available in the Department, as each course and its contents are approved from Board of Studies. You may request the Director/Chairman to provide the content data. Alternatively, you may check the HEC website for approved course schemes and use that, in case its same as approved by BOS of that department.

Since the classes were suspended from first March, therefore from January to February it is expected that 8 weeks of classes have been conducted. The remaining 8 weeks from 9 to 16 shall be completed using Online Virtual Classroom.

As per HEC, each faculty is bound to complete maximum course (if not 100%) within 16 weeks of teaching. Therefore, during this Online classes, faculty has to ensure that maximum course is covered.

As per approved SOP by Academic Council, the attendance is waved for the current Online semester. The Attendance marks may be included in the Assignment section.

To conduct Virtual Classes, You have to be Upload Course File and Course Material Information on the LMS as shown in Tutorials (lms.usindh.edu.pk/tutorials). Your Department should have created an Online Classes Timetable. Follow the Timetable to conduct Live Classes Online using applications like, Zoom, or Google Classroom, or Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams?

You may Coordinate with students of each course, via Digital Noticeboard to schedule classes and share Meeting ID or links. 

How to Add Course Contents and Lecture Plan into LMS.

How to Add Course Material for your Course into LMS.

For such courses, that require blackboard, you can use blackboard feature in software’s like Zoom or Wolfram Mathematica (www.wolfram.com) as it performs step by step calculation and display the solution accordingly. Alternatively, you can solve the equations on paper and scan them to include in PowerPoint for discussion. 

You need to send your Name, CNIC, courses details, through Chairman/Director, to Director ITSC at (director.itsc@usindh.edu.pk).

This is a policy matter and needs formal approval from authorities or board of studies. As per rule, the teaching content is not allowed to be changed as Even in normal conditions. The Assignment section is supposed to evaluate a student’s ability to do tasks on their own with critical and intellectual approach. However, watching or doing another course doesn’t seem appropriate.

In such cases, same content can be copy pasted for theory and for Lab course file section.

All Student data and emails are included in the LMS portal, and each faculty can contact and share information with the Students via Digital Noticeboard, integrated in the LMS for each course. The Digital noticeboard is closed area where only students of that Course can view it, and its not public. Therefore, teachers can use it to share course specific information, class schedules, zoom meeting links, or WhatsApp group link their. 

The recorded Lecture is Mandatory, as prescribed by HEC and University of Sindh approved SOP’s (form Academic Council). The recorded Lectures will ensure that those students who are unable to join the live sessions due to many ground reality, may still be able to watch the lecture and Q&A sessions later at their own convenient time at LMS.

 

The YouTube is used because the file Size of Video data is quite large and if included directly in LMS, would create an extra burden on the allocated space and expansive on university overhead. Secondly, Video playback requires lot of bandwidth, which will create network speed and bandwidth related issues if hosted in University LMS servers. Due to which the decision was made to use the YouTube, as all the file size, database size, network bandwidth is managed by YouTube servers and no overhead is on university network.

Yes, we need to satisfy the credit hours per week for each course. Therefore, for 3 credit hour course, we have to ensure 3 contact sessions per week. During Online Teaching, a Faculty may have 02 Hours / sessions of Pre-Recorded lectures, and at-least 01 hour/session of live lecture for Question and Answer only. OR, in other case they may conduct 3 online live sessions, record those sessions and upload it ion YouTube and LMS.

Yes, Each faculty is required to conduct Online Virtual Class as per scheduled. If the class are pre-recorded, then still at least once a week a Virtual Live Online class is required to be conducted for Question and Answer Session. This class needs to be recorded an uploaded on LMS, as required by HEC as well.

If the slides / notes are downloaded from internet, then as per ethical practices one needs to provide references or cite the original content. Alternatively, in educational community you can acquire permission from the original content provider or author. Most of the academicians respond to such request.

The originality of Assignment can be ensured to checking/evaluation of Assignment, as each assignment will be checked and marked by Teacher.

If found copy-pasted, then teacher may gives marks as per rule.

In other example, a teacher may prepare a list of different Topics / Questions / Tasks and assign them to individual or group of students, to avoid duplication or copy-paste.

Faculty can use any software for Online Lecture, like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Google Classroom, or Zoom. There is no compulsion on Zoom. However, Zoom is easy to use with simple learning curve.

There are numerous Video Tutorials made to guide you regarding using various features of LMS in detail. These tutorials can be accessed at lms.usindh.edu.pk/tutorials.

Further Queries and issues can be directed to Director ITSC at (director.itsc@usindh.edu.pk).

The Sindh University Learning Management System (LMS) can be accessed at lms.usindh.edu.pk. Then click on Login to access your LMS account.

Administrate LMS only shows a video module as completed by your students when they reach the end of the video. To allow your students to complete a video without having to watch it entirely, you can configure your SCORM modules and set a custom threshold for completing videos. Note that completing videos is independent from the "LMS Pass Mark" in Administrate. If no custom threshold was set when exporting your SCORM modules, 100% of a video must be played by your students to complete it. The module won't show as completed if your students only watch 99% of it. They can of course load the video later to watch the remaining section.

SCORM stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model and is a collection of standards and specification for web based e-learning. From Wikipedia: “It defines communications between client side content and a host system called the run-time environment, which is commonly supported by a learning management system. SCORM also defines how content may be packaged into a transferable ZIP file called ‘Package Interchange Format’”.

The LMS can play SCORM Compatible content, usually videos and quizzes, with score and progress feedback as appropriate. You can upload other document types for distribution to your students, and provide links to external resources