General information on the implementation of distance learning

This is to provide you with information regarding the distance education starting on March 23, 2020.

  • In line with the Rector’s previous instructions, the seventh week of education will commence on the 23rd of March, 2020, in the form of distance education.
  • The original timetable (Central European Time) will apply to all faculties and years.-Itis the responsibility of the educational departments to do their utmost to ensure that in the 2nd semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, the material of the syllabus of the remaining semester should reach students. This enables students to gain the highest possible level of theoretical knowledge during the Emergency Period, whereas a significant portion of the Practical Education will commence after the Emergency Period.
  • The educational departments will set up their curriculum by 6 pm on 20 March2020, which will be published on their own websiteand, if possible, on the university e-learning system.
  • It is the responsibility of the educational departments to provide all remaining curricula that can be solved in the form of distance learning and to carry out all compulsory examinations. Of course, practical lessonsthat cannot be held in this form will have to be made up forafter the emergency, and the associated practical examswill be held then, too. This may result in the semester being extended.
  • Mid-term tests and exams, thesis defense are implemented using the ‘Zoom’ system, which is continuously integrated into the university’s e-learning system. Technical details are provided separately.-For any further questions that may arise, please contact the designated persons as set out below:
    educational issues: the person responsible for educational matters at the educational department concerned
    study matters: the administrators of each year at the Registrar’s Office via emails.
    educational methodology issues:

Our common goal is to solve the challenges of education as smoothly as possible over the next period. We kindly ask for your patience and help with this.

Information related to the operation of the implemented distance learning system

The courses and trainings of Semmelweis University will continue in the form of adistance learning system, which will be implemented on the 23rd of March in 2020. The education of the courses and trainings will be provided under the following conditions until the withdrawal of this order:

  • According to the plans, the distance learning program will be implemented through the university’s Moodle e-learning system https://itc.semmelweis.hu/moodle/, by integrating a software called Zoom, which does not require a VPN connection. Please be patient until the system reaches its complete operational phase. Until the Moodle integration is complete, educational sessions (such as lectures, tutorials and practices) can also be provided by using the direct “Zoom” link that will be sent to the students.
  • The “Zoom” system enables educational events (such as lectures, consultations, thesis defense and exams) to be turned into interactive online meetings. The „Zoom” system is continuously being integrated into the university’s Moodle e-learning system. We highly recommend that you test the system at https://semmelweis.zoom.us, which, similarly to the Moodle system, can be accessed by using the SeKA ID (https://seka.semmelweis.hu/en/info/faq). This way, everyone will automatically participate in the announced educational events with their own names. Every student at the University has a SeKA ID. The SeKA ID-s are being assigned for teachers and permissions of usage are being set continuously.
  • If the “Zoom” link for a particular subject has not yet been integrated into Moodle, Students will be able to participate in the educational event based on a link that will be delivered to the students by their organizational units on their website, via email or via a Neptun message. You can join the event as shown in the video footage on https://semmelweis.hu/oktatasmodszertan/tavoktatas/zoom-utmutato/. This does not require any registration.
    How to connect to a “Zoom” meeting, which has not been integrated to Moodle:

    • You will receive an email with a link to the “Zoom” meeting and the meeting’s ID numberfrom the organizer of the lecture (the ID numberis only required in special cases, on certain operating systems, or if you want to use it by a smartphone).
    • If you click on the link it will automatically start the connection, but in the first case you may need to download and then install an application, which is very easy (as shown in the video).
    • After that, the permissions have to be given to the “Zoom” system (such as using the camera and the microphone) and then the invited person joins the training session.
  • For more information about how to instal the system, see the following guide, and for more information (in English) about how it works, visit the following link:https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
  • Please take advantage of the free data services provided by your Internet Service Provider and, unless it is absolutely necessary, do not use the video during Zoom meetings for the smooth operation of the system. Video streaming requires the flow of a huge amount of data.
  • We have established close collaboration with the E-learning team organized by the student council (HÖK) and we have also created for them a Student Support Interface(Hallgatói Támogatói Felület)on thehomepage of the university’s e-learning system (https://itc.semmelweis.hu/moodle/course/view.php?id=1559), so that if students have a question, a technical problem, or a suggestion about the system, they can use it to gain information and they can thereby possibly relieve the teaching staff involved in the development of distance education.

We are asking for your patience and cooperatationin order tosuccesfully implement and operatea student-centered distance learning system ofhigh quality.