ACADEMIC PRACTICES @ UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ - Elisa Heimovaara International Coordinator Faculty of Education and Psychology

ACADEMIC PRACTICES
  @ UNIVERSITY OF
     JYVÄSKYLÄ
            Elisa Heimovaara
        International Coordinator
   Faculty of Education and Psychology
            5th January, 2021

JY. Just add U…

1.   Planning your Studies     5.   Examinations
2.   Registering for Courses   6.   Assessment and Grades
3.   Modes of Study            7.   Contact with the Staff
4.   Written Assignments       8.   Questions and Answers
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Degrees in Finnish Universities

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ECTS Credits

 One academic year = 1600 hrs of work = 60 ECTS
 1 ECTS = 1 JYU opintopiste (op) = 27 hrs of work
 What work is included in a credit?
 – Lectures/ Seminars/ Demos/ i.e. contact teaching
 – Group/ pair work
 – Exams, essays or any other assignments and the time to prepare
 – Any other independent work

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Academic Calendar

Autumn semester 2020                      Spring semester 2021
 I period: 31 August - 25 October         III period: 1 January - 14 March
 II period: 26 October - 18 December      IV period: 15 March - 23 May
                                           V period: 24 May - 30 June (Summer
   Orientation programme: 25-28 August     Semester; some teaching may be
                                            available. Faculties do not necessarily
                                            organise courses in the fifth period.

                                             Orientation programme: 5 & 7-8 January
                                             Recommended arrival date: 4 January
                                             Easter Break: 29 March - 6 April

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1. Planning Your Studies: 30 ECTS per Semester

• Personal Study Plan                • N.B.
• Your Department/ Faculty                    Pre-requisites?
                                              Level?
• Centre for Multilingual Academic
                                              Language?
  Communication (Movi)
• Other Departments/ Faculties
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Personal Study Plan in Sisu

A Personal Study Plan (i.e. HOPS) is a documented plan of studies, their timing and order of completion
throughout the entire degree.
 A tool for planning the studies: it helps you to keep track of which studies are to take and which studies
  have already been completed.
 Enables you to enroll on individual courses.
 The overall structure of the degree programme and thus the outline of the Study Plan is already in Sisu,
  however:
      A lot of optionality in the main structure!
 Instructions: https://www.jyu.fi/digipalvelut/en/guides/sisu-guide/for-students/forstudents

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Choosing a Course

 …A lot of optionality in the main structure…
 Mainly from your own Department and/or Faculty, possibly courses from other Faculties
 Courses at the Centre for Multilingual Academic Communication (Movi)
 All courses can be found in the Sisu system; all titles are in English but always check the course info and
  the Completion Methods: is it actually available for you and is it taught in English! Check:
  – Languages of learning
  – Some courses may have contact teaching in Finnish but int’l student are allowed to complete the course by
    independent study in English
  – Subject specific restrictions (e.g. JSBE)
  – Prerequisites
  – Level – course code!
 Courses available in English in one list at: https://www.jyu.fi/en/apply/student-exchange/courses-for-
  exchange-students.
 COURSES BY MAINLY DISTANCE LEARNING January to March 2021 DUE TO COVID-19
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Course Codes

                                      For example:
The first 3 digits of the code         TIE = tietotekniikka (=Information Technology)
usually express the host               PSY = Psychology
subject (in Finnish), the 4th digit    XEN = X for Movi, English language

expresses the level of studies.
                                       xxxPxxx = Perus = BA/BSc basic (1st year)
                                       xxxAxxx = Aine = BA/ BSc intermediate (2nd-3rd year)
                                       xxxSxxx = Syventävä = Master's level (Advanced)
                                       xxxJxxx = Jatko = Doctoral level

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2. Registering for Courses
                                                     A course may have separate registration for
                                                      lectures/ exams/ demos!
• Registration period is stated in the Completion
                                                     If a course is full, you may go to first lecture to
  Methods tab of the Course Description in Sisu
                                                      see if there is availability, esp. language courses
                                                     Please cancel your registration if you change
                                                      your plans!
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When to Enrol/ Register?

 When your University unser license is fully functional. (i.e. after your recognition has been completed via
  Signicat, and you have activated your user account)

 You must first include the course in your Study Plan and then you make a separate enrolment for those
  courses which you will be completing during that period/semester.

 Courses have enrolment deadlines which are announced in SISU in the course description  participation
  in a course is confirmed after the end of the registration period

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Sisu?

 All course information
 Electronic personal study plan (eHOPS)
 Registration for courses and exams
 Transcript of Records (Jybar)
 Course descriptions
 SISU is both in Finnish and in English; choose your language
 Keep your email address and other contact information updated in SISU!
 Problems with SISU  contact the SISU support (sisu-info@jyu.fi)
 SISU is a new system and still in process - please be patient!

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3. Modes of Study

 Vary from Faculty to Faculty, programme to programme and course to course
 Seminars, demos, practical work, group work, presentations, independent study, online courses, lectures,
  book exams (no oral exams!), essays and reports, learning diaries

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Example of a Course Outline

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Important to Notice

 Pre-registration/ confirmation of registration?
 Possibly overlapping schedules; no ready-made timetables for students
 Do not miss the first lecture; all the important information is given there! If not possible, please ask!
 Academic quarter of an hour…14:00 or 14:15?
 Attendance requirements vary; check with the lecturer!
 Class sizes vary (10-400)!
 Teaching methods vary!

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4. Written Assignments

 Great cultural differences on structure, style and referencing: be aware of your own background and
  differences in academic culture and writing conventions!
•   Submission vary (paper/ e-mail/ Moodle…)
•   Check deadlines
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Academic Fraud and Plagiarism

Fraud means:                                   Plagiarism means:
 cheating (e.g. talking!) on an exam;          copying someone else’s work either
 copying an assignment;                         directly or in a modified form (incl.
 giving a fellow student your work to           summarizing or translations) without
  present it as their own;                       properly naming the source!

 taking an exam for someone else;              It must be clear for the reader at all times
                                                 which part of the text is borrowed, what is
 falsifying measurements or other findings.
                                                 the cited publication/ material, and to
                                                 which section of the publication or
                                                 material the citation refers to (e.g. page
                                                 numbers).
                                                REFERENCES!
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JYU Code of Conduct for Preventing and Dealing with
  Academic Fraud and Plagiarism…
 Ethical guidelines for studying and the processing of academic
  fraud: https://www.jyu.fi/en/study/administrative-rules-and-regulations/processing-of-
  academic-fraud
 Ensure you know how to avoid fraud!
 Plagiarism detection software is in use

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5. Exams

• Lecture exams    Retakes are available
• Book exams       After 2 no-shows/failed exams, the student must consult
• General exams     the teacher about the possibility to take the exam.
• E-exams          Only a certain number of books are available; please plan
                    ahead…                                  JYU SINCE 1863.   5.1.2021   21

Lecture Exams

 In many courses (not all) at the end of a course/period. A part of the course.
 Dates for exam and re-exams stated in Sisu.
 Possibly a separate registration for Tentti (= exam) in Sisu.
 If you cannot attend: discuss with the teacher beforehand!

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Book Exams

 Book exam can be:
   a)   a part of a course with contact teaching or
   b)   the only mode of studying of an independent study course, i.e. no lectures!
 On general examination days:
  – Faculty specific dates
  – organised once per month (COVID-19 exceptions!)
  – duration: 4 hrs

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General Examination Day, Part I: Registration
  (COVID-19 exceptions!)
 For each general exam date there is a list of exams you can take that date
 Registration in Sisu
 Deadline usually 7-10 days before the exam day; late registrations are not accepted!
 Cancel your registration if you decide not to take the exam! If you do not show up, you have
  lost one chance to take the exam.

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General Examination, Part II:
  On the Day
 Roll call & personal envelopes before the exam outside the exam room (COVID-19 exceptions!);
 You are not allowed to leave the exam within the first 30 minutes;
 If nobody has not yet left the examination room, late arrival is permitted.
 Leave your bag next to the wall of the exam room, take only the pen(cil)s and erasers with you.
 No mobile phones, handouts or dictionaries (unless otherwise mentioned)!
 It is not allowed to open the envelope until permission is given.
 No talking – at all – in the exam room!
 Remember to take your ID/ student card to the exam (your identity will be checked when you
  return the exam).
 No cheating!

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eExaminations

 E-exam Guide
 Some (not all) exams can also be taken as eExams
 Registration in the eExam system
 In the eExam rooms (Agora building, room Ag C221, Mon - Fri 8 – 20
 or in Proxima, room X150, Mon - Fri 8 – 16)
 eExam room sometimes overloaded, especially towards the end of semester 
  register on time
 Registration possible 60 days prior to the planned exam date

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6. Assessment and Grades

 Work is assessed within two weeks of submission, results in Sisu
• 1-5 scale
• Re-assessment
• Transcript of Records
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Grades

 Some courses may be graded
  Pass/ Fail
 If you fail your exam/ course,
  please talk to the teacher to agree
  a reassessment BEFORE you
  leave the country in the spring, for
  example.

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About the Grades

 “Normal distribution” is NOT used, i.e. all students can get a 5, if they do well
 No University level assessment criteria
 Grades and credits do not have any connection, i.e. all students will receive the
  same number of credits (for the same amount of work), but can receive a
  different grade
 Students are not usually compared with each other on the basis of their grades

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Where to Find the Results?

 Results are published within two weeks of completing an assignment or exam.
 Results will appear in SISU study plan &
  in the Completed Credits section (My Profile  Completed credits)

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Transcript of Records

 Includes all courses you have successfully    You can get digitally signed, official documents
  completed at JYU                               immediately by downloading them from Jybar.
 Includes ECTS credit values and grades          You can find Jybar from the top right-hand corner
                                                   of the University website.
 Does not include courses you have failed/
  cancelled                                       Jybar can also be accessed from Sisu by clicking
                                                   the University's logo placed on the top left-hand
                                                   corner of the page.
                                                Further information about the Certificate of
                                                 Registration and the Transcript of Records.

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7. Contact with the Staff

 JYU Main page: https://www.jyu.fi/en / Contacts
• Informal, non-hierarchical student-teacher relationship
• Direct, to the point communication, styles and preferences vary a lot…
• Please be patient; please do not expect an immediate response.
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Academic Atmosphere

• Casual but respectful relationship with professors and other staff: students call their teachers by their
  (first) names, not by their titles.
  – The informal ”you = sinä”, is generally used instead of the formal address, “You = te”.
• Even many professors dress very casually.
 Feedback collected at the end of each course.
 You can ask for feedback about your performance directly from teacher.
 Staff often have weekly appointment hours or appointment agreed by e-mail only. (COVID-19
  exceptions!).
 Differences in preference for the use of e-mail – please check.
 Be precise in your e-mails: state the topic clearly in the subject field, mention the code/ name of the
  course or other important details on the matter, use your first and last name as written in Sisu.
 Please allow enough time for the staff to answer your e-mails, do not expect an immediate answer

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Who Can I Ask? Where Can I Find Information?

 JYU/ Faculty/ Department www-pages and Study Guides!
 Faculty/ Dept. Administration: Educational Planners, Study Secretaries
  – Exam arrangements etc.
 International Coordinator
 Course teachers
  – Any course specific queries (assignments, grades, attendance, etc.)
 International Office (T-building, main campus)
  – General matters, e.g. Friendship Family programme etc.
 Your peers in your community
  – Tutors, Student Union (Subcommittee for International Affairs), Subject Associations, …

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Academic Freedom and Responsibility

 Freedom and right to think and learn and make choices in your studies…and teaching!
 Flexibility of the system
 No strict control over students
 … but this does not mean that there are no rules!
 Expectation of mature and independent behaviour
 Ability to plan & organize: be in charge!
 Remember to ask if something seems unclear
 With freedom comes responsibility…

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Know the Rights, Responsibilities and Duties of both
  Students and Staff
 Studies are regulated by national legislation and decisions made by the
  University:https://www.jyu.fi/en/study/administrative-rules-and-regulations

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Take Care! Goodies Are Here to Help!

 There may be bumps on the road: please remember that you’re not alone!
 The Goodies, i.e. wellbeing advisers, are there for you when you need someone to talk to.
  – Trained members of staff; they are not therapists or psychologists but they are there to listen and to
    guide students to the right place for help.
  – Come with any issue or problem, “big or small”
  – Always confidential.
  – Here to find solutions to your situation together. They may not have readily available answers but
    there is a wide network of help to look into.
 More about the Student Life concept, the Student Compass and Goodies at:
  https://www.jyu.fi/studentlife/en/wellbeing.

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Keep Informed!

 Current News and everything else from New student handbook to Graduation and departure:
  https://www.jyu.fi/en/study
 JYUSletter!
 Mailing list for international students
  – Sign up at: http://lists.jyu.fi/mailman/listinfo/fs-news
 Faculty/ Departmental mailing lists for students
  – Automatic, not routinely translated
  – Possibly specific lists for int’l students

 Facebook

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8. Questions and Answers

• Ask!
• Get involved!
• Explore!
• Enjoy!
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Be JYUnited.

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