Laptop or desktop computer 

It is recommended that you use a laptop or PC for studying and assessments

• A Windows desktop or laptop running Windows 7 or later operating system
• A Macintosh desktop or laptop running macOS10.11+ or later operating system.
• While you can use a tablet or phone we recommend using a computer if possible, particularly for assessments. Devices with small screens may make it difficult to adequately view the material provided. You should have at least 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 vertically for adequate viewing.
• The IT network of the Royal Veterinary College is based primarily around Microsoft technologies and student-use computers in the RVC will be running Windows 10 and Office 2016 during the 2021-22 academic year. 
• If your current laptop is out of date and you are considering purchasing a new device (after reviewing the above recommended requirements) there are a limited number of discounted, high spec laptops available for students to purchase from the library. You can either email the library or log a call on the Service Desk Portal using the general Library form.

Internet Access – Wifi speeds vary so please test you internet speed at https://www.speedtest.net

Microphone/Speakers – These may be built into your device. If not then please make sure you have a USB headset/mic and speakers so you can participate in your online classes

Webcam (optional, but recommended) – an external USB webcam can be used if you do not have one built into your device.

An up-to-date web browser – We recommend the following browsers: Chrome from Google; Firefox from Mozilla; Edge from Microsoft; Safari from Apple. Please check your browser is up to date as this is important to maximise security when accessing the internet.

Up-to-date software - Please check for any updates to both the operating system, software and your preferred browser. The College provides access to Microsoft Office software.

Logging in to RVC Learn and Panopto - Please check that you are able to log in to RVC LEARN and access your courses as well as accessing Panopto video content. We recommend you do this in advance so we can help if you encounter any issues.

If you need any further support or experience issues with your IT set up

E-mail: learn@rvc.ac.uk

If you need further support with online learning Email studyskills@rvc.ac.uk

All live timetabled events will appear on the timetable viewer.  This will include lectures, practicals and small group sessions. Your course page is also an important source of information as you will be able to download slides 48 hours in advance of scheduled teaching and find links to any recordings.

In addition to your live sessions, your lecturer may ask you to watch some pre-recorded lectures, or other asynchronous activities such as quizzes or forums.  Details will be provided on your course LEARN pages.

From the feedback we received from students in term 3 last year, we know that not everyone has a strong internet signal and some students had trouble accessing or downloading material when they wanted it. They also had trouble staying connected to live online lectures. Students may have lower bandwidth or data limits so alternatives to long live sessions and the use of shorter recordings helps students to manage their own learning situations around their internet signal. The use of shorter recordings and more bite-size ways to interact with the course materials also means it takes less time to download materials. This can provide more flexibility for learners and ultimately increase engagement.

Chunking lecture material into smaller segments of time is also helpful in terms of how we process new ideas and concepts.  It helps to breakdown material into smaller chunks or categories as we review ideas and move them from our short term to long term memory.

Instructors are also using a blend of asynchronous and synchronous (live) sessions to provide flexibility for learners and accommodate issues around bandwidth and time zones. This means students can watch and re-watch recorded content in their own time. Live teaching sessions are often shorter and used for more interactive types of teaching such as Q&A or DLs. Please listen to this short video to find out more about what Blended Learning is.

Online video conferencing tools can be broadband intensive especially when using both video and audio facilities. If you experience issues during a live online session, please turn off both your video camera and mute your audio. If problems persist you may need to ask your lecturer to ask the other student to do the same, in this way all of your available broadband capacity is focused on the lecturer and his/her presentation.

There are a number of ways you can access support, advice and guidance Talk to the Digital Learning Champions for your course – find out who they are here.

Use the tool guides on LEARN for guidance.

Develop your skills as a Digital Learner using KickStart

Still have questions? - Email LEARN@rvc.ac.uk 

Yes you can download the videos using the Panopto App. For more details please check out the Panopto FAQ here.

Yes, all newly created recordings will automatically have closed captions enabled. Closed captions are generated automatically using a feature known as ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition). ASR uses machine learning algorithms to transcribe the spoken audio into text. Because this is an automatic process, there may be some transcription errors.  The source of 'truth' in a recording is the original audio and not the closed captions. Students are encouraged to seek clarification with their teaching staff wherever necessary. For more information please see the RVC Panopto captioning statement.

Yes you can. You will see a small button marked CC on the bottom of your video screen and you can toggle this on and off. Find out more information about closed captioning here.

To find out more about how to work with the timetable to create your own personal schedule in OneNote or how to make best use of the videos in Panopto to maintaining a weekly schedule - the study skills teams is there to help.  The Study Skills area on LEARN has a variety or resources. You can access recordings of the How to Learn online webinars or attend the weekly Blended Learning Drop-in. Get in touch by email for more info or to set up an appointment studyskills@rvc.ac.uk

LEARN  The LEARN team is here to help with any queries about how to use any of the tools for blended learning. You can find out more about our approach to blended learning here. Visit the Digital Learning area on LEARN where you can find tool guides for Panopto, Teams, Turning Point, Zoom and more. You can also access a self-study unit in Kickstart on Digital Skills for Success. For any queries or access issues email LEARN@rvc.ac.uk.

Please find our proctored exam FAQS here