Online & Hybrid Learning

labs is a privilege granted to students when they enroll, but not an absolute right. Thus, anyone found to be in violation of any of the rules of use may have their privileges revoked and will be prohibited from using the computer labs.

The Main CAD Lab, temporarily located in the North Prefab Building, may have fluctuating hours due to changing COVID protocols. It contains 109 computers, and is only open to students from the School of Architecture & Planning; students from other disciplines or guests are not allowed inside. Regardless of the status of physical access to the Main CAD Lab, login access will always be available remotely using the Citrix Remote Access system (see the next section for details).

The Main CAD Lab may be used for teaching larger classes, if physical access without social distancing becomes possible. If this occurs, a timetable of when the lab is in use by courses will be posted at the entrance to the lab, and on Ulwazi.

The Main CAD Lab has both standard-size and large-format scanning and printing capabilities. The office of the School’s IT officer is located at the entrance to the lab, and assistance may sometimes be available. However, students should not rely on the continuous presence of the IT officer, and must plan to complete printing or other IT-related tasks well ahead of time to avoid problems or backlogs.

The Small CAD Lab is located on the second floor of the John Moffat Building, in the south wing, room 229. It is open daily during academic terms from 08:00-16:30, and has 25 computers. It is generally not used for teaching purposes, so use is not restricted during opening hours. The GIS Lab is also located on the second floor of the John Moffat Building, in the south wing, room 226. It is also open daily during academic terms from 08:00-16:30, and has 20 computers, but is sometimes used for teaching purposes, particularly in the urban planning programmes, so use is restricted during teaching times. A timetable is posted at the entrance. Although the full suite of architectural software is available on machines in this lab, it is the only lab with ArcGIS installed on the computers, and for that reason students needing ArcGIS capabilities take priority in this lab.

Software common to the architecture and planning disciplines is licensed for use on all computers, including: • ArcGIS (only in the Main & GIS Labs) • Adobe Creative Suite • AutoCAD • Fusion360 • IES • Maya • Microsoft Office Suite • Revit • Rhino • SketchUp • TinkerCAD • 3DS Max

Since the introduction of online teaching & learning following the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the School has invested heavily in the infrastructure and tools to facilitate online learning. Many of these changes will become permanent, such as using the Ulwazi learning platform (see the section on Ulwazi), the introduction of video-based content, interactive surveys, and some forms of digital pin-ups and presentations. The use of drawing platforms such as Miro or Padlet enable

Top of Library Lawns

presentations to be made and critiqued online if the project type or conditions require.

In 2022, Wits will be undertaking hybrid forms of learning, with some activities remaining online, and others happening in-person, in limited group sizes. Students should assume that access to the Wits campus will be necessary throughout the year, though not necessarily as frequently as would be necessary under full in-person learning. Accessing campus will require students and staff alike to abide by the mandatory vaccination policy (see the Mandatory Vaccination Policy section).

Access to specific facilities will be coordinated and potentially limited due to COVID protocols. In most cases, large lectures will remain online, but small group meetings, crit sessions, and some tutorial sessions may be conducted in-person. Each course will structure its learning methods according to the content and type of activities undertaken. There will not be a “one size fits all” approach; rather, lecturers will communicate the teaching & learning methods on a course-by-course basis.

To facilitate online learning, students will need to use online or free installed software on their personal devices. Most commonly, this includes Ulwazi (online), Microsoft Teams (online or installed as an app), and Miro (online or installed as an app).

While each lecturer may have their own methods, and the onus is on the student to know the protocols for each and every course, the School does make efforts to streamline the different tools that can be used for online teaching and learning, so that students do not get overwhelmed with new methods, apps, or software. For as long as remote learning continues, the School will also maintain remote access to the SoAP server, so that students can log