Laws, regulations and guidelines governing teaching
You can find the laws and regulations referred to and as well as the rules and regulations issued by Aalto University at the end of this document.
Key aspects of teaching practices and evaluation for teachers
Duties of the teachers
Each course shall be assigned a teacher-in-charge (responsible teacher in Sisu) who is responsible for grading the course and organising it in accordance with the curriculum and academic timetable. The teacher-in-charge participates in preparing the curriculum and bears primary responsibility for ensuring both that the course implementations promote the intended learning outcomes and that the credits awarded correspond to the workload. In addition to the teacher-in-charge, several people may be involved teaching the course and grading its study attainments.
Teachers-in-charge may be professors, lecturers, university teachers and, on reasonable grounds, other members of staff who are in a contractual employment relationship with Aalto University.
Visiting teachers may teach course implementations, but not be designated as teachers-in-charge.
Participants of a course implementation and registering for a course
In addition to degree students, the Aalto University student body comprises exchange students, students of other Finnish universities with a limited right to study, Open University students and non-degree students.
In addition, Aalto University has students pursuing continuing education and other learners who take part in courses.
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, chapter 4 b
Taking part in course implementations (in everyday language, courses) and examinations requires registering for them. Registration for course implementations begins no later than 28 days before the start of the teaching period and closes 7 days after the start of the period. In the case of course implementations that admit a limited number of students or where other practical reasons apply, the registration closes 7 days before the start of the teaching period. Registration for all examinations opens no later than 60 days before and ends 7 days before the examination dates.
The registration periods may be different from those specified in the decision by vice president (Reg.no/444/00.01.6.02/2013), but any exceptions must be mentioned in the Sisu course description or in the course syllabus on MyCourses. Please note that the duration of each curriculum period is two academic years and the time window for editing course descriptions is limited.
For compelling reasons, limits may be imposed on the number of course participants. If there are legitimate reasons, a pre-defined quota of student places may be reserved for different types of students in the course implementation. If the course description in the curriculum does not mention quotas for different types of students or other grounds on which students are admitted to the course implementation, Sisu will draw lots between the registered students to determine who will be admitted to the course.
All exceptional procedures and possible admissions criteria have to be listed in the course description or, at the latest, in the description of an individual course implementation. Any limits on the number of participants should also be mentioned in the course description. In some cases, for example, the student’s right to study may limit their possibilities for registering for a given course implementation.
Students use Sisu to register for course implementations. The courses for which they register must be included in their primary personal study plan (HOPS). In Sisu, teachers or Learning Services staff members can accept or reject students’ registrations for course implementations. Instructions on how to inform students of admission criteria and maximum group sizes in the course description of your course are available on the page Curriculum information on courses, in the collapsible section ‘Information on courses’, subsection ‘Restrictions on registration’.
Notifying students of exceptional registration dates is the responsibility of the teaching unit and course teacher-in-charge.
Students are instructed on how to register for Open University courses in the course descriptions.
Instructions on processing students’ registrations for your courses are available in Sisu HELP: Processing student registrants for courses: a guide for teachers
- Passing the preliminary examination is a prerequisite for taking part in the course implementation. A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course implementation and selected on the basis of the preliminary examination.’
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course implementation, with precedence given to students in the Bachelor’s Programme in Xxxx.’
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course implementation. Admission to the course implementation will occur in the following order: 1) students in the Master’s Programme in Xxxxx, 2) business students, 3) other Aalto students, 4) flexible study right (JOO) students, and 5) students who have already passed the course.’
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course implementation. Students will be selected based on their motivation letters and academic performance.’
- ‘This course implementation is for architecture students only.
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course implementation. Students who are further along in studies have precedence.’
- ‘The course is only for students who have been chosen to complete a study module/minor in x.’
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course. Students will be selected based on their motivation letters and academic performance.’
- ‘The course is for architecture students only.’
- ‘A maximum of x students will be admitted to the course. Students who are further along in studies have precedence.’
- ´The course is only for students who have been chosen to complete a study module/minor in x.’
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, section 16
A course implementation may be cancelled if the number of eligible registrants does not meet the required minimum. In the case of cancelled course implementations, the students registered for them must be either provided an alternative way of completing the course or advised to take some other applicable course.
If the course has a minimum group size, this must be mentioned in the course description. Indicate the minimum group size in the course description as instructed on the page Curriculum information about courses, in the collapsible section Information about courses, subsection Registration selection criteria.
Examples:
-
"At least x participants are required in order for the course implementation to be held. (Can only be used for elective/alternative courses.)"
"At least x participants are required in order for the course implementation to be held. If the minimum is not reached, an option for independent study, a substitute course or another means of study attainment will be arranged or some other course will be sought that is in conformity with the student’s degree requirements."
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, section 16
During teaching
Attendance in a course implementation may be compulsory. Attendance may be required in lectures or math exercise sessions, or there may be a minimum attendance requirement. The teacher may decide whether students can compensate for missed lessons and how. If a minimum attendance requirement applies, it must be mentioned in the course description.
Teachers are not allowed to collect or store students’ health information. If it is necessary to ascertain the medical grounds for an absence by means of a medical certificate, the student is instructed to send the certificate to a secure email address (address here) and to specify in the email the course implementation they were absent from as well as the time of absence. The teacher receives confirmation from the school's Learning Services that the reason for the absence has been explained.
Examples:
- ”The course has an attendance requirement, see the course page on MyCourses for details."
- "Regular attendance required. To pass the course, you have to attend 10 lectures."
- "Regular attendance required. One absence may be made up by completing an assignment agreed upon with the teacher."
- "Attending the first lecture is required."
- "Regular attendance required in the math exercise sessions."
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, section 16
Tell your students about the coursework required for passing the course well in advance in the course description, in the sections ‘Targets for assessment’ and ‘Working methods’. In addition, inform the students of the required coursework in the first lecture and in MyCourses. The Programme Director’s Handbook contains instructions on curriculum information on courses.
For example, passing the course may require passing certain study attainments or exams or obtaining a minimum score or both.
Examples:
- Group work and examination’.
- Assignments and examination.’
- ‘Lectures, math exercise sessions and examination.’
- ‘Compulsory learning assignments and a written examination.’
- ‘Competency profile, course assignments and participation in workshops and group discussions.’
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, section 16
Aalto University's recommendations on the management of study attainments
| As a rule, all grades must be saved in MyCourses, under Grades. | Both MyCourses activities and externally assessed activities are saved in Grades in the MyCourses learning environment. |
| The evaluation of the course must be transparent to the other teachers of the course. | If you use specific evaluation models, they must be available to other teachers and the evaluation files must only be stored in the MyCourses section accessible to teachers only. |
| Evaluation data must not be stored on the teacher's computer. | When the grade information has been transmitted to MyCourses or Sisu, the files containing student information and grades must be deleted. |
| Evaluation criteria must be included in the course syllabus and communicated to the students at the start of the course or in connection with the assignment. | |
Accessibility must be considered in curriculum design and teaching to ensure unhindered progress in studies for all students. Should the teaching be organised in a manner that does not allow a student, due a disability or other health condition, to complete studies as provided in the curriculum or in the course, the school is obligated to make reasonable accommodations to organise a mode of completing the study attainment. Any accommodated modes of completion must allow the student to achieve the intended learning outcomes set for the degree and course implementation. It is important to decide as early as in the course planning stage how the most common individual study arrangements (e.g. extra time for examinations) will be made in the course. A clear structure and instructions support students in completing the course.
The student informs the teacher of the individual study arrangements they need by presenting the recommendation on the arrangements as early as possible during the course implementation. Students who have a recommendation on individual study arrangements have already demonstrated their need by presenting a medical certificate or other statement to Learning Services. The teacher must not ask the student to prove their need again or ask questions about the student's diagnosis or other health information.
The written recommendation on individual study arrangements provided by Learning Services will provide instructions for teachers on how to make the necessary arrangements for each student. The teacher will consider what adjustments may be made for the student. The teacher should discuss the matter with the student and find the best ways to support their learning. In case of any questions, teachers should contact the Learning Services contact person of the student’s school: Contact information for individual study arrangements
Teachers who notice that a student is facing challenges of any kind during a course can also ask the student to contact the contact person for individual study arrangements in their school.
Read more on the Aalto.fi page on Individual study arrangements
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, section 24
Evaluation and study attainments
The teacher-in-charge of the course evaluates the study attainments of the course. In addition to the teacher-in-charge, the course may have other staff to assist in the review of study attainments. The weight of individual study attainments in the final grade for a course has to be announced to students at the latest when teaching starts. The factors considered in the evaluation must be announced for each assigned study attainment no later than at the time the assignment is given.
The provisions of sections 27 and 28 of the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003) apply to the disqualification of persons involved in the evaluation of study attainments. For example, a teacher cannot assess the study attainments of a student if they are a close relative of or otherwise in a close relationship with the student. In such cases, the teacher themselves must refrain from evaluating the student's study attainments. Learning Services will help to assess whether the teacher can be considered disqualified from evaluating a student. The head of the unit in charge of the course assigns a person to replace a disqualified teacher-in-charge. Further information: Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003) (pdf).
Further provisions on the evaluation of theses are given in the Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying (OOS) and in the Degree Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees and the Degree Regulations on Doctoral Education. The above rules are available in the Student Guide: Academic policies and regulations.
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, Teaching arrangements and evaluation of study attainments Section 27: Teacher in charge of study attainment evaluation.
Courses are evaluated on the basis of one of two grading scales: the pass/fail scale; or a scale of 0/1/2/3/4/5 where 0 is a fail and 5 is the highest grade.
The teacher determines the minimum score limits and other criteria for the different grades. For instance, the grade distribution does not have to follow a bell curve and grade limits do not have to be set linearly.
As a rule, students are required to get one half of the maximum score to pass the course. The weight of individual course components in the final grade for a course must be announced to students at the start of the course at the latest. The course implementation may include compulsory components that must be passed to pass the course regardless of their weight in the assessment.
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying, sections 28 and 30.
The teacher-in-charge of the course is responsible for ensuring that, within four weeks of the examination date or other due date given for a final study attainment of the course implementation, all students of the course are informed of their grade.
The four-week deadline is not extended by public holidays, holiday periods or other days off. For special reasons, the head of the unit in charge of the course may grant an extension to the notification period. Students who are affected by the extended notification period must be notified of the granted extension without delay. When the evaluation results are published, students are informed of how and when they will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the evaluation and grading criteria and with the application of those criteria to their own performance. In connection with the final evaluation for the course, students should be informed about how those who failed the course may retake it and how a passing grade for the course may be raised.
The teacher submits the study attainments to the Sisu student information system. Instructions: Evaluation of course implementations.
As a rule, separate lists of grades should no longer be used. If you need to publish a list of grades, only include the students’ student numbers and omit their names and other personal data. You should publish the list on MyCourses so that it is only visible to the course participants.
The evaluation criteria of study attainments are public after the publication of the results, unless otherwise provided in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999). See here for further information about applying the principle of openness in the university operations: The principle of openness at Aalto University
Register entries pertaining to study attainments are retained permanently according to the provisions of the law.
See: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying (sections 30–33)
Rules related to university teaching in Finland and in the EU
Copyright
If you use works, such as images, in teaching materials, always carefully indicate the authors and sources of the images in the teaching material. Images may be used as quotes if they illustrate the subject matter, but the use of quotes always requires the disclosure of sources and authors or creators in accordance with good scientific practice. Learn more about using images in learning materials: ImagOA guide - Open science and use of images - LibGuides at Aalto University
If you use an image on the grounds of a Creative Commons licence, the licence is valid only if you comply with the terms and conditions of the licence. BY, or the Attribution condition, is included in all licences. The author’s information must therefore be provided in a manner specified by the licensor. Images licensed under the CC BY and CC BY NC licences may be included in lecture materials. Some licensing options prohibit the further use of the lecture materials. Further information on Creative Commons licences is available on the Creative Commons website: Information about open licences and content in English
If you choose to distribute learning materials openly, it is a good idea to indicate how you would like to be credited as the author.
For more information about copyright in architecture, design and graphic design, see the Copyright Guide: Home - Copyright Guide - LibGuides at Aalto University
It is particularly important for all teachers to notice that students have copyright to their work. This applies to theses, coursework and various artistic outputs.
Also take account of copyright in doctoral studies. In its Finnish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and Handling Alleged Violations of Research Integrity in Finland, the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK lays down guidelines on references to the publications of other researchers, among other things.
Data protection practices
Data protection in teaching:
- Store personal data in an environment with an adequate level of information security, for example a locked cabinet or a system intended for this purpose. Always process student information carefully and give priority to the system where the information was originally stored (e.g. Sisu or MyCourses). For example, Google Drive is not an acceptable place to store or process student information.
- Communicate exam results and other study attainment assessments to the student in question. The easiest way to do this is to use the Gradebook function in MyCourses for completed course components, and the Sisu student information system for fully completed courses. As a rule, separate lists of grades should no longer be used. If you need to publish a list of grades, only include the students’ student numbers and omit their names and other personal data. You should publish the list on MyCourses so that it is only visible to the course participants.
- Never publish more than the absolute minimum amount of student information. For example, never publish your students’ names and student numbers next to each other.
- If you use email to communicate to your students, carefully consider before including any personal data. Also consider whether the message and its attachments need to be encrypted.
- As a rule, students have the right of access to information concerning themselves.
- If a third party sends you an information request concerning a student’s personal data, contact Student Services’ legal counsel for advice.
The points 1–6 above were a summary of the key data protection measures in the field of teaching. Further information on all the points above is available on aalto.fi (Data Protection, personal data (EU General Data Protection Regulation)) and in the Aalto University Wiki (Personal data protection instructions for teachers).
If you have questions on technical issues, support is available from Aalto University IT Services (IT Services), while Aalto Cloud Info contains a classification of cloud services often used at Aalto University based on their level of security (Aalto Cloud Info).
Academic policies and regulations
Instructions on the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning at Aalto University
Pedagogical principles
Learning analytics policy at Aalto University
Guidelines on the languages of the degrees and instruction
Aalto University uses the national languages of Finland (Finnish and Swedish) and the English language in its education leading to degrees in the manner set forth in the Universities Act (558/2009), the Government Decree on University Degrees and Professional Specialisation Programmes (794/2004) and the university's language guidelines.