Regional News of Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Source: Ernest Azutiga, Contributor

UEW pioneers online entrance examinations

University of Education, Winneba University of Education, Winneba

The University of Education Winneba (UEW) has successfully rolled out online mature entrance examinations for the first batch of regular and sandwich applicants of the 2020/21 academic year.

The University conducted Subject Area Test (SAT) and General Aptitude Test (GAT) from 17th-18th July, 2020 for applicants. Consistent with its core value of inclusiveness, UEW supported applicants with special needs by granting them access to its Resource Centre at the Department of Special Education for the entrance examinations.

At the end of the online entrance examinations, a total of 7,879 applicants had enrolled with 6,774 representing 86% of applicants sitting the examinations.

Prior to the online entrance examinations, UEW provided several measures to support applicants in ensuring very successful outcomes.

Some of these measures included the provision of comprehensive guidelines on the conduct of the examinations; the release of tutorial videos on the use of the University’s Learning Management System (UEW-LMS) to write the examinations; and the opportunity for applicants to explore and be accustomed to the system ahead of the examinations.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictions, UEW has had to rely heavily on innovative and pragmatic approaches to teaching and learning to ensure that academic activities are not halted to the detriment of students and prospective applicants.

Having been very successful in the use of the LMS for teaching and learning, and in particular the conduct of examinations, the University Management decided to use the LMS for the conduct of the entrance examinations for mature regular and sandwich applicants for the 2020/21 academic year.

The second entrance examinations for the next batch of mature regular and sandwich applicants for the 2020/21 academic year is expected after 31st July, 2020, when applications would have come to a close. Those who for one or two reasons could not sit either a paper or both would be given the opportunity to join the second batch.

Meanwhile, the entrance examinations for mature applicants for the distance session is also slated for August, 2020.