Learning Exchange
What is the VU Learning Exchange?
A collaborative effort among the Vanderbilt Student Government Academic Affairs Committee, the Office of Faculty Affairs in the Office of the Provost, the Center for Teaching and academic departments across campus, the Learning Exchange seeks to offer current undergraduate students additional tools to improve their mastery of course material and allow them to make more informed decisions when selecting courses.
The VU Learning Exchange began a pilot program in October 2020 with popular introductory and test-heavy undergraduate courses in Biological Sciences and Physics. This pilot program has garnered a lot of interest and support with over 2000 students currently enrolled in the Brightspace page. As we move forward, we hope to strengthen and expand the program to include a wider range of courses and relevant course material.
We would like to express our deep appreciation and gratitude for those faculty members involved in this process in order to make this unique program possible.
How to access the VU Learning Exchange
To maintain appropriate control over the distribution of this material, students should individually access material through their personal Brightspace accounts. To access the Brightspace page, both students and faculty must self-enroll into the course.
Details about the registration process can be found below or on the Faculty Gateway page under Teaching and Learning.
1.Navigate to the Brightspace homepage
2.In the navigation bar along the top of the page, select “Self Registration”
3.Find the course titled Vanderbilt University Learning Exchange in the list and click on the course title
4.Select the “Register” button to begin the registration process
5.Your information will be automatically populated in the registration form. Then select “Submit”
6.Select “Finish” to complete the process
Once you have completed these steps, you will have access to this course from the Brightspace homepage via the Self-Enroll Courses tab.
Visit the Vanderbilt Brightspace Support website for more information: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/brightspace/
How can faculty members submit materials to the VU Learning Exchange?
Given a faculty member’s intellectual property rights in course materials, the VU Learning Exchange can only accept material submitted by faculty members. Faculty who choose to submit materials to the VU Learning Exchange agree that current Vanderbilt students may use the Learning Exchange materials for academic study, to make informed decisions when selecting courses, and to prepare for examinations.
Details about how to submit materials to the VU Learning Exchange can be found below or on the Faculty Gateway page under Teaching and Learning.
1.Make sure exams are saved as pdf files. Documents should be properly titled with faculty member’s last name, exam year, and course number (e.g. Last_2020_OFA1000).
2.Send exam files to Ransford Pinto, Office of Faculty Affairs Graduate Assistant at ransford.pinto@vanderbilt.edu.
3.Exams will be uploaded to the VU Learning Exchange Brightspace page within 48 hours of submission. All exams will include a cover page with important information about the course and student honor code.
4.To view exams on Brightspace, faculty must self-enroll on the VU Learning Exchange course page.
Contact Ransford Pinto, Assistant Director for Graduate Programs at ransford.pinto@vanderbilt.edu for additional questions or concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Intellectual Property Rights
What is included as a faculty member’s intellectual property rights?
A faculty member’s intellectual property rights in course materials includes, but is not limited to the following: exams, outlines, notes, and PowerPoint slides, to the extent they do not contain materials copyrighted by a third party.
As a faculty member, can I prohibit students’ use of the VU Learning Exchange?
Yes. Faculty have the right to prohibit students’ use of the VU Learning Exchange for particular courses. Faculty members should declare in the syllabus or other course and/or assignment instructions that students should not use any materials in the Learning Exchange for their class.
How are my course materials protected?
Students can only access submitted course material by self-enrolling into Vanderbilt’s Brightspace page. After faculty members submit materials, a cover document is included to provide information about the faculty member who submitted the material as well as information about the course and honor code. Faculty are encouraged to provide explicit statements about the use of the VU Learning Exchange for their course to alleviate any additional confusion.
University Honor Code
Is it an honor code violation to use the VU Learning Exchange?
No, it is not considered an honor code violation to use the VU Learning Exchange. However, you must individually access the material through a personal Brightspace account.
Can I share VU Learning Exchange material with my peers at Vanderbilt or at another institution?
No. It is considered student misconduct to share or communicate VU Learning Exchange materials to others (within or outside the Vanderbilt community) verbally or in writing through other platforms, including, but not limited to, social media, email, text, direct message, etc.
My professor won’t let me use the VU Learning Exchange for their course. Can they do that?
Yes. If a faculty member declares in the syllabus or other course/assignment instructions that students should not use any materials in the Learning Exchange for their class, students must adhere to that specific course policy and any unauthorized use of the VU Learning Exchange would potentially violate the Honor Code.
If I’m currently enrolled in the course, can I share that information with others?
If the student is currently enrolled in a relevant course, and improperly shares VU Learning Exchange materials with others, it is an Honor Code violation. If the student is not enrolled in a relevant course, it is misconduct that will be addressed by the Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, and Academic Integrity.