tutoring materials workshop, dr susie speller, 31/10/08 tutoring workshop schedule schedule:...

Tutoring Materials Workshop, Dr Susie Speller, 31/10/08

Tutoring Workshop

ScheduleSchedule:

• Materials at Oxford• Tutorial organisation and preparation• Giving a tutorial

o Teaching style discussiono Refreshmentso Group dynamics discussion

• Course assessment and feedback structure

Dr Susie Speller


Materials at Oxford

• The undergraduate course structure• Components of teaching• What is special about Oxford• Examinations• Summary

1. Materials at Oxford2. Tutorial organisation and preparation3. Giving a tutorial4. Course assessment and feedback structure


Undergraduate Course Structure


Materials Science (MS) course

Year 1 MS1 – Structure of MaterialsMS2 – Properties of MaterialsMS3 – Transforming MaterialsMaths for Materials and Earth ScientistsPRELIMS EXAMS

Year 2 1. Structure and Transformation of Materials2. Electronic Properties of Materials3. Mechanical Properties of Materials4. Engineering Applications of Materials

NO EXAMS


Undergraduate Course Structure


Materials Science (MS) course

Year 3 Options Courses Students choose at least 8 out of 16Team Design project Characterisation / modelling practical moduleFINALS EXAMS (4 core papers plus 2 options papers)

Year 4 8 month research projectNO WRITTEN EXAMS

* Materials, Economics and Management (MEM) students follow the MS 1st year, but cover the core Materials over the 2nd and 3rd years along with Economics and Management papers. They are examined on one options paper in 4th year.



Teaching Components

3-tiered approach

•Lectures - Scheduled for the mornings- Introduce the material on the syllabus

•Tutorials and classes- Typically 2-3 students- In-depth discussion of the topics- Aids understanding- Continual assessment of individual students’ understanding

• Laboratory work - Each practical scheduled to take 3 afternoons- Tie in with lecture courses



What is special about Oxford ?

… Colleges

• Students are admitted to the University for first degree courses by the colleges

• The colleges are responsible for academic progress and providing tutorial teaching.

• Decisions on progression and change of course are taken by the college

• Permanent academic staff usually have joint appointments as University lecturer and college subject tutor


What is special about Oxford ?


Each academic year consists of three 8-week terms

• Michaelmas Term (MT): Oct-Dec

• Hilary Term (HT): Jan-Mar

• Trinity Term (TT): Apr-June

Term dates can be found at http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/university_year/dates_of_term.html



Examinations

Internal Exams (Collections)• Generally set by the colleges at the beginning of each term to test the

students on the previous term’s work• Encourages students to revise the work regularly• Provides information for the tutors and college about their progress• Some central departmental collections take place throughout the

course (beginning of Hilary Term (HT) and Trinity Term (TT) for 1st and 2nd years; beginning of Michaelmas Term (MT) for 3rd years)

Public Exams• Preliminary exams (Prelims) – at the end of 1st year• Finals – at the end of 3rd year• Set by the appointed examiners (a subset of the lecturers) although

each lecturer submits a selection of possible exam questions on their course



Summary

• Responsibility for teaching is split between Colleges and the Department

• Important role of tutorials within the teaching system

o Main aim is to aid understanding

o Should be a discussion rather than the tutor just giving the solutions



Tutorial Organisation and Preparation

Starting point

• Course Handbook - syllabus

- reading list

• On-line lecture list (www.materials.ox.ac.uk/teaching)

• Usually one tutorial per 4 lectures

• Timing of tutorials - should aim to follow lectures

- timetable provided by college subject tutor



Arranging Tutorials

The college subject tutor usually devises a timetable outlining which week each tutorial should take place

this is flexible

The actual time of the tutorials is arranged directly between you and the students.

• Tutorials must fit around the lectures and practical classes

• Decide who initiates choosing tutorial times

• Easier to arrange all tutorials at the beginning of term



Arranging Tutorials

Where to give tutorials

• College – may be inconvenient for you

• Departmental meeting rooms

- may be available (booked through Lyn Richmond on (2)73777)

- bookings might be moved or cancelled at late notice

Submission of written work

• Ask students to submit work to reception or your own pigeon hole

• Most tutors ask for the work to be handed in the day before the tutorial

- you can ask for it earlier if you need more time

• If the students submit by 1pm, the work will be delivered to your pigeon holes by 5pm (usually at about 3pm)



Preparation

• Familiarise yourself with the lecture course

• Syllabus and reading list in the Course Handbook

• Handouts, question sheets and answers are usually available from the Academic Administrator

• Give yourself plenty of time as it may be necessary to contact the lecturer directly

• Decide what questions to set the students

• Do not need to use all lecturers’ questions or can select some of them

• Tell the students at least a week in advance, which questions to attempt



Marking Written Work

• Every tutor marks written work differently

• Detailed comments ?

• Grade ?

• No rules, but worth checking if college subject tutor has any preference

• Give yourself plenty of time to look at the students’ work

• tailor tutorial to students’ needs

• How ? – covered in next session

• Make written comments legible

• Keep a record of students’ performance



Problems

If you have any difficulties with the courses or question sheets don’t be afraid to ask!

• Lecturer

• Other tutors

• List of who teaches what given in handouts



Giving a Tutorial

• 3 video clips showing contrasting tutorial styles

• Group dynamics

• Expectations

• Problem solving

• Time management



Group Dynamics

Discuss how to handle …

• students with very different abilities

• an overconfident student

• a very quiet student

• a student who hasn’t submitted much work



Expectations

* They wont be able to do it all

• Essay questions

• Have they read around the subject or just regurgitated the lecturer’s notes ?

• Numerical questions

• Have they correctly assessed the problem ?

• Can they technically solve it ?

• Problems often occur with applying the equations derived in lectures to real situations

• Talk to other tutors of the same subject



Problem Solving

It is very important to help students develop problem solving skills

• It is now the case that questions on A-level Physics must not depend on the student taking A-level Maths

• We need to teach the students how to couple the science with the maths

Physical phenomena

Idealised conceptual model of relevant features

Mathematical formulation

Explanation of mathematically posed

problem



ExampleThermodynamics, 1st Year, MT, A. Kirkland (Part II, Q3)

The vapour pressure over solid Magnesium was measured as a function of temperature:

T/C 424 456 496 535 584 p/Pa 1 3 10 30 100

Calculate the enthalpy of sublimation.

2RT

HP

dT

dP sub

Clausius Clapeyron

121

2 11ln

TTR

H

P

P sub

constRT

HP sub

ln

Change T into K

Should P be in Pa or atm ?


Tricks of the Trade


Encourage the students to:-

• Draw a picture

• Check dimensions

• Check order of magnitude

• Check signs

As a tutor:-

• Encourage different solutions

• Look at similar problems posed differently


Time Management

• Typically 1 hour longYou can’t cover all questions in detail

• Plan what you are going to spend time on – but be prepared to be flexible• Don’t be too ambitious• Give students enough time to think and participate in the discussion and also make good notes

* It takes experience to get it right




Assessment and Feedback

• College reports

• Disciplinary procedures

• Revision classes

• Personnel involved in the organisation of undergraduate teaching

• Questions ?



College Reports

The college will ask for reports for each student you teach every term in 6th or 7th week

• Progress report on each student – can be filled in online using universal login (www.oxcort.ox.ac.uk)

• If you are paid hourly by the term you will not receive payment until the report forms have been submitted

• You may be asked to mark collections at the beginning of term

Remember

• Keep records during the term of students’ performance in written work and tutorials

• Reports are read by students as well as the college subject tutors and are kept on file in the college



Poor Performance

• Talk to student

• Talk to college subject tutor

o do not wait for end of term reports

• If necessary, college tutor will involve the college’s Senior Tutor

• Penal collections may be set

o student must pass to continue with course

Other problems

• Illegible scripts

• Copying other students’ work



Disciplinary matters

• Not turning up to tutorials

• Lack of respect in tutorials

* Talk immediately to college subject tutor



Revision Classes

* New tutors often find revision classes more difficult Content usually decided by the students

• Past exam questions very useful

o Can be found online (http://oxam.ox.ac.uk)

o Answers to exam papers (complete for 2003-2007 with some available for earlier years) – Ask academic administrator

• Can ask the students in advance which questions they would like help with or ask them to hand in their attempts

• Encourage students to have revision tutorials early – to give time to get back to them if necessary.

• Should I bother to learn this ?

o check if examinable



Personnel

Director of Studies Dr Adrian Taylor

• secretary Ms Marion Simons

Academic Administrator Ms Philippa Moss (Maternity cover for Dr Laura Jones)

Receptionist Mrs Lyn Richmond


Feedback

Please take a few minutes to fill in these questions to help me improve the course for next year.

1. Which section of the course did you find most useful ?

2. Was the right amount of time spent on each part of the course ?

3. Is there anything that you think has been left out ?

4. Any other comments ?

tutoring materials workshop, dr susie speller, 31/10/08 tutoring workshop schedule schedule:...

Documents

core materials

tutoring materials workshop

materials maths

transformation of materials

oxford tutorial organisation

tutorial teaching

feedback structure slide

oxford examinations