tutors' manual - socialwork.ed.ac.uk · contact details and other information about the course...

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Version 2 - 29 September 2015

School of Social and Political Science

TUTORS' MANUAL

2015-2016


University of Edinburgh Chrystal Macmillan Building

15A George Square Edinburgh EH8 9LD

0131 651 3060

29 September 2015

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Contents

WELCOME ...............................................................................................................................................................3

TUTORIALS IN CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................................4

1. Information about SSPS Courses ...................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Degree Information ............................................................................................................................................................ 4

3. Students in SSPS ................................................................................................................................................................. 5

THE ROLES OF THE TUTOR .................................................................................................................................5

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AS A TUTOR ...............................................................................................................5

1. Your Conditions of Employment ....................................................................................................................................... 5

2. Job Support ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6

a. Tutoring and Staff Support ................................................................................................................................................ 6

b. Opportunities for training and recognition ........................................................................................................................ 7

3. Course Materials, Facilities and Resources ...................................................................................................................... 7

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A TUTOR ..............................................................................................................7

1. Teaching and Preparation .................................................................................................................................................. 7

2. Administration .................................................................................................................................................................... 8

a. Taking Attendance ............................................................................................................................................................ 8

b. Keeping Track of Coursework .......................................................................................................................................... 9

c. Communication ................................................................................................................................................................. 9

3. Tutorial Representatives ................................................................................................................................................... 10

4. Support and Pastoral Care ............................................................................................................................................... 10

5. Marking and Assessment ................................................................................................................................................. 11

THE FIRST TUTORIAL ......................................................................................................................................... 12

APPENDIX 1: CONTACT DETAILS ..................................................................................................................... 13

APPENDIX 2 - TUTORING AND SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING ..................................................................... 16

APPENDIX 3 - MARKING AND ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................. 24

APPENDIX 4 – STAFF GUIDANCE OCTOBER 2013 ON IMPROVING FEEDBACK ........................................ 30

APPENDIX 5 – STAFF GUIDANCE ON MODERATION ..................................................................................... 31

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Welcome

Welcome to tutoring in the School of Social and Political Science (SSPS). Tutors play an essential role in teaching on SSPS courses. This manual is intended as an introduction and guide for all tutors1 in the School. It contains general information about common procedures and advice to tutors contributing to SSPS courses. The tutors’ manual is intended to be used in conjunction with other sources of information, including:

1. SSPS staff web pages (you will need your EASE UUN and password for access). For general information tailored to teaching staff, see: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/index

2. Within these pages, guidance for tutors, including a downloadable version of this manual, can be found

at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/guidance_for_tutors.

3. You should also consult the individual course guide for the particular course or courses on which you are tutoring, which are given to all students on the course. There may also be specific course information for tutors provided by your course organiser.

4. These pages are written for SSPS students, providing them with information they need. You may want to

be familiar with their content: www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad

5. In addition, the University has a Code of Practice on Tutoring and Demonstrating, which has useful

information about University tutoring regulations: http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPTutoringDemonstrating2012.PDF

NOTE: As most tutors will be teaching on first and second-year courses, this manual mainly addresses issues arising from teaching in these courses. As always, it is important to seek specific course guidance for the courses that you are tutoring on, particularly if you are teaching on honours or postgraduate courses.

1 The word ‘tutor’ as used in this manual refers to postgraduate and other part-time tutors within the School, unless otherwise made clear in the text. The term ‘tutorial’ refers to small group teaching linked to a series of lectures.

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/index

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/guidance_for_tutors

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad

http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPTutoringDemonstrating2012.PDF

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Tutorials in Context

The School of Social and Political Science brings together the related subject areas of Politics and International Relations, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Social Work, Sociology and Sustainable Development, as well as several other research and study centres including Science Studies, African Studies and South Asian Studies. Its purposes are to improve the coordination of teaching, to enable innovation in teaching and research, to provide better services for students and staff, and to support research activity. There are over 1200 students taking undergraduate courses in the School. Teaching and support staff in the subject areas and centres listed above are located mainly in the Chrystal Macmillan Building (CMB) and in buildings nearby. The School is part of the University’s College of Humanities and Social Science.

1. Information about SSPS Courses

The School offers a wide range of first and second half-year courses in the subject areas of Politics and International Relations, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Social Work, Sociology and Sustainable Development and across our research and study centres including Science Studies, African Studies and South Asian Studies. Each of the first and second-year courses meets for 10 weeks, with two or three lectures and one tutorial per week. Tutorials normally begin in week 2. At honours level in SSPS, the structure of lectures and tutorials becomes more variable. In semester 1, teaching will run straight through weeks 1 to 10. In semester 2 there will be a five-day Innovative Learning Week [ILW] in what used to be week six. The ten weeks of teaching will run from weeks 1 to 5, then an ILW break in week 6, followed by weeks 7 to 11. The majority of courses start their tutorials in week 2, although some may begin in week 1. You should check with your course organiser to find out exactly how your course is run. Contact details and other information about the course organisers and secretaries for the various first and second year half courses is summarised in Appendix 1.

2. Degree Information

The School offers single and joint four-year MA degrees in Politics, International Relations, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Sociology, Sustainable Development (single honours only) and a four-year BSc degree in Social Work. The SSPS staff pages provide useful information of the fundamental objectives and structure of different degree programmes within the School: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/subject_and_programme_specific_information. The Scottish degree system requires students to study at least three subjects a year (three courses per semester) for each of their first two years. If they complete this Ordinary level successfully, they usually progress to the MA Honours programme in their chosen subject, which lasts a further two years. If not, students will normally transfer to the BA in Humanities and Social Science for one more year of study. This all means that students taking first and second year courses in Social and Political Science come from different disciplinary backgrounds and go on to follow any one of a range of degree programmes. Some may be intending to progress to honours in a subject area in Social and Political Science. Others will be taking our courses as a second or third (‘outside’) subject in order to make up their complement of three as part of another degree. A third group of students are referred to as 'visiting': they are usually undergraduates at universities in other European or North American countries and are spending a year or semester at Edinburgh as visiting students.

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/subject_and_programme_specific_information

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3. Students in SSPS

There may be significant differences among students in your tutorials. For example, some Scottish students may have entered university after taking Highers at age 17 though most Scottish students remain in school for a sixth year to take Advanced Highers or further Highers. Many students also take a gap year before entering university. Students who have done so tend to be more vocal, self-confident and widely travelled. There are also significant numbers of undergraduates who are mature students of very wide age range, some of whom left school several decades ago but will have recent relevant study experience, for example through an access programme for mature students. Their expectations of university study in general will be different from those of recent school leavers and they will likely be balancing different types of demands. This diversity in the student population also means that students come to study in the Social and Political Science with a range of different needs and expectations, and with a wide range of commitments to the subject area. You might explore these when you first meet each group (see item on ‘The First Tutorial’). Some students will have completed a Modern Studies or Sociology course at secondary school. Most have no previous academic background in the subject. Our teaching normally has to serve as a double introduction: to Social and Political Science itself and to the demands and possibilities of university education.

The Roles of the Tutor

Tutorial teaching can be rewarding, for you as much as for your tutees, but can also be demanding. Your chief responsibility is leading, managing and facilitating tutorials. In addition, there are other important tasks that come with the job apart from the actual hours of teaching, including preparing for teaching, administration, support and pastoral care, and marking and assessment. Ideally, students should ask each other questions and the tutor's role would be that of a moderator or enabler rather than a lecturer. The School is trying to emphasise active self-education in teaching. We would like students to read books and journals, observe their environment carefully and in new ways, and develop their confidence to think and argue for themselves about what they find in books or in the world around them. Moreover, we are trying to get students to value the particular subject material they are studying in Social and Political Science. We therefore do not think it is necessary for tutors to master every text on the reading-list or be prepared to come up with ‘right’ answers to students' questions. At the beginning of a course, however, you may find that not all students possess the initial confidence to put forward their own arguments. A successful tutorial requires students to feel both secure (‘I can say what I think without getting sat on or humiliated’) and stimulated (‘the question I have been asked concerns something I recognise from my own experience and identify for myself as something that matters’). The tutor's role is to help create a safe environment for student learning, to encourage students to believe that they all have something worthwhile to contribute, that they all can learn from each other, and that they will not suffer by expressing their opinions. The tutor's role is not to give students extra lecturing on topics they may have already heard about; it is to help create an atmosphere in which students feel that they can discuss the material in the course, and that it is worth discussing. This view of tutorials may need to be explained to students. It may help them, therefore, if you make your role as a tutor explicit to your students in your first tutorial, as part of a set of ‘ground rules’ that are clarified to all. It should also be made clear to them that they have a responsibility towards each other in contributing to their tutorials because they will let each other (not you, the tutor) down by not doing so, or not showing up.

What You Can Expect as a Tutor

1. Your Conditions of Employment

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You sign a contract to become a tutor in the School of Social and Political Science. You will receive a Guaranteed Hours contract that will have a fixed duration, specifying a grade and grade step on the University’s staff pay scales, and guarantee hours for the forthcoming academic year. Appendix 2 provides further specific information on SSPS tutorial rates and contractual arrangements. All other matters relating to your employment as tutors are handled by SSPS secretarial and administrative staff (please see contact details for staff dealing with tutor contracts in Appendix 2). Each month the School notifies the University Finance Office of the hours undertaken in the previous month for payment in arrears. If for any reason you need to drop out of tutoring on a course, you should let the course organiser and [email protected] know as soon as possible. Tutors do have a notice period to serve and this is based on the length of your contract (a notice period of 3 months is the norm and this applies to contracts of 6 months or more). Further guidance and information on this can be found in the Conditions of Employment which can be found at http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/Policies/Conditions_of_Service_Summary_Grades_UE06-10.pdf The rate of pay is calculated on the basis of a notional 'tutorial hour' (which includes preparation and other associated administrative tasks) and for assessment (which includes all essays and take-home exams which require substantive feedback to students). See Appendix 2 for further details on current SSPS tutorial rates. Tutors are entitled to sick pay which will paid at the same rate as if you were well and able to carry out your duties. Please see Appendix 2 section E for further information on the procedure and policy. As employees of the University, SSPS tutors are also entitled to join the University and College Union: http://www.ucu.org.uk. UCU Edinburgh is the only trade union entitled to represent academic and academic related staff at the University of Edinburgh.

2. Job Support

The School of Social and Political Science is committed to preparing you for and supporting you in your tutoring position. This includes:

a. Tutoring and Staff Support

Course organisers are responsible for course administration, and they are supported by course secretaries and sometimes other staff. Course organisers are available for consultation in case of any particular difficulties with the course, your tutorials or individual students. Each student has a named Personal Tutor (PT) responsible for his or her academic welfare. For information on when and how to contact a student’s PT, please see the section on ‘Administration’ in this manual (pp. 7-8). Every student also has a named Student Support Officer for advice and guidance on all administrative and pastoral matters who is often the first port of call for students needing assistance. The School of Social and Political Science has Student Support Officers for each named degree programme but other Schools may have different arrangements. For year 1 and 2 courses, your first point of contact for questions on tutorial-related matters is usually your Senior Course Tutor. SSPS Senior Course Tutors assist the course organiser in arranging training and providing support and advice to course tutors (including course meetings and induction sessions). Along with the course organiser, they also provide guidance on marking and assessment. Both your Senior Course Tutor and your fellow tutors in SSPS provide an important source of peer support for tutorial-related matters. For example, you may want to compare particular teaching techniques or approaches with other tutors teaching on your course, or with other tutors teaching on other SSPS courses.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/Policies/Conditions_of_Service_Summary_Grades_UE06-10.pdf

http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/Policies/Conditions_of_Service_Summary_Grades_UE06-10.pdf

http://www.ucu.org.uk/

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You are expected to attend all training and briefing sessions organised by SSPS and the Course Organiser, including but not limited to SSPS-wide tutor orientation meetings, individual course meetings, marking meetings, and so on. An introductory meeting with the course organiser, Senior Course Tutor (if applicable), and tutors will take place before tutorials begin, to discuss the course. You will also have a subject-level session on feedback and marking midway through the semester, though specific timings will vary between different courses (see Appendix 3 on ‘Marking and Assessment’). You will be paid for attending these meetings at the UE06 rate (see Appendix 2 on ‘SSPS School-wide Tutorial Rates’). Additional tutor training opportunities may exist in SSPS and will be advertised at the beginning of the academic year, including, for example, tutor-run training sessions and/or additional SSPS-wide tutor meetings.

b. Opportunities for training and recognition

Additional support is also available from the Institute for Academic Development (IAD) in limited quantities for tutors who cannot access local support for good reasons, and for more experienced tutors who have a particular interest in developing their tutoring experiences further. See the IAD website for further details at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development. Developing your teaching can lead towards Higher Education Academy (HEA) accreditation. There are several different routes you can follow to seek HEA accreditation for your teaching at Edinburgh (http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/tutors-demonstrators/support/enhancement/developing-teaching). SPS has committed to pay the HEA fee of £100 for any PhD pursing the Associate Fellowship route. Please see the tutor support contact in the Undergraduate Teaching Office or the Graduate School office for further information on how to claim this back.

3. Course Materials, Facilities and Resources

The Undergraduate Teaching Office (UTO) for SSPS is on the ground floor of CMB. This floor also contains other facilities for the use of staff and students. The Graduate School office is on the 1st floor of CMB in room 1.20. You will be provided with essential course materials (such as the course guide for the courses you teach on), which will normally be distributed by the course organiser or Senior Course Tutor in course meetings at the beginning of the semester (please refer to specific course guidance). SSPS is unable to provide specific computing facilities for part-time tutors who are not also postgraduate students in the School. Extensive computing facilities are also readily available in the Main Library; go to the computing service reception desk on the ground floor and explain what you need.

Your Responsibilities as a Tutor

1. Teaching and Preparation

Apart from the actual hours of teaching, there will be other things that come with the job, for example, class preparation. You will find that this becomes less time consuming as the year goes on - you will feel more confident in trying out different techniques. The Institute for Academic Development offers a number of useful resources for supporting learning and teaching, available at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching These resources also provide helpful guidance on important tutoring issues. Tutors often complain that they have difficulty getting students to speak in tutorials, and students for their part may regard an invitation to participate as

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/tutors-demonstrators/support/enhancement/developing-teaching

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/tutors-demonstrators/support/enhancement/developing-teaching

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching


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‘being picked on’. Part of the reason could be that students are unaware of the ‘ground rules’ for tutorials. In the first tutorial, you should discuss expectations and ground rules - what you expect from students and what they can expect from you – and establish a collective understanding between you and your students concerning what tutorials are for and how they will work (see item on the ‘First Tutorial’). There are a range of possible approaches and techniques that you can employ in tutorial teaching in order to make a class interesting and enable healthy participation and discussion – for example, activities such as brainstorming, debates, or role-playing. With experience, you will find different techniques which work for you, how you can adapt them to different situations, and how to vary activities for different tutorial groups.

2. Administration

There will be some small but important administrative tasks that you will be asked to complete as part of your teaching. The time you spend on these tasks should not be great. Course tutors are often the most frequent and effective point of contact between a student and the University, especially for students in years 1 and 2. Tasks such as noting absence or a poor academic performance therefore have an implicit welfare function. It is not your job as tutor to counsel or otherwise intervene, but you should know how to refer problems appropriately. Each student has a named Personal Tutor (PT) responsible for his or her academic welfare. Personal Tutors are helped by trained Student Support Officers (SSOs) who deal with routine administrative queries in the first instance. Staff in the Undergraduate Teaching Office are responsible for administration of all undergraduate courses as well as the recording of marks for UG years one to four. Subject Secretaries (based on the first floor) are also Student Support Officers and will deal with student support and with issues such as Special Circumstances applications. Some questions may need to be referred either to the Personal Tutor or the Course Organiser. If you need to contact a Personal Tutor, the Course Secretary can give you his/her name and e-mail. For example, while you may want to provide letters of reference to tutees as a favour in cases of academic applications or job applications, you should normally consider asking your tutees to make the request of the relevant Student Support Officer (for perfunctory character references or confirmations of attendance at university) or Personal Tutors (for academic references or job applications requiring detailed comments). Please copy any emails relating to particular students to the Course Secretary (see links to contact details in Appendix 1), so that the School has a complete record for future reference. The information you record may also be taken into account by examination boards. Your administrative tasks include:

a. Taking Attendance

Attendance is monitored by the School as part of our more general monitoring of student progress. Keeping attendance helps alert staff to any additional pastoral or academic support needs students might require. Staff can then provide advice, guidance or support in a timely and useful manner. During tutorials, tutors must take attendance using the Student Engagement Monitoring System created by Student Systems (more details of the system are below). Students who are unable to attend any tutorial should contact you before the tutorial takes place and ask to be excused. Pressure of work or problems of time management are not considered acceptable reasons for non-attendance at tutorials. By week 2, the Undergraduate Teaching Office and the Postgraduate office will upload your tutorial group information to the Student Engagement Monitoring System. You can access the system through the link below. You will have to log in through EASE using the login details of your staff account. http://edin.ac/18Xkcew The Student Engagement Monitoring System is very easy to use. You can find information about the system as well as user guidance at http://www.studentsystems.ed.ac.uk/staff/user_guides/student_engagement/index.htm The most useful user guides for tutors taking attendance will be:

Engagement Monitoring - Record Attendance Functionality - Tutor

http://edin.ac/18Xkcew

http://www.studentsystems.ed.ac.uk/staff/user_guides/student_engagement/index.htm

http://www.studentsystems.ed.ac.uk/staff/user_guides/student_engagement/record_attendance_tutor.htm

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Record Attendance as a Tutor (5:39)

Recording Attendance - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Tutors are responsible for keeping and maintaining their own records if tutorial participation is a component of assessment. The student system weekly registers are only used for recording attendance.

b. Keeping Track of Coursework

It goes without saying that you must keep an accurate record of essay marks, as well as any extensions you have given (for more on extension policies see the section on ‘Marking and Assessment’ in the manual, pg 10). By the time the first essay has been submitted, you will receive an electronic mark sheet from the Course Secretary. Use it to record any essay penalties (for example, word count penalties), the grade you allocate, any second marker’s grade, final grade and any additional comments. You should keep a copy of the mark sheet for your own records. Since the School has a clear timetable of submission and return deadlines and penalises students if they fail to meet their end of the bargain, tutors must honour the School’s side of the bargain and ensure that essays are returned when promised. The university requires all assessed work to be marked moderated and returned within 15 working days. If feedback is to be properly moderated (and then processed by the UTO/GSO before being released to students) then it needs to be marked within 10 working days, i.e. two weeks from when it was handed in. A list of dates by which students are due to receive feedback will be made available to all students in their course handbooks (see Appendix 3 on ‘Marking and Assessment’).

c. Communication

Good communication between staff, students and course organisers is integral to the success of any course. Talk to other tutors about how you are getting on with your tutorial teaching, to other staff and to the students you teach, to the course organiser, and the course secretary. To ensure effective communication about the course, please make sure that the course organiser and the course secretary of the course on which you teach have a note of your contact information. Use your staff university mail address to communicate with the School and members of your tutorials (the School will use this email address) and please check your e-mail regularly to pick up any messages. If you are a PhD student at the University this means that you will have two email addresses and UUNs, one for your PhD studies and one for your tutoring responsibilities. You will need your tutor UUN for requesting payment of your hours and for the attendance registers, and you should use your tutor email address for communicating with students. IT support can help you to set up e-mail access from home, forward messages, and deal with any problems. Contact [email protected]. Each subject area will normally have a box or pigeon-hole for tutors’ course information, course handouts, difficult to access readings and/or paper mail. These are usually located in CMB, but do check your specific course guidance for the relevant location. You should also check your course notice-boards and your course Learn page (if applicable) on a regular basis for course announcements, updated readings, lecture notes, and so on. All tutors in the School will also be enrolled on an SSPS tutor LEARN site. This Learn page will be used to provide you with information and guidance. Communication with students is also important. Students automatically acquire a university email account at matriculation, and course organisers in many departments depend on them checking their email regularly to convey messages about the course. You should encourage your students to use this email account. Make it

http://www.studentsystems.ed.ac.uk/staff/user_guides/student_engagement/tutor_recording_register/index.html

http://www.studentsystems.ed.ac.uk/staff/user_guides/student_engagement/recording_registers_faqs.htm

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clear that you expect them to check their university e-mail regularly (along with course notice-boards and course Learn pages), and perhaps give them a reason for doing so, right from the beginning of the course.

3. Tutorial Representatives

In first and second year courses, you will need to ensure that students choose one member of each tutorial group (a tutorial rep) – normally by week 3 at the latest – to represent them at course liaison meetings. The School is required to supply the Edinburgh University Student Association (EUSA) with the list of all tutorial reps by the end of week 3. EUSA runs training sessions to help improve existing communication and evaluation measures between staff and students. Make it clear to tutorial representatives that they are required to attend the first meeting with the course organiser, when normally two or three class reps are chosen to represent the whole class at the subject area’s Student/Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), which meets two or three times a year, as well as other meetings throughout the year. These meetings are publicised by e-mail to the reps and posted on course notice-boards.

You will need to give names and email addresses of tutorial representatives, by e-mail if you can, to either your course organiser, Senior Course Tutor, or Course Secretary (please refer to specific course guidance for the appropriate procedure). Tutorial rep names will also be posted on the LEARN pages for each course. You should encourage discussion of course issues in tutorials in the weeks immediately prior to course representative and SSLC meetings (please consult your specific course guidance).

4. Support and Pastoral Care

Students are advised to approach their tutor in the first instance if they have problems with their coursework. When someone needs extra attention it is best that the tutor tries to sort this out at the end or beginning of a class. However this may not work, and in these situations it is up to the tutor to decide whether s/he is willing to spend the extra time and energy handling the problem. Consider ways of encouraging students to seek and lend support to their peers (e.g. encourage them to exchange work after it has been marked, proof-read each other's assignments, exchange lecture notes, and so on). There may be students with disabilities in your classes who have a Learning Profile agreed by the Student Disability Service. A common example is some form of dyslexia but it may also detail information that is pertinent to the running of a tutorial, for example a specific medical condition. Learning Profiles are routinely sent to Student Support Officers and course organisers but the course secretary will also send Learning Profiles to tutors for information. If you have any queries about what to do with information contained in the learning profile then please contact Sue Renton (SPS UG Student Experience Officer and Asperger Named Contact for students in SPS) for assistance: [email protected]. Please see SSPS staff pages on ‘Teachability and Disability Issues’, which outline the normal procedure for addressing the needs of disabled students: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/teachability_disability_issues In the case of other problems, including personal problems, the student should be referred to his/her Personal Tutor (PT). You should also familiarise yourself with other University agencies that provide support to students on a range of other issues, for example, the EUSA Advice Place. You may also want to consult the College of Humanities and Social Science guidance, which provides information on pastoral care, attendance, and other important issues: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduate-academic-admin Be sensitive to a student's plea for confidentiality, and by all means be supportive, but remember that problems can be serious and that there are others officially responsible for, and trained to deal with, these situations. You

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service


http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/teachability_disability_issues

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/humanities-soc-sci/undergraduate-academic-admin

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also need to be aware of boundaries: it is not appropriate to get involved with your students on matters not directly related to their coursework (for example, sensitive and complex matters such as immigration advice for international students). Don’t do any more than you feel able to, are paid for, or indeed have a right to. It is course organisers and Personal Tutors who are ultimately responsible for students' academic welfare and keep their formal records. Tutors on 1st and 2nd year courses should also be available on a weekly basis for contact outside tutorial hours for purposes of answering emails, personal meetings etc., and this is recognised in the current payment structure (see Appendix Two). Tutors on Honours courses who are routinely required to offer post tutorial support should contact their course organiser in the first instance.

5. Marking and Assessment

You will be required to mark a student’s written assignments, which contribute to their final grades during the year. This is time-consuming, especially if you are new to the job. It can be stressful, too, not least because coursework can be the object of so much student anxiety. However, there are detailed notes in Appendix 3 on marking and assessment procedures and standards, and guidance for handling particular difficulties that you may encounter. Right from the start of semester, and certainly well in advance of the time that students approach their deadlines, you should be aware of the following: SSPS courses are usually assessed by a combination of coursework and examination, although there is more variation at the honours level (see Appendix 3 for further information). Students in all half courses normally have to produce one or more pieces of written coursework (check how many for your specific course), which you are expected to mark. You can find the coursework deadlines for the course you are teaching on in your course guide. Emphasise these well in advance in tutorials and ensure students understand that the School will stick to them firmly. Please remember that the final authority on individual students’ marks – for both coursework and exams – is the Board of Examiners, made up of the lecturers and the External Examiner. They meet after the second-semester exam diet. Remember also, and remind students, that in most cases only you or the course organiser may grant extensions. In Appendix 3, you will find more detailed information about arrangements concerning the granting of extensions, late submissions, handling cases of plagiarism, and so on. You should also consult your specific course guidance, as arrangements may vary between different courses and subject areas. The quality, consistency and timeliness of feedback to students is currently a ‘lively’ issue in the University and the School, and one we are seeking to improve on as best we can. Tutors are an important part of this and play a significant role in shaping students’ perceptions about the feedback process. Remember that an important part of giving students feedback on their work is to help them learn high standards and to improve their performance; your written feedback should be honestly critical but always constructive. For example, say ‘This essay shows familiarity with the reading but would be strengthened if you had also commented on…’ rather than ‘Though you have done some reading there are gaps and your argument is weak.’ However, it also important to appreciate that not all feedback is linked to a specific instance of assessment. For example, tutorial activities and discussions provide one of the most important opportunities for feedback, allowing students to try out new ideas, explore their understanding of the course material, and raise questions without the pressure of formal assessment. It is important therefore that you help students see this by, for example, making them explicitly aware of all instances where your input might be of use to their assignments and to call this ‘feedback.’ For instance, you could point out to them routinely that feedback comes in different forms, that it is ongoing, and that what you discuss in tutorials is relevant to the completion of their assignments in various and more subtle ways. When they are preparing a second and subsequent assignment, you could draw their attention to comments that were issued on previous assignments or tasks, and to the need to pay attention to general comments that were given to the class as a whole. If you have insights or suggestions about our feedback processes and how they might be improved, please contact the SSPS Director of the Undergraduate School, Elizabeth Bomberg [email protected] (Semester 1), Paul Norris [email protected] (Semester 2).


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The First Tutorial

In the first tutorial of the course the students are unlikely to start on substantive coursework, but it is an important tutorial because it establishes a pattern of interaction. You need to do a number of things (see also previous sections on ‘Teaching and Preparation’ and ‘Administration’, pp. 7-9):

• Introductions: explain to students who you are. You might share your background, experience, interests and qualifications. Then find out who they are and learn their names. Try to get an idea of how much they know about the subject area of the course and whether they've studied it before. Encourage them to talk to each other as much as to you by, for example, breaking into pairs or small groups or having students introduce one another to the rest of the group. The sooner students start speaking and getting acquainted with one another, the better.

• Ensure that all students in your tutorial group have been registered for the course. (See the section on ‘Administration’ in this Manual.)

• You might want to take a note of students' e-mail addresses. If you have the students UUN you can reash them through email by adding “@sms.ed.ac.uk” after the UUN ([email protected]) Although that information is available through the Course Secretary, it might take a week or two to filter down to you. Make sure students know how to contact you if they need to. Encourage them to use University e-mail, explaining that this is our main form of contact with them, for official and unofficial matters. Also let your tutees know and when they can contact you and when they can reasonable accept responses to emails and queries.

• Ensure that you understand the aims, objectives, and structure of the course and discuss this with your students. The course organiser will have spent time doing that in the first week of lectures, but you might reinforce it and answer any questions.

• Establish a collective understanding of what tutorials are for. Different students may have different ideas, and you may need to be firm. State what level of preparation you expect. The task may vary according to the tutorial, but you can reasonably ask (and expect) that students spend a couple of hours during the week doing it. Impress on them that they are expected to contribute actively by speaking and listening and responding to others. If you want students to do presentations, talk through what is expected and provide guidance to help with presentation skills.

• Explain what is to happen in next week’s tutorial and how they should prepare for that session.

• Smile a lot, emphasise that questions are always welcome and offer lots of opportunities for students to ask you things.

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Appendix 1: Contact Details

Undergraduate Course Administration is carried out by two teams in the Undergraduate Teaching Office on the ground floor of the Chrystal Macmillan Building.

Team 1 Team 1 look after the administration of assessed work for years 1-4 for the following Subjects/Centres: Politics, International Relations, Social Policy, STIS, International Public Health Policy, Schoolwide courses Email: [email protected] Team 2 Team 2 look after the administration of assessed work for years 1-4 for the following Subjects/Centres: Social Anthropology, Social Work Years 1-2, Sociology, Canadian Studies, South Asian Studies, Sustainable Development. Email: [email protected]

More detailed information on the course team, including contact numbers, can be found at http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/the_undergraduate_school/meet_the_team Undergraduate Student Support Team Each subject area has its own Student Support Officer. Details of the school’s Student Support Officers and who looks after which subject area can be found at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/student_support_and_community/student_support_team Postgraduate Course Administration is carried out by the On-Course Team, Graduate School Office on the first floor of the Chrystal Macmillan Building.

Jessica Barton, [email protected] looks after the administration of assessed work for the following Subjects/Centres: Social Anthropology and African Studies Jade Birkin, [email protected] looks after the administration of assessed work for the following Subjects/Centres: STIS, Social Policy and Sociology Andrew Macaulay, [email protected] looks after the administration of assessed work for the Research Training and Childhood Studies programmes Gillian MacDonald, [email protected] looks after the administration of assessed work for the Politics and International Relations courses. More detailed information on the Graduate school team, including contact numbers, can be found at http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/gradschool/contact Course Organiser and Course Secretary Contact Details. You can find the contact details of the Course Convenor and the Course Secretary through the course information page on DRPS http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cx_s_su809.htm You can access the appropriate course DRPS page through the links in the table below. Contact details will be at the bottom of the course DRPS page. These were correct at the time of preparing this manual (September 2015).



http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/the_undergraduate_school/meet_the_team

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/student_support_and_community/student_support_team

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/student_support_and_community/student_support_team




http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/gradschool/contact

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cx_s_su809.htm

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Politics and International Relations

Code Course Name Period Please see contact details on DRPS

Undergraduate year aimed at

PLIT08004 Introduction to Politics and International Relations

Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxplit08004.htm

1

PLIT08012 Politics in a Changing World: An Introduction for Non-Specialists


1

PLIT08011 Political Thinkers Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxplit08011.htm

1

PLIT08008 Comparative Politics in a Globalized World


2

PLIT08006 International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond


2

PLIT08006 International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond


2

PLIT08009 Introduction to Political Data Analysis


2

Quantitative Methods



SSPS08009 Mathematics for Social Science Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxssps08009.htm

1

SSPS08008 Introduction to Statistics for Social Science

Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxssps08008.htm

1

Social Anthropology



SCAN08013 Social Anthropology 1A: The Life Course

Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscan08013.htm

1

SCAN08012 Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters


1

SCAN08011 Social Anthropology 2: Key Concepts


2

AFRI08001 International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism

Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxafri08001.htm

2

Social Policy



SCPL08004 Social Policy and Society Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08004.htm

1

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxplit08004.htm














http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxssps08009.htm




http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscan08013.htm






http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxafri08001.htm


http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08004.htm


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SCPL08005 Politics of the Welfare State Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08005.htm

1

SCPL08011 Rethinking the Financial Crisis Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08011.htm

1

SCPL08010 Evidence, Politics and Policy Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08010.htm

2

SCPL08006 European Social Policy Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscpl08006.htm

2

Social Work



SCWR08003 Social Work: Making A Difference Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscwr08003.htm

1

SCWR08005 From Research into Practice: Landmarks in Social Work

Research

Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscwr08004.htm

1

SCWR08004 Social Work: Policy and Legal Frameworks


2

SCWR08007 Working and Relating: Developing Your People Skills


2

Sociology



SCIL08004 Sociology 1A: The Sociological Imagination: Individuals and

Society

Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscil08008.htm

1

SCIL08005 Sociology 1B: The Sociological Imagination: Private Troubles,

Public Problems


1

SCIL07001 Statistical Literacy Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscil07001.htm

1

SCIL08012 Sociology 2a: Thinking Sociologically


2

SCIL08013 Sociology 2b: Researching Social Life


2

Sustainable Development



SCIL08008 Sustainable Development 1A: Introducing Sustainable

Development


1

SCIL08009 Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives on Sustainable

Development


2

African Studies











http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscwr08003.htm








http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscil08008.htm














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AFRI08004 Introductory Swahili Language and Culture 1A


1

AFRI08003 Introductory Swahili Language and Culture 1B


1




RCSS08003 Technology in Society Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxrcss08003.htm

1

SCSU08001 Science and Society 1A Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscsu08001.htm

1

SCSU08004 Science and Society 1B: Nature and Environment

Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscsu08004.htm

1

Science Studies



SCSU08003 History of Medicine 1 Semester 1 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscsu08003.htm

1

SCSU08002 History of Science 1 Semester 2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscsu08002.htm

1

Appendix 2 - Tutoring and supplementary teaching

SSPS TUTORING AND SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING 2015/16 APPENDIX 2 SSPS TUTORING AND SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING 2015/16





http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxrcss08003.htm

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxrcss08003.htm

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/15-16/dpt/cxscsu08001.htm








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A. Main Responsibilities of Course Tutors B. Main Responsibilities of Senior Course Tutors C. Payment Processes D. Rates of Pay E. Sick pay procedure and policy

A. Main Responsibilities of Course Tutors

The following is a digest of essential points from the Tutors Manual, revised annually, and to be provided near the outset of 2015/16.

A1. Tutoring and preparation for tutorials, including familiarisation with course structure and content via the Handbook

A2. Marking and Assessment, including feedback to students, and availability for exam marking / feedback as may be required; and marking of Tutorial Participation, as may be required

The University requires all assessed work to be returned to students within 15 working days. Moderation and processing requirements mean that such work needs to be marked within 10 working days.

A3. Post-Tutorial / Administration Tutors leading UG groups must be available to their Tutees on a weekly basis for contact outside Tutorial hours, for purposes including answering emails, and in-person meetings as tutees may request – for example, subsequent to the issue of feedback. Also within any given semester, Tutors are required to contribute in attendance monitoring for their groups at times outside of tutorial meetings themselves, on which the volume of work required may be likely to be small at times, but irregular and unpredictable. Historically, contact outside of Tutorials themselves has occasionally been structured in terms of a weekly “office hour”, during which a Tutor would be available to Tutees at a specified time and place. While the provision of a physical “office hour” is not the only way this contact can be provided, Tutors need to engage with Tutees, by email most usually but in person occasionally, on questions and issues which cannot, be answered or resolved within the Tutorials themselves. Tutors’ Post-Tutorial availability to students is for – primarily: • Tutor advice on matters arising from tutorial sessions • Discussion with Tutors on any aspects of coursework feedback not fully clear

to the student within the feedback itself • General matters which the Tutor may need to refer to the attention of the

Senior Tutor, Course Organiser, or Personal Tutor / Student Support Officer For PG Courses, the course organisers will decide on an individual basis if Post

tutorial hours will be made available. A3.1 Attendance

Since attendance at lectures and participation in tutorials are fundamental to good learning, students are expected to attend tutorials. It is important that you keep an accurate record of tutorial attendance for all students in your groups, using the methods as provided by the School.

A3.2 Keeping Track of Coursework You must keep an accurate record of essay marks, as well as any extensions or penalties you have given, using the methods as provided by the School.

A3.3 Communication To ensure effective communication about the course, you must ensure that the Course Organiser, Secretary and (where applicable) Senior Tutor have your contact details. You must use and the University staff email account as provided to you (once available) for all relevant Tutor communications with staff and students.

A3.4 Tutorial Representatives In first and second year courses, you will need to ensure that students choose one member of each tutorial group (a tutorial rep) – normally by week 3 at the latest – to represent them at course liaison meetings.

A4. Training and Development Apart from the actual hours of teaching, there will be other things that come with the job, for example, class preparation. You will find that this becomes less time-consuming as the year

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goes on - you will feel more confident in trying out different techniques. The Institute for Academic Development offers a number of useful resources for supporting learning and teaching (including guidance specifically for Tutors) which is available via:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching You are expected to attend all training and briefing sessions required by SSPS and the Course Organiser, including but not limited to SSPS-wide Tutor orientation meetings, individual course meetings, marking meetings, and so on. An introductory meeting of the course organiser, Senior Course Tutor (if applicable), and Tutors usually takes place before tutorials begin, to discuss the course. Additional tutor training opportunities may exist in SSPS and will be advertised at the beginning of the academic year, including, for example, tutor-run training sessions and/or additional SSPS-wide tutor meetings.

B. Main Responsibilities of Senior Course Tutors

Senior Course Tutor roles are often available on large Years 1 and 2 courses (of at least 50 students,

and/or at least 4 Tutorial groups) requiring co-ordination of multiple Tutors and Tutorial Groups.

Senior Course Tutors are answerable to the Organiser and Secretary of the course to which he/she

has been appointed. The duties of the Senior Tutor will be to assist the Course Organiser with the

following tasks, although the balance of responsibilities may vary from course to course.

B1. Advising on the recruitment of new tutors and arranging where necessary for emergency

cover.

B2. Providing support and advice to Course Tutors, including induction sessions; the development

and dissemination of tutorial ideas and practice; and guidance on marking and assessment.

B3. Supporting the Course Secretary in organising tutorial times; ensuring rooms are suitable and

the appropriate number available; reviewing tutorial lists of students registered for the course

and drawing any discrepancies to the attention of the Course Organiser.

B4. Collaborating with the teaching group and Course Organiser in the preparation and

distribution of course materials; supporting the Course Secretary in revising and editing

course handbooks; proof-reading course handbook; and advising on the preparation of

tutorial reading packs.

B5. Checking library holdings and web-based resources against readings listed in course

handbook; placing relevant items on reserve; notifying the course organiser of any missing

materials and/or purchases needing to be made.

B6. In conjunction with the Course Organiser, organising meetings of tutors and liaising between

course tutors and the teaching group.

B7. Advising the Course Secretary when communicating with students and Personal Tutor /

Student Support contact on behalf of the Course Organiser, especially in relation to

registration, non-attendance and failure to complete coursework.

B8. Contributing to management of the assessment process, including preparation of a timetable

for marking, moderating and returning essays; arranging double-marking pairs; and calling

meetings to check and discuss marks prior to return of essays.



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B9. Collating and analysing completed course evaluation questionnaires; compiling quantitative

tables and lists of qualitative comments to assist course organiser with preparation of the

audit report.

B10. Assisting with the preparation and upload of web-based teaching materials, and with assuring

the availability of Library resources.

B11. Supporting the Course Organiser in the first approval and submission, to the Administrative

Secretary responsible for Tutor payments, of finalised Tutor hours, for review / second

approval.

B12. Other appropriate responsibilities, as agreed with the Course Convener.

Senior tutors guaranteed hours are based on class size for the semester and the number of hours to

be paid are listed below.

Class Numbers SCT Hours Allocated

50-150 36

151-250 45

251-350 54

351-450 63

450+ 72

C. Contract and Payment Process Please see below for information on who will be processing your contract and the process for claiming and receiving payment.

C1 Staff Dealing with Tutor Contracts

Karen Dargo – Room 1.03 CMB

Gillian Macdonald – Graduate School Office, CMB Jane Marshall – Room 1.07, CMB Irena Coubrough- Room 1.05, CMB Vanessa Feldberg – Room 1.06, CMB Claire Moggie - UTO Ground Floor CM Staff processing tutor pay claims: John Riddell – UTO Ground floor, CMB Lizzie Robertson – UTO Ground Floor, CMB Gillian MacDonald – GSO, 1st Floor, CMB Queries and general guidance on tutor admin issues Receptionist and Claire Moggie – UTO Ground Floor CM

C2 Contract and Payment Processes

You sign a contract to become a Grade UE06 tutor in the School of Social and Political Science. At the time of writing the hourly Grade UE06 base rate (for Tutors new to Tutoring as of 2015/16) is £14.40 per hour. In addition, all Tutors are awarded a 15% holiday pay allowance and therefore annual leave days are not accumulated.

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Each month the School notifies the University Finance Office of the Hours undertaken in the previous month – as Guaranteed, and any approved Hours additional to those previously Guaranteed - for payment in arrears, usually on the 28th of the month in which the Hours are so reported. As employees of the University, Tutors are also entitled to join the University and College Union: http://www.ucu.org.uk. UCU Edinburgh is the recognised trade union for academic and academic related staff at the University of Edinburgh.

C3 eTime. From 15/16 the School of Social and Political Science will be using eTime, an online system to process tutor payments. Using eTime will allow tutors to accurately record their hours, see the exact amount due and track their payments in the system. Please see the separate Undergraduate Payment Process and Guidance Document for further full details. Once your contract is processed, you will receive a staff username and password. Both of these are required to submit your timesheet every month. You should have these details within 2 weeks of signing your contract. If you have any issues with your login details, contact the Central IS team.

http://www.ucu.org.uk/

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D. Course Tutor Payment Rates 2015/16: Hours Allocated per Category of Activity

This Table of Rates describes the dominant categories and rates used for these purposes in SSPS.

Social Work applies some variants in respect of its Sessional Tutors, given the duties applying to those

roles that are unique within SSPS.

Note 4 provides information on how Tutoring contributions on Fundamentals courses can vary from the

standard provisions of Table of Rates.

Category Hours Allocated / Notes

Tutoring and Preparation 2 hours per Tutorial group meeting - including

preparation and administration, but not including

marking of essays or exams. Where a course requires

that the Tutor provide marks on Tutorial participation,

an additional 2 hours per group will be reported for

payment at the course’s end.

Marking, Assessment, and Feedback Per Item of Assessment

1,000 - 1,500 words 20 minutes

1,501 -2,000 words 30 minutes

2,001 -3,000 words 45 minutes

3,001 - 4,000 words 1 hour

Exam Script Marking [with feedback] 40 minutes per script, including all questions. Not

including Take-Home Exams.

Post-Tutorial / Administration 2 Groups pw: 1 PT/A Hour additional in each of those

weeks. 3 Groups pw: 1.5 Hour additional. 4 Groups

pw: 2 hours additional. Payments would not apply

where the Tutor role on a course does not –

exceptionally - involve being available to students

outside of group meeting times.

Course Organiser/Convener (including

all design, delivery, and 1st marking

assessment)

210 Hours (175 UE06 hours “basic” + 20% premium)

Required meetings and training 1 per contact hour

Lecture 6 per contact hour

Hons / MSc Dissertation Supervision 6 hours

Hons / MSc Dissertation Marking 4 hours

Notes on Table of Rates

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1. “Assessment” includes essays and take-home exams, all of which are assumed to require

substantial feedback to students. The word-counts indicated in the above table correlate to the

word-counts as will be specified in the course guidance. SSPS rates (as of 2014/15) now include

additional time specifically in respect of quality feedback to students. If any assessment does not

require feedback to students, the Hours Allocated would be reduced from those specified above

by 33%, except in the case of Assessments of less than 1,500 words, where it is already assumed

that feedback is not a significant factor.

2. Tutors routinely undertake mid-semester assessment work in respect of their Tutorial Groups, and

a Tutor with 3 groups would be automatically Allocated hours for marking in respect of the student

numbers concerned. By the start of each semester, there may be scope for clarity on the number

of groups each Tutor will be undertaking in that semester, although equivalent clarity on the

student numbers within those groups, and hence the hours that will be allocated in respect of

assessment, would not be possible before the 3rd or 4th week of the semester concerned. Tutors

must also be available to contribute to the marking of exam scripts if required by the Course

Convener at semesters’ ends.

3. Post-Tutorial / Administration

Post-Tutorial / Administration Hours are not applicable to Senior Tutor roles.

4. Fundamentals courses

Where a Fundamentals Tutor is preparing for, and leading, a session in the way that Course

Tutors do, that session will be paid at 2 hours per contact hour. Where there is no such

responsibility to prepare for and lead a session, pay will be at 1 hour per contact hour.

Fundamentals Tutors are not normally required to provide Post-Tutorial / Administration, and so

no Hours will be allocated to that end.

Fundamentals assessments which do not fit within the categories of the Table of Rates will attract

Hours as follows:

Contributions to assessments on Fundamentals courses

Blog or Online Diary Reading, Review and Feedbacks

1 hour per blog / diary per student per semester

Group Oral Presentation Written Feedbacks 30 minutes per feedback

1,500-word Essay Marking and Feedback 30 minutes per essay

Mini-Essay (c. 500 words) Reading and Group Feedback

1 hour per 5 Mini-Essays, 2 hours for Group Feedback for Group of c. 60-70

Short Text (c. 150-200 words) - Reading / Marking (Pass-Fail) / short feedback

1 hour per 9 Short Texts

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E. Sick pay procedure and policy

If you are unable to undertake your duties due to ill health, you must contact your course organiser via email, and copy in the relevant course secretary, as soon as possible and no later than 9.30am on the first morning of illness. The email must detail the specific reason for your absence; the length of time you expect to be absent; whether you intend to seek medical advice; details of the courses and tutorial times or other work you were due to undertake. When you are well again, you must contact [email protected] as soon as you are able to return to your duties. You will be asked to complete a Return to Work form. If you have been off for 3 calendar days or more, this should be countersigned by your course organiser. If you have been off for 8 calendar days or more (with Saturday and Sunday counting towards the total) you must also supply a Fit Note from your GP. Return to Work form: www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/forms/Return_to_Work.doc If for any reason absence is likely to last more than two weeks, please let us know at [email protected] Sick pay Tutors are entitled to sick pay which will paid at the same rate as if you were well and able to carry out your duties. Claiming for sick pay in eTime When claiming sick pay in eTime, you should select tutoring as the task type. You must provide a clear description in the task description box to indicate that you are claiming sick pay, and the date and time of the task should correspond to the group(s) that you were unable to attend due to ill health. This is for record-keeping purposes only and will not affect the rate of pay you receive. University of Edinburgh Absence Management Policy: http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/Policies/Absence_Management-Policy.pdf


http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/forms/Return_to_Work.doc


http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/Policies/Absence_Management-Policy.pdf

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Appendix 3 - Marking and Assessment

SSPS courses are usually assessed by a combination of coursework and examination. For years 1 and 2, the normal assessment load is one piece of coursework (usually 1500 – 2000 words) and one two-hour exam. The normal balance is coursework 40% and exam 60%, although there are exceptions to this. Assessment practices are more variable at honours level, both between courses and between subject areas. In most courses only lecturing staff, and not tutors, mark the degree examinations; check your specific course guidance or ask your course organiser. Tutors are generally expected to mark and provide feedback on any items of assessment: coursework, essays, group presentations, exams, or dissertations. Most courses and subject areas have specific forms and criteria to ensure consistency of approaches to marking and feedback; all of these should conform to both University-wide and School-wide procedures. 1. UG Marking Descriptors To make your job easier and to ensure consistency, tutors are asked in some courses to use a standard feedback form; you should consult your course-specific guidance for more information. There is also a common marking scheme that is used by both lecturers to assess work in all SSPS courses to which this Manual applies. Marks must be allocated following the University-wide Common Marking Scheme. SSPS, like all other Schools, specifies its own set of ‘Marking Descriptors’ to match the University-wide grades. You must ensure that you follow those descriptors in allocating marks and making comments, so that there are no serious discrepancies between your comments and the School-wide descriptors that match the marks you give. For example, the descriptor for a B grade essay is ‘A very good answer that shows qualities beyond the merely routine or acceptable’, so you must not award a B if your comments describe the essay in general as merely ‘satisfactory’ or ‘routine’ rather than ‘very good’. It is University policy that markers are encouraged to write some comments directly onto students’ coursework and essays, but markers must NOT write on exam scripts as external examiners need to see uncontaminated scripts. It is usually advisable to keep comments written directly on essays short, and to cross-refer where applicable to overall comments on a feedback sheet. Many courses and subject areas use a standard feedback form for marking essays. If there is a standard form with a tickbox list of criteria, this is likely to reduce the amount that you need to say in your overall comments. Whether or not there is a standard form, it is always good practice to ensure that your comments include attention to:

Specific strengths

Specific weaknesses

Ways this essay could have been improved It is also good to ensure that your evaluation of strengths and weaknesses gives consideration to:

analytical and evaluative skills (interpretation, logic of argument, justification, etc.)

knowledge (accuracy and scope); and

communicative writing skills (clarity of writing, structuring, use of diagrams, etc.)

It is very important that when you comment on an essay, you specifically address the essay in question. While general feedback remarks are easiest to dispense, they do little to help students understand what is wrong with this particular essay. Be as pointed as possible, including page numbers and specific examples when possible The common marking scheme, as outlined below, serves as a guide to both staff and students about what is normally expected of work receiving a particular grade, and is reproduced in most course handbooks. It

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is also available on the School webpages at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/marking_descriptors A1 (90-100%) An answer that fulfils all of the criteria for ‘A2’ (see below) and in addition shows an exceptional degree of insight and independent thought, together with flair in tackling issues, yielding a product that is deemed to be of potentially publishable quality, in terms of scholarship and originality. A2 (80-89%) An authoritative answer that provides a fully effective response to the question. It should show a command of the literature and an ability to integrate that literature and go beyond it. The analysis should achieve a high level of quality early on and sustain it through to the conclusion. Sources should be used accurately and concisely to inform the answer but not dominate it. There should be a sense of a critical and committed argument, mindful of other interpretations but not afraid to question them. Presentation and the use of English should be commensurate with the quality of the content.

Example: This is an exceptionally well-written essay. While you could have drawn more substantially on the Romanian case and could have fleshed out the discussion on the failure of symbols as relates to civic identity more clearly, a focused answer is given showing your commendable authority on the subject. Regarding sources, you neglect Wright and would have benefited from more use of works by Clausen and Henderson rather than merely relying on Jones for their points of view. However, this answer is stylistically strong, there is a good layout and you clearly understand the question. There is a strong engagement with the literature. The essay reads well, has strong transitions and carries a clear argument throughout. Also of note is good referencing and grammar, making this essay easily assessable to readers. [This essay received an 82]

A3 (70-79%) A sharply-focused answer of high intellectual quality, which adopts a comprehensive approach to the question and maintains a sophisticated level of analysis throughout. It should show a willingness to engage critically with the literature and move beyond it, using the sources creatively to arrive at its own independent conclusions.

Example: You start by giving me a good bibliography which provides a foundation for in-depth literary analysis and critical engagement with the literature. This leads to strong, persuasive content. Unfortunately, you have a few factual errors which consistently take away from what is otherwise a strong essay; see page 3 and information on binge drinking and page 8 regarding traffic violations. Nonetheless, you conclusively discussed the state, welfare and policy initiatives, though you have a slight tendency to rely too much on quotes. This is a well-conceived essay of which you should be very proud. [This essay received a 75]

B B- (60-63%) B (64-66%) B+ (67-69%) A very good answer that shows qualities beyond the merely routine or acceptable. The question and the sources should be addressed directly and fully. The work of other authors should be presented critically. Effective use should be made of the whole range of the literature. There should be no significant errors of fact or interpretation. The answer should proceed coherently to a convincing conclusion. The quality of the writing and presentation (especially referencing) should be without major blemish. Within this range a particularly strong answer will be graded B+; a more limited answer will be graded B-.

Example: A good answer. This author has an understanding of the question and can write fluidly. Some sincere thought and analysis has gone into this essay. Unfortunately, too much time in the beginning of this essay has been used discussing how the question is ‘hard, near impossible’ to answer (see pages 2-4); this cuts significantly into a word count that could have used a stronger persuasive element throughout. Similarly, though the information about Canada is nominally persuasive, the example of Cambodia is not and the author would have done well to express this case more substantially. This essay occasionally lacks purpose and a sense of progression. However, there is a critical analysis of the literature and the broad range of sources are used well. [This essay received a 62]

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/marking_descriptors

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C C- (50-53%) C (54-56%) C+ (57-59%) A satisfactory answer with elements of the routine and predictable. It should be generally accurate and firmly based in the reading. It may draw upon a restricted range of sources but should not just re-state one particular source. Other authors should be presented accurately, if rather descriptively. The materials included should be relevant, and there should be evidence of basic understanding of the topic in question. Factual errors and misunderstandings of concepts and authors may occasionally be present but should not be a dominant impression. The quality of writing, referencing and presentation should be acceptable. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded C+; a weaker answer will be graded C-.

Example: You show from the outset that you have a basic understanding of the topic suggested by the question. The primary concern with this essay is the lack of relation to theory. There should have been a strong discussion here of realism, neo-realism and neo-liberalism which was absent. The writing style is choppy and often lacks clarity. Basic grammar mistakes are highlighted by an overly informal tone. Nonetheless, you clearly have a good grasp of the question and attempt to give a direct answer. [This essay received a 53]

D D- (40-43%) D (44-46%) D+ (47-49%) A passable answer which understands the question, displays some academic learning and refers to relevant literature. The answer should be intelligible and in general factually accurate, but may well have deficiencies such as restricted use of sources or academic argument, over-reliance on lecture notes, poor expression, and irrelevancies to the question asked. The general impression may be of a rather poor effort, with weaknesses in conception or execution. It might also be the right mark for a short answer that at least referred to the main points of the issue. Within this range a stronger answer will be graded D+; a bare pass will be graded D-.

Example: This is a passable answer. You have an acceptable understanding of the question and have shown that you have a nominal familiarity with the relevant literature (Blount 2010, Richmond 1998 particularly). You do give examples to support your key points (the use of knives as street weapons, Cheshire and water purity); however, these examples lack connection to the question and only a minimal amount of analysis. Generally, your essay lacks structure and purpose. While the grammar is acceptable, a poor referencing style and an overly informal tone make this essay hard to follow. In the future, better referencing and a stronger interaction with the question at hand would go far in helping you receive a better mark. [This essay received a 47]

E (30-39%) An answer with evident weaknesses of understanding but conveying the sense that with a fuller argument or factual basis it might have achieved a pass. It might also be a short and fragmentary answer with merit in what is presented but containing serious gaps.

Example: My primary concerns with this essay are a seeming misunderstanding of the topic and the difference between member states and the institution of the WTO. This confusion is most easily highlighted in the examples used. While use has been made of them, they are generally poor examples. On the whole, member states have a strong role in WTO trade policies, while their role in security policy is weaker, a point clearly misunderstood by the author. You would do well to remember that simply because a state is affected by a policy does not make them influential in shaping that policy (see pages 3, 5 and 6). It is also vital that you revisit this works cited page and make the necessary corrections. In short, greater attention to factual accuracy and critical analysis would have achieved a pass. [This essay received a 38]

F (20-29%) An answer showing seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject, with little awareness of the relevant issues or literature, major omissions or inaccuracies, and pedestrian use of inadequate sources. G (10-19%) An answer that falls far short of a passable level by some combination of short length, irrelevance, lack of intelligibility, factual inaccuracy and lack of acquaintance with reading or academic concepts. H (0-9%) An answer without any academic merit which usually conveys little sense that the course has been followed or of the basic skills of essay-writing.

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Please Note: In this system, the vast bulk of marks tend to fall well below 80 and well above 30, but you can and should mark outside this range if you think it is appropriate after consulting the grading criteria. The most important thing is to try to use the full range of marks as much as possible to discriminate between different levels of student performance. It may be helpful to decide first to which class a piece of work belongs, and then adjust up or down from there. Borderlines are always difficult. Logically, the scheme assumes that you develop a sense of what mid-grades (75, 65, 55, 45, and 35) really stand for. A 2:1 with slight weaknesses is therefore 62-63; one about which you have reservations is just 60; a good 2:2 is 58-59. By the same token, a straightforward or clear first should be marked at, say, 75 or above, not just 70-72. For more on general assessment policies in SSPS see: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/general_assessment_policies In this system, the vast bulk of marks tend to fall well below 80 and well above 30, but you can and should mark outside this range if you think it is appropriate after consulting the grading criteria. The most important thing is to try to use the full range of marks as much as possible to discriminate between different levels of student performance. It may be helpful to decide first to which class a piece of work belongs, and then adjust up or down from there. Borderlines are always difficult. Logically, the scheme assumes that you develop a sense of what mid-grades (75, 65, 55, 45, and 35) really stand for. A 2:1 with slight weaknesses is therefore 62-63; one about which you have reservations is just 60; a good 2:2 is 58-59. By the same token, a straightforward or clear first should be marked at, say, 75 or above, not just 70-72. In order to pass first and second year courses, students must pass the exam and gain a pass mark overall for the course (i.e. 40%), but do not necessarily have to attain a pass mark on the coursework element. 2. Double Marking and Moderation A sample of coursework essays is routinely double-marked during the year, usually by your course organiser, who may also examine the spread of marks across the course as a whole (as most courses have multiple tutors). Double-marking and moderation are intended to reassure teaching staff, students, and external examiners that appropriate standards are being applied across the course. Please remember that the final authority on individual students’ marks – for both coursework and exams – is the Board of Examiners, made up of the lecturers and External Examiner. The specific arrangements for double-marking and moderation vary between different courses; please seek specific guidance from your course organiser and/or Senior Course Tutor (if applicable). Students may want additional comments and advice on their coursework, where appropriate. If a student wants to discuss their coursework further (or is concerned about their mark and/or coursework comments), they should contact their tutor in the first instance. If, after discussion, the student is not satisfied, you should refer the student to the course organiser. Students should be aware that if they ask for a mark to be reviewed, and this request is granted, the mark could be revised either upwards or downwards. 3. Plagiarism The University treats plagiarism as a serious offence and this is reflected in the elaborate mechanisms employed for checking whether or not it occurs and in the seriousness of the penalties occurred should it be found. It is important therefore that you discuss plagiarism with your students by creating opportunities for them to check exactly what it means to plagiarise and how they can avoid it and to endorse the seriousness of deliberately cheating. The processes by which students’ work is checked and cases of suspected plagiarism are dealt with and penalised are as follows:

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/general_assessment_policies

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Each piece of coursework a student submits must be accompanied by a statement by the student confirming that they understand what plagiarism is, and the consequences if it is detected in their work. This takes the form of a box that must be ‘ticked’ at the point of electronic submission. Remind your students that the School uses the Turnitin plagiarism detection system for all undergraduate essays. Turnitin compares every essay against a constantly-updated database, which highlights all plagiarised work. This system checks student essays against the web overnight, and produces a report for each essay indicating the amount of material it has in common with other sources (including the other student essays submitted along with it). Due to shared titles and bibliographic sources, all essays will show some level of duplication. Markers must make a judgement about what level of duplication warrants closer scrutiny to see if the essay does involve plagiarism. If you suspect that any coursework contains plagiarised material, please contact your course organiser in the first instance. Serious cases of plagiarism will be forwarded by the course organiser to the College Academic Misconduct Officer who handles further investigation, interviews the student and decides whether to refer the case as a disciplinary matter. While you may never come across a serious case of plagiarism, you are likely to come across several less serious cases of poor scholarship; for example, you are likely to come across an essay where an unacceptably high proportion of the essay is direct quotations and/or paraphrases of course readings or lecture notes, some of which may not be properly attributed. It is important to be clear in making students aware that these practices are unacceptable and that this is reflected in the mark. Guidance about plagiarism is given at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/plagiarism_procedures In addition, you may want to be familiar with these pages, which provide helpful information for students on ‘What Is Plagiarism and How To Avoid It’: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/on_being_a_student/what_is_plagiarism 4. Coursework Regulations and Procedures SSPS has moved to electronic submission for all course work. Further guidance for students and staff is on the Wiki at https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SPSITWiki/ELMA Essays received by the deadline are distributed to tutors shortly thereafter (usually by the Course Secretary). Essays submitted after the deadlines are distributed to tutors as they arrive by the Course Secretary; the Course Secretary will indicate the submission date and time. Emphasize to your students that there is no grace period for coursework deadlines, i.e. for a 12 pm deadline, a piece of work handed in at 12.05 pm would be treated as late. The standard penalty for late submission of coursework is five marks per working day (i.e. excluding weekends and University holidays) for up to five days. Work handed in more than five days late will not be assessed, and a mark of zero will be recorded. On year 1 and 2 courses, there is also a penalty for excessive word length: one mark will be deducted for every additional 20 words over the limit. Students must provide a word count on their coursework cover sheet. Extension policies vary between year 1 and 2 courses and honours courses. On year 1 and 2 courses, if there is a good reason for not meeting a coursework deadline, a student may request an extension from either their tutor (for extensions of up to five calendar days) or the course organiser (for extension of six or more calendar days). A good reason is illness, or serious personal circumstances, but not pressure of work or poor time management. Supporting evidence may be requested. Extension requests should normally be made before the deadline. If you decide to grant an extension request, you must send an email to your Course Secretary indicating your support for the request. Please consult your specific course guidance for more information on the procedure for granting extension requests in the courses you are teaching on.

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/plagiarism_procedures

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/on_being_a_student/what_is_plagiarism

https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SPSITWiki/ELMA

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In honours courses, tutors do not grant extension requests. Instead, honours students who submit work after the deadline must fill in a ‘Lateness Penalty Waiver (LPW) Form’ (which are available through student support officers) stating the reason for the request. The form should be submitted as soon as possible, preferably before the deadline in question. However, students should always submit an LPW form when work is late, even if they are unable to submit the form until after the missed deadline. For more on SSPS coursework policies, see: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/index You may also want to be familiar with SSPS student web pages concerning coursework requirements: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/assessment_and_regulations

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/intranet/teaching/info_ug_teaching/index

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/assessment_and_regulations

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/assessment_and_regulations

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Appendix 4 – Staff Guidance October 2013 on Improving Feedback

Improving Feedback in SSPS The purpose of this document is to outline minimum expectations for feedback provided to undergraduate and postgraduate students. While there are many great examples within the School of constructive and pedagogically valuable feedback, there have also been instances of poor or inadequate feedback practice. With these brief guidelines we hope to get everybody on the same page as to what best practice is. The implementation of ELMA will now allow course conveners and senior tutors to review all feedback before it is returned to students. The following key principles are worth bearing in mind:

Formative All courses within the College are now required to include a component of formative assessment. In other words, the feedback we give should include a clear indication of how the student’s work can be improved in future. This aspect of feedback is sometimes referred to as ‘feedforward’, i.e. feedback which is explicitly directed at improving student performance later on in the course, and in the degree more generally.

Constructive It should probably go without saying that all feedback should be constructive, but please remember that there is little place for sarcasm in feedback. It’s as important to point out where students went right as to where they went wrong.

Consistent

Different kinds of assessment obviously require different kinds of feedback, but it is essential that students receive consistent feedback for the same assessment. We cannot have one student receiving two sentences of feedback, and another two pages of feedback, for the same assessment.

Prompt

The university requires all assessed work to be marked, moderated, and returned within 15 working days. If feedback is to be properly moderated (and then processed by the UTO/GSO before being released to students) then it needs to be marked within 10 working days, i.e. two weeks from when it was handed in. A list of dates by which students are due to receive feedback will be made available to all students. If this deadline is missed, the course convener will be required to email the students explaining why.

Extensive guidance on good feedback practice can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/staff/advice/assessment

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/staff/advice/assessment

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/staff/advice/assessment

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Appendix 5 – Staff Guidance on Moderation

SPS Guidelines on Undergraduate Marking and Moderation

These guidelines outline key ways in which we ensure that our marking is fair and consistent. They cannot cover every possible eventuality and all those involved in the marking and moderation process will therefore need to exercise their judgment when anomalous issues arise. For further information, please refer to the full university guidance on moderation which can be found at:

http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Guidance/Moderation_Guidance.pdf

Key responsibilities

Exams convenor

The exams convenor is responsible for ensuring that moderators have been identified for all courses within a subject area and that a rigorous system of moderation is in place. They are also responsible for ensuring that marking and moderation take place within the specified time frame.

Course convenor

In some cases (usually Honours courses), the course convenor will also be a marker whose work is moderated by somebody else. In other cases (usually First and Second year courses), the course convenor will moderate work marked by others. In both of these cases, final responsibility lies with the course convenor to ensure that moderation has taken place, that original markers have been notified of any adjustments, and that the course team in the UTO has been informed that all coursework has been fully marked and moderated and is now ready for release to students.

NB. It is the responsibility of the course convenor to oversee the recording of any changes implemented by the moderator. The moderator should inform the marker of any changes made to the original marks, but they should NOT, except in exceptional circumstances, return work to markers to be remarked. The course convenor’s confirmation of moderation should be the final step in the process before marks are returned to the UTO.

Marker

The marker is responsible for marking accurately and fairly, and for providing adequate and appropriate feedback.

Moderator

The moderator is responsible for moderating a specific piece of assessment and then notifying the Course Convenor and original marker of any necessary adjustments.

Types of Moderation

Checking

If a piece of assessment counts for a relatively low proportion of the overall mark and full moderation is not possible or appropriate, then the assessment is “checked” rather than moderated. Checking means that the course convenor ensures a standard spread of marks and ensures that appropriate comments have been provided. Tutorial participation would usually fall into this category. Only in exceptional cases would a moderator make any adjustments when “checking” an assessment.

Normal moderation

Normally, moderation would involve looking at a sample of coursework, all fails, and any problematic cases.

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This should normally comprise approximately 25% of the total. It should include:

at least one example of work in each of the ranges 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 and above;

all other fail marks

any other uncertain or problematic cases on which the first marker would like a second opinion. Sample marks should not usually be changed in isolation, as this is potentially unfair both to students whose work was selected and to those whose work was not. If a moderator should disagree significantly with the mark awarded to a piece of work provided as an example of a range, they should moderate all the work in that range (or, for very large courses, a sufficient proportion to enable a confident judgment to be reached). Should the moderator have concerns about the whole sample such that rescaling would be appropriate, this should be discussed with the first marker/Course Convenor, and if necessary additional second marking done to confirm this. NB. Throughout the process, small differences of opinion between first and second markers are common. Minor disagreements should result in no further action. Throughout, the student’s anonymity must be maintained and work identified only by the student number provided.

Normal Sequence of Marking and Moderation

The following sequence must ensure that work is returned to students within 15 working days. In most cases, this means around 10 days for marking, 3 days for moderation, and 2 days for final processing by the UTO. NB. This is the “normal” sequence; there will inevitably be some exceptions, such as dissertations, for example.

The relevant course secretary will indicate to markers when work is ready to be marked.

Mark all work, and ensure that marks and comments are consistent with the Common Marking

Scheme (CMS) mark descriptors.

Once marking has been completed, the relevant marked materials should be made available to

the moderator (or moderators).

The moderator reviews the grade distribution, undertakes a review of a sample of marks, and

checks feedback, ensuring that marking is consistent, that marks and comments accord with

the CMS, and that comments are clear and helpful.

In large courses with several moderators, the course convenor will review the moderation

process to ensure consistency.

First markers and moderators should ensure that the mark on the feedback sheet matches that

on the final marks spreadsheet.

Markers should review a sample of Turnitin reports for the submitted work, focussing on reports

flagged as a high percentage attributable to other sources.

Finally, the course convenor should contact the relevant course secretary, via email, indicating

that marks are ready to be released to students.

[This document is based on guidance written by Nick Prior and Liz Stanley for Sociology, and by Luke March and Richard Freeman for the Graduate School]

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