Staff Information & Teaching Guide - Swinburne University of ...

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. Teaching web links There is an abundance of excellent learning and teaching resources to be found online. Some useful information and teaching tips can be found at the following: Macquarie University: http://www.mq.edu.au/ltc/resources/index.htm Murdoch University: http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Educational-Development/ Queensland University of Technology: http://www.ltu.qut.edu.au/development/teaching.jsp Melbourne University: http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/prof_dev/new_staff/docs/Sessional_Handbook_ 2009-2.pdf Teaching Tips We have also put together a few thoughts from staff that may help you in preparing and structuring your teaching sessions. This is not an exhaustive list – but designed to trigger your thoughts on teaching approaches and styles. Recipes for success in teaching: Clear objectives for each lecture or tutorial shared at the beginning. Summary at the end referring back to objectives. Homework and preparation for next lecture. A snapshot of what is to follow in the next class. As much participation as possible generated by asking lots of questions - simple questions as well as more difficult questions. Positive feedback to all responses. I like to do this even with big classes, but this can cause problems if you have too enthusiastic a response. Encourage questions and group discussion. Humour and humility. Genuine concern for students' difficulties. Support the unit coordinator. Discuss any problems with the coordinator rather than the students. Be very enthusiastic and be well prepared so that you can answer the curly questions. Be receptive to new ideas and alternative answers. Attendance & Punctuality Issues “I make sure I am on time, so hopefully setting an example. I usually allow about 5 minutes for people to get to class and get settled, and then start promptly. I think it’s important to let the students know that they are expected to be on time, and also to start on time for the students who do make the effort to be punctual. A quiet word is usually enough for repeat late comers. I have only had one class where two students repeatedly arrived late. The day they told me they had to leave early as well because they were in a 22
one hour car park for a 90 minute class, I told them publicly (and in fairly uncertain terms) that I didn’t think that was appropriate. They were always on time (and there for the whole class) after that. (They both also chose to be in my class the following semester, so I guess I didn’t leave any long-term psychological scars).” Punctuality: Start the lecture with a brief recap of the previous week's lecture. This serves as a useful bridge with previous learning, and puts the material being delivered that day within the overall learning context. An additional benefit of this is that if students are a few minutes late, they are not missing out on the latest material being delivered. I adopt a similar technique in tutorials. With computer labs using a 'follow along from screen' technique, it's important that the bulk of the students are in attendance before commencing the lab. As students are dribbling in, you can request students show tutors their assignment work in progress. This allows valuable student feedback to be given, maximises the useful time within the lab, and allows the bulk of the class to arrive before the lab's delivery starts. Attendance: Many units of study have labs or tutorials that are considered compulsory. For example, in multimedia labs there are set exercises which must be completed each week. At the end of the formal delivery, students complete these exercises and their attendance is marked off once the completed exercises are shown to the tutor. This ensures that attendance is recorded, and that the students are engaging with the material (by practising the set exercises). It is also useful to emphasise to students when attendance in labs is considered compulsory, and that (when indicated in the Unit of Study Outline) an academic penalty can be applied for missed lab classes. Also point out that attendance may be taken into consideration when considering issues such as extensions and borderline grades. Adult learning expectations Having come back to study as a mature age student myself, I am able to empathise with people in this situation. I sometimes relay to students my very different experiences of doing my first degree straight out of school while I was living with my parents, and doing my second degree while managing four young children and part-time work. I usually suggest to students in this situation that they should not be too hard on themselves, particularly in the first couple of weeks when they can feel a bit shell shocked. I think it helps to acknowledge that they might find it a bit harder and to provide some moral support and encouragement along the way. Often though, these students are the ones who make the most effort to get to class and get work done, because they have made a big investment to get here. Encourage students to ask questions and answer them of course! Additionally, get students to interact with each other as much as possible (within and outside the classroom). Let them build up some network of learners or peers. Also encourage them to seek assistance of tutors, lecturers, demonstrators. Group dynamics Group work can be a great way for students to get to know each other in the first few weeks. As much as possible, it’s best to have something for each member of the group to do so that everyone is actively involved. Group work also reduces to possibility of 23
Page 1 and 2: Faculty of Life and Social Sciences
Page 3 and 4: Mail Boxes ........................
Page 5 and 6: INTRODUCTION Welcome to all session
Page 7 and 8: GENERAL INDUCTION INFORMATION Swinb
Page 9 and 10: If you have any problems with your
Page 11 and 12: If you are unable to access a teach
Page 13 and 14: The deadlines for submission of tim
Page 15 and 16: Safety You may find that as a Sessi
Page 17 and 18: Services include Careers and Emplo
Page 19 and 20: Student Development and Counselling
Page 21 and 22: Croydon 12-50 Norton Road, Croydon,
Page 23 and 24: Unit of Study Panel The role of the
Page 25: Manager of Students and Programs wi
Page 29 and 30: APPENDIX 1: FLSS STAFF LISTING As a
Page 31 and 32: ACADEMIC GROUPS Prof Greg Murray Ac
Page 33 and 34: APPENDIX 3: SUT HAWTHORN CAMPUS - F
Page 35 and 36: APPENDIX 4: SUT HAWTHORN CAMPUS - E
Page 37 and 38: Report the incident to the OHS Cons
Page 39 and 40: Restrict unnecessary movement into
Page 41 and 42: students which will lead to assessm
Page 43 and 44: systems until later in their course

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