The role of theTeaching Assistant

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Welcome & Introductions

A bit about me A bit about you.

Programme

1. The role of the Teaching Assistant

2. How students learn

3. Understanding the British HE system

4. Planning your teaching

5. Assessment principles and challenges

6. Marking and giving feedback

etc

Purpose

To enable participants to be clear about their role and to begin to explore their approach to the teaching and learning process within the BUE context.

Your role and its risks

In your small groups, please spend a few minutes talking together about what your role as a TA is...

...and about any risks associated with this role.

Structure

1. Roles and Responsibilities of Staff

2. Establishing a Professional ‘Distance’ with Students

3. Line Management

4. Teaching Teams.

Process

Lots of discussion Please ask questions or offer comments at

any stage.

Key concept

Your fundamental purpose as a TA is to help your students to learn...

...within the context of a British university.

1 – Roles and responsibilities of staff

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Key documents

Module Leader Job description TA Job description As we go through these, please look for

anything that:– isn’t clear to you– you think might cause a problem for: you

as a TA; the student; or the Module Leader

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 1Module Delivery To ensure that the Module Specifications and

delivery are consistent with the objectives and procedures of the Programme, University regulations, the UK academic standards and quality assurance practices in learning and teaching

To coordinate, monitor and approve the work of all staff and TA's contributing to the module in terms of delivery, assessment, feedback and moderation, providing such advice and support to the staff as may be necessary

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 2Line management To oversee that new staff receive an induction to the

module to ensure that they understand the learning, teaching, attendance policy and assessment strategy including marking practice

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 3Module Administration To provide students in a timely manner with module

documentation (e.g. module specs, weekly outline, reading list, assessment strategy, marking criteria) either electronically or in paper format, in order to enable them to understand what is expected of them and what they can expect of the module

To update and actively maintain the E-learning page for the module to meet at least the minimum requirements specified by the University

To be available to deal with student issues and complaints in a timely manner

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 4 To provide information to the relevant administrative

offices by the given deadlines to facilitate timetabling, and to ensure that the list of registered students is as accurate as possible prior to the start of teaching to ensure that the teaching process begins promptly

To be responsible for maintaining a module file that should be updated on a regular basis to ensure that standards are being implemented correctly in relation to marking, double marking, appropriateness of assessments and quality of feedback given to students etc

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 5Module Assessment To be solely responsible for the printing of

examination papers in sufficient quantities and secure submission to the Exam Office

To ensure that all assessment procedures are carried out in line with university regulations and that assessment marks are accurately entered to the University database by the required deadlines and results are calculated using the appropriate weightings

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 6 To attend internal moderation boards as relevant, to

ensure that appropriate moderation procedures are in place for all elements of assessments

To address any issues raised by external validation reviews and respond to external examiners' feedback in a timely manner

To complete a Module Leader assessment report to be presented to the Module Exam Board (MEB)

To respond to the issues raised in the student Module evaluation

Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 7 To attend meetings of the Module Exam Board as

required To liaise as necessary with the Head of Department

and notify him/her of any issues which may affect the delivery or assessment of the module.

Your views?

In groups please reflect on this information and any comments

Do you have any uncertainties or concerns about any of this?

Your job description

This is what you are contracted to do Important that you understand what is

expected of you Please ask if anything that follows either

isn’t clear or worries you.

Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 1Line management & attendance Report to assigned line manager (HoD) Attend regularly and punctually

Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 2Module Administration Aid module leaders in module management Teach and supervise students on a regularly

monitored basis during tutorials and, where appropriate, practical sessions

Prepare, under supervision, teaching materials, e.g. for practical sessions (lab manuals, power-point presentations) and different types of academic materials (Xeroxing and distributing)

Aid in e-learning management and maintenance

Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 3Student attendance and support Monitor student attendance, especially in

Preparatory Year modules Offer academic help during office hours and be

available to answer students’ questions Encourage student involvement in activities, both

academic and extra-curricular

Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 4Module Assessment Assist in collecting assignments and other

assessment submissions Assist in marking, using model answers and official

departmental marking criteria, ONLY where an assignment component is NO MORE than 10% of a Module total (usually class tests and quizzes), with marking checked by module examiner/s

Help in administrative work such as invigilation of examination of tests and recording of exam marks, but NOT in preparation of exam papers

Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 5Other Assist in research activities Act as substitute lecturers on the rare occasions

required

Your views?

2 – Establishing a professional ‘distance’

with students

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Why...

...do you think we have flagged this as such an important issue?

For all staff

Students are here to LEARN and to be GUIDED

They are not your ‘friends’ Ensure that each student is clear that

there are other students who also need attention.

Use of appointments 1 Only see students at an agreed and

appointed time This MUST be done through EMAIL Do NOT allow students to enter your office

with NO appointment If you allow this then you are

UNDERMINING your colleagues Do NOT give your phone number to ANY

student

Use of appointments 2 Do NOT accept ANY student’s phone

number Do NOT allow any student more than 15

minutes per appointment Arrange for another appointment another

day if required Do NOT accept ‘excuses’ for a student

from ANOTHER student.

Appropriate relationships

Do NOT tolerate rude or abusive students – report to the HoD

Do NOT deal with ANY student who is NOT part of your classes

Do NOT discuss ANY other member of staff with ANY student

Be POLITE to students but firm

Regulations and systems Show sympathy but always quote

REGULATIONS Always refer students to the Programme and

University Handbooks If you cannot give an answer request students to

come back when you have the answer Where possible refer students to the Class

Representatives to air their concerns Discuss these with the Class Representatives –

and ask the latter to inform the students

Your views?

3 – Line managers

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Line managers

Some staff appear to be confused regarding who their line manager actually is. There is no need for any confusion because:

In every Department there is ONE manager – the Head of Department

The HoD may assign another member of staff to whom you should report as required

ML’s are NOT line managers.

4 – Teaching teams

General principles

Every ML and TA constitute a Teaching Team – you work together as a team to deliver a module to students.

This should never be a ‘master – slave’ relationship!

It MUST be a professional relationship And this MUST be GOVERNED by each

adhering to their OWN responsibilities

Communicating with students You should always present yourselves as The

Teaching Team to students. For example: Economic Development (ECON O4I02) Teaching team: Professor John Adams & Ms.

Reham Rizk The above appears on EVERY lecture slide,

every assignment and every communication with students for this module as a CONSTANT header.

Management of the team In very large modules where there are several

lecturers working ONLY the Module Leader is responsible for the module

In such cases the ML MUST ensure that all members of the Teaching Team are given a teaching plan, understand the assignments, given a tutorial programme and always included in discussions of module delivery PRIOR to and during delivery

Where there are serious opinion differences this should first be discussed with the Programme Director

Reflection

Please reflect on this session and identify one thing that you have learned and one thing that you are going to do differently.