Making the leap from student to teachertutor

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Making the leap from student to teacher/tutor

• PsyPAG 2005 workshop
• Debbie Smith
• Natasha Coppins
• Jacqui Akhurst

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Facts and figures about psychology in the UK

• 80,000 applications per year
• 3rd largest subject at undergraduate degree level
• 35,000 undergraduates (85 women, 12 BME)
• 8,000 pg students (6 BME)
• 120 psychology departments
• 120 undergraduate single programmes
• 1900 joint/interdisciplinary programmes
• service teaching

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The Higher Education Academy Psychology Network

• We support HE TEACHING OF PSYCHOLOGY by
• providing resources
• arranging and facilitating workshops
• contributing to and responding to policy
  developments
• organising the biennial Psych. Learning and
  Teaching (PLAT) conference
• We support RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT by
• securing project funding
• encouraging individual and departmental projects
• disseminating findings publications bi-annual
  PLAT journal
• We use NETWORKS to
• collaborate with other subject-specific groups
• build and extend sub-disciplinary/ cognate groups
• broker collaborative projects

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Departmental survey, 2000 Postgraduates
teaching responsibilities
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Discuss, in groups of 2 or 3, what problems you
have encountered or think you might encounter
when making the leap from student to
teacher/tutor
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The range of influences on learning
Past experiences of learning
Recognition of need
Awareness of process / skills
The impact of mistakes
Rewards and punishments
Blockages to learning
Personal learning style
Student Learning and Development
Course content
Range of opportunities
Culture / climate
Competing demands
Impact of peers
Methods of teaching
Impact of the teacher / tutor
(adapted from Honey and Mumford, 1992)
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Forming the network for postgraduates who teach
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Post-Graduates who Teach (PGwT) network

• Why
• The importance of confidence ability in
  teaching.
• Peer support networking.
• What
• Network of PGs ? targeting needs of PGs.
• Two forms of support
• Workshops.
• PG led devised to address specific concerns.
• Hosted at different universities, every 3 to 4
  months.
• Web-pages.

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Workshop benefits

• Teaching style
• Teacher-student relationship / learning
  objectives.
• Making lectures and seminars interesting
• Ice-breakers / post-it notes / varying
  activities.
• Dealing with difficult students
• Speak to the student ? module leader.
• Marking work
• Be familiar with material / have the specific
  criteria / compare your first few marks with
  other tutors.

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Preparing to Teach a Psychology Course
University of New Hampshire
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UNH on-line teaching course

• Aims
• For PGs in the early stages of teaching.
• Preparing to teach psychology (GRAD 980)
• Introduction to the essential skills and
  techniques required for the effective teaching of
  psychology.
• Introduction
• The course is run by The University of New
  Hampshire, USA
• On-line course running from June 1st to July
  21st.
• Maximum of 2 hours per week.
• Small groups (10 - 12).

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UNH on-line course

• The course consists of five modules / 7
  assignments
• Teaching philosophy
• Constructed our personal teaching philosophy.
• Testing and grading
• On-line group discussion.
• The syllabus
• Prepared a syllabus.
• Interacting with students
• On-line group discussion.
• Teaching module and course evaluation plan
• Designed a teaching unit.
• On-line discussion of course evaluation plan

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On-line teaching course benefits

• Comprehensive guide to all aspects of teaching
• Designing personal teaching objectives.
• Presentation applying psychological theory.
• Assessment pros and cons of different methods.
• Course evaluation importance and application.
• International links.
• Contact Professor Victor Benassi
• vab_at_cisunix.unh.edu

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Working with the PGwT network

• Join the group member profile sheet for
  completion on the webpage
• Link up with events in your region SE, Midlands
  and NE groups at various stages of formation
• Form a network with like-minded people in your
  region
• Contribute teaching materials and ideas
• Offer suggestions of inspiring speakers
• or topics for events
• Wed welcome your participation

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Also see Helping Graduate Students become
Competent Teachers http//teachpsych.lemoyne.edu/
teachpsych/pnpp/index.htmlWebsite
http//www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/