This document outlines an introductory training session for postgraduate students on teaching skills, which covers understanding student learning, effective small group teaching techniques, questioning strategies, planning sessions, providing feedback, and reviewing one's own teaching practice. The training aims to help participants understand their roles and responsibilities as tutors and apply principles of learning and teaching to improve their instructional skills. Upon completion, participants can choose to pursue a formal postgraduate teaching accreditation through a series of additional workshops and portfolio requirements.

1. Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice for Postgraduate Students who Teach (PGA Part 1) Christine Smith

2. Learning outcomes for PGA Part 1 By the end of the session, you will…. Have a greater understanding of your role and responsibilities as a tutor Understand the basic principles of learning, and key issues of teaching in a HE context Be able to apply relevant principles of learning and teaching when planning sessions Be conversant with the teaching techniques appropriate to your context Understand the role of assessment in student learning Be aware of how you can monitor and review your own practice

3. Outline for the day 9.30 Welcome and introductions 9.45 Taking stock 10.00 Student learning 10.30 Small group teaching Coffee 11.15 Working with small groups 12.00 Questioning skills Lunch 13.15 Planning a session 14.00 Assessment and feedback Break 14.45 Dealing with challenges in small group teaching 15.30 Reviewing teaching 15.45 What next? Close

4. Taking stock What are you looking forward to? What issues or challenges are you concerned about, what questions do you have?

5. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle DO REFLECT/OBSERVE PLAN THINK

6. What’s your preferred learning style? Activist Reflector Theorist Pragmatist Do you always learn in the same way?

7. Kolb plus Honey and Mumford Activist DO Reflector Pragmatist OBSERVE PLAN THINK Theorist

8. Theory into practice Consider your teaching, how can you take into account Kolb’s theory and Honey and Mumford’s learning preferences? What can you do to encourage your students to visit all four points of Kolb’s cycle? How can you engage students with different learning preferences?

9. Effective small group teaching What you would see if you observed an effective small group session? What are the students doing? What is the tutor doing? You might find it helpful to reflect on your own learning experiences - good and bad! (10 mins)

10. Coffee

12. Discussing

13. Critiquing

14. Questioning

15. Sharing

16. ConcludingAnd others?

18. Fishbowls

19. Crossovers

20. Rounds

21. Buzz groups

22. Circular questioningAnd others? Brainstorming Problem solving Role play Syndicates Poster tours Case studies Debates Presentations Reading

25. Purpose of questions Building students’ confidence Checking their understanding Helping students think more deeply/in a more complex way about an issue/problem Encouraging student independence Probing/following up Re-focussing discussion Encouraging discussion/debate

26. Different levels of questioning How would you prove/disprove…? What changes would you make to solve…? What would happen if…? How is … related to …? How would you use…? How would you describe…? What is… ?

27. Common errors in questioning Asking too many questions at once Asking a question and answering it yourself Asking a difficult question too early Asking a question in a threatening way Not allowing student time to think before expecting the answer

28. Answering questions “Is this right?” “Where do I start?” “What’s the best way of approaching this?” Balance between providing an answer and reflecting the question back Encouraging students to think for themselves How to respond to a question when you don’t know the answer

29. Lunch

30. Planning sessions The learning outcomes Your background preparation Learning activities Practicalities Contingencies

32. Assessment What is its the purpose? Formative and Summative

33. Race's 'Ripples on a pond' model oflearning wanting/ needing doing digesting feedback

34. Example Feedback You’ve made a good attempt at this essay. You introduce the subject well making a number of good points, in particular I think your development of the topic is strong. However there are a number of areas for improvement. Unfortunately there are numerous typos and punctuation errors. You really should be more carefull to avoid these silly mistakes There are a number of problems with your referencing. Actually your referencing is one of the worst I have seen in marking this assignment. A general comment, you should try and engage with the literature more effectively. In all this has been a reasonable attempt for a first essay.

36. Good Feedback Practice Timely Personal Empowering Understandable Manageable Feedback sandwich Explain why a particular mark has been given

37. If you’re going to be marking… Make sure you’re fully briefed beforehand by an experienced member of staff You should have a copy of the assessment criteria, instructions given to students and any other relevant information/materials (e.g. module guide) Make sure that your marking is checked or moderated by an experienced member of staff See the policy for postgraduates who teach!

38. Coffee

39. Challenging situations What are the challenges? Are there any underlying causes? List 3 possible ways of dealing with the situation (more if you can think of any)? What would you not do?

40. Gather feedback Interpret feedback Make changes Agree/decide on action Adapted from Hounsell (1999) Reviewing your teaching

41. Useful resources Colleagues Higher Education Academy (HEA) HEA Subject Centres Graduate Skills Programme Staff Development Collection (library) Learning and Development Centre team

42. What now? Do nothing! Do set reading and complete reflection on Part 1 to receive a formal letter of attendance Progress to PGA Part 2 to work towards formal accreditation for your teaching

43. PGA Part 2 Postgraduate Award Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice (PGA IAPP) 30 masters credits Attend 2 full-day workshops and 3 small group meetings Compile a portfolio of evidence: teaching observations, student feedback (to and from), session plans, 2 longer pieces of writing about your practice

44. For further help/information PGA Website: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/ldc/development/pga Email: pga@warwick.ac.uk Christine Smith Tel: 75580 Learning and Development Centre 2nd floor, University House