1. Preparing for Learning and Teaching at Oxford (PLTO)
A course for class tutors and College tutors
Martin Galpin
(based on slides by Dr Anne Crook, Oxford Learning Institute)

2. Oxford students
Our students will generally have achieved excellent results in their pre-University exams.
Typically our students will have A-levels all at grade A or A*, with an average of 2.5 A*s per student.
They are used to being the best in their school.
They are usually very good at rote learning, and at reproducing arguments they’ve seen before.
But they differ greatly in their ability to process large volumes of information and think for themselves!

3. Teaching in Oxford Chemistry
Teaching in Chemistry (and at Oxford in general) is split between College and Department
The Department provides:
the lecture courses
the practical course
some problem classes (e.g. maths/physics/quantum)
formal examination of students
The College provides:
tutorials
maybe additional problem classes
informal examination of students (a.k.a. ‘collections’)

4. The purpose of Oxford tutorials
“The purpose of a tutorial is: to develop an individual student’s capacity to think in depth about a subject area, and to operate with growing confidence within its techniques and methodologies, with the expectation that the process will promote increased understanding of the subject for both tutor and student.”
(Taken from Education Committee’s Policy and Guidance on undergraduate learning and teaching

5. A typical tutorial
Students will spend ~15-20 hours preparing for the tutorial by reading, making notes, and answering problems
They come to the tutorial usually in a group of 2 or 3
The tutorial involves a discussion of the material and the answers to the problems (i.e. students should talk!)

6. A typical problem class
Students will spend ~3-4 hours preparing for the class by reading lecture notes and other resources, and answering a problem sheet
Problem class sizes vary, but usually involve between 4 and 10 students in total
The class involves some discussion, but usually the class tutor will do most of the talking

7. Effective teaching
What makes an ‘effective’ tutorial/small-group class (based on your personal experience as a tutor/student)
What are/might be your key teaching challenges for tutorials/classes?

8. Effective teaching
Tutorials and classes should provide opportunities for:
discussion of material
formative feedback (i.e. ongoing and diagnostic)
social learning
clarification/consolidation
‘signposting’ future learning
enhancing study skills and problem-solving skills
Tutorials are not intended to be spent just giving students the answers to the problems.

9. Your tutorials and classes
What do you expect students to find difficult, and why?
In your groups, discuss what you do/could do to help students become successful learners

10. Supporting learning Preparation is vital
Identify learning outcomes in advance, and make them clear and achievable
Don’t just write up the answers on the board!
Effective questioning is important (even in classes)
Students need effective feedback
Manage the time well
Learn to recognise the ‘lightbulb moments’

11. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
Need to match teaching to the level of the learner
Scaffold learning, to expand the inner circles

12. Preparation Make sure you are familiar with
the material
relevant lecture courses, and the syllabus
lecture handouts, lecture problems
When preparing, think about what the students will find difficult.
Anticipate their questions, and prepare accordingly.
Think about how you might explain difficult concepts
Use the students’ written work to decide what to cover

13. Effective questioning
First, watch an example of ineffective questioning:
What are the problems?

14. Types of questions
Closed questions elicit non-negotiable, rote-learned answers.
Useful as an ‘opener’
Build learner’s confidence
Rarely challenge the learner, and operate at a low-level
Open questions elicit longer answers
Require the learner to think and reflect (so give them time!)
Hand control of the conversation to the learner
Help learner to acquire a deeper understanding
Are harder to ask!

15. Effective questioning also means…
…effective listening.
Pay attention to the responses!
You can learn a lot about the students’ misunderstandings by thinking about their responses.
Why did they answer the way they did?
What are they missing?

16. Your questioning style
How do you tend to ask questions? (or how did your teachers question you?)
How confident are you in asking open questions?
Could your questioning style be enhanced? If so, how?

17. Problems with asking questions
Discuss in your groups what you might do if:
there is silence when you ask a question
the same student always answers the questions, leaving other students to say nothing
the students respond by asking you a question, to which you don’t know the answer

18. Effective feedback
In groups, discuss what you understand by ‘good’ feedback.
How can you provide effective feedback in tutorials/classes? Why have you chosen this method?
How do you know if your feedback is effective?

19. Explicit formative feedback
Make it forward-looking (applicable to a future activity)
Suggest ways of improving, not just faults
Honest praise: explain why things are good
Use the ‘sandwich rule’
Be timely
Be concise and focused
Provide students with some written feedback (but remind them that they also receive lots of verbal feedback too!)

20. OxCORT
You will be expected to write a formal report on each student’s progress every Term, using an online system
Students will usually be allowed to read these reports
Often the reports will be read out in end-of-Term Collections, in front of the student, tutors and HoH.
Keep records of students’ performance in written work and tutorials/classes, as well as any other relevant info

21. Time management
It is usually not possible to cover all the problem sheet in full detail in the time available
Plan in advance what to focus on (but be flexible!)
Don’t be too ambitious
Don’t spend all the time covering the easy material
Don’t sacrifice students’ thinking/discussion time for the sake of covering a little more material

22. Possible scenarios
In groups, discuss one of the possible scenarios on the handout. How would you approach them?
Students with different abilities
Overconfident students
Quiet students
Students who are disruptive
Students who don’t submit much work
Students who don’t turn up

23. Evaluating your teaching
Critically evaluating your own teaching makes you a better teacher.
More advanced teaching courses (e.g. DLT) require participants to self-evaluate.
How do you/will you evaluate your teaching?
Student learning as a ‘yardstick’?
Peer observation?
Teaching logbook?
Feedback from students? What would you ask?

24. Further training from OLI
Developing Learning and Teaching Programme (DLT)
Series of workshops and final assessed teaching portfolio
Must have completed PLTO and be engaged in some form of teaching at Oxford during the DLT
Successful completion leads to a professional qualification: Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA) Supporting Learning Award
Professional accreditation is increasingly desired/required by employers in Higher Education
PGCert in Teaching and Learning
One year programme (open to staff only)

25. Any questions?