1. The role of the Teaching Assistant Xxxxxx Yyyyyyy

2. Welcome & Introductions  A bit about me  A bit about you.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Structure 1.Roles and Responsibilities of Staff 2.Establishing a Professional ‘Distance’ with Students 3.Line Management 4.Teaching Teams.

7. Process  Lots of discussion  Please ask questions or offer comments at any stage.

8. Key concept  Your fundamental purpose as a TA is to help your students to learn... ...within the context of a British university.

9. 1 – Roles and responsibilities of staff 9

10. 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

11. Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 1 Module 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

12. Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 2 Line 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

13. Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 3 Module 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

14. 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

15. Module Leaders Roles and responsibilities - 5 Module 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. Your views?  In groups please reflect on this information and any comments  Do you have any uncertainties or concerns about any of this?

19. 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.

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

21. Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 2 Module 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

22. Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 3 Student 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

23. Teaching Assistants Roles and responsibilities - 4 Module 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

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

25. Your views?

26. 2 – Establishing a professional ‘distance’ with students 26

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

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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.

31. 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

32. 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

33. Your views?

34. 3 – Line managers 34

35. 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.

36. 4 – Teaching teams

37. 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

38. 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.

39. 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

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