The University of Southampton
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Physics and Astronomy

PHYS3019 Communicating and Teaching and The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme

Module Overview

Level of study (NQF Levels 1-4)

This course provides an excellent opportunity for people who wish to gain experience in teaching. 

Some of the aims of the scheme are:

•  To develop a range of students' skills and to offer an early taste of teaching to those interested in pursuing it as a career.

•  To help students gain confidence in communicating their subject, develop strong organisational and interpersonal skills, and understand how to address the needs of individual learners.

•  To give students experience of devising and developing projects and using teaching methods appropriate to engaging the relevant pupil age group and ability they are working with.

•  To help inspire a new generation of prospective undergraduates by providing role models for school pupils.

•  To help students convey the excitement of their own learning at University to pupils by showing them the long-term applications of school studies.

•  To help teachers by providing an assistant who can work with and support pupils at various point on the ability spectrum.

For further information, and details of enrolment please contact the Public Engagement Leader for Physics & Astronomy, Pearl John (email pj@soton.ac.uk).

 

Aims & Objectives

Aims

On successful completion of the module, students will have gained substantial and valuable experience of working in a challenging but rewarding teaching environment.  They will be able to assess and devise appropriate ways of communicating difficult principles or concenpts to learners and will have gained a broad understanding of many of the key aspects of teaching in schools.  They will also have developed a better understanding of, and confidence in, communicating their deiscipline.  The specific knowledge and transferable skills they will have attained include:

- Communication skills, both one-to-one and with an audience

- Understanding the needs of individuals.

- Interpersonal skills when dealing with colleagues

- Responsibilities and conduct of teaching staff.

- The ability to improvise.

- Giving and receiving feedback.

- Organisational, prioritising, and negiotiating skills.

- Handling difficult and potentially disruptive situations.

- Public Speaking.

- Team-working.

- Standard teaching methods.

-Preparation of lesson plans and teaching materials.

Syllabus

An initial one day of training will provide the student with an introduction to working with children and conduct in the school environment.

A competitive interview system will be used to match students with appropriate schools and a specific teacher in the local area, and each student selected will be given a chance to visit the school they will be working in before commencement of the unit.  The student will be required to spend half a day a week in the school every week for a semester.

It is intended that there will be no formal lectures associated with the unit, and that wherever possible or appropriate the students' own ideas and learning will feed back into the content of their activity as they become more experienced. However, there will be four supporting tutorials which will provide an opportunity for students to share their experiences. The teachers will act as the main source of guidance but, in addition, students will also be able to discuss their progress with the Unit Co-ordinator or a Faculty Learning and Teaching Coordinator whenever necessary.

Learning & Teaching

Learning & teaching methods

ActivityDescriptionHours
LectureAn introductory set of lectures for Ambassadors will be delivered by UK Outreach and Recruitment to introduce UG students to the formal requirements of working in schools. Two 2.5 hour inductions will introduce the UG student to the school classroom - equipping them for working with teachers and pupils in school. 10
Tutorial4 Tutorials will assist UG student in learning the basics of teaching and learning skills, including self-reflection, classroom observation, lesson planning4
FieldworkStudents will spend 10 1/2 day sessions in schools to observe, plan and deliver a special project - for example whole class teaching, development of teaching resources and designing original educational activities.40

Assessment

Assessment methods

NB: Students Costs for the module: Please note that students are required to pay for their travel costs to and from the schools they work with during the module.  However travel costs will be reimbursed on production of travel receipts.

MethodHoursPercentage contribution
Final Report-60%
Presentation-25%
Teacher Report-15%

Referral Method: There is no referral opportunity for this syllabus in same academic year

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