Preparing for Learning and Teaching at Oxford (PLTO)

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?

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?