Course Science Teaching (Mandatory)

The course Science Teaching (Mandatory) is being offered by the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS and Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Aarhus University, fall 2021.

No. of contact hours/hours in total incl. preparation, assignment(s) or the like: 15 hours online course over 2 weeks and three obligatory course days. Course participants will also be doing individual and group assignments before, between, and after course days.

Criteria for participation: PhD students from The Graduate School of Natural Sciences, and The Graduate School of Technical Sciences Aarhus University, who is teaching a class. The course is tailored teaching in natural and technical sciences.

Aim: The course objective is to strengthen your teaching skills and competences as a PhD student. The course provides guidance and inspiration for planning and implementing teaching to enhance students’ learning. In collaboration will peers you will learn to apply tools to identify and find solutions for challenges in your own teaching. During the course, you will train your teaching skills by developing and implementing a teaching activity in your own teaching and use methods to provide feedback.

The course addresses both traditional and online teaching, and you will have the opportunity to specialize in the type of teaching which is most relevant for you.

Learning outcomes: At the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Plan and implement teaching activities to support student learning according to learning outcomes
• Apply tools for classroom management to motivate students’ active preparation and participation
• Use effective feedback to assess and support student learning
• Identify and evaluate solutions to challenges in your teaching
• Use peer observation and feedback to develop your teaching practice
• Apply educational technology and evaluate relevance in own teaching

Content:
The course addresses teaching in technical and natural sciences at university level and covers challenges and teaching formats relevant for teaching assistants at the faculties of Natural and Technical Sciences. This includes e. g. small class teaching with problems solving, computer lab, student presentations or discussion of scientific literature, laboratory teaching, field work, online teaching, and outreach activities. The course will focus on the following themes: 1) Planning and applying teaching activities according to learning outcomes, 2) assessment and feedback for learning, 3) classroom management for active preparation for and participation in teaching, 4) techniques to support classroom dialogue and interactions, and 5) methods for development of own teaching including peer observation and feedback.

Course structure:
The course consists of an 8 hours’ online asynchronous course over 2 weeks, three obligatory course days with preparatory work and approximately 25 hours of project work between course days.

Teaching method:
Course participants will get hands-on experience with active learning and classroom assessment techniques, and develop and implement new activities in their own teaching.  The teaching is organized as a combination of short lectures, group and class discussion, as well as individual and group assignments and project work. Teaching will take place both on-campus and online.

Compulsory programme:
The online course, the three course days, and the assignments are mandatory. Participants who are absent from course day 1 will not be able to take part in the course. Participants who are absent from course day 2 or 3 will only be able to take part in the course if a special agreement has been made with the course lecturers.

Recommended knowledge for participation (if any): Preferrable participants should be teaching a class in the same time period as taking the course, or at least have knowledge of which course they will be teaching.  

Instructors: Ole Bjælde, Centre for Educational Development, AU; Rikke Frøhlich Hougaard, Centre for Educational Development, AU; Annika Büchert Lindberg,  Centre for Educational Development, AU

Time and date:
Online course days: On 24 August -7 September. Asynchronous teaching
On campus course days: On 21 September, 5 October and 16 December. From 9:00-16:00 each day

Venue:
Online: Brightspace
On Campus: Preben Hurnung Stuen, Fredrik Nielsens Vej 2, Building 1422, 8000 Aarhus C

Please be aware that your registration for the course not necessarily equals your admission for the course. You will receive an e-mail after the registration deadline regarding whether you are admitted for the course or if you are registered on the waiting list. Please note that seats are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Course dates:

• 24 August 2021
• 07 September 2021
• 21 September 2021 09:00 - 16:00
• 05 October 2021 09:00 - 16:00
• 16 December 2021 09:00 - 16:00