Topic outline

  • Teaching assistant as a learning instructor (2 ECTS, Spring 2019)

    Welcome to course page of teaching assistant training on Aalto School of Science. Teaching assistants at Aalto University School of Science have an opportunity to proceed 2 credits pedagogical training, which is made to support their work as a teaching assistant.

    In this MyCourses platform you can find course description, all instructions for completing the course as well as the teaching materials used in teaching sessions.

    • Intended Learning Outcomes

      After the course you will:

      • be able to observe the environment from the learning perspective and identify aspects to support students' learning process.
      • recognize ways to how to supports students' study motivation
      • identify your role as a learning instructor and find ways to regulate your behavior adjusted to students' needs.

      Course prerequisites, substitutes, in your degree

      This course has not any prerequisites but you should work as a teaching assistant. If you are interested in to continue your pedagogical studies after this course, you may credit it into A! Peda Intro (5 cr) -course. Please contact course teachers for more information. You can include the course (2 cr) in the block of elective courses in BSc and MSc degrees. In case of PhD studies, you should consult your supervising professor but typically this course is accepted. If working in Dept. of Applied Physics, there exist instructions.

      Course structure, timetable and enrolment

      The course consists of 4 half-day teaching sessions, independent work, group working and e-learning.

      Teaching session #1  (similar content on Tuesday 26th February and Monday 4th March 2019) is open for all interested teaching assistants (TA). Sessions #2, #3  and #4 (in March-April) will be for those who prefer completing this as a pedagogical course. The course will take place if we receive minimum 10 participants and will be arranged in cooperation with School of ELEC.

      First contact teaching session (for all interested):

      • Tue 26.2.2019 / 12.00-15.00, room T3 (C206), Konemiehentie 2, instruction language English 
      • Mon 4.3.2019 / 9.00-12.00, room U115a, Otakaari 1, instruction language English 

      next contact teaching sessions (only for 2 cr course):

      • Wed 20.3.2019 / 9.00-12.00, room AS6, TUAS building (Maarintie 8)
      • Mon 1.4.2019 / 9.00-12.00, room TU7, TUAS-building
      • Mon 8.4.2019 / 9.00-12.00, room TU7, TUAS-building

      The three last contact sessions will be organized in cooperation with School of ELEC. If there are more than 25 participants, alternative contact sessions will be arranged and informed to students.

      The participants in the course are divided to home groups (3-6 members) by the teaching staff.

      Course structure

      Figure 1. Course structure (2 ECTS): Three teaching sessions, independent work, group working and e-learning.


      Peer groups (link)

      Please edit the page and add your group's meeting times and places.


      Course teachers

      Course is organized by Aalto University School of Science Learning Services and School of Electrical Engineering Learning Services in cooperation with University Pedagogical training network. Course teachers are Luis Costa, Kirsti Keltikangas and Miia Forsten (firstname.surname@aalto.fi), specialists at SCI and ELEC Learning services. There might be some visiting teachers as well.

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      Aalto University Code of Conduct e-learning for employees URL

      This is the link to the Aalto University e-course on its code of conduct. Completing this e-course is a mandatory requirement to pass this course. Please complete it and mark it as done in the completion progress bar on your MyCourse page when you have completed it. The deadline for completing this e-course is 8.4.2019, but you can do it now already.

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      Application for non-graduate studies (erillisopinto-oikeuslomake) Assignment
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      General discussion Forum
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      Announcements Forum

  • Contact Sessions and Materials

    All the teaching material is collected here, including slides and extra information on day's theme. The materials will be updated during the course.

  • Learning Assignment #1

    If you are going to proceed the course "Teaching assistant as a learning instructor (2 ECTS)", please follow these instuctions and make the assignments! After the enrolment and the first teaching session, participants are divided to home groups (3-6 members) by the teaching staff.


    The Learning assignment #1 consists of three parts:

    1. Reading the book sections (Section 2 "What generates learning" pp. 9-18, and Section 3 "How do I create an environment that supports learning?", pp. 19-26), DL before contact meeting #2, 20.3.2019

    2. Teaching observation #1 "interaction in the classroom", DL preferably before group meeting #1, latest DL on 8.4.

    • Visit an exercise class where you act as an observer. If possible, visit a class of one of your group members. If not, you can visit any other teaching session. It is polite to ask the teacher / assistant if it is OK that you are coming to observe the session. You can tell the instructor that you are doing this observation as a part of SCI assistant training.
    • Use the feedback form from this page. Focus on interaction in the classroom and write down at least the following: How was it created? What approaches were used? Which aspects did you find to support students' learning process? You can add reflections and insights of your own.
    • Submit the form in MyCourses "Returning of Teaching observation #1", remember to remove the name of the observed peer/teacher. Use filename <FirstName>_<Lastname>_LA1_observations (e.g., "James_Learner_LA1_observations.pdf") 
    • Optionally, give your feedback to your peer / the teacher, page #2 of the feedback form. Be specific, positive and constructive.

    3. Group work #1: reflect on the teaching session and the reading assignment, DL before session #2 on 20.3.2019. Arrange a meeting with your small peer group. In the meeting, discuss your teaching observation and the article (in case you have not been able to attend the teaching observation yet, you discuss only the issues relating on the article) Submit your notes and reflections in MyCourses "Group session" forum: What did you discuss? What did you observe? What did you think about the article?

  • Learning Assignment #2

    The Learning assignment #2 consists of three parts:

    1. Reading the book section (Section 5 "How do I teach" pp. 39-49), DL 1.4.2019, before contact meeting #3

    2. Teaching observation #2 "interaction in the classroom", DL preferably before contact meeting #3, the latest DL 8.4..

    • Visit an exercise class where you act as an observer. If possible, visit a class of one of your group members. If not, you can visit any other teaching session. We encourage you to choose another type of teaching session which you visited in LA#1, e.g., now a lecture if you visited an exercise session. See some suggestions in the Discussion Forum of main page in MyCourses. It is polite to ask the teacher / assistant if it is OK that you are coming to observe the session. You can tell the instructor that you are doing this observation as a part of SCI Assistant training.
    • Use the feedback form from this page. Focus on interaction in the classroom and write down at least the following: How was it created? What approaches were used? Which aspects did you find to support students' learning process? You can add reflections and insights of your own.
    • Submit the form in MyCourses "Returning of Teaching observation #1" with the name of the observed peer/teacher removed. Use filename <FirstName>_<Lastname>_LA2_observations (e.g., "James_Learner_LA2_observations.pdf") 
    • Optionally, give your feedback to your peer / the teacher, page #2 of the feedback form. Be specific, positive and give constructive feedback.

    3. Group work #2: reflect on the teaching session and the reading assignment before 3rd contact session (1.4.2019). Arrange a meeting with your peer group. In the meeting, discuss your teaching observation and the article. Submit your notes and reflections in MyCourses "Group session" forum: What did you discuss? What did you observe? What did you think about the article? 

  • Substitute assignment

    In this section you can find the substitute assignment and its instructions in case you are not able to participate course sessions (at most one of the sessions CS#1 (26.2./4.3.), CS#2 (20.3.), CS#3 (1.4.). CS#4 (8.4.).