Tutors' Conference 2006

On Friday the 1st of September, the UTDC held a half-day conference for Victoria University's tutors. Around 50 people attended, and the conference consisted largely of presentations given by experienced tutors. Many of the attendees were interested in getting the presentation documents, those available are given here.

Creativity and Practical Application
Creativity and Practical Application.ppt (850KB Powerpoint)

Author:

Ray Nafatali, SMIB

Title:

Creativity and Practical Application in the Discipline of Commerce

Abstract:

 

This session looks into how creativity can be used to gauge participation from students, particularly in the area of Commerce. Creativity . its importance and its potential . will be explained, as well as some of the potential negatives (i.e. be too creative and lose the content). Student learning can be amplified when put into practical situations or when they can visualise practical scenarios. This can be a creative way to engage students in participation and help them to see the practical application of their ideas in the areas of commerce (accounting, marketing, management, etc).

International Students as Tutors
International Students as Tutors (110KB Powerpoint)

Author:

Katja Hanke, PSYC and Zhuo Wang, MCS

Title:

International Students as Tutors

Abstract:

 

Tutoring is a challenge for all new tutors. It is even more difficult when coming from another country where English is not the first language. Potential problems include the following: language difficulties and consequential insecurity; the fear of being perceived as incompetent due to nervousness and language barriers.; communication breakdowns (when you may not understand everything your students say, and they may not understand everything you tell them); and cultural concerns. In this session we will explore the issues of being a non-native speaker and a tutor at the same time. Cultural issues will be analysed and various strategies discussed. We will also compare problems that may arise when coming from an East Asian culture as well as when coming from a European culture. Furthermore, we will explore ways of dealing with the first day as a non-native tutor, with an emphasis on building confidence.

Dealing with Students. Motivation and Re-marking
Student Motivation and Remarking (1MB Powerpoint)

Author:

Jirayu Chotimongkol, VMS

Title:

Dealing with Students. Motivation and Re-marking

Abstract:

 

Re-marking is viewed as a complex process that serves multiple roles, including evaluation, motivation and communication (Walvoord & Anderson, 1998). Students are likely to be de-motivated if they receive a grade that does not meet their expectations. While many students may ask for advice on how to improve for future assessment, some ask for re-marking. This can jeopardise a student.s motivation. If their re-marked grade remains the same, their motivation may significantly decrease. It is crucial for tutors to handle the re-marking situation with attention and tactfulness. Without the appropriate strategy practice, the re-marking process will not only affect students. motivation but also have a significant impact on their learning. This workshop will provide case studies, aiming to enhance an awareness of how the re-marking process may have an impact on student motivation and to share some practical strategies for dealing with this process.

Making Tutors Less Visible
Making Tutors Less Visible.pdf (531KB PDF)

Author:

Binh Bui Thanh, SACL

Title:

Improving Students. Critical Thinking, Communication and Leadership Skills

Abstract:

 

In this workshop, we present a combined approach to tutoring that aims to improve students. critical thinking, communication and leadership skills. In the tutorials of an introductory accounting paper offered in a twinning programme between Victoria University and a Vietnamese university, students were put into groups for discussion and chose a group leader. The leader presented the arguments on behalf of the group while the other members answered challenging questions from other groups and the tutor. The tutor was limited to facilitating discussion and synthesizing students. ideas and arguments at the conclusion of each tutorial. Observations suggest that this combined approach to tutoring helps students to develop critical thinking and acquire a more comprehensive understanding of accounting concepts. Furthermore, it gives students opportunities to improve their communication and leadership skills, as well as enhance their ability to contribute and cooperate in group-work. Lastly, students. personal confidence is boosted thanks to the frequency and intensity of expressing themselves and interacting with other students.

Next Time I'll Bring My Crayons: Engaging Students in Dry Technical Subjects
Next_time_crayons.pdf (125KB PDF)

Author:

Andrew Tarr, UTDC

Title:

Next Time I'll Bring My Crayons: Engaging Students in Dry Technical Subjects

Abstract:

 

So you're forced to tutor logic; or one of the many other subjects at university that do not require creative and discursive engagement from students so much as they do knuckling down, coming to grips and mastering a technique by hours of tedious problem exercises. Where do you even start to engage students with a subject like this, especially at an introductory level? I will outline some of the issues involved and present the strategies I employed as a basis for discussion concerning this area.

Cultural Differences in Learning
Cultural Differences in Learning.ppt (112KB Powerpoint)

Author:

Marianna Lazzaro, SAELC

Title:

Cultural Differences in Learning: Revisited

Abstract:

 

Today.s globalization passes on to facilitators the difficult task of coping with multicultural classrooms, in which students have distinctive different needs and ways of learning. Thus, when searching for an answer to the matter of how to help our students learn more and efficiently, we always resort to learning strategies for advice. Though seldom explored, an important factor when analyzing students. strategies, however, is how the latter are affected by the learners. cultural background, i.e. the impact learners. culture has on their learning strategies, which is a very weighty factor when it comes to teaching in New Zealand.s universities.

Instructor-led programming workshops
Instructor-led programming workshop.ppt (161KB Powerpoint)

Author:

Allan Sylvester, SIM

Title:

Instructor-led Programming Workshops: Delivery and Assessment Experiences

Abstract:

 

As a relatively new course (delivered twice per year; currently in its fifth iteration), INFO102 presents a number of challenges to instructional design and delivery. The course involves information systems design and analysis in the first half, and software programming and development in the second half. In this session we will discuss the use of a single teaching case that is applied to all three assessments and how we then went on to use a 'parallel case' to mitigate requests for 'pre-marking' by students. In addition, we found a need to develop tutorial cases that could cater for the wide range of competence levels within the cohort. Similarly, we are now trialling instructor-led workshops; recognising that teaching computer programming is a 'high touch' process. This subsequently led to us developing a 'phased' programming assessment technique (new this year) and a software-inspection approach to marking in order to mitigate plagiarism issues.

Maximizing Your Teaching Strategies
Maximizing Your Teaching Strategies.ppt (30KB Powerpoint)

Author:

Elena Maydell-Stevens, PSYC

Title:

Maximizing Your Teaching Strategies

Abstract:

 

I see tutoring (within the university framework) as a type of interactive teaching. To facilitate the teaching process, just knowing the material is not enough. To become a successful tutor, one needs to develop an effective teaching style, based on individual strengths, as well as specific strategies for handling difficult issues/situations during teaching. Most of us have much more to offer than we suspect, and the ultimate goal is to maximize our own potential in passing these skills and knowledge to our students. This presentation will offer the participants a possibility to pose and answer questions that can come up in their tutorials.

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