Educational programme for PhD students

Dutch

About the programme

An experience that is shared by many teaching assistents is that teaching is not an easy task, especially in the beginning. Often the preparation for this task is minimal, there is not always guidance and feedback on their teaching performance is scarce.

For this reason the Faculty of Science started a few years ago with the organisation of didactical professionalization to improve the teaching skills of all PhD students.

Since 2010-2011 the educational programme is obligatory for all beginning PhD students at the Faculty of Science. But of course all PhD students with an interest in education are welcome.

For the Department of Computer Sciences, new PhD students can choose whether to follow the programme at the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Engineering.

The general coordination of the project is done by Iris Peeters, educational developer at the Faculty of Science.

For didactical support we can count on Dienst Universitair Onderwijs. 

Components of the programme

At the beginning of the year an introductory session is organised together with the Faculty of Engineering. All new PhD students follow this session. The rest of the programme then depends on the character of the teaching assignment:

Supervising practice sessions (exercise sessions, lab sessions, excursions, …)

When this is (part of) your assignment, you will complete the following elements during the year:

• Observation of an experienced teaching assistant (observation form)
• Observation of your own class by an experienced teaching assistant (observation form)
• Questionnaire

For each department an experienced teaching assistant coordinates these elements together with the educational supporters.

At the end of the semester the programme is finished with a closing session, whereby experiences are exchanged  based on the observations and questionnaire.

Guiding bachelor thesis’s, master thesis’s or training periods

When this is your only educational assignment, you have to follow a specific session on this topic which is organised twice a year.

Portfolio

Starting in 2011-2012 all participants are asked to make a reflection after each part of the programme by filling in a document and uploading it at Toledo. This way a 'portfolio' is built which shows en supports your didactical evolution as a teaching assistant.

The forms you need to fill in and upload directly after the activity can be downloaded at Toledo, and can also be found below (coming soon). More information will be given during the introductory session. For questions concerning the portfolio please contact Wim Van Dessel

• Introductory session
• Observation
• Questionnaire students
• Session theses

Practical organisation

You can subscribe in the table below. Lunch is included.

Questions or problems? Contact Iris Peeters.

2011-2012

Questionnaire

At the end of your first practice sessions you wonder how your teaching skills were. As part of the educational programme you will find out what the students think of your sessions by asking them to fill in a questionnaire. Based on these filled in questionnaires you will then make a reflection by completing and uploading the portfolio form concerning the questionnaire.

Practical information for beginning teaching assistants

• Information guide 
• Didactical tips and tricks

More about doing a PhD

• Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School

More about Toledo

• website Toledo