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Key dates and resources for Postgraduate Research Students

9 September 2020
Claire Morgan. Female wearing glasses and a blue jumper smiling at camera.

Read a message from Claire Morgan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students sent to Postgraduate Research Students on 9 September regarding key dates and resources.

Dear Student,

Recognising how vital postgraduate tutors and demonstrators are to the University’s teaching provision, we have been working to develop a wide range of resources and online training sessions tailored to PG tutors across the institution. This communication outlines those resources and provides the date by when they will be made available.

Resources

We have undertaken a productive consultation with Postgraduate representatives across the institution, as well as tutors enrolled in the Learning to Teach programme, and we have assembled a version of the University’s Digital Learning Framework for postgraduate tutors and demonstrators.  This framework provides programme and modules teams with guidance about design and delivery of modules in terms of this year’s blended provision, and we have specifically tailored this for those postgraduates undertaking teaching and demonstrating in 2020/21.

This includes:

  • A Learning Central resource page for all PGRs, which will contain a repository of training materials for online and blended learning, including straightforward ‘how-to’ guides for the use of various platforms (including Teams, Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate) and online tools (including Mentimeter, and apps for facilitating collaborative working)
  • A series of short videos produced by Michael Willett, the programme lead for Learning to Teach, on ‘Engaging Students Actively Online’; ‘Stimulating Discussion and Encouraging Participation’; and ‘Developing Effective Learning Activities Online’
  • Programme-specific training, led by dedicated Learning Technologists, on the use of specific learning platforms, and School-specific guidance on blended teaching in your discipline
  • A live Q&A session with staff experienced in the delivery of online teaching
  • A series of practice sessions for PG tutors in the use of various platforms.

Key dates

The Learning Central module, ‘PG Tutor Resources for Online and Blended Teaching’ – including the training videos – will be available to all PGRs from 17 September 2020. The majority of subject-specific training will be delivered weeks commencing 21 September and 28 September. The live Q&A and practice sessions will be taking place towards the end of orientation week.

There will also be the opportunity throughout the semester to take part in sessions designed for staff – your School’s PG Tutor Co-ordinator and/or Digital Education Lead will be able to direct you to these in the coming weeks, as more sessions are developed.

For those involved in teaching on-campus – particularly in lab demonstrations – the Learning Central module will also include a series of preparatory online resources, curated by the Doctoral Academy. There will also be additional guidance for those PG seminar tutors engaged in on-campus teaching next year, and we will ensure you are fully briefed on all health and safety aspects of teaching on campus.

We hope that this suite of resources will enable you to feel prepared for blended teaching in the next academic session.
Finally, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience while these resources have been developed, and your commitment to teaching this academic year. You are an invaluable part of the teaching community at Cardiff University and we thank you for your continuing contributions to enhancing the student learning experience.

Best wishes,
Claire Morgan


Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students