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MEEN40910

Academic Year 2024/2025

Teaching Assistant in MME (MEEN40910)

Subject:
Mechanical Engineering
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Mechanical & Materials Eng
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Fiona Freeman
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Distinction/Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module gives graduate students in the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering a grounding in the principles and practice of laboratory demonstrating. The module is specifically for graduate students who are actively engaged in the role of Teaching Assistant within the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
Participants in the module will be introduced to the practicalities of laboratory demonstrating, including preparation for relevant laboratory work and laboratory safety. In addition, they will be given an introduction to relevant works in the teaching and learning literature (both generic and discipline-specific), and they will learn how to apply these ideas in their own teaching. They will learn to assess/critique their teaching based on feedback gained from their peers and/or their students. They will be encouraged to take active responsibility for judging and indeed, helping to maintain, the quality of their module's laboratory assignments.
Module participants must be registered/about to register for a Masters/PhD degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering and must be in an active teaching role.
This module is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, a participant will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a firm understanding of the technical content of the laboratory, and an ability to anticipate as well as to react to students' problems in lab settings;
2. Demonstrate a familiarity with some of the key relevant literature regarding teaching and learning, both generic and specifically within the field of Mechanical & Materials Engineering;
3. Take responsibility for evaluating their own performance based on feedback from a variety of sources (student, peer, laboratory supervisor) and demonstrate a willingness to change their teaching practice in light of this feedback;
4. Understand the relationship between the design of a laboratory or tutorial session and the learning outcomes associated with it;
5. Demonstrate an awareness of University, College and School policies and procedures, including health and safety practices, that impact on their role as a Teaching Assistant;
6. Understand how to use tools such as Brightspace for grading purposes.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

10
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
A combination of tutorial sessions, practical work and peer feedback.A mix of interactive lectures with assignments and peer observation exercises.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
UTL40230 - Intro to Univ T&L for Tutors

Additional Information:
Participants must be graduate-level students who are in an active teaching role within the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): In this assignment, you will submit a teaching plan for a lab assignment or tutorial. Week 6 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Peer discussion on teaching experiences: Each student will be placed in a small discussion group on the Brightspace page, and within this group, each student must contribute to the discussion. Week 10 Graded No
20
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Understanding research integrity: This is a pass/fail component, which must be passed to complete the module. Week 3 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
10
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Peer observation and feedback: In this assignment, the students will undertake peer-observation. Week 12 Graded No
40
 No
Practical Skills Assessment: Microteaching - As a group, you will choose one of the time slots from my calendar and each prepare a 5-minute lecture on your lab, which you will present in a Zoom meeting. Week 8 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
10
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on initial and final assignments will be based on summative assessments while the peer observation exercise will require peer review.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
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