The module is the implementation of the national Student Ambassador Scheme by the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham. Its design follows closely the recommendations and guidelines of the UAS.
The module will reward students with course credit for working as a ‘student-tutor’ with teachers in local schools and help them develop some valuable transferable skills.
Students will learn important, marketable and transferable skills of benefit to them in employment and in life, specifically:
Organisational and interpersonal skills
Addressing the needs of individuals
Time management skills
Working in a challenging and unpredictable environment
Staff responsibilities and conduct
The ability to improvise
Giving (and taking) feedback
Handling difficult and potentially disruptive situations
Public speaking and communication skills
Team-working
Standard teaching methods
Students will gain experience of working in a professional educational environment and will learn about the key issues affecting school education today. They will have the satisfaction of making a positive impact on the education of pupils of all ages and the chance to act as a role model for your subject. It is a chance to put something back into the community by sharing knowledge and helping to motivate young people and raise their aspirations towards science. They will develop confidence in answering questions about their own subject and in devising appropriate ways to communicate a difficult principle or concept. They will develop communication skills and gain a better understanding of their own level of expertise.
For those of who are interested in teaching as a profession, this will be an opportunity to explore whether it is a path they want to pursue. They will learn to devise and develop computer science projects and teaching methods appropriate to engage the relevant age group.
The module will involve:
Undergoing a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check prior to entering the classroom
Being paired with a specific teacher at a local school who will work with students to identify their aims and objectives for the term
Spending ½ day a week in school for 10 weeks, developing a role within the classroom
Presentation and interview
11 training sessions
Completion of a Special Project (agreed with the teacher)
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
demonstrate an understanding of the needs of individual learners in a computer science classroomuse standard teaching techniques
develop interpersonal skills, appreciate staff responsibilities and demonstrate communication skillsprepare lesson plans and teaching materials at an appropriate level
gain a deeper insight into a particular area of computer science education by working on an individual project
demonstrate an understanding of educational research as it pertains to Computer Science