Teaching Development Program at the University of Alberta

While research is the primary focus of a Ph.D. program, it is important to recognize that teaching will form a core aspect of professional life for individuals pursuing an academic career. In recent years, North American schools have paid increasing attention to teaching ability and many universities now ask for evidence of teaching excellence at the recruiting stage. In recognition of this, the University of Alberta has structured a number of courses to enhance the teaching effectiveness of individuals. The University Teaching Program provides a very extensive set of requirements and requires 40 to 50 hours of formal classroom time. Details regarding this program may be found at www.ualberta.ca/gradstudies/utp/regform.html. Students are strongly encouraged to consider enrolling in this program.

The Business Teaching Program (BTP) is designed to augment the University Teaching Progam (UTP). It recognizes that students in the Business PhD program normally teach two sections (or equivalent) as part of their funding arrangements, and the Alberta School wants to ensure that students are well prepared to effectively carry out this requirement. As the elements of the BTP are also part of the UTP, the two are fully compatible. Indeed, after completing the BTP, individuals are encouraged to complete the more extensive UTP.

On completion of the BTP, a certificate will be issued. Note, some departments within the Alberta School of Business may require this certificate to be obtained prior to commencing the teaching requirement in the Business PhD program.

The BTP consists of: (1) two seminar modules, each 4 hours in duration, (2) a classroom teaching session, (3) a teaching mentorship, and (4) four hours of instruction in the University Teaching Services program. While the classroom teaching experience should occur after the two seminar modules, the teaching mentorship and the courses offered through University Teaching Services may be taken at any time.

Component I: Seminar Modules I & II

Each module will be offered twice during the year. Each module will involve 4 hours of interaction. The modules are geared toward core elements of teaching, as outlined by the UTP program:

• Curriculum (what to teach and how to organize it),
• Instruction (how to teach the content),
• Evaluation (assessing the extent of learning),
• Management (in and out of the classroom), and
• Self-Improvement (becoming a better teacher).

Component II: Classroom Teaching Sessions

These sessions will be held a minimum of twice per year. You are to prepare a fifteen minute presentation on the topic of your choosing. This presentation will be videotaped for you to view later. Further, you will receive feedback regarding your teaching from peers and faculty members in attendance. You are strongly encouraged to discuss the topic and review the material with the Director of the Business Teaching Program, prior to the presentation. Notification of participation in this must be provided at least two weeks prior to the presentation date. The presentation, self-analysis and faculty feedback will involve 2 hours.

Component III: University Teaching Services Courses

The University of Alberta also offers a wide range of supplemental courses regarding different aspects of teaching (see http://www.ualberta.ca/~uts for further details regarding programming). These are provided free of charge to graduate students at the University of Alberta. As part of the Business Teaching Program, each student is required to take four hours of instruction from these courses.

Component IV: Teaching Mentorship

A Teaching Mentorship must also be completed. Assignment to mentors will be made by the Department Ph.D. Teaching Coordinator (see Exhibit 2 for an organizational chart), normally in the offer letter to students. Where possible, requests by students to work with a particular instructor will be honored. Note, students may or may not be assigned to their Teaching Mentor for the period they act as a TA. Requirements for this aspect may vary depending on the department. The intent of the mentorship program is to enable a student to understand and implement factors that contribute to successful teaching. The BTP is committed to tailoring this program for our doctoral students and needs of Departments, consistent with the following principles:

Foundation. Given that students in the program come from a wide range of backgrounds, it is important to ensure that core principles in the discipline be understood at an early stage of the program. While the Ph.D. seminars cover some of these issues, they are primarily intended to shed light on research issues and techniques. It is therefore required that all first year students audit the first six weeks of an appropriate course in the student’s major, offered either at the MBA or undergraduate level. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Department Ph.D. Teaching Coordinator.

Applicability. The teaching mentorship involves one semester of teaching assistantship work during the Fall or Winter term. As such, this role is to occupy approximately two hours of work per week, above and beyond any research assistantship duties. During this time, the teaching assistant will perform a wide variety of duties that are typically required in a teaching capacity. These include, but are not necessarily limited to: (1) exam preparation; (2) grading; (3) secondary research for lecture material; (4) lecture preparation; and, (5) lecture delivery. The purpose of the program is not to simply provide grading for instructors. Although this may comprise a small portion of responsibilities, the goal is to provide hands-on skills as they relate to teaching.

Exhibit 2: Alberta School of Business Teaching Development

Diversity. The student is to select three different instructors that they wish to observe. For each instructor it is expected that the student will attend a minimum of one lecture. Prior to attending the lecture, it is expected that the student will discuss the goals that the instructor has for the lecture as well as the key considerations that informed the content covered and the manner of presentation. The student is also encouraged to solicit opinions from the instructor regarding other aspects related to teaching, including: concerns in syllabus preparation; factors that contribute to successful teaching; issues that lead to teaching problems; classroom management; time-management; dealing with difficult students; integration of academic research into the classroom; tips regarding marking and the assignment of final grades; advice regarding the preparation of a syllabus; and, suggestions regarding different lecture methods (e.g., case studies, group discussions, etc.).

Accountability. PhD students are fully responsible for teaching two courses during their program and traditionally this is done in year three. Hence, it is expected that the Business Teaching Program will be completed by the end of the student’s second year. Progress regarding this aspect of the Ph.D. program will be used in annual evaluations of student performance and may impact funding.

Business Teaching Development Program – Record of Participation

Name: ________________________________________

ID#: ______________   Email:_____________________

Department: ___________________________________

Alberta School of Business Teaching Modules

Component III: University Teaching Services Courses

Component IV: Mentor Declaration

I certify that the above student has completed the requirements of the Alberta School of Business Teaching Mentorship Program in the Department of _____________________________.
 

______________________________________   _____________________
Signature of Mentor                                                  Date