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ID4001 - Communication and Teaching in Science

This module is part of the UK Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme. This aims to give students training in communicating in classroom settings, and experience of working with school pupils. School teachers act as mentors, and they and their pupils get something back from the useful inputs of an undergraduate student in the classroom. The student is expected to have  knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm for their science, technology, or mathematical subject, which can add to the classroom environment. This module ID4001 is also a 15-credit module at the University of St Andrews.

Teaching schoolchildren with boats

Students apply to join the module, and those who are selected go through the PVG Disclosure scheme. Successful students are placed in a school usually in Fife or Tayside, and spend about 25 hours of classroom contact time at their placement school during our first semester. They start observing class teachers, progress to a role similar to that of a teaching assistant, and by the end of the semester lead a teaching activity (the "special project"), albeit with the class teacher always being present. Students are asked to do some relevant reading over the summer, and to attend an induction event in orientation week. Students meet with their University tutor (departmental representative) on a number of defined occasions through the semester, and on request. Students discuss their work with their mentor teacher. The student's attainment on the module is assessed in part by the mentor teacher, in part by assessment of two documents submitted to the University by the student, and in part by an oral presentation at the University on the subject of the special project. More information is provided in the Handbooks and other documents noted below.

The Module Coordinator is Dr Bruce Sinclair, School of Physics and Astronomy.
Email: b.d.sinclair@st-andrews.ac.uk
Postal Address: School of Physics and Astronomy, North Haugh, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS 
Telephone: 01334 463118

There are departmental representatives in each University Academic School; the contact details of these people are given in the module handbook.

Module handbook

Logsheets and Forms‌

  1. Project proposal form (Word, 17 KB)
  2. Project proposal marking form (Word, 14 KB)
  3. Presentation marking form (Word, 14 KB)
  4. Final report cover sheet (Word, 31 KB)
  5. Final report marking form (Word, 18 KB)
  6. Mentor teacher assessment form (Word, 22 KB)
  7. Logsheet for the observation session(s) (Word, 15 KB)
  8. Daily logsheet (Word, 12 KB)
  9. Peer feedback form on five minute extract from a lesson (Word, 12 KB)
  10. Special project logsheet (Word, 12 KB)
  11. Mid-placement feedback form (Word, 17 KB)
  12. Practice presentation feedback form (Word, 12 KB)
  13. Attendance logsheet (Word, 12 KB)

Additional documents and links

Geoscience students