UWA Postgraduate

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UWA Postgraduate Teaching Internship Scheme
Dr Allan Goody
Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and
Learning supporting academics in their
practice with the aim of enhancing the quality of
the student learning experience
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The experience was unprecedented in making me
think about current issues in teaching and
learning, reflect on my own teaching style and
philosophy, explore the links between teaching
and research as core academic activities (while I
am completing my PhD!), and truly reflect on the
nature of scholarly endeavour.
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Prior to completing the teaching internship I was
aware when a teaching session did not go well,
but I had no idea how to improve the same
activity the next time that I taught it. I now
feel confident about my teaching and I am not as
concerned if I am confronted with problems when I
am teaching or if something that I try doesn't
work. This is because I feel I have the tools to
solve any problems that I come across.
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The program is fundamentally practical as it is
about teaching, we taught, we talked about
teaching and we talked critically and
innovatively about that experience.
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Aim of the Scheme Enhance future employment
prospects Attract and retain outstanding students
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• A Teaching Internship is an opportunity for
  outstanding doctoral students to
• develop their teaching skills
• undertake a program of professional
• development activities to assist in the
• development of their teaching and
• provide them with an introduction to academic
• practice.

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• Teaching
• Mix of teaching experiences
• Lectures
• Small group teaching
• Curriculum development
• Associated activites (assessment etc)
• Close connection to doctoral research

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• Professional Development
• The aims of the professional development are to
• encourage interns to reflect explicitly upon the
  nature of teaching learning at tertiary level
• enable the exchange of ideas about teaching and
• learning beyond their field of
  disciplinary specialisation
• participate in professional development
  concurrent with their teaching experience, so
  that each component of the internship may inform
  the other
• provide them with an opportunity to participate
  in a public forum on teaching and learning.

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Professional Development 50 paid hours over two
semesters Foundations of University Teaching
and Learning 3-day workshop plus 12 (of 20)
seminars Learning Partners, Online Activities,
Learning Journal, Teaching and Learning Folio,
Feedback on Teaching including peer observation,
Critical Incident Analysis, Reflective
Statement Teaching and learning
project Teaching evaluation (SPOT) Activities
within the School (eg T L committees) Teaching
and Learning Forum (Participate and encouraged to
present)
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Who can apply? Currently enrolled PhD (or
professional doctorate) Full-time or
part-time Scholarship or not Research proposal
approved by start of the internship January
1 Thesis not due before end of internship
December 5 No limit on number of applications
from any one School (not ranked by School)
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Selection criteria Academic merit Suitability
for teaching internship (limited or no teaching
experience) Commitment and interest in
teaching (personal statement) Quality of teaching
plan Second year of candidature (preference)
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Application Proforma Offical transcripts
(translated) Curriculum Vitae Personal
statement Teaching plan Names of two academic
referees Statement from research
supervisor Statement from Head of School Special
consideration
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• Support from the School
• Demonstrate close consultation with and ongoing
  support for the intern
• Statement from Head of School
• Suitabliltiy for an appointment
• Opportunities for development of teaching
  skills
• Provision of facilities and resources
• Consider as memeber of staff
• Facilitate SPOT
• Teaching plan
• Internship supervisor
• Administration

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Teaching Plan Lectures (recommend 3 with at
minimum of 1 each semester) Small group
teaching Curriculum development
(max 15 hours plus 5 hours for
first lecture preparation) Balanced across both
semesters 104 hours Nexus between teaching and
research Changes need to be approved by the
Postgraduate Internship Committee
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Internship Supervisor Engage in dialogues about
teaching and learning Provide feedback on
teaching Facilitate opportunities within the
School Assist with the project Liaise with the
Research Supervisor
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Administration Staff Appointment School Funds
from T L Committee - School pays the teaching
component - CATL pays professional
development Head of School report due 5 December
(Proforma) Intern report due 5 December
(Proforma)
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Other Points to Note
24 Internships available Interns encouraged to
avoid undertaking other paid work Head of School
to consider workload associated with Internship
Supervision. 50 of teaching funds paid to
schools at the beginning of internship. Balance
paid to School at end upon receipt of Head of
School report. Orientation Session for Interns,
Heads of School and Internship Supervisors Other
options Introduction to University Teaching
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Scheme commenced in 2000 24 internships funded
annually (from 2006) Budget for 2008
180,000 120 completed internships
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Costing per internship Teaching
4500 Professional Development 3000
2150 pay for 50 hours 850 fees to CATL
TOTAL 7500
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• Is the Scheme successful?
• Do we enhance employment prospects?
• Do we attract doctoral students?

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Is the Scheme successful? Evidence Ref
lective statements from Interns Final reports
from Interns and Heads of School /
Mentors Surveys of Interns, Mentors and Heads of
School Outcomes Increased confidence Developmen
t of philosophy of teaching and learning
Foundation of teaching and learning theory and
practice Development of teaching and learning
strategies Teaching ready Creating dialogue
about teaching and learning within
Schools Confirmed career path Academic
careers Publications
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Impact at School Level
All reports to me from teaching staff indicate
that the intern's involvement/participation was
most welcome and refreshing. Armed with what they
learnt from the formal training, they even made
us think more about how we do things and why.
Their participation was a very positive
experience. The interns interaction with
members of the academic staff in discussing her
teaching role has led to a higher awareness by
these staff of curriculum and assessment issues.
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Impact at School Level
The School as a whole benefits from an
internship. The presence of an intern encourages
self-reflective teaching practices for many of us
lecturers. One of the greatest benefits from
the Internship from our point of view is the
culture it has created amongst our postgraduates
in relation to teaching. An Internship has come
to be seen as a prestigious thing, worth
competing for. Teaching is no longer just
something which gets in the way of doing the
research which will get them jobs, it has become
a subject for serious scientific research,
offering the same potential for recognition as
their other endeavours.
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Development of Teaching
I became more conscious ofteaching with
diversity, allowing that students learn in a
different manner to the way I learn I developed
some more practical skills including learning to
structure a lecture appropriately, understanding
the depth and breadth required for responsible
curriculum development, working through issues of
learning environments and methods.
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Confidence
The internship has made me realise I had enough
skills to consider a career in teaching at a
tertiary level. The internship helped hone
teaching skills, and gave me confidence regarding
applying for lecturing positions at university
level.
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Teaching / Research Nexus
The whole process of breaking down some complex
theoretical ideas and adapting the material at
the student-level really got me thinking about
the fundamental concepts behind my research.
about how important such discussion/debate
sessions are to the progress of my own
scholarship. One of the drawbacks of research I
find is that I get used to thinking in a certain
way. My students asked me some really good
questions that got me thinking about the material
in a different light.
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Career Development
The internship fostered in me a passion for
teaching. It reinforced for me the satisfaction
of sharing knowledge and enthusiasm for my
science with a new generation of students,
facilitating their learning and challenging them
to expand their own academic horizons. This
has resulted in me seeking an academic position
for the conclusion of my PhD, and largely thanks
to the internship experience, I will commence as
a tenured Senior Lecturer in Forensic Biology at
the University of Portsmouth in England in
September 2006. They were so impressed with the
internship scheme they have exempt me from their
TL program for new academics!
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Career Development
Exposure to what teaching is all about (it is a
lot more than what goes on in the classroom)
helps individuals contemplating a career in
academia to understand more fully what it is all
about. They might even change their mind.
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• Issues?
• Delaying completion of PhD
• Containing the size of the project

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Questions?
http//www.teachingandlearning.uwa.edu.au/page/781
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