Are You Passionate about Teaching?

Hear what some past UDLs say....

• "Being a UDL helps you sharpen your own skills. It helped me discover new stuffs in Java that I wasn't aware of. In the process I became a better programmer myself." -- Lek Hsiang Hui
  
  
• "I would say it helped me improve my interpersonal skills, how to express my ideas in an easy to understand way. I also had the chance to deal with various situations where students had difficulties with their study and helped them. Lastly, teaching is challenging as I had to think of ways to make the students involved and the class lively." -- Huynh Gia Huy
  
  
• "This may be the first and probably the last opportunity you would encounter that allows you to assume a teaching role in your academic life. I am glad I took up the opportunity." -- Toh Zhiqiang
  
  

Then YOU are the right person we are looking for!

The School is looking for talented students with passion for teaching to lead discussion sessions with groups of 13 to 15 freshmen in CS1010 and CS1101S in the Academic Year 2013/2014.

Eligibility:

• Students into their third or fourth year.
• Scored at least an A- in CS1010/CS1101S/CG1101 or being exempted from one of the courses.
• Passionate about teaching.
• Passionate about programming.
• Good communication skills.

*Note: Students who are in their graduating Semester are not eligible.

Benefits:

• Share your passions with freshmen, and ignite the passion in them.
• Shape the life of future programmers.
• Remuneration of up to $100 per week for about 5 hours of work done.
• Sharpen your teaching skill through attending teaching assistant workshop.
• Being part of the SoC teaching team.
• A good record for future full-time teaching assistant application.

Application Opening: 27th February – 8th April 2013

FAQ for Undergraduate Discussion Leaders (UDLs)

What are my duties?
As an UDL, you will be in charge of leading discussions in a discussion group comprising 13 to 15 students. You will be responsible for explaining programming concepts, marking assignments, helping in programming laboratory, and tracking the progress of the programming skill development of the students under your charge. The unique feature of this system is that you will only look after your group of 13 to 15 students throughout the semester.

What role do I play?
You are to lead discussion sessions in small groups.

• Undergraduates in their third or fourth year of study
• Students who scored at least A- in CS1010/CS1101S/CG1101are preferred
• Students who possess deep passion for teaching
• Students who possess good communication skills
• Students who possess good CAP are preferred

*Note: Students who are in their graduating Semester are not eligible.

Benefits:

• Share your passions with freshmen and ignite the passion in them.
• Shape the life of future programmers.

• Get remuneration of up to $100 per week (5  hours of work). (Actual remuneration depends on the actual number of hours put in.)

• Sharpen your teaching skills through attending teaching workshop.
• Being part of the SoC teaching force.
• Securing good record for future full-time teaching assistance application.

All applicants have to go through an interview to assess their suitability. Qualities we look out for include passion, competency, and communication skills. Other factors are also considered, such as the study load of the applicants.

The workload and job scope for the two modules are described below :

CS1010
We look for UDLs who are passionate about providing guidance and mentorship to the freshmen taking the first programming module. The main duties of the UDLs are to grade lab assignments and conduct weekly 2-hour discussion sessions which supplement the lectures. The group size is small, limited to about 15 students in a group, to facilitate greater interaction and rapport with the students. The UDLs in CS1010 are given a lot of flexibility to tailor their materials for their students. UDLs are required to attend weekly one-hour staff meeting. As the workload is heavy, applicants have to be prepared to set aside sufficient time to carry out their duties.

CS1101S
The UDLs are responsible for the learning and the success of students taking CS1101S. The UDLs lead weekly 2-hour discussion groups and also grade the problem sets assigned for the class and hold one hour of consultation every week. In addition, the UDLs also play a major role in checking and updating assignments. Occasionally, some UDLs will also be tasked to create new assignments for the class. In addition, all UDLs will attend weekly one-hour staff meeting.

Is this discussion group something optional for the students taking the course?
No, discussion groups are meant to replace both tutorials and lab sessions. They are mixture of tutorials and lab sessions.

What are the qualifications required of me?
You must be an SoC student. You must be into your third or fourth year of undergraduate studies when taking up this job. You must score at least an A- for your programming modules (CS1010/CS1101S/CG1101). Lastly, you must be passionate about teaching and about programming, and must have good communication skills.

How many UDLs are required ?
Estimated number of UDLs required will be around 25 for Semester 1 and 5 for Semester 2.

How long do I need to work?
Officially, in a semester, you are required to spend on average two hours per week on discussion with your group of students. You are also expected to spend on average around two hours per week on marking the assignments of your group of students. Lastly, you are expected to join (about one-hour) dialogue sessions weekly with the module lecturer to discuss students’ progress, as well as to help in other course activities such as invigilation of tests and practical exam. Unofficially, we hope that you are passionate enough to spend extra hours with students under your charge to help them make progress in attaining programming skills.

What are needed for me to apply for this position?
You need to go to the following to make an application:

https://mysoc.nus.edu.sg/~teachadm
> Teaching Support Student
> UDL Application

In your application, you can name a lecturer who knows you well enough to comment on your ability to teach/program.

Please note that you are required to attend an interview as part of the selection process. The interviews are scheduled on 3th April 2013, 1 - 6pm and 24th April 2013, 1 - 6pm.

Do I have to be involved in any event outside the semester period?
Yes.  Once selected, it will be compulsory for you to attend a teaching workshop, which is schedule on 14th August 2013, 4 - 6pm. Successful applicants will be notified with more details via email.

Must I reapply every semester to be in the cadre of UDL?
Yes. We require candidates to apply online for re-appointment in each semester.

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