Assessment of teaching skills at the Faculty of Social Sciences Instructions for applicants for teaching positions or the title of docent (approved by the meeting of the teaching skills committee on 6 August 2014) The teaching skills of applicants for teaching positions or the title of docent are assessed comprehensively. Applications must be accompanied by an academic portfolio (see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university/how-to-apply-for-a-job-at-theuniversity#section-21525 ) or another report which allows the teaching skills committee to assess the applicant s teaching skills. The academic portfolio or report must indicate the applicant s previous teaching experience, education in university pedagogy, any learning material produced as well as anything else which testifies to the applicant s teaching qualifications (see Principles for assessing teaching skills at the end of these instructions). The teaching skills committee may ask questions about the written material in conjunction with the demonstration of teaching skills. Demonstration of teaching skills The demonstration of teaching skills is a lecture in the field of the position or docentship and open to the public. It may take the form of a lecture, seminar supervision, other event, or a combination of the above. The demonstration may be given in a real classroom situation involving academic experts and students. In recruitment situations, the appointment committee may ask applicants to provide a teaching demonstration that focuses on a theme relevant to the position in question (e.g., methodological studies, reflection on the research field). A demonstration of teaching skills cannot exceed 20 minutes, but applicants may use five minutes before the actual demonstration to provide a framework for the teaching situation. The demonstration includes a one-page pedagogical curriculum for the course in which the demonstration is included. Applicants must deliver this curriculum to the teaching skills committee at least one week before the teaching demonstration. The course may be included in the degree requirements, or applicants may design the course themselves. The plan must include information on the target audience of the course, the most important learning contents and objectives, teaching methods, assessment and the collection of feedback. The pedagogical solutions used in the course should also be discussed. The 20-minute teaching demonstration may include both actual teaching and explanation of what would occur in a real teaching situation. Applicants may use teaching aids that they consider appropriate during their teaching demonstration. When preparing the demonstration of teaching skills, applicants should consider what content the demonstration seeks to impart. They should also consider the following: how does the topic relate more widely to the field of science and the applicant s research? How can students be engaged? What supplementary material can be used and how? The teaching should be carried out in a manner that corresponds to the applicant s understanding of good teaching. Experts and students will have an opportunity to interview the applicant after the demonstration. The assessment of a teaching demonstration focuses on the following: - Ability to structure the topic in an understandable manner - Ability to justify one s ideas and arguments - Ability to use the latest research in the field - Ability to structure the teaching situation - Ability to engage with the students in an inspiring and thought-provoking manner - Ability to utilise teaching aids - Presentation skills The demonstration will be graded on a scale of Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor. The applicant s teaching skills are ultimately assessed as a whole.
PRINCIPLES FOR ASSESSING TEACHING SKILLS The matrix below is a checklist providing examples of aspects to be considered in the evaluation of the teaching skills of applicants for teaching positions. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application includes sufficiently detailed documentation of all qualifications which may be relevant to the assessment of teaching skills in the filling of the position in question. This matrix draws upon similar criteria used at the Human Resources and Legal Affairs unit as well as the faculties of the University of Helsinki. The assessors of teaching skills may use the matrix as an aid, but the overall assessment is always based on individual assessment and a comparison of qualifications. The weight given to various areas of assessment may vary even between positions of the same demands level. Teaching skills are crucial to all positions, and shortcomings in this area cannot be compensated for by other merits. Areas of assessment and their main contents: 1. Practical teaching experience and the development of teaching skills The applicant s prior teaching experience at a university or other higher education institution: Number and nature of teaching duties Target groups of the teaching Development and assessment of one s teaching skills: teaching methods, feedback and assessment practices Teaching provided in different languages (especially Finnish, Swedish and English) Use of ICT in teaching Other teaching and instruction experience 2. Supervision experience Supervision of theses and dissertations amount, academic levels and disciplines Experience in various guidance and supervision situations, such as the supervision of junior researchers 3. Pedagogical vision, training or other evidence of teaching skills Teaching philosophy and mission Evidence of pedagogical training (particularly university pedagogy) or other activities contributing to the development of teaching skills indicating the scope, nature, core contents and organiser or commissioner of the training or activity 4. Production of learning material Publications used in higher education as well as educational technology resources and other relevant material compiled by the applicant 5. Other teaching qualifications Any other teaching qualifications relevant to the position, such as: Teaching-related cooperation and networks Participation in the development of teaching or quality assurance: activities in bodies that aim to develop university-level teaching, or other educational planning and development Expert positions Pedagogical research Awards and recognition 6. Demonstration of teaching skills The demonstration of teaching skills is a lecture in the field of the position and open to the public. It may take the form of a lecture, seminar supervision, other event, or a combination of the above. The demonstration may be given in a real classroom situation involving academic experts and students. Experts and students will have an opportunity to interview the applicant.
The demonstration will be graded on a four-tier scale (excellent, good, satisfactory, poor). Attention will be paid to the following aspects: - Ability to structure the topic in an understandable manner - Ability to defend one s arguments - Ability to make use of the latest research results - Ability to organise the teaching situation - Ability to engage with the students in an inspiring and thought-provoking manner - Ability to utilise teaching aids - Presentation skills 2
TEACHING EVALUATION MATRIX QUALIFICATION AREAS Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent Practical teaching experience and the -The applicant has little or no teaching experience. - The applicant has little or narrow teaching experience. -The applicant has experience in teaching several undergraduate -The applicant has extensive and varied teaching experience at different levels development of teaching -The applicant has no evidence -The applicant teaches in a routine courses. and in different contexts (undergraduate -Particularly experience of having collected or utilised manner. -The applicant has experience with and postgraduate education, acting as acquired at universities and feedback or of having - The applicant has little experience a range of teaching methods and instructor). other higher education developed his/her teaching in planning and implementing situations (lectures, seminars, -The applicant has experience teaching institutions skills in other ways. courses as course coordinator. individual guidance, supervision of in different languages (especially -Development and - The applicant has no -The applicant has some evidence of group work, acting as instructor). Finnish, Swedish and English). assessment of teaching experience in planning courses collecting or utilising feedback or of -The applicant has experience in -The applicant has extensive experience skills: Teaching methods, or acting as course coordinator. having somewhat developed his/her planning and implementing courses in planning course- and/or disciplinespecific teaching and in having overall feedback and grading teaching skills in other ways. as course coordinator. practices - The applicant collects feedback to responsibility for teaching. -Use of ICT be used in the development of -The applicant systematically collects teaching. feedback for the development of - The applicant understands the basics of ICT. teaching. -The applicant has received mainly positive feedback. - The applicant utilises ICT in a practical Supervision experience -Theses -Guidance of learning and career orientation, e.g. the supervision of junior researchers Pedagogical vision, training or other evidence of teaching skills Production of learning material -The applicant has no supervision experience. -The applicant has no evident pedagogical vision. -The applicant has no pedagogical training. -The applicant has no evidence of the development of his/her teaching skills. -The applicant has not produced learning material. -The applicant has minor supervision experience with undergraduate theses. -The applicant has minor professional supervision experience (in the workplace: orientation, supervision of research, leadership). -The applicant has described his/her pedagogical vision to a degree. - The applicant has little or no pedagogical training. - The applicant has some evidence of the development of his/her teaching skills. - The applicant has produced some learning material for his/her own use. -The applicant has moderate supervision experience. -The applicant has moderate professional supervision experience (in the workplace: orientation, supervision of research, management). -The applicant has a clearly expressed pedagogical vision. -The applicant has some pedagogical training or other qualifications for the purpose of developing his/her teaching skills. - The applicant has produced learning material for his/her own use and the use of others. manner. -The applicant has extensive supervision experience with theses and dissertations. - The applicant has international supervision experience. -The applicant has wide-ranging and/or extensive supervision experience in a professional context (orientation, supervision of research, management). -The applicant has a personal teaching vision. -The applicant has ample pedagogical training or shows systematic efforts to develop his/her teaching skills. -The applicant has produced learning material that has been published and used extensively. - The material includes international
Other teaching qualifications -Teaching-related collaboration and networks -Participation in the development of teaching or quality assurance -Expert positions -Pedagogical research -Honours and awards -The applicant has no other qualifications. - The applicant has some minor qualifications in other teachingrelated areas. EVALUATION MATRIX FOR THE DEMONSTRATION OF TEACHING SKILLS - The applicant has moderate evidence of teaching-related cooperation. -The applicant has participated in the development of teaching in his/her workplace. publications. -The applicant has extensive evidence of teaching-related cooperation. -The applicant has carried out pedagogical research. -The applicant has been actively involved in the development of teaching both in and outside of his/her workplace (including expert positions). -The applicant has received awards or other recognition for his/her teaching qualifications. 4 The demonstration will be graded on a four-tier scale (excellent, good, satisfactory, poor). Areas of assessment Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent Ability to structure the topic Ability to defend one s arguments Ability to make use of prior research Ability to structure the situation Ability to inspire and motivate -The structure of the demonstration of teaching skills is nonexistent or confusing. -The topic and content of the demonstration lecture correspond poorly to each other. -Arguments are justified unclearly or not at all. -The applicant makes little use of prior research or the research discussed in the demonstration lecture is one-sided or outdated. -The teaching situation is disorganised. -The target group and context of the teaching have not been defined. -The presentation is one-sided. -The applicant does not consider the target group s level of knowledge. -The train of discussion is -The content of the demonstration lecture is related to the topic. -Justifications are one-sided and may be unclear. -The research presented is relevant to the topic. -The teaching is not based on the applicant s own research. -The teaching situation is organised. -The applicant takes the target group and context into consideration. -The presentation is somewhat onesided. -The applicant considers the target -The content is structured in a logical manner. -Theory and practice are connected. -The topic and content of the demonstration lecture correspond to each other. -The applicant makes clear and logical justifications and clarifies them when asked. - The applicant utilises his/her own research when possible. -The research discussed in the demonstration lecture is current. -The teaching situation is organised appropriately. -The content of the demonstration is relevant to the target group and context. - The applicant considers the target group s level of knowledge. -The applicant attempts to inspire -The topic is organised in a clear and interesting manner. -Clear connections are made between theory and practice. -The content is examined critically. -The applicant makes clear, logical and many-sided justifications combining different viewpoints. -The research discussed in the demonstration lecture is current, many-sided and relevant. - The applicant also utilises his/her own research. -Research and theory are connected. -The teaching situation is organised appropriately, taking into consideration its objectives, contents, target group and context. -The applicant inspires the target group to engage, piques the listeners interest and motivates
Ability to use teaching aids Presentation skills -Teaching aids are used in an impractical manner or not at all. -There is too much learning material or none at all. -The applicant's delivery is unclear and occasionally incomprehensible. -Oral and written communication is incoherent. group s level of knowledge. the target group to think. them to participate. -Teaching aids are used in a practical -Teaching aids are used in a practical -Teaching aids and learning material manner. manner. are used appropriately in terms of -Learning material is too -The amount of material is the situation, goals and contents. narrow/extensive and/or appropriate to the time available uninformative, confusing, etc. and the material is clear and informative. -The applicant s delivery is clear and -Oral and written communication is not entirely coherent. -The applicant s delivery is clear and -Oral and written communication is coherent. -The applicant s delivery is clear and -The applicant interacts with the listeners in a natural and appropriate manner in terms of the teaching situation. -Oral, written and visual communication are logically combined. 5