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The Teaching and Learning Development Unit
The Teaching
and Learning Development Unit is concerned with fulfilling Waikato University’s
commitment to higher learning. Through its work with both staff
and students the Unit is uniquely placed to identify trends, best
practice and gaps in the University’s provision of higher learning.
The Unit’s goal is to help students
develop, at every level and from all disciplines, the tertiary literacies
and competencies that will enable them to become self-directed learners and
succeed in meeting the requirements of tertiary study.
Students are helped to develop their
learning, communication and mathematics skills and to overcome study-related
problems. Learning development services include
- Individual tuition. Students may come
to the Unit of their own volition or at the suggestion of staff.
- Group tuition. Workshops are offered
on aspects of learning and contributions to courses may be requested
by staff.
- An academic orientation programme
for new students.
- Drop-in sessions for mathematics support.
- A range of resources including booklets
and internet-based programmes.
- Training of tutors and senior residents
in Halls of Residence to work with students to develop their learning.
The Unit aims to help staff develop
the competencies, skills and pedagogical knowledge that they need
to provide high quality teaching. In addition the Unit aims to foster reflective
practice skills so that academic teachers become equipped to improve
their own practice. These services include
- consultancy on all aspects of courses,
teaching and learning (eg course design, teaching-learning methods
and materials, student assessment).
- workshops and working groups on a
wide range of topics. These are offered throughout the year and
may be requested by teaching teams and departments.
- assistance with the selection and
design of course/teaching appraisal methods, processing and interpretation
of student feedback, facilitation of course reviews, and preparation
of teaching profiles.
- a library of resources on teaching
and learning.
While the Unit gives particular attention
to the development of staff who have limited teaching experience,
support for the continuing development of staff throughout their teaching
careers is of equal importance.
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