Undergraduate Supervision: An Introduction (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences)

Prerequisites

Please note: this course was formerly called 'Effective Undergraduate Supervision'.

This course prepares you to supervise undergraduate students at the University of Cambridge in AHSS subjects. It explores the challenges and approaches involved in supervising undergraduates as well as providing practical advice and strategies.

The course consists of three components:

1. A pre-workshop self-paced module containing information on the Cambridge supervision system and introduces the principles and practices of effective teaching.

2. A live online workshop that incorporates personal reflection on teaching practice, discussion of real teaching scenarios, a chance to discuss and ask questions and access to practical information about organising and carrying out your supervisions.

3. A post-workshop information pack containing additional resources for ongoing support and information

The training provided in this course complements any training you may receive from your department or college and is required by colleges before you can carry out supervisions.

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences PhD Students and Postdocs interested in supervising undergraduates

Completion of Pre-Workshop Online Materials

• A short online package will be sent to all participants in advance of attending the live online workshop
• This online module will provide some background information on Cambridge undergraduate teaching and the role of the supervisor in enhancing student learning as well as some reflective activities (you will be asked to consider your own perceptions about what it means to be a supervisor of undergraduate students)
• You will also be given a representative essay to read before the live online workshop
• Completion of this module is necessary for you to be able to participate in the subsequent live online workshop.
  

• This course will be facilitated online via Zoom, so please ensure you can have access.

Number of sessions: 1

By the end of this course you will know:

• the purpose of supervisions at Cambridge
• how to deal with common supervision scenarios
• how to provide effective feedback
• the practicalities of starting to supervise

Topics covered:

• Introduction to supervising (including what supervisions are, format, preparing for them)
• Background information for those who need it (British education system, Cambridge undergraduate system)
• What good teaching looks like
• Role of a supervisor
• Inclusive discussions and interaction
• Dealing with different supervision scenarios
• The purpose of feedback
• The content of supervisions
• Practical tips and advice
• Resources for ongoing support and information

Blended learning course consists of introductory online component, a live online workshop (via Zoom) for researchers, comprising of discussions and activities and a follow-up online component.

• After taking part in the live online workshop, you will be given access to a permanent online resource which will include outputs from the workshop session, as well as more detailed information about aspects of supervision practices at the University of Cambridge.

• It will provide information on topics such as effective feedback practices, reporting to college(s) on your supervisions using CamCORS, supervising students with disabilities, and effective questioning strategies.

• In addition, the package will include links to useful discipline-specific materials such as departmental marking criteria and supervision guides.

Online sessions (Module 1 and Module 3): approximately 1 hour each

Live online workshop: 3 hours, including a coffee break

Multiple instances in Michaelmas and Lent