Departmental Instructional Assistant/lecturer - Saskatoon, Canada - University of Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan

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Saskatoon, Canada

1 week ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

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Description

Departmental Instructional Assistant/Lecturer:

The Department of Physics & Engineering Physics within the College of Arts & Science is a research-intensive unit with a strong focus on both pure and applied STEM education in Physics.

We are strongly coupled to a number of USask Signature Areas including Synchrotron Sciences and Quantum Innovation. First year courses in Physics and Engineering Physics are required by many programs on campus (e.g. Engineering, various medicine-related fields, etc.) and we deliver these required large-enrolment classes at a very high level.

An important feature of these courses is the laboratory component, an essential feature of Physics classes and a critical component of STEM training in Physics and Engineering Physics.

Nature of Work:
The person holding this position reports directly to the Head of the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics.

The person holding this position is responsible for developing and maintaining online and face-to-face course materials, delivering instruction, marking coursework, and providing feedback to students.

This is a high-volume-job requiring the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced team environment with numerous competing deadlines.

The person hired must adapt to changing demands and conditions and work both collaboratively and independently on the development and delivery of courses.

Persons reporting to the holder of this position include:

- assignment markers, tutorial leaders, and help desk tutors assigned to first-year classes
- laboratory assistants assigned to the laboratories for which this person is responsible.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities:

Instructor:

Instructs a number of the department's main undergraduate laboratories including this associated with the Department's flagship large-enrolment first-year undergraduate courses.

The person in this position will also often serve as the instructor of one or more sections of the Department's first-year classes and is the instructor of many of the department's upper-year undergraduate laboratories.

Designer:

In consultation with the Department Head, the Chair of the Undergraduate Affairs Committee and, in some cases, with the appropriate professor, the holder of this position will design some components of the undergraduate laboratories for which he/she is responsible.

This can include recommending on the number and content of the laboratory exercises and guiding the purchase of appropriate laboratory equipment.

This can include the course content, the number and content of the laboratory exercises, the number and content of assignments, the number and content of assessment tools (examinations), and the use of multimedia and other instructional technologies in the laboratory and classroom.

Manager:

The person in this position is involved in the hiring of, and is the supervisor of, many of the laboratory assistants, tutorial leaders, help desk tutors, assignment markers, exam invigilators, and outreach leaders who work for the department.

Trainer:

The person in this position is responsible for the training of many of the laboratory assistants, tutorial leaders, help desk tutors, assignment markers, and exam invigilators.

Technician:
Responsible for the upkeep and enhancement of the equipment in the laboratories.

Administrator:

Contributes to the administrative work of the department as assigned by the Department Head to assist in the department's operation and academic mission.
Coordinates the delivery of online and in person content for the laboratory component of undergraduate courses.
Marks/grades and assesses laboratory reports working within the USask LMS (currently Canvas).
Maintains an appropriate level of expertise and applies it to the creation and management of select courses.
The person will also liaise with the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, particularly with regard to Learning Communities.
Is responsive to the ongoing needs of students and the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics and updates courses accordingly. Will make decisions and use judgment to achieve the goals of the courses.
Supports and facilitates the development of the curriculum and course content in the Department.
Given the wide range of responsibilities associated with this position, working conditions are often stressful due to the large volume of work of a varied nature. Deadlines for various complex and unrelated projects often coincide.

Education:

The minimum formal education required to perform the duties of this position is a Master's degree (thesis program) in either Physics or Engineering Physics.

A Ph.
D. in these fields would be considered an asset

Experience:
Experience in teaching undergraduate classes and teaching undergraduate laboratories for Physics and/or Engineering Physics is required. Experience in curriculum development and/or authorship of laboratory manuals will be considered an asset