Temporary Senior Tutor

The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) delivers world-class research, learning and teaching that transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally.

The Temporary Senior Tutor will join the teaching team at IDS. The Teaching team oversees the delivery of our Masters and PhD courses.

We are seeking to recruit Temporary Senior Tutor to join the teaching team who is confident with dealing with students, marking and other parts of the teaching process. As well as independently manage student cohorts and the necessary administration.

Applicants will need to have PhD degree in Social Sciences, an understanding of key ideas in international development, and experience in supervising and marking.

Although IDS is a sponsoring organisation unfortunately we would not be able to obtain a certificate of sponsor for this particular post as the role does not meet the requirements (skills; salary threshold) as outlined in the Skilled Worker guidelines.

IDS is seeking to recruit a maternity leave replacement Senior Tutor to undertake the following four key roles: for tutoring IDS seminars; providing support for the IDS-run online distance learning modules of the MSc in Sustainable Development; meeting with students put forward for misconduct and marking for both the online and IDS MA degrees.

This tutor will take seminars for the Ideas in Development module, working under the general direction of the module convenor, e.g. regarding attendance, teaching methods, assessment methods and procedures, course evaluation methods and keeping of appropriate records. The Tutor will be responsible for the preparation and delivery of seminars and associated essential administration, in order to ensure a continuous and productive learning experience for the students.

This tutor will work with the module convenors to ensure the appropriate delivery of the online modules, e.g. organisational work required for the modules (organising live sessions, putting students in small groups for assignments etc), overseeing students contributions to discussion boards, engaging with students’ responses and responding to queries or passing these on to module convenors etc.

Where necessary, the role will involve meeting with students whose work is put forward for misconduct, providing moral support, explaining to them why their work is being investigated and how to ensure that this does not happen going forward.

The role will also provide support and back-up to the IDS MA degrees and modules, in the form of marking a range of different kinds of assessments (MA term papers, dissertations, etc.) and where necessary undertaking marks checking and moderation.

Online Distance Learning Module: MSc Sustainable Development This module provides the epistemological foundations of development studies, mapping the historical evolution of key ideas and the political, socio-economic and cultural influences on them. It highlights the deeply contested nature of development and the different insights that academic disciplines such as economics, gender studies, anthropology, sociology, geography and political science have contributed to the evolution of development thinking. Students will reflect on their own motivation and positionality and how these influence their interpretation of the meaning and goals of development.

Overall Duties The Tutor will be responsible for the organisation of, and response to, the ‘apply’ components of the online module and associated essential administration, in order to ensure a continuous and productive learning experience for the students.

The Tutor will also be responsible for marking assignments, in conjunction with the module convenors.

Key responsibilities: • Preparation – understanding the weekly themes and exercises and being able to engage with these as required by students • Teaching – responding to discussion forums in the ‘apply’ component of the online module and responding to queries; – organising and supporting ‘live’ sessions – providing feedback to students in relation to unassessed work • Pastoral and Academic support – meeting with students whose work is investigated for misconduct to provide support and explain the principles of academic writing • Associated administration – participation in essential meetings; completion of all necessary administrative requirements. • Marking – having a overall grasp of the required assignments and being able to guide students where necessary. – familiarity with the marking criteria and marking requirements, timely marking, completing the feedback form/rubric, using appropriate marking criteria and descriptors, agreeing grades, – participation in the marking of group assignments (if necessary) – marking a range of term papers for different modules – if necessary, marks checking and internal moderation for modules.

The work will take place between September 2022 and February 2023, some of this work will be online. This work will involve meeting with students and with other markers, or Convenors at IDS. Some of this can be online. When needed, IDS will provide shared work space for the Tutor and small meeting rooms can be booked.