THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Undergraduate Course: Science Education Placement: Physics (PHYS10084)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate)
Course typePlacement AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryAn extended school placement offering the opportunity for the students to gain first hand experience of science education and communication.

Acceptance onto this course is by competitive application. Students are informed of the application process in Semester 2 of Junior Honours year. Students must NOT enrol on the course without the permission from the Course Organiser.

This course may only be taken in Senior Honours year. It is not available to students in Integrated Masters year.
Course description The course entails:
- Classroom observation and assistance: Initial contact with the teacher and pupils will be as a classroom assistant, watching how the teacher handles the class, the lesson structure, the level of science taught and offering practical support to the teacher in the 'lab'.
- Teaching assistance: The teacher will assign the undergraduate actual teaching tasks which will vary depending on specific needs and the undergraduate's own ability as it develops over the term. This could include offering problem-solving coaching to a small group of higher ability pupils or taking the last ten minutes of the lesson for the whole class. As part of their course assessment the undergraduate will have to demonstrate an understanding of how the level of scientific knowledge of the pupils they are teaching fits in to their overall learning context in other subjects.
- Special projects: The undergraduate will devise a special project on the basis of discussion with the teacher and their own assessment of what will interest the particular pupils they are working with. The undergraduate will have to show that they can analyse a specific teaching problem and devise and prepare appropriately targeted teaching materials, practical demonstrations and basic 'tests'.
- Extra-curricula projects: The undergraduate may be supervised by the teacher in helping to run an out-of-timetable activity such as a lunchtime science club, special coaching periods for higher ability pupils or a trip to their university department. The undergraduate will have to demonstrate an ability to think laterally in order to formulate interesting ways to illustrate more difficult scientific concepts.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed:
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Sucessful completion of Physics Junior Honours and by selection.
This course may only be undertaken in Senior Honours year.
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Work professionally in an educational environment.
  2. Communicate effectively with educational professionals and young people.
  3. Demonstrate professional skills of the type needed for teaching and communicating physics.
  4. Demonstrate the self-organisation skills needed to prepare for planned work in an educational establishment.
  5. Choose methods of explanation and presentation of physics topics appropriate for the individual or group with which they are working.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Additional Class Delivery Information Approximately 200 hours of student practical and oral and report preparation effort, within times assigned.
KeywordsSEP
Contacts
Course organiserProf Judy Hardy
Tel: (0131 6)50 6716
Email: j.hardy@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Maria Mazoy Saavedra
Tel: (0131 6)51 7524
Email: M.MazoySaavedra@ed.ac.uk
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