These pages sets out a recommended professional development programme containing key information, activities, and resources which are likely to be useful to colleagues in the role of Assistant Lecturer (Teaching).
We recommend you use this information to aid reflection on your professional development, ideally as part of development conversations with your manager. You should also refer to your job description, and you may find the Academic Development Reflection Tool useful.
Explore the different professional devlopment themes in a way that makes sense to you. There’s no need to start with Theme One and follow in order! Instead, pick the ones that will be most important in your role, or for your future career. If you are not sure where to start, we’ve recommended some small actions in the ‘Try it out’ section at the end of each theme.
Before you explore the themes, there are also some overarching aspects which will inform your role more generally. Some aspects may already be familiar to you if you have worked in Higher Eduction before, but they are important in understanding the Coventry University Group context. Use the buttons below to skip to each section.
Essential Background
- Getting to know the “Coventry Way” of approaching learning, teaching and assessment is crucial. Complete the dedicated Aula course on the Coventry Way to find out about its key principles, and implications for practice as well as to experience Aula, Coventry University Group’s digital learning platform.
- This summary of Teaching and Learning: The Coventry Way also provides an overview of the approach.
- The Coventry University Group’s 2030 Education and Student Experience Strategy sets out the mission and vision of the organisation, as well as key themes relating to our educational offer- all of which influence the way that we approach our teaching, learning and assessment practice.
- It is important to appreciate where your role fits in within the wider organisation: see Coventry University Group explained.
- The Academic induction webpages– and the associated workshop- are essential for colleagues who are new to teaching at the Coventry University Group. Refer to the course booking system for dates of future sessions. You will be added to the New Academic Network Programme (NANP) after the induction- see below for further details.
Getting Started
- Getting to know your students is central to succeeding as a teacher. Spend some time finding out about the profile of your learners- consider characteristics such as age range, nationalities, gender, and so on. You could also consider running some simple getting-to-know-you activities on Aula or in the classroom so that students can learn about you, too. Find suggestions on Coventry’s Teaching and Learning Knowledge Base, or try these suggestions from Cornell University.
- It is recommended that you discuss the implications of the Group structure and 2030 Strategy for your role with your line manager, as well as the profile of your students. All of these factors could impact on your objectives and priorities as you establish yourself as an Assistant Lecturer (Teaching).
Take it Further
- If you’re new to Coventry University Group, new to teaching, or both, the New Academic Network Programme (NANP) is for you! It provides webinars focused on getting to know what support is available for teaching staff; one-to-one support for anyone who would like it; plus opportunities to make connections with colleagues in similar roles. Click here to join the NANP site on MSTeams.
Explore the themes
We’ve organised this narrative around the six themes of the professional development framework. Explore the themes in a way that is meaningful and useful for you- you don’t have to complete them in order! You can move from theme to theme using the drop down menu at the top of the page under “Assistant Lecturer (Teaching)” or use the links below.