Approximately a year ago, Erasmus School of Economics started with the Tutor Academy. The Tutor Academy provides teaching assistants with training, coaching and guidance by professionals, in order to improve the quality of teaching in tutorials. The first year has now been evaluated.
The overall conclusion of this evaluation: most teaching assistants are satisfied with the level of guidance they received during their courses, but further improvement is possible.
The Tutor Academy is beneficial to both teaching assistants and students. The teaching assistants benefit because they learn didactical skills at the Academy from which they will benefit throughout their career. The students benefit because the improved skills of teaching assistants are expected to lead to a higher overall level of tutorial education at Erasmus School of Economics.
The renewed process of learning and interacting between teachers and teaching assistants seems to work, since teaching assistants are satisfied with the guidance they received during their courses. As much as 86% of the teaching assistants were satisfied with the guidance and support they received, whereas 42% of the teaching assistants who taught in previous years indicated that the guidance and training of teaching assistants had improved. RISBO workshops, visiting tutors in class, and personal feedback on performance, contributed to the improved guidance.
Students are now also better informed about the possibilities to work as a teaching assistant via the Tutor Academy website. So, if you are interested in joining the Tutor Academy and becoming a teaching assistant, do not hesitate to take a look at the website!
P.S. Interested in the full report? Please contact Monique Kluck, Programme manager Quality Impetus (kluck@ese.eur.nl).