CHINWE

My teaching journey started in 2004 as a PhD student at the School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University. I was responsible for teaching the AutoCad tutorial to about 30 first-year undergraduate architectural engineering and design management (AEDM) students. AutoCad can be described as a drawing software which assists both architects and engineers to electronically provide graphical information in an illustrative and technical format for the production and construction of buildings. Given the practical nature of the subject matter, I emphasised approaches to teaching that engaged students through discussion and demonstration.
To meet with the range of learning needs in Higher Education, Garrison and Kanuka (2004) have suggest the use of blended learning to enhance the learning environment, support efficient face-to-face classroom sessions with technology and ensure inclusiveness through group work sessions and also one to one during tutorial sessions.

There is a practical element to my teaching. The students learn by doing and consideration is given to the different learning styles: visual, auditory, social and tactile/kinaesthetic in the preparation of lecture sessions. For example, I recognise that using visual aid/presentations as opposed to speaking in the class is aimed at accommodating the students who are less auditory and also students who English language is not their native tongue to engage fully with the lecture more easily. Students had to practice the use of the AutoCad during the one-hour tutorial sessions in which demonstrative instruction played a critical role.
Teaching by demonstration while providing instruction on key concepts made it possible to observe how well students were absorbing the knowledge. Students developed confidence in asking questions and I received feedback that allowed me to immediately adjust examples and projects to improve learning outcomes. The teaching outcomes were evidenced in the students’ proficient use of AutoCad. This initial experience was quite rewarding. It fuelled my interest in teaching and laid the foundation for my teaching philosophy.
Overall, my intention is to support students learning and experience with tasks/activities that are similar to real life projects and useful for professional development for future careers. I also have the opportunity as a teacher to reflect on my teaching strategies and develop appropriate methods for module and course delivery.

Tutoring Experience

After completing my PhD in 2007, I was offered a 3-year research fellowship in construction management in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University in 2008. As a research fellow, I further developed my teaching skills by systematically curating research findings and designing ways to integrate them into presentations and lectures to various audiences. Dissemination of research was a very important aspect of my role and involved working with practitioners in the construction industry to define research outputs applicable to the profession. I designed workshops and seminars for government agencies, industry practitioners and other professionals. These seminars and workshops enhanced my communication skills, and I learned how to present policy prescriptions and defend the results using information from field research. Importantly, I learned how to engage the audience and to better track reactions to what I was communicating which allowed me to adjust my delivery as needed.

Tutoring Approach

My philosophy is based on my learning and teaching experiences and is defined by two key precepts: (1) teaching is fundamentally about effective communication and a teacher must always be willing to explore different methods of transferring knowledge to students; (2) teaching is a two-way process in which teachers also learn from students which means a teacher must be flexible, adaptable, and willing to ask tough questions to provoke serious thinking by students. Dialogue and the opportunity to apply theory to real world problems allow both the teacher and student to interact in creative ways, while also facilitating peer-to-peer learning in the subject matter.

A general distinction may be drawn between reflection and evaluation to support my teaching style and highlight the role of feedback from students. I apply Hounsell’s evaluation cycle to review my teaching through these steps. (1). Clarify context and focus; (2). Devise A feedback strategy; (3). Gather feedback, (4). Analyse and interpret the feedback; (5). Agree on action; and (6). Implement changes. This directly impacts my teaching, preparation and course planning. By reflecting on my teaching, I can listen and review my course plans and make the necessary changes to the approach of my teaching style. Some of the changes I have made include: encouraging students’ personal expression and imagination for project proposals with their presentation sessions; promotion of more collaborative tasks and activities during coursework clinics; creation of an unstructured, friendly environment during tutorial sessions (coursework clinics); and the develop of my teaching sessions to include content with video clips on concept ideas that support lectures notes/handouts.

I am a member of the Association of Learning Technology (ALT). My reason for becoming a member of ALT was to deepen my understanding of the role of technology as a great enabler for learning both for the students I teach and for me. Although technology is often heralded as an important part of the educational experience, I have found that teaching with technology requires a clear set of pedagogical objectives, proper integration and alignment with substantive objectives, and quite importantly the technology must be the right fit for the style of content delivery. Furthermore, through the ALT I have come to appreciate and value even more the importance of sharing knowledge and learning from other teachers ideas on how best to improve the delivery of a subject area by using technology.