The tutor training programme for lecturers and their Teaching Assistants (TAs) is bearing fruit at CPUT.
The success of the programme was revealed in an evaluation study commissioned by the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee to determine the effectiveness of tutor training at the institution.
The study was conducted by Prof Lorraine Hassan, Head of Academic Development Unit at Fundani.
“The predominant emerging finding was that there was an absence of discipline-specific tutor training at CPUT,” says Hassan.
She subsequently led a team that was responsible for the design and implementation of a training programme that would address this deficiency.
Since the program has been piloted hundreds of TAs and their lecturers have been trained.
The subsequent employment of the TAs is being funded by the Teaching Development Grant.
“It is hoped that the use of TAs will not only benefit tutees through higher quality support being provided but that TAs will also capitalize on this opportunity to position themselves in academia,” says Hassan.
