The Maths, Stats & OR Network remains committed to providing and developing support for new academic members of staff, and the cornerstone of this programme is our annual "Induction course for new lecturers" which runs in September of each year at the University of Birmingham. Within the mathematical sciences, Postgraduate students also contribute substantially to supporting the undergraduate student learning experience, and so the Network has implemented an annual series of one-day workshops to support postgraduate students who teach. These workshops run in the autumn of each year and are available free of charge; a range of resources are available from the previous workshop series.
The Network has been involved in developing dedicated teaching modules that are available for new academic members of staff. There is the distance learning based Teaching statistics in HE course which is accredited by the Royal Statistical Society. The Network has also helped to develop an Associate Module entitled "Learning and Teaching Mathematics in Higher Education" which was accredited by the University of Birmingham; this has now been superseded by the generic Teaching and Learning in Higher Education modules . Currently the Network is also working to develop a distance learning module for those new to teaching Operational Research within Higher Education.
The Associate Module for learning and teaching mathematics was linked with our annual Induction Course and aligns with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education. Successful completion of this module yields 20 M-level credits towards PGCertHE programmes. The Network is keen to explore how this module may become embedded within the provision at Higher Education Institutions other than the University of Birmingham, and if you are interested in exploring this possibility, please contact us at info[at]mathstore.ac.uk.
The Network continues to produce a range of resources and guides that are suitable for use by both new and experienced academic members of staff. Our quarterly newsletter, MSOR Connections, also serves as a valuable CPD resource for both new and experienced staff.
A varied programme of workshops and events covering all aspects of teaching and learning within Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research are also offered by the Network; this includes our annual conference which is hosted in conjunction with the related Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs). In addition to our own activity to support new academic staff, the Network is a regular contributor to activities of the SNAS (Supporting New Academic Staff) group of the Higher Education Academy. Within the SNAS database you will find a number of subject specific teaching materials and guides that will be of particular use to those commencing their academic teaching career.
Related links
Annual CETL-MSOR conference [2010 event]
Induction course for new lecturers [2009 event]
MSOR Connections [newsletter]
Publications request
SNAS (Supporting New Academic Staff) [database of resources]
Supporting postgraduate students who teach [2009 event]
Supporting postgraduate students who teach [resources]
Teaching and learning in Higher Education modules [generic University of Birmingham modules]
Teaching statistics in HE course
UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education
Workshops and events [forthcoming MSOR Network events]