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ISSUE 695 11 FEB 2019 exepose.com @Exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
‘Teaching is a lot more than standing in front of a board’
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nomics said that they were concerned because “teaching is a lot more than standing up in front of a board and explaining how you understand something. “There’s lots of different ways, especially in a subject like Economics, of getting to the same answer through different methods. I feel like with students, you learn one method for the final exam, and that’s the system that these teachers have come through, when actually there are ways of students having different approaches that still lead to the same conclusion.
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This is not made clear to offer holders Questions raised about rights, conditions and disciplinary procedures Image: Edd Church
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NDERGRADUATE students have been employed to teach in a programme that sees final-year students lead first-year tutorials. The programme has been welcomed by a member of the sabbatical team, but an Exeter UCU Officer expressed deep concern about it. Offer-holders are not informed that they might be taught by fellow undergraduates, the programme co-ordinator has
confirmed. This is despite University and OfS recommendations that they are to be informed of important information about modules. The Economics Scholars programme, which has been running since January of last year, has employed eight students this year to lead tutorials. According to the programme leaders, they are paid at the same rates as Graduate Teaching Assistants. Jess Bowyer, Exeter UCU PGR Officer said: “We are deeply concerned that undergraduates may be being recruited to fill teaching gaps. It’s not clear how widespread this practice is at Exeter, or whether
the University leadership is even aware that it is happening. It is imperative that undergraduates are not being recruited to plug gaps in teaching schedules that would normally be covered by more experienced academics. Although Dr Gary Abrahams, Economics Scholar Co-ordinator, cited opportunities to improve presentation and communication skills; minutes of PGR Executive meeting show that Gemma Delafield, Economics PGR rep, raised that this might be a solution for a lack of teaching staff. A second-year student taking Eco-
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An interview with Exeter band I Say Flower Image: Natasa Christofidou
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Bryony Gooch Online Music Editor
ARREN Bingham-Roberts, VP Education, will face a disciplinary meeting this week, following the decision of Shadow Council on 6 February. Shadow Councillor Harry Burton spoke on behalf of college officers across the university regarding issues raised against him. These issues include the applicant process for the academic representation system, communication with college officers, and his response to criticism surrounding the Digital Check-in system. Bingham-Roberts faced questions of the success of the current academic representation system, an application process that has replaced the previous electoral system. Burton then noted that, of the three colleges that had given application figures, only the College of Life and Environmental Sciences had received an application for the role of an academic representative. Bingham-Roberts noted that efforts had been made to simplify the procedure with a five-box system where the relevant skills are put in the boxes. He also commented that elections were not open this time last year. Burton also asked what would count as a successful result from the application process, to which BinghamRoberts responded that he was unsure “numbers wise, but as long as the majority of positions were filled” it ...
Undergraduates recruited to teach on first-year modules
Megan Davies Editor
VP Education risks Notice of Improvement
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Oscars: The Exeposé Screen Editors’ alternative winners Image: Disney ABC Television Group
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