Department of Physics and Astronomy positions available under the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP*)

*Only students with Canadian Citizen and Permanent Resident status are eligible for SWPP

Position title / number of openings: Undergraduate Academic Assistant (co-op or non-co-op student) / 8 positions

Hiring UBC department/contact information: UBC Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy / Contact: Shiho Mehrhoff headasst@phas.ubc.ca

Please apply via the following link: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0fEPmGI7zDfEgLP

Position description:

The onset of COVID-19 required rapid changes to the way we, UBC Science faculty, teach science and mathematics. We moved from face-to-face instruction to online teaching in March 2020, with the goal of providing uninterrupted opportunities for student learning and experience. We are now preparing for the fall term, which will be offered online and will require significant course revision. We have secured UBC-internal funding to undertake this project, which includes more than 240 courses and will impact thousands of students.

Faculty members across all nine UBC Science departments are implementing best practices to make these new online courses engaging and inclusive for students. With the support of the Science centre for learning and teaching and other campus units, faculty members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy will be developing, adapting or adopting resources including (but not limited to) assessments and assignments, worksheets and various learning activities using learning technology tools. The summer months will be spent on course development and the fall term will be spent on course delivery.

Student involvement in this project is key to our success. It is important that we develop student-centered courses that address student learning needs. The best way to accomplish this is to hire students who bring their lived experiences, practical ideas and skills to the project.

● The position will expose the student to all aspects of course design and delivery, from choosing the right teaching practices/techniques to applying them to address the learning goals of the course. Importantly, the student will have the opportunity to be part of a dynamic team, working closely with faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and have published in peer-reviewed journals, with science education specialists, and with graduate students. There will also be ample opportunity for the student to work with learning technology support personnel and contribute to the testing of resources. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn the course’s subject matter more deeply while they are working on its components. The student may work on developing one or more of the following courses: PHYS119, PHYS131,

PHYS117, PHYS159, PHYS200, PHYS210, PHYS219, PHYS309, PHYS259, PHYS301, PHYS304, PHYS407, PHYS352, PHYS409, ASTR101, ASTR200, ASTR300, ASTR310

Duties will include (but are not limited to): working with faculty members and/or graduate students to assist with course material development and deployment on Canvas; to test learning technologies and pedagogical activities; to review course materials and provide feedback to faculty when needed; and to assist with the development of student feedback collection tools such as surveys. There will be synchronous and asynchronous components to each course, and the student may work on multiple courses.

We have had the privilege to work with students in the past on several teaching and learning improvement projects. The students developed invaluable knowledge and skills in communication and teamwork, project life cycles, course design principles, and instructional design and material development. The skills and knowledge gained through this position will be transferable to many careers.

Preferred experience/background/requirement:

● Highly motivated, independent, and detail-oriented Co-op student for a 2-month work term to assist with course design -- which will have synchronous and asynchronous components in online settings.

● Ability to manage competing priorities and work under pressure

● Strong communication skills

● Strong teamwork and collaboration skills

● Familiarity (as an end user) with Canvas, Zoom, Kaltura, and other learning technologies

● Previous hands-on experience with teaching and learning improvement projects is an asset

● Experience with active learning is an asset

● Knowledge in physics or astronomy is an asset

● Experience in taking online courses is an asset

Estimated number of hours per week / Is the position remote?

From 12h/week up to a maximum of 35h/week, until the end of August 2020 / Yes, the position is remote.

Approximate start and end date: As early as possible until the end of August 2020, with the possibility of extension to December 2020.

Total hourly wage (including SWPP subsidy): $18.87 (including 4% benefits).