Graduate Teaching Associates (GTA) program

The Graduate Teaching Associates (GTA) program is designed to foster the next generation of great teachers.

Applications for the Semester 1 2023 program open on 3 February.

If you have any questions about other professional learning opportunities that you may undertake in the meantime, please book a 15-minute consultation or refer to the Teaching career development web page for more information about our programs.

About the GTA program

The program provides participants with the knowledge and practical skills to build a successful teaching career in higher education. It develops the participants' understanding and skills in:

developing a Teaching Philosophy
lesson planning
motivating and engaging with students
managing group dynamics
giving and receiving feedback
assessment, marking and moderation
face-to-face teaching and active teaching strategies
eLearning and technological aids
case-based and problem-based learning
UQ policies regarding teaching and learning
engaging in peer review and educational evaluation.

The GTA program is a free initiative made up of six modules supported by a workshop series. The program focuses on teaching in online, blended and face-to-face environments and aims to develop and improve the teaching practices of participants.

The program is generally offered twice a year (once per semester) and capped at 60 participants.

Program participants are expected to:

attend all of the scheduled face-to-face/online Zoom sessions facilitated by the teaching team;
complete all of the learning activities and assessment items of the program including readings, quizzes, discussions, implementation and reflection activities;
participate in teaching and learning professional development activities;
engage in a mentoring activity; and
develop the final portfolio for assessment.

Participants must commit to spend, at minimum, 2–4 hours per week engaging in components of the program.

Participation in all learning activities, including submission of assessment by the set deadline, and development of the required portfolio is necessary to successfully complete the program and to be invited to submit an application to become an Associate Fellow of HEA (Higher Education Academy).

Benefits for tutors

Development of knowledge and skills to advance in their future teaching careers.
Award of a Graduate Teaching Associates Certificate of Completion and updating of MyAurion profile.
Development of a portfolio to evidence teaching experience.
Invitation to submit an application to become an Associate Fellow of HEA (Higher Education Academy).

Benefits for lecturers

Provision of high-quality, high-impact teaching relief for teaching and research academics.
Support with the increasing student cohort size.
Response to the need for succession planning and the 'future community of the discipline'.
Extra resources to help with integration of knowledge and use of new technologies.

Deadlines

Please complete your online GTA Program Application form by 5.00pm, 3 March 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.

Eligibility criteria

Please be aware that GTA Program applicants should meet all of the following criteria:

have a paid teaching position with approximately 25 contact hours confirmed throughout the relevant semester
have previously completed a formal program of tutor training such as Tutors@UQ or an equivalent faculty or school-based tutor training program at UQ or elsewhere
have completed a minimum of 25 hours teaching practice at UQ or elsewhere
have access to a teaching and learning academic who can be their mentor
have obtained the course coordinator’s permission to participate in the GTA program
have the time to complete the program (e.g. no long overseas absences; not writing up their thesis in case of PhD students)
be a university graduate with a desire to teach in higher education.

If you do not meet all eligibility criteria, your application may not be approved.

Enquiries

If you have any questions regarding your suitability or any other aspects of your application, please contact professional.learning@uq.edu.au or register for a 1:1 consultation.

Applicants who have questions about the GTA program may drop in to any of our upcoming sessions.

Do I need a mentor in the program?
Yes. Your mentor should be a faculty-based HEA Fellow who will work with you to help you critically review and evaluate your learning and teaching practice against the standards and criteria for professional recognition and help you select relevant examples of evidence for your application.

View the full list of HEA Fellows

If you would like to approach a HEA Fellow who has previously completed the GTA program, please contact professional.learning@uq.edu.au for further advice.

Why does my course coordinator need to certify my application?
Your application is required to demonstrate that you have the support of your course coordinator (i.e. the coordinator of the course that you are teaching in to). They are required to confirm their permission for your participation, as some of the program activities will come to affect the way that you teach into the course.

Is there any flexibility in the number of teaching contact hours I am required to have to participate in the program?
In order to confidently complete the series of activities associated with the GTA program, we find that a minimum of 25 hours of teaching over the course of the semester is required. However, if your appointment is for slightly less than this, we welcome your application. If your appointment is voluntary, for less than half this number of contact hours – or if your teaching will occur only over a two week period at one point in the semester, you will have difficulty completing the components of the program. We would encourage you to take this program at another time.

I am about to request a recommendation in the online application form and I don’t know what to say. Is there a template for this?
In addition to completing the form and written statement tasks in the GTA Program Expression of Interest online form, You are required to demonstrate that you have the support of your course coordinator (i.e. the coordinator of the course that you are teaching in to) and a Mentor to be eligible to participate the in the program.

The system will prompt you to enter their details to 'Request a Recommendation'. We recommend that you have a conversation with the Course Coordinator and Mentor before you send the request, so they can be aware that this is coming.

The course coordinator is required to confirm their permission for your participation, as some of the program activities will come to affect the way that you teach into the course. The Recommendation that we ask for here is a short declaration to sight and accept to confirm your eligibility to participate in the program.

This also applies to your mentor. Their declaration is slightly different and asks them to indicate that they will help you with three activities.

You may like to use the below text to request these recommendations, updating the details as required:

Hi <Course Coordinator/Mentor>,

I am applying to participate in the GTA Program in Semester <X>.

To be eligible, I need to demonstrate that I have your support as <Course Coordinator> <Mentor> for the duration of the program.

Can you please complete this short online form?

The system will ask you to create an account but if you have any questions or difficulties with the system, you can email professional.learning@uq.edu.au for support.

Thank you!

<Your Name>