PSYC 3F01:
Facilitating Communication and Critical Thinking in Groups
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE PSYC 3F01/PSYC 1F90 TA OPPORTUNITY. PSYC 1F90 WILL BE OFFERED ONLINE DURING THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR AND WILL *NOT* INCLUDE IN-PERSON SEMINARS. AS A RESULT, WE WILL NOT BE HIRING TEACHING ASSISTANTS FOR THIS ROLE, AND WE WILL NOT BE OFFERING PSYC 3F01. WE HOPE THAT THE COURSE WILL RETURN TO ITS USUAL FORMAT THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER APPLYING IF YOU WILL BE AT BROCK FOR 2021-22.
Students who are interested in leading seminars for PSYC 1F90 are encouraged to apply to PSYC 3F01, which is an experiential learning course designed to provide upper-year students with the skills and support they need to be successful facilitating group-based discussion. Seminar leaders must be in their third or fourth year of study; consequently people apply for the position at the end of their second or third year.
Why Take PSYC 3F01?
Though it is closely connected to the introductory psychology course, PSYC 3F01 is intended to foster a broad array of skills, including:
Former 3F01 students tell us that these skills have been critically important to them as they moved on to graduate school or the workforce. We asked former 3F01 students Lewis Lau and Blayne Smith to tell us a bit about how their experience in the course was beneficial to them:
Students who are interested in leading seminars for PSYC 1F90 are encouraged to apply to PSYC 3F01, which is an experiential learning course designed to provide upper-year students with the skills and support they need to be successful facilitating group-based discussion. Seminar leaders must be in their third or fourth year of study; consequently people apply for the position at the end of their second or third year.
Why Take PSYC 3F01?
Though it is closely connected to the introductory psychology course, PSYC 3F01 is intended to foster a broad array of skills, including:
- Clear and effective oral communication
- Creating and implementing strategies for engaging diverse groups
- Promoting critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
- The ability to think on your feet and adapt to a changing environment
Former 3F01 students tell us that these skills have been critically important to them as they moved on to graduate school or the workforce. We asked former 3F01 students Lewis Lau and Blayne Smith to tell us a bit about how their experience in the course was beneficial to them:
PSYC 3F01 Course Work
The first term of PSYC 3F01 is mainly focused on gaining the skills required to effectively facilitate discussion within the seminar context. The second term is aimed to a greater extent on general pedagogical principles that guide the effective transmission of information from you to your audience, whether that be in an educational or employment setting.
There are no exams or major papers in 3F01. Course work typically includes:
- Class attendance and participation: 3-hour class per week and preparation time to complete weekly readings/assignments
- Training workshop (6 hours) before the start of classes in September
- Peer assessment of seminar facilitation skills
- Reflection papers
- In-class presentation (Ted-Ed talk)
Teaching Assistantship (Paid Position)
PSYC 3F01 students will hold a paid 205-hour contract as a PSYC 1F90 Teaching Assistant. The rate of pay for this position is determined by the current CUPE 4207 Collective Agreement. Paid duties include:
- Leading group discussions for four PSYC 1F90 seminars per week
- Reading all seminar materials and creating lesson plans for seminar activities
- Attending PSYC 1F90 lectures (2 hours per week)
- Proctor exams in December and April
- Attend grade collation meetings (this requires being available to be on campus until as late as Dec 22 in D2 and April 30 in D3)
- Tracking student attendance and participation and assigning seminar grades
PSYC 3F01 class of 2017-18
Who Should Apply?
The calendar requirements are:
Open to PSYC (single or combined) majors with a minimum of 8.0 overall credits, 3.0 PSYC credits above PSYC 1F90 and permission of the instructor. The prerequisites are PSYC 1F90 and 2F23.
Applicants who are psychology majors will be given priority for positions in the course, but applications from strong students in other majors are welcomed. Successful non-psychology applicants will be given an override into 3F01 if they do not meet all of the course requirements noted above.
You should not apply for this position if you cannot commit to the time that will be needed (typically about 10 hours per week), nor should you apply if you have a required course that conflicts with PSYC 3F01.
The following document from the American Psychological Association may be helpful as you make a decision about whether to apply for this position:
http://psychlearningcurve.org/should-you-become-an-undergraduate-teaching-assistant/
How To Apply
If you are interested in applying to PSYC 3F01, please follow the steps below:
1. Complete the online questionnaire when it becomes available.
2. Submit the following three documents to PSYC3F01@brocku.ca.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT EMAILING THESE THREE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Please feel free to contact Tammy Stewart (tammy.stewart@brocku.ca) if you have any questions.
The deadline for completed applications (the application form plus all supporting documentation) is MAY 31 at 5:00 pm.
Who Should Apply?
The calendar requirements are:
Open to PSYC (single or combined) majors with a minimum of 8.0 overall credits, 3.0 PSYC credits above PSYC 1F90 and permission of the instructor. The prerequisites are PSYC 1F90 and 2F23.
Applicants who are psychology majors will be given priority for positions in the course, but applications from strong students in other majors are welcomed. Successful non-psychology applicants will be given an override into 3F01 if they do not meet all of the course requirements noted above.
You should not apply for this position if you cannot commit to the time that will be needed (typically about 10 hours per week), nor should you apply if you have a required course that conflicts with PSYC 3F01.
The following document from the American Psychological Association may be helpful as you make a decision about whether to apply for this position:
http://psychlearningcurve.org/should-you-become-an-undergraduate-teaching-assistant/
How To Apply
If you are interested in applying to PSYC 3F01, please follow the steps below:
1. Complete the online questionnaire when it becomes available.
2. Submit the following three documents to PSYC3F01@brocku.ca.
- Your cover letter in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.
- Your resume in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.
- A copy of your grades in .pdf format: The grades file should be downloaded from Brock's self serve so that your name is printed by the system at the top of the document. Use the following instructions: Load your current marks screen. Choose the "Print" option from the top right as the screen. Choose "print to PDF" in your print options. If you have a lot of courses you may need to load the second page of courses and repeat this process.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT EMAILING THESE THREE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Please feel free to contact Tammy Stewart (tammy.stewart@brocku.ca) if you have any questions.
The deadline for completed applications (the application form plus all supporting documentation) is MAY 31 at 5:00 pm.