Informatics Tutoring Scheme

Informatics Tutoring Scheme is a project in which Informatics students support Scottish Computer Science and Maths exam-level high school students through 121 or small group online tutorial sessions.

The scheme is aimed at Scottish secondary schools, with a priority for the schools with greatest needs: in SIMD20 areas, or ones that are facing serious obstacles with providing their high school students with the support they need. 

Information for high schools, teachers and parents

Who is running the project?

The project is run by the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Kasia Kokowska, Marketing, Communications and Outreach Manager is currently managing the project. She is supported by Adam Chudzinski, Marketing and Communications Administrator. Dr Fiona McNeill, Reader in Computer Science Education is the academic advisor to the project who uses the outcomes of it in her academic practice. All tutors are current University of Edinburgh undergraduate and postgraduate students, or occasionally, members of staff.

How does the scheme run?

Computer Science and Maths teachers in participating schools are helping to define expectations and plan tutoring. Schools provide material that the students are working through and an idea of the areas that are most beneficial for the tutors to cover. The tutors support the teachers rather than provide self-directed teaching. We expect all tutors to tutor for at least one hour a week. The tutoring is provided online unless tutees require an alternative solution in which case options such as phone consultations or in-person meeting can be explored.

Safeguarding and Privacy

Due to the nature of the project, the organisers have ensured that both pupils and tutors are meeting in a safe environment. Only platforms deemed safe are used to run sessions (MS Teams). Tutors have been required to complete relevant training sessions, register as STEM Ambassadors and apply for a PVG check. 121 sessions are always supervised by another tutor from the scheme, who listens in on the session, and reports anything that could be deemed as inappropriate back to the organisers. 

 

Tutors must abide by the Code of Practice and Confidentiality, a risk assessment has been conducted and any data collated during the project will be anonymised, and used for evaluation and dissemination of the outcomes (see supporting documentation).

How to participate?

If you're interested in our scheme, please fill out the form below:


Our exam results were significantly higher than expected this year and I would credit the tutoring scheme as playing a big part in this.  Several pupils participating in the scheme achieved higher grades than particular, and more than one passed their Nat5 where they had been expected only to achieve Nat4. I believe that participation in the scheme had led to those pupils showing increased confidence and interest in the subject.  

Computer Science teacher from a School that participated in the scheme in 2022

What is it?

We’re teaming up students in Informatics with exam-level CS and Maths students (Scottish National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher) in schools in disadvantaged areas across Scotland to give them extra tutoring to support the CS and Maths they are doing in schools. 

You may want to familarise yourself with the course specification for each level of study, so that you have a better understanding of the material that your tutee will be covering:

Maths

Computing Science

Why?

Many young people, especially in schools in disadvantaged areas, don’t have the support they need to do their best, and Covid has only made this worse.  Weekly sessions with Informatics students help them to master the subject and hence give them a better chance to achieve their potential. It will also allow them to get to know you - someone studying Informatics at Edinburgh - which could have a significant impact on their aspirations for their own futures.

What would I have to do?

We are asking volunteers to commit to at least 3 hours a week until May 2024. This will include 1 hour online sessions with your tutee, 1 hour for preparation and 1 hour for supervising another session led by another tutor on the scheme. You can sign up to do more hours if you want. We ask the tutee's to come along to sessions with the material they have been working on in class, which you can help them with - so you don’t have to develop your own materials. 

What do I get out of it?

Primarily, the chance to share your expertise and make a real difference in someone’s life. You’ll also learn a lot of transferable skills, and we’ll be working with you to reflect on what these are and how they might impact your future career. 

We also run the Edinburgh Award alongside the scheme: you are welcome to sign up and work on particular skills while tutoring. You will be invited to online sessions that will explain what you need to do to achieve this award if you have expressed interest in the Edinburgh Award. 

Find out more about the Edinburgh Award

Would I make a good tutor?

Very likely, yes! You need a reasonable background in CS and Maths, which the vast majority of Informatics students have.  If you are a first-year student without a previous background in CS - or for any reason, feel unsure about whether you know enough - come and talk to us about options.  You need to be able to communicate reasonably well in English, which again most of our students can do. You don’t need any experience or special skills - we will be giving you sufficient training and we will support you throughout the programme.

What training will I need?

All tutors are required to attend 4 compulsory training sessions when asked.

  • An intro to methodology of working with young people (delivered by Dr Deborah Holt from Moray House School of Education)
  • STEM Ambassadors session (delivered by STEM Ambassadors)
  • Code of Conduct session (delivered by Kasia Kokowska)
  • Evaluation and Careers session

You will receive a training session through Moray House School of Education, which will give you the basics of tutoring and how to work with young people. It will also give you a bit of info about the Scottish exam system, for those of you who haven’t been in school in Scotland. However, you don’t need to know too much about that, as you’ll be working with material already prepared by class teachers.

All volunteers will need to sign up as STEM Ambassadors. This will involve attending a short training session on what to expect when working with young people in a school-like setting and how to handle any challenges. It also involves submitting an application for an Enhanced Disclosure Scotland certificate, which is necessary for working with schools.

When do I need to sign up?

The registration for tutors opens in autumn every year, with training sessions taking place in November. We aim to start tutoring in December, but some tutors may start after the Christmas break. The scheme will last till the end of May, when high school students sit their exams.

What if I can’t come every week?

We ask you to commit to tutoring on a weekly basis - if you regularly can’t do this, then this programme is not for you. However, we understand that there are occasional weeks that you might not be able to do. This might be for things you can foresee - e.g., you might not want to tutor during your exams and breaks or you might be on holiday. In this case, make sure you let us and your students know as soon as possible. It can also happen unexpectedly - e.g., you’re not well. In this case, let your students know as soon as possible. It might be possible to reschedule a missed session.

Register as tutor

The registration is now open for 2024/25. You will be contacted via email to fill out an expression of interest form. 


Being an Informatics Tutor is a rewarding experience for I could always make positive impact on my tutees by helping them on both specific questions related to computer science and general questions related to their future study and career.

 

Although it usually makes me nervous before the sessions, once I started speaking and had the ‘momentum’ going, I realized that public speaking is not as hard as I perceived, and I was able to focus more on delivering the content than worrying about not speaking well or making mistakes.

 

While I have always considered my teamwork to be a strength of mine, these tutoring sessions have allowed me to appreciate teamwork from a different perspective: where one member of a team is expected to be a mentor of another.


Questions?

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Adam.

Email Adam

This article was published on