Teaching and Learning Office

University Teaching Assistant/Tutor Programme

University Teaching Assistant/Tutor Programme online course

The University Teaching Assistant/Tutor Programme online course is a digital training platform where teaching assistants/tutors are enrolled to acquire basic teaching and classroom management knowledge.

Lessons can now be taken in English or isiZulu

Learn More

Access to the Online Training Course

Follow the steps below to access the course.

Step 1

Click below to visit the online course

Course Link

Step 2

Enter your LAN username and password, you will be redirected to the course enrolment page.

step 3

Enter course enrolment key = UTAP2023, and click “Enrol me”.

step 4

TAs can begin the course.

Ready to begin your learning journey?

Get Started

Course Workflow

Gamification - Stash

This course has made use of Stash as a form of gamification. This means that there are “Easter Eggs” hidden throughout the course that you will need to search for. You will find some as images and others in text – so you will have to look carefully. All the details about how Stash works is explained in the course guides.

Incentives - Badges and Certificates

  • Badges – There are 12 badges that can be earned in the course. Badges are awarded upon the completion of certain course activities.
    The UTAP Course
  • Certificate – This is awarded to students who have completed every module and, obtained a course grade of 80% in every quiz.
  • The Stash Certificate – If you find all the hidden Stash items, you will be rewarded with a certificate at the end of the course.

Course Outline and Objectives

The course content is based on ten (10) themes, which are: Roles and Responsibilities of TAs/Tutors, institutional culture, learning styles, learning theories, assessing learning, diversity and inclusivity, technology enhanced learning, organisational management , facilitation skills, self-management.

The table below presents the course outline and objectives under the eleven themes.

S/N Section Course Objectives
 1 Roles and Responsibilities of TAs Completing this section on Roles and Responsibilities should equip tutors with an overview of what constitutes the tutorial experience including
  1. Planning
  2. Managing consultation time
  3. Administration
  4. Assessment
  5. Running tutorials
 2 Institutional Culture Completing this section on Institutional Culture, tutors should have a clear understanding of the context, values, goals, and commitments of UKZN, especially in relation to teaching and learning.
 3 Learning Styles Completing this section on Learning Styles, tutors should be able to:
  1. Define learning styles.
  2. Identify the different learning styles.
  3. Discover strategies that can enhance the learning experiences for students with different learning styles.
  4. Identify and explore your own learning styles preferences.
 4 Learning Theories Completing this section on Learning Theories, tutors should be able to:
  1. Define a learning theory.
  2. Identify different learning theories.
  3. Understand the differences between and implications thereof of the different learning theories.
 5 Assessing Learning After completing this section on Assessing Learning, tutors should have a clear:
  1. Knowledge of what assessment means.
  2. Understanding of the importance of assessment.
  3. Familiarity with key concepts and terms associated with assessment.
  4. Awareness of the power of positive (and negative) feedback.
 6 Diversity and Inclusivity Completing this section on Diversity and Inclusivity, tutors should have a clear sense of:
  1. What each term refers to.
  2. How to promote inclusive teaching.
  3. How to respect and embrace diversity.
  4. How your own experiences and assumptions influence your teaching approaches.
 7 Technology/Online Enhanced Learning This section on technology/online enhanced learning will provide tutors with the following competencies:
  1. Engage with the concept of technology enhanced learning.
  2. Gain familiarity with technologies available in university classrooms.
  3. Know where and how to seek support in resolving classroom technology issues.
  4. Become familiar with blended learning and the flipped classroom.
  5. Learn best practices and tools in tutoring in an online environment.
 8 Organisational Management After completing this section on Classroom Management, tutors should be able to:
  1. Identify major trends in the development of organisational behaviour and management thinking with respect to facilitating a Tutorial session.
  2. Contrast main features of different approaches to the organisation and management of a tutorial session.
  3. Evaluate the relevance of these different approaches to organisational management in achieving student learning.
  4. Assess the value of understanding the different approaches to organisation and management of tutorial sessions.
  9 Facilitation Skills After completing this section on Facilitation Skills, tutors should be able to demonstrate competency in understanding the principles and methods of establishing and maintaining a classroom or team environment that:
  1. Encourages participation of all group members.
  2. Facilitates safe experimentation with new ideas, attitudes, and behaviours.
  3. Enables participants to share responsibility for maintaining an atmosphere conducive to the open exchange of ideas.
  10 Self-management At the end of this section on Self-management, you should have developed an appreciation for:
  1. The importance of using your time effectively.
  2. The value of setting and achieving (realistic) goals and objectives.
  3. Decision-making that is action-directed and performance-enhancing.
  4. Taking care of yourself by recognising and taking steps toward alleviating high stress levels.