TA Recruitment Semester 2

TAs are invited to apply for part-time teaching positions in the following modules for AY 2023/2024 Semester 2:

• LSM2251 Ecology and the Environment
• LSM2252 Biodiversity
• LSM1303 Animal Behaviour

To teach in the above three modules, please fill in the form here by 26 Dec 2023:  https://tinyurl.com/biodta-sem2. For other teaching opportunities, email the relevant teaching staff listed.

• LSM2107 Evolutionary Biology (Contact Dr. John Ascher dbsajs@nus.edu.sg)
• LSM3255 Ecology of Terrestrial Environments (Contact Dr Chua Siew Chin siewchin@nus.edu.sg)
• LSM3256 Tropical Horticulture (Contact Dr Amy Choong – dbscmfa@nus.edu.sg)
• LSM3259 Fungal Biology (Contact Dr Amy Choong – dbscmfa@nus.edu.sg)
• LSM4266 Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity (Contact Dr Theresa Su – theresasu@nus.edu.sg)
• LSM1301 General Biology (Contact Miss Sylvia Law – sylvialaw@nus.edu.sg)
• GEC1016/GEH1050 Plants and Society (Contact Miss Sylvia Law – sylvialaw@nus.edu.sg)

 

LSM2251 Ecology and the Environment– odd week Wednesdays, 8am-12pm; TAs will need to grade reports and assess one ecological scenario presentation, total 36-40 hours

• Maps/Google Earth
• Field Trip prep, Extinction Game (Facilitation)
• Pulau Ubin birding trip on Saturday, 03 Feb 2023 morning 
• Terrestrial & insect sampling field trips

LSM2252 Biodiversity – Practicals are on Friday, 2pm – 6pm; 40 – 45 hours (10 practicals, and 5 hours of marking)

• LKCNHM Gallery Visit
• Kent Ridge field trip
• Plant Diversity (2 practicals)
• Animal Diversity (2 practicals)
• Labrador Mangrove and Park practical
• Changi beach practical
• Practical Exam invigilation
• Essay tutorial and marking

LSM1303 Animal Behaviour – even week Mondays, 10am – 2pm; 24-26 hours

• Research Methods (Ethology), Project Proposal & Risk Assessment
• Elevator Pitch & Consultation
• Project Critique Review (video) & Feedback
• Symposia Oral Examination (abstract and Q&A)

To sign up for the above three modules, please fill in the form by 26 Dec 2023: https://tinyurl.com/biodta-sem2

LSM2107 Evolutionary Biology

• Teaching hours: 20-42 claimable hours depending on the amount of work TA can commit.
• TA duties: PTTA will work with another PTTA to compile pre-lecture CANVAS quizzes on assigned reading from a question bank and work with instructors to update and improve these. PTTA will schedule quizzes in Canvas and help students with technical issues and with questions on course content. PTTAs will also assist course instructors in preparing 3-4 Homework assignments also in Canvas.
• Knowledge prerequisites: None in particular.

Interested PTTA please contact Dr. John Ascher (dbsajs@nus.edu.sg).

LSM3255 Ecology of Terrestrial Environments

2 PTTA positions for assisting in delivery of Practicals and grading of Practical Reports (group assigment). The local Practicals are on even week Thursday 2 – 6pm, and TAs are required to attend pre-practical briefing on the week before. For PTTA1, there will also be a field trip to Pasoh Forest Reserve during Recess Week Monday to Wednesday.  

The split between the two PTTA and the approximate hours are as follow. 

	Grading	PTTA 1 hours	PTTA 2 hours
Prac 1: 25 Jan Field Trip 1	Report 1: 10%	4	4
Prac 2: 8 Feb Field Trip 2		4	4
Prac 3: 26 – 28 Feb Malaysia Pasoh Forest Reserve, Recess Week  Mon – Wed	Report 2: 15%	16
Prac 4: 14 Mar Laboratory		3
Prac 5: 11 Apr Field Trip 4	Report 3: 10%	4	4
Grading for Report 2		3	0
Grading for Report 1 + 3		0	6
Total		34	18

Prerequisite: fundamentals of forest ecology, physically fit and have done field research before.  

Interested PTTA please contact Dr. Chua Siew Chin (siewchin@nus.edu.sg) 

LSM3256 Tropical Horticulture

• PTTAs will claim up to 39 hours (7 practical sessions 4 hours each,  teaching hours and 6 marking hours
• Practicals are on odd week Thursday, 2pm-6pm
• Teaching duties: Help coordinator with running the practical session, co-teach students, help students when they need help during planting, help to mark reflections and essay, do statistical analysis of the final results so that students can write report of their plant growing.
• One TA to 20 students
• No knowledge prerequisites, but good to have an interest in plants and to grow them.

Interested PTTAs, please contact Dr Amy Choong (dbscmfa@nus.edu.sg)

LSM3259 Fungal Biology

• Total claimable hours are 26 hours (24 hours for teaching, 6 practical sessions and 2 hours for invigilation)
• Practicals are on odd week Tuesdays, 2pm-6pm
• TA’s responsiblities & duties include: ensuring lab and field trip safety, help students with microscope use, finding specimens, help students with sterile lab techniques, gram staining, pour plate and growing of fungus, help with tutorials. Attendance for pre-lab briefing is required and are a week in advance.
• No background required, but an interest in learning fungi will be good.

Interested PTTAs, please contact Dr Amy Choong (dbscmfa@nus.edu.sg)

LSM4266 Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity

• PTTAs can claim 16 hours for four practical sessions and 13 marking hours
• The practical dates are on Thurs (8am – 12pm) on the 15 Feb, 14 Mar, 04 & 11 April 2024.
• The PTTAs will be required to support and assist the laboratory and field trip sessions and marking of assessments. 
• Any knowledge prerequisites? TAs should have taken LSM2252 and/or any invertebrate diversity courses; content to be covered during practical sessions will be given to PTTA in advance.

Interested PTTAs, please contact Dr Theresa Su (theresasu@nus.edu.sg)

LSM1301 General Biology –

Lab Demonstrator Positions (face-to-face lab practical)

TAs required for practicals on the following dates (Thursdays), from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
8 hours claimable per topic/date.

Week	Date (Thursday)	Topic
3	1 February	Lab 1: Primate Skulls
6	22 February	Lab 2: Reproduction in Flowering Plants
9	21 March	Lab 3: Living Cells
11	04 April	Lab 4: Molecular Biology

TAs should be fluent in English and must be able to teach students the theory and mechanisms of experiments related to topics listed above. TAs can choose to teach Lab 1 & Lab 2, or Lab 3 & Lab 4, or all four lab sessions.

     2. Marking Positions

• TAs are required to mark assignment scripts for the entire class, based on a provided marking scheme.
• TAs will grade the scripts (est. 200 scripts), input the scores and detailed remarks about each script in provided Excel worksheets. TAs will be given a two-week duration for the marking period. 
• TAs will also provide feedback for the students’ queries about the graded scripts via e-mail.
• TAs can claim between 16 to 20 for each marking duty. Final hours will be adjusted depending on number and difficulty of scripts, and TA performance.

Marking topics include the four lab assignments listed above, with additional two assignments on evolution (early February) and biodiversity (museum visit, end February). (All hours are subject to change, depsnging on student numbers, workload distribution and TA’s performance).

If interested, please contact Miss Sylvia Law directly (sylvialaw@nus.edu.sg).

GEC1016/GEH1050 Plants and Society – Lab Demonstrator Positions needed.

• TAs will assist in lab demos on two dates: Tuesday, 20 February 2024 and Tuesday, 16 April 2024 (11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.). 3 hours claimable per session.
• Content covered will be very general. Knowledge in basic plant biology will be beneficial.

If interested, please contact Miss Sylvia Law directly (sylvialaw@nus.edu.sg).

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For all modules, TAs are expected to be:

• Competent in written and spoken English
• Read up related materials beforehand and come prepared for all classes
• Punctual for briefings and practical sessions
• Be passionate about teaching