Associate Lecturers for Data Science in the School of Computing & Communications

The Open University

Milton Keynes, UK

1d ago

Part-Time : 0.09 - 0.1 FTE

Start date : September 2022

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role

We are looking to recruit several Associate Lecturers in the area of Data Science in the School of Computing and Communications at the Open University.

The position is part-time initially at up to 0.09 FTE on one module such as TM351 Data Management and Analysis with the possibility of teaching other modules within the School.

The position is home-based and has no fixed core hours. It is permanent, with a probation period of two years.

The annual salary and workload are fixed, but there are significant workload peaks and troughs, mainly linked to providing marking and assessment feedback.

This will include end of module marking tasks. Other tasks will be required such as focused student support (individual and forum), such as peer mentoring and working with the module team on assessment activities and quality improvement.

Some evening and weekend work will be required. There is the possibility of increasing the FTE later. The starting full-time salary is £34,304 paid pro rata based on your FTE.

Although most of the teaching occurs between October and June, the position is paid over the full calendar year.

Person specification :

The person specification for this position should be read in conjunction with the generic person specification for an Associate Lecturer at The Open University.

As well as meeting all the requirements set out in the generic person specification, and being enthusiastic and knowledgeable about data science as a key skill for the 21st century you should have :

A degree with significant computing and IT content

An understanding of a variety of data management and analysis technologies and techniques gained by either academic or practical experience

A good knowledge of Python or another language used for data exploration, analysis and presentation such as R as well as some experience of using Jupyter notebooks, particularly in the context of interrogating SQL and NoSQL type databases

The ability to support students in their practical work, including the use of virtual machines and writing Python code to analyse previously unseen datasets using a variety of technologies

Experience of teaching online or an understanding of the pedagogical issues surrounding online teaching for students in their final year of undergraduate study

A broad understanding of legal and ethical issues surrounding data collection and use

Demonstrable ability to encourage students to engage with scholarship and independent study (including awareness of resources appropriate to the subject area you will be teaching)

It would be an advantage to have :

A higher degree or Ph.D. (or equivalent)

Knowledge and expertise in the following areas : the legal and ethical issues surrounding data collection, management and analysis, teaching using Jupyter notebooks, teaching computing in HE to mathematicians or computer scientists

Evidence of having taken the initiative to deliver better teaching and learning or training

Teaching qualification in relevant subject or HEA accreditation.

Note that candidate with only traditional relational database management skills are unlikely to be shortlisted.

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