Sabanci University

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences

GR501E: Academic Practices and Development

Course Instructor: Kristin Şendur
kristin.sendur@sabanciuniv.edu
FASS 2144
216 483 9290

Course Objectives:
 Identify appropriate teaching strategies for a variety of situations
 Communicate effectively with course supervisors and students
 Analyze ethical issues in teaching and research
 Apply educational theory

Course Overview:
This course introduces fundamental principles in teaching and learning for graduate
students in the event that they choose a career in academia. In addition, this course
acculturates students to the practices and culture of Sabanci University. Through a series
of workshops, graduate students will learn about best practices and ethical considerations
in teaching and learning, and how to apply them to the current student population at
Sabanci University. Students will also learn about research methods. Once students have
participated in this series of workshops, they will help out with one or more courses
offered at the University, which will allow them to apply the principles learned in the
workshop.

Grading:
This course is graded as a pass/fail course. The course work for this class has two main
components: 1) class attendance and assignments and 2) helping out with a course or
other assignment.

To receive a passing grade, the student must attend each class session/module and
complete the corresponding assignments. The student must also complete all duties
relating to the course he or she is helping with to the satisfaction of the supervisor.

Course Structure:
This course will be conducted online with both synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
Synchronous sessions will be scheduled based on students’ common free hours. All
course materials will be uploaded to the course’s SUCourse site. All homework
assignments will be submitted through SUCourse unless otherwise specified.

Syllabus:
 Sabanci University
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences

The following is a tentative list of sessions in this course.

1. GR501 and GR course Introduction (asynchronous)

2. Teaching in the SU Context (asynchronous)

3. How Students Learn (asynchronous)

4. How We Teach (asynchronous)

5. Teaching in an Online Environment (Active Learning) (synchronous)

6. Communication Skills (synchronous)

7. Practicing Your Teaching (asynchronous)

8. Ethics (asynchronous)

9. Research Skills (asynchronous)

Note: Check the course’s SUCourse site regularly for information regarding requirements
and to check your attendance.