2.12 Teaching hours per module

The number of teaching hours for a module can vary depending on the level of the module. For example, level 1, 2, or 3 and onto Postgraduate modules (and beyond that), being at a high level, require a bigger time commitment on the part of the tutor. Tutors working at the OU can work under flexible conditions throughout the delivery of a module, meaning that there is no ‘set time’ whilst teaching a module.

However, there are occasions when time is allocated specifically against certain activities, for example, online and face-to-face tutorials. Dates for tutorials are normally agreed in advance with a staff tutor that is responsible for managing tutors within a cluster for a particular module, as highlighted back in section 2.4.

Online tutorials are quite often allocated on weeknights; however, face-to-face tutorials usually take place at weekends (mainly on a Saturday). When working with the staff tutor and timetabling dates, there is a degree of flexibility as tutors are able to choose their own dates. These dates are normally within a ‘window’ depending on the topic being delivered and at which point on the course the tutorial is to take place.

As mentioned in section 2.10, tutors may be contracted to teach on an every presentation, a single presentation or an alternate presentation basis:

Every presentation – most tutors are offered an appointment to teach on a module for the duration of its lifetime.

Single presentation – this is used for one-off occasions, and during particular circumstances, for example, having to cover for another tutor that has had to go on leave.

Alternate presentation – used when, for example, a tutor has to alternate between presentations for a particular module

New tutors are required to serve a probation period of two years and start on scale point 1 of the Associate Lecturer salary scale. Salary then increments on a yearly basis on the 1^st October (provided the tutor have been in employment on or before the 1^st April of that year).

You can read more details on the aspects of employment and teaching roles at Teaching roles at the OU [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .