The director PCAS reached out asking me to advertise some interesting teaching opportunities for Math GSIs at Michigan. They are looking to hire three GSIs for three different new courses in computing in the Arts. This is a unique opportunity to expand your teaching portfolio and teach something different. Details with links to apply below.
About PCAS:
The Program in Computing for the Arts and Sciences (PCAS) is an innovative program in computing education designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of LSA students.
PCAS offers courses that aim to help students develop the computing (especially programming) skills they need to succeed across majors and minors in LSA. We help students as they become computational scientists, artists who use computational media, and scholars who analyze computational systems and their effects — and help to redesign them using a liberal arts lens.
Whereas computer science and engineering courses focus on students developing the ability to understand and develop computing devices, software, and infrastructure, PCAS offers courses and minors that prepare students to integrate computation into their problem-solving, creative practices, and analytical toolkit. They understand the task of software development, know the language and specialty terms of programmers, and can facilitate communication between software developers and other parts of an organization (a.k.a “conversational programmers”). They will be well-prepared to be technical managers, entrepreneurs, and designers, or to work between design and development groups within an organization. And they will be able to take on the challenge of creating technology that furthers social goals.
Introductory PCAS courses require no mathematical background beyond algebra and no prior computer programming experience.
Available Positions & Course Descriptions
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) positions in PCAS are .5 FTE positions. There are three available positions for fall 2024:
COMPFOR 111 – Computing’s Impact on Justice: From Text to the Web
Students explore the justice implications of computing concepts, algorithms, participants, programs, and skills. They learn computational concepts, write programs with a focus on purpose (not memorizing syntax), and develop the skills to understand and communicate with software developers. Students program in this course. Some of the programming is in special-purpose languages (called teaspoon languages) designed to be easy to learn and conceptually focused. Most student programming is in Snap!, a programming language in which many common programming errors are impossible.
Studio-in-Lecture sessions will be structured around active learning, including peer instruction, live coding, and group-based practice in programming activities. Studio interactions are completed within the same time block as the lecture (90 minutes, twice per week). There are bi-weekly on-line, open-book/note/Web quizzes, with no exams. Students transfer knowledge from in-class scaffolded programming to professional text programming (e.g., in Python). GSI attendance of lectures is required.
COMPFOR 121 – Computing for Creative Expression
Students in this course study the ways in which computing has been used to create and express, and then learn how to use computation to create pictures, sounds, video games, language, and Web pages. They will learn how to generate and control these modalities through user interactivity in order to blend these in video games and Web pages. Students will learn computational concepts and write programs with a focus on purpose and meaning. Most student programming is in Snap!, a programming language in which many common programming errors are impossible.
Studio-in-Lecture sessions will be structured around active learning, including peer instruction, live coding, and group-based practice in programming activities. Studio interactions are completed within the same time block as the lecture (90 minutes, twice per week). There are bi-weekly on-line, open-book/note/Web quizzes, with no exams. Students transfer knowledge from in-class scaffolded programming to professional text programming (e.g., in Python). GSI attendance of lectures is required.
COMPFOR 221 – Digital Media with Python
Students in this course will learn how text, images, sounds, and videos are encoded in digital representations. They will write programs in the Python programming language to create and manipulate these media, through loops and conditionals using array and list format data. Students will create image filters, invent new musical sounds, and implement special video effects.
Two 90 minute lectures per week, utilizing a Studio-in-Lecture model. Studio interactions are completed within the same time block as the Lecture, allowing a continuity between theory and practice. Instructors and GSI work with students individually and in groups to create deep foundational comprehension. This structure allows for student questions to be addressed as they arise and increases on-task, conceptual learning. GSI attendance of lectures is required.
How to Apply
Applicants must apply and submit materials through pcas.recruit@umich.edu. Please, include the following in a single PDF document:
- A cover letter addressing interest and qualifications for the course(s)
- A resume or curriculum vita
- Unofficial graduate and undergraduate transcripts of relevant coursework
- Previous UM teaching evaluations of teaching history, as applicable
Decision-Making Process:
The Director of PCAS, in consultation with the course instructor, will award all GSI positions based on stated qualifications (see below), the unique needs of computing instruction and pedagogy, and academic discretion. We hope to conclude the search for this position and extend an offer by May 15, 2024.
Position Specific Detail:
For Responsibilities, Required and Desired Qualifications, and other information unique to each position, please view the Position Descriptions:
For any questions, students can reach out to pcas.recruit@umich.edu.