Teaching Dossier - University of Toronto · Andre R. Erler Teaching Dossier March 15, 2018 ......

Teaching Dossier

Andre R. Erler

March 15, 2018

Email: [email protected] Glenelm Crescent, #104N2L 5C8, Waterloo, ON, Canada

Contents

1. Teaching Philosophy and Practice 21.1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.2. Teaching Practice and Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.2.1. ENV235: Physics and Chemistry of Planet Earth . . . . . . . . . . 31.2.2. Atmospheric Dynamics II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Teaching Experience 6

3. Development of Teaching Skills 8

4. Course Development 94.1. Course Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.2. Teaching Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A. Sample Teaching Material I

B. Supporting Material for Teaching Effectiveness XIIB.1. Course Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XIIB.2. Reference Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XVIII

1

Andre R. Erler Teaching Dossier March 15, 2018

1. Teaching Philosophy and Practice

1.1. Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Teaching is one of the most significant responsibilities we have towards the next generation.Both, learning and teaching, is difficult and challenging, but also engaging and rewarding.I view learning very much as an active process that requires willingness and enthusiasmfrom teacher and student alike. In this sense it is of utmost importance to stimulate andutilize the curiosity that is inherent in every one of us. During my graduate studies Iwas fortunate enough to have been TA for both, graduate and undergraduate coursesof different levels; two courses primarily influenced my views on teaching: “AtmosphericDynamics II” (1st-year graduate) and “ENV235: Physics and Chemistry of Planet Earth”(2nd-year undergraduate). (See Sections 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 for details.)

In my view there are two main components to teaching: guidance and motivation; at thesame time there are also two main goals: general skills and disciplinary knowledge.

If the student is already interested and more or less self–directed, as is usually the casefor graduate students, the student can mainly follow his/her own interest and teaching is ofa more discipline–specific nature. The focus should be on challenging and stimulating thestudent through the selection of materials and strategically placed guidance. An examplefrom Physics would be a well designed problem set that guides the student towards thederivation of a central theorem in the most instructive way.

The polar opposite is the beginning student with little prior direction and knowledge.In this case it is more important to direct the students interest into fruitful directions andfocus on teaching broadly applicable fundamental skills. A major challenge in this caseis, to motivate the student to learn what is deemed necessary by the teacher, so that thestudent’s innate curiosity can still be utilized to support learning. Teaching elementarymath in primary school would be an example.

In my experience, the key to engaging curiosity (and improving knowledge retention) isexperiential learning through hands-on experiments and problem solving. However, whileit is often easy to relate teaching content to lived experience in environmental and at-mospheric sciences, direct experiments are often not feasible. As a substitute I have foundthat experimentation with a computer simulation or a mechanical analog can often te-ach the same concepts, which can then be transferred to the subject matter and relatedreal-world experience. This approach also has the added benefit of encouraging knowledgetransfer between disciplines. (See Appendix A, pp. III - IV for an example introducingChaos Theory.)

As educators in a science or engineering department our primary responsibility to so-ciety is to teach quantitative analysis and scientific literacy. With our society’s impacton the Earth System becoming increasingly visible and complex, I believe that teaching

1 Teaching Philosophy and Practice 2


environmental science is crucially important to equip future generations with the tools andknowledge to understand these impacts and interactions and address problems that arisefrom them. Furthermore many concepts pertaining to the interaction between componentsof the Earth System generalize to other complex systems, and thus present an entry pointfor students to understand the general principles governing complex systems and feedbacks(Systems Thinking). This type of thinking is in my view critical to understanding the mostpressing problems that plague our world today (and tomorrow).

In teaching an environmental science course like ENV235 I felt quite fortunate to be ableto use the immediate relevance of the subject material, together with my own enthusiasmfor teaching it, to engage my students. I do not always succeed at reaching every student,but I continually strive to improve my teaching by seeking feedback from my studentsand exploring new ways of teaching difficult and unpopular material (cf. Section 1.2.1 andAppendix B.1, p. XII).

Finally, I do recognize that it is necessary to evaluate and grade students, but my focusin evaluation is on giving feedback for learning outcomes, rather than providing credentials.I think I made sufficiently clear that learning should be for life and not to pass a class,but I also think it is important that grading practices reflect this as much as possible (mytutorial quiz for ENV235 can serve as an example, Appendix A, pp. V).

1.2. Teaching Practice and Highlights

1.2.1. ENV235: Physics and Chemistry of Planet Earth

This course has been my longest and most intensive TA appointment as a graduate student,and at the same time I have also enjoyed the highest degree of freedom in the way I wasteaching and running the tutorial. Despite covering a wide range of topics from solidearth, over planetary to atmospheric physics, the course has traditionally been taught bya geophysicist.

During my time as a TA for this course, it has been taught by Prof. Milkereit (referenceletter: Appendix B.2). As the only TA for the course, I have been principally involvedin structuring the tutorials: with my expertise being in atmospheric physics, the coursematerial was divided such that basic physics and geophysics would be taught during thelecture, and atmospheric and climate physics would be the topic of the tutorials.

Over the four years I have been involved with this course, I have developed a syllabus forthe tutorials (Appendix A), which I have been running as a mixture of interactive lecture,group work, and student presentations. The students for this course come from very diversebackgrounds, ranging from 2nd Geography to 4th year Engineering students, and selectingmaterial that is both, interesting and comprehensible, for such a diverse group is no simpletask. In this respect, the level of quantitative analysis (math and physics) that should be



taught and can be expected from the students has always been of particular concern.My goal has been to teach a basic level of qualitative understanding of physics to

all students and at the same time also provide valuable insights to more advanced andmathematically–minded students. This is a considerable challenge and I have been criti-cally rethinking my approach every year. (For example, in lieu of a departmental evaluation,in 2011 I have conducted my own evaluation; see Appendix B.1, p. XII.) One thing I havelearned from teaching this class is that mathematics, even though it is convenient as alanguage for the well–trained, becomes a considerable barrier to understanding for the un-trained mind. I believe, however, that it is still possible, to teach key insights and a qualita-tive understanding of the dynamics of complex systems by way of (numerical) experimentand generalizable example (e.g. computer simulation; cf. tutorial exercise, Appendix A,pp. III). However, demonstrations need to be supplemented with theory, presented in anaccessible way; to this end I am now using the more broadly accessible language of “Sys-tems Thinking” to teach concepts that traditionally have been taught using the languageof mathematics.

Throughout my involvement with this course I have also been responsible for guiding stu-dents on their term papers (essays) and grading the same. My guiding principle here is thatthe students choose a topic which they find genuinely interesting and engaging, but also, atthe same time, provides opportunities for the student to learn something new and useful.In my view research projects are an indispensable tool, both, for encouraging independentengagement with the material, and as a more holistic means of student assessment.

1.2.2. Atmospheric Dynamics II

This course is a 1st-year graduate course focusing on the fluid–dynamical aspects of weatherand climate. It was my first experience as a TA, and an experience that I highly value,for both, deepening my own understanding of the subject matter, and learning how toarticulate my understanding.

The tutorial in this course primarily revolved around problems sets that were assignedby the course instructor (Prof. V. Wirth, reference letter: Appendix B.2). The problem setswere very well designed, and would serve me as guidelines in assignment design, if I hadto teach such a course. I used the structure given by the problem sets to guide studentstowards the solution, and in the process I was able to highlight key insights and ideas,which the students would otherwise have missed.

In my view, in teaching physics at a graduate level, the formal/mathematical solution ofproblems should not be the goal, but rather the physical meaning of the formalism should beemphasized. During the tutorial I have tried to emphasize the qualitative insights that canbe derived from the formalism and to fleshing out the connection between the mathematicsand the physics. I have done so by engaging the students in conversation and using leading



questions to challenge and probe the students understanding.This approach was very well received by the students, as the tutorial evaluation indicates

(Appendix B.1, p. XVII).



2. Teaching Experience

Course: PHY100: The Magic of PhysicsInstitution: University of Toronto Year: 2014 (Winter)Instructor: Dr. Harlow# Students: 20 per tutorialTA Duties: Teaching a weekly 2 hour tutorial, grading of assignments, quizzes, and

essays.Content: A 1st year breadth-requirement course for students with no mathematical

background that aims to give a very general overview of classical andmodern physics.

Course: PHY205: Physics of Everyday LifeInstitution: University of Toronto Year: 2014 (Spring)Instructor: Dr. Harlow# Students: 20 per tutorialTA Duties: Teaching two weekly 2 hour tutorials, grading of bi-weekly assignments,

quizzes, and term tests.Content: A 2nd year breadth-requirement course for students with no mathema-

tical background that introduces common physical phenomena and con-cepts, such as momentum, energy, heat, and buoyancy.

Course: ENV235: Physics and Chemistry of Planet EarthInstitution: University of Toronto Year: 2010 - 2013 (Winter)Instructor: Dr. Robin (2010), Prof. Milkereit (2011-2013)# Students: 15 - 60 (varied strongly between years)TA Duties: Preparation and teaching of a weekly 2 hour tutorial, design and marking

of tutorial quizzes, guiding students on independent research projects,and marking of student essays. (Note that this course has only one TA.)

Content: This course aims to provide an overview of the physical structure of theEarth and the nature of physical processes in the Earth System. Topicsinclude the global energy budget, climate change, sustainable energy,chaotic systems, geo-hazards, environmental monitoring. The studentsare mostly 2nd and 3rd year environmental science or geography majors.

2 Teaching Experience 6


Course: PHY151: Fundamentals of Physics IInstitution: University of Toronto Year: 2009 - 2012 (Fall)Instructor: Prof. Stanley (2009), Prof. James (2010-2012)# Students: 10 - 30 (varies between sessions)TA Duties: Assisting students with problem sets and exam preparation during a

biweekly 2 hour study session.Content: The first physics course for physics majors; an introduction to the con-

cepts, approaches and tools of physics while laying the foundation forclassical and modern mechanics. Topics include: mathematics of physics,energy, momentum, conservation laws, kinematics, dynamics and gravity.

Course: PHY132: Introduction to Physics IIInstitution: University of Toronto Year: 2009 (Winter)Instructor: Dr. Harlow# Students: 30 per tutorialTA Duties: Teaching two weekly 2 hour practical sessions jointly with another TA

and marking of problem sets and exam questions. The practicals involvedguided student experiments and solving of problem sets in groups.

Content: This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods of physicsfor first year life science and other non–physics majors. Topics includewaves and oscillations, electro–magnetism, optics, and special relativity.

Course: PHY131: Introduction to Physics I (Labs)Institution: University of Toronto Year: 2008 (Fall)Instructor: Dr. Harlow# Students: 15 per lab group (three groups per term)TA Duties: Teaching a weekly 3 hour lab session sessions and marking of lab reports.

The labs involved guided student experiments small groups.Content: This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods of physics for

first year life science and other non–physics majors. Topics include basickinetmatics and dynamics, energy and momentum, and oscillations.

Course: Atmospheric Dynamics IIInstitution: University of Mainz (Germany) Year: 2008 (Spring)Instructor: Prof. Wirth# Students: 8TA Duties: Teaching one weekly 2 hour tutorial, based on a problem set.Content: This is the second part of a graduate level introductory course in atmosp-

heric dynamics, focussing on the fluid dynamics of mid–latitude weathersystems. Topics include barotropic and baroclinic instability, wave mean-flow interaction, and the PV perspective.

2 Teaching Experience 7


3. Development of Teaching Skills

Teaching of Systems Thinking workshop, 2012, Department of EnvironmentalStudies, York University; an afternoon–long workshop on teaching systems thinkingin undergraduate programs.

Advanced University Teaching Preparation certificate program (AUTP), 2011-2012, Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation, Universtiy of Toronto

This program is design to prepare gruaduate students for the challenges of teachingin a university setting. The program consistes of a series of workshops (at least 10),recorded and peer–evaluated practical teaching sessions, and a written reflections onteaching philosophy. I would specifically like to highlight the following workshops Ihave attended:

– Small Group Instructional Approaches to Engage and Enthuse Students

– Elements of Effective Lession Planning

– Active Learning Methods in the Sciences and Engineering

– Making Your Syllabus Work for You and Your Students

– Fostering Academic Integrity: Noble Intentions & Sticky Situations

– Identifying, Assisting and Referring the Student in Distress

– Equity, Power and Diversity in the Classroom

– The Public Lecture: Making Your Research Accessible to a Popular Audience

Oral Presentation Skills course, 2011, Centre for English Language and WritingSupport, University of Toronto

This course involved 6 seminars (including a peer–evaluated presentation) on variousaspects of oral presentation, such as the structure, how to convey ideas and research,and the use of voice and body language.

Departmental TA Training, 2008, Department of Physics, University of Toronto;this TA training includes a 3 hour workshop and a 10 min. micro–teaching component.

3 Development of Teaching Skills 8


4. Course Development

4.1. Course Material

During my time as a TA for “ENV235: Physics of the Environment” I have developeda considerable amount of material for the tutorials. This includes the tutorial syllabus(selection of topics), preperation of lesson plans (presentation slides, worksheets/exercises),a mid-term and a final quiz, and guidelines for research projects and term papers. I haveattached three samples: the tutorial syllabus for 2013 (A), an exercise from 2011 (A), anda tutorial quiz from 2012 (A).

4.2. Teaching Preferences

Below is a list of topics where I believe to be a competent teaching assistant, and which Iwould be able to teach, given the necessary time for preparation.

- Atmospheric and Climate Dynamics (graduate level)

- Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (graduate level)

- Environmental Science (undergraduate level)

- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science (undergraduate level)

- Nonlinear Physics and Chaos (undergraduate level)

- Scientific Computing (undergraduate or graduate level)

4 Course Development 9

Andre R. Erler Sample Teaching Material March 15, 2018

A. Sample Teaching Material

ENV235 (2013) Tutorial Syllabus pp. II - II

As of 2011 I have developed the tutorial syllabus, and adapted it to changing courserequirements and lecture contents. The tuotrial content is meant to be complementaryto the lecture, and does not reiterate lecture content. I have chosen the tutorial contentssuch that the lecture and the tutorial together provide the students with the physical andscientific background to understand the environmental issues our society is facing today,such as climate change and sustainable energy. In the past I had the students vote on someof the topics and the results, as well as the evaluation (B.1), have informed my choice oftopics.

ENV235 (2011) Tutorial Exercise (Chaos Theory) pp. III - IV

I have used this exercise since 2011 in order to introduce students to the most basic conceptsof chaos theory. The first part of the exercise (“Expert Groups”) focusses on exploratorylearning in small groups, where every group works on a different problem. In the second part(“Collaborative Groups”) each member of an expert group joins a different collaborativegroup and the students discuss their findings from different problems in the previous part;this part emphasizes peer teaching and group discussion. (The “Three Body Problem”computer program was developed by Dr. Harrison.)

ENV235 (2012) Tutorial Quiz pp. V - XI

I have developed the first version of this quiz in 2010 and have used variants of it for theevaluation of student learning every year (adapted to changing course content). This isthe final tutorial quiz, used in 2012. The quiz is designed to test understanding of coreconcepts, as opposed to memorization or mathematical skill; hence the questions are ofqualitative rather than quantitative nature. The marking scheme is such that I allow anerror margin of 50% for numerical answers.

A Sample Teaching Material I


ENV 235 Tutorial Syllabus

N.B.: This is an ideal sample syllabus for the ENV235 tutorial. It does, however, not re-present the actual list of topics in any particular year. The syllabus was typically adjustedto reflect changes in the main lecture content, current events, and student preferences. Theactual list of topics for every year was posted on the Blackboard online course administra-tion system used at the time at the University of Toronto and is not available anymore.

Week 1 Introduction: organizational matters

Week 2 The Atmosphere: composition, general circulation, climate zones

Week 3 The Hydrological Cycle: water vapor, evaporation, precipitation

Week 4 Systems and Feedbacks: introduction to Systems Thinking

Week 5 The Greenhouse Effect: atmospheric radiation, GHG, Global Warming

Week 6 Climate Change: observed warming, IPCC projections, GCMs

Week 7 Quiz / Midterm

Week 8 Chaos & Predictability: chaos theory, climate variability

Week 9 Oceans, Ice & Climate: ocean circulation, sea ice and land ice

Week 10 Paleoclimate: Earth’s history, Ice Ages, historical climate change

Week 11 Planetary Science: the solar system, Venus & Mars, Life on Europa?

Week 12 Sustainability, Sustainable Energy & Food Security

Week 13 Presentations of term papers

A ENV235 Tutorial Syllabus II


Expert Groups

Every expert group will work on one of the problems below. Make sure that every memberof your group can explain what you have learned, because in Activity A you will have toexplain your findings to the other group members (who worked on a different problem).

Group A

Play with the Flash simulation “Three Body Problem” on the computer. This is a simu-lation of a solar system with two suns; our own solar system has only one, so it is ratherboring.1 The program is available athttp://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/PVB/Harrison/Flash/Chaos/ThreeBody/

a) Try different initial conditions (mass ratio of the suns, initial position of probes). Whatdo you observe?

b) After that try more probes; what do you expect? What happens?

Group B & C

Group B:

Xn+1 = X2n − 1 (1)

Group C:

Xn+1 = 2X2n − 1 (2)

Group B will analyze Eq. 1 and Group C will work with Eq. 2.

a) Start with a value (e.g. X0 = 0.2), calculate the result (X1) and substitute the it backinto the equation; do that a couple of times (n > 10). What do you observe?

b) Now experiment with different initial values. What happens for large X? Can you finda boundary where the behavior changes qualitatively (a critical value Xc)?

c) (if you have time) The critical values are called fixed points. How many are there? Canyou find them analytically?

1If you think living on planet orbiting multiple suns would be pretty cool, I can recommend the shortstory “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov.

A ENV235 Tutorial Exercise III


Collaborative Groups

Each collaborative group should have at least one member from every expert group. Discussthe questions below in the group and be prepared to present your answers as a group.

Explain your findings from Activity A to your collaborators. Feel free to use diagrams /drawings.

a) Are the fixed points from Activity A B & C stable or unstable? Can you transfer theseconcepts to the solar system simulation (Activity A A)?

b) Explain the terms periodic and quasi–periodic; use examples from Activity A. In Acti-vity A A, what would you call intermittency?

c) Which system exhibits topological mixing? What about sensitive dependence on initialconditions? Which system is chaotic?

d) Explain the term deterministic chaos? To which extend is deterministic chaos rever-sible? What are the implications for predictability?

A ENV235 Tutorial Exercise IV


Tutorial Quiz II

ENV235

You have 45 minutes to complete this quiz; answer as many questions as youcan. For full credit you need 32 out of 48 points and you are free to choosewhich questions to work on.

You should use the space provided below the questions to write down youranswers.

Some questions ask for numbers. Generally an error margin of about 50% isacceptable.

Tutorial Topics (for reference):

1. Energy Balance: ice albedo feedback, stability of climate

2. Solar Variability: historical climate, Milankovitch cycles

3. Atmospheric Circulation: Hadley cell, mid-latitude weather, thermal wind

4. Chaos: characteristics of deterministic chaos, predictability

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz V


Figure 1: Left: A graphical solution for a zero–dimensional Energy Balance Model.Right: Time–series of CO2, CH4, and temperature from ice core data.

1. Energy Balance Models (Tutorial 3, 5) 6 PointsFigure 1 (left) shows the characteristic curves of a zero–dimensional Energy BalanceModel. The x–axis is global average temperature T0 and the y–axis is radiative fluxat the surface, normalized by solar insolation Q.

a) Explain what the two curves represent. Write down the equation for this model.2 Points

b) How many possible climate states can you identify? Are they stable? 2 Points

c) Explain the shape of the solid curve H0(XS(T0)). Why is it flat on the left?What climate could that be? 2 PointsN.B.: A generally accepted value for ice and snow albedo is ∼ 0.65.

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz VI


2. Milankovitch Cycles (Tutorial 6) 6 PointsFigure 1 (right) shows insolation, temperature, and greenhouse gas (GHG) concen-trations for the last 400.000 years. These climate variations are associated with theMilankovitch cycles.

a) In a very general way, explain what the the Milankovitch cycles are. Whichparameter in Fig. 1 (right) is directly controlled by this process? 2 Points

b) What is the main reason for the strong sensitivity of the climate system to theMilankovitch cycles? 1 Point

c) Briefly discribe the climate of the cold phase of the Milankovitch cycles. 2 Points

d) How is does this affect sea–level? 1 Point

3. Atmospheric Circulation (Tutorial 7) 6 PointsThe general circulation of the atmosphere is usually divided into circulation cells,which are governed by different dynamics.

a) Briefly sketch the Hadley cell (prevailing wind and precipitation patterns, ver-tical structure). 2 Points

b) What are the main differences between tropical/subtropical and the mid–latitudecirculation. 2 Points

c) If you were to sail from Europe to America, what route would you take (basedon prevailing surface winds)? Would you be going with or against the oceancurrent? 2 Points

4. Deterministic Chaos (Tutorial 8) 6 PointsConcepts from Chaos Theory can be very useful in the analysis of many complexsystems.

a) Explain what the colloquial term “Butterfly Effect” refers to. 2 Points

b) Name and explain one more term or concept from chaos theory or a commoncharacteristic of chaotic systems. 2 Points

c) Over what time–scale is weather predictable? 1 Point

d) Why can we predict climate, when we can not predict the weather (for longtime–scales)? 1 Point

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz VII


Figure 2: Schematic of incoming and outgoing radiation as a function of latitude.

5. Heat Transport (Tutorial 5, 7) 6 PointsAlthough globally the climate is in radiative balance, locally it is not: the atmosphereand the ocean redistribute heat in order to reduce temperature gradients.

a) Sketch the atmosphere and ocean heat transport/flux as a function of latitude(zonal average). 2 Points

b) What is the mechanism of heat transport in the atmosphere, and how does itdiffer from the ocean? 2 Points

c) Explain why Berlin is warmer than Vladivostok, eventhough it is significantlyfurther north. Give another example for this phenomenon. 2 Points

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz VIII


6. Geostrophic Wind (Tutorial 1, 7) 6 PointsIn geostrophic balance the Coriolis force acting on the wind is balancing a pressuregradient which is perpendicular to the wind. Semi–formally this can be written as

∂p

∂s= ρ · f · ug ,

where ∂p∂s

is the horizontal pressure gradient (derivative) perpendicular to the geo-strophic wind ug, f is the horizontal Coriolis parameter, and ρ is the density of air.

a) What is the the Coriolis force and what causes it? 1 Point

b) At a given location in the northern hemisphere, if an anti–cyclone is located tothe south and a cyclone to the north, what is the local wind direction? 1 Point

c) Using the formular above, calculate the geostrophic wind at 10 km altitude be-tween a subtropical anti–cyclone and a midlatitude cyclone. Assume a surfacepressure p0 of 1030 hPa for the anti–cyclone and 990 hPa for the cyclone, andaverage tropospheric temperatures T of 270 K and 250 K respectively.You can use the formula H = 29m

K× T for the scale height, and a value of

10−4s−1 for the Coriolis parameter f , and 0.4 kgm3 for density at 10 km altitude.

3 Points

d) How is this phenomenon called (be more specific than “thermal wind”)? 1 Point

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz IX


7. Paleoclimate Time-scales (Tutorial 6) 6 Points

a) Rank the following climate events in order of their appearance (most recentfirst) and give approximate dates: 3 Points

• Medieval Warm Period

• Last Glacial Maximum

• The Little Ice Age

• Snowball Earth

1. , years

2. , years

3. , years

4. , years

b) Rank the following climate time-scales in order of their length (shortest first)and give an approximate estimate of their length: 3 Points

• Seasonal cycle

• The major ice age cycle (longest period of the Milankovitch Cycles)

• Age of the Earth

• El Nino / Southern Oscillation

1. , years

2. , years

3. , years

4. , years

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz X


8. The Leaky Bucket Analogy for Climate Change (Tutorial 1, 3, 5) 6 PointsThis is again the Leaky Bucket analogy for climate change. Figure 3 shows a bucket

with two outflow valves and a constant inflow of water through the hose above it.Assume that the water level in this configuration does not change and the bucket isless than half full.

a) What will happen with the water level if one of the outflow valves is closed, andthe inflow stays the same? Why is the bucket not flowing over?You can assume that the rate of outflow is proportional to the pressure at thebase of the bucket and to the number of outflow valves. 2 Points

b) Explain your answer in terms of stable and unstable equilibria. When is thewater level in equilibrium? Is it stable or unstable? 2 Points

Figure 3: The Leaky Bucket analogy for Cli-mate Change: a bucket with a constant inflowof water, and two outflow valves.

c) Explain the analogy to Global Warmingin more detail. 2 Points

A ENV235 Tutorial Quiz XI

Andre R. Erler Performance Evaluation March 15, 2018

B. Supporting Material for Teaching Effectiveness

B.1. Course Evaluations

Formal TA evaluations are not mandatory at the University of Toronto. As a consequence,evaluations are not available for many courses.

ENV235: Physics and Chemistry of Planet Earth

During the academic years 2009/10 to 2011/12 the course ENV235 did not have a formalTA evaluation. In the academic year 2010/2011 I have conducted an unofficial survey formy ENV235 tutorial (see table on next page for results).

PHY132: Fundamentals of Physics II (2009, Winter)

The evaluation was conducted by Dr. Harlow; the following TA–specific questions wereasked. The results are given on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

• “The TA communicates the goals and requirements of the practicals activities clearlyand explicitly.”

strongly agree: 12, agree: 8, neutral: 2, disagree: 1 — Mean: 4.35

• “During practicals activities, the TA is available to students, attends to student’squestions, and answers them clearly and effectively.”

strongly agree: 13, agree: 8, neutral: 2 — Mean: 4.48

• “During the quizzes and question/answer sessions, the TA is well organized, attendsto student’s questions, and presents concepts clearly and effectively.”

strongly agree: 11, agree: 9, neutral: 3 — Mean: 4.35

Neither average scores nor student comments were reported.

B Course Evaluations XII


ENV235 Tutorial Evaluation 2011

Questions Average Std. Dev. # Answers

TA-specific Questions (all ratings out of 7)

4.38 1.19 8

3.44 1.33 9Presents material in an organized and well-planned manner 4.13 0.83 8Explains concepts clearly with appropriate use of examples 5 0.71 9Communicates enthusiasm and interest in the course material 5.56 2.01 9

4.78 1.2 9

4.86 1.21 7

4.57 0.79 7Ensures that student work is graded within a reasonable time 4.25 0.46 8All things considered, performs effectively as a university teacher 4.5 1.31 8

Tutorial-related Questions (all ratings out of 7)Compared to other courses at the same level, the work load is 3.67 1.37 6

4 1.67 6The value of the required reading is 3.8 1.79 5The value of the tutorials is 4.67 0.58 3The value of the overall learning experience is 4.8 1.48 5

0.75 0.5 4

Student-specific QuestionsNumber of course credits already earned 7.1 3.58 5Status of the course for you (1=Requirement) 1 0 4

2.8 0.45 5Your expected grade in this coures 77% 8% 5

Tutorial Topics and Activities (all ratings out of 7)Tutorial 1: Organization and Overview 4.42 1.78 12Tutorial 2: Planetary Atmospheres 4.5 1.78 12Tutorial 3: Atmospheric Circulation 4.33 1.5 12Tutorial 4: Ocean Circulation 2.33 1.61 12Tutorial 5: Data Analysis and Climate Modes 3.42 1.83 12Tutorial 6: Chaos Theory and Mixing 4.08 1.73 12Tutorial 7: Climate Stability and Ice Ages 3.42 1.93 12Tutorial 8: Historical Climate Change and The Norse in Greenland 3.33 2.02 12Tutorial 9: Remote Sensing and The Gallilean Moons 3.08 1.88 12Tutorial 10: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Transport 4.92 1.73 12Fill-in lecture: Sea-ice and Plate Tectonics 3.17 1.64 12Demo: Nonlinear Amplification with an Electric Guitar 4.33 2.78 9

Communicates goals and requirements of the course clearly and Explicitly

Uses methods of evaluation that appropriately reflect the subject Matter and provide a fair evaluation of student learning

Attends to students' questions and answers them clearly and Effectively

Is available for individual consultation, by appointment or stated Office hours, to students with problems relating the course

Ensures that student work is graded fairly, with helpful comments And feedback where appropriate

Compared to other courses at the same level, the level of Difficulty of the material is

Considering your experinece with thei course, and disregarding your need for it to meet program or degree requirements, would You still have taken this course? (0=No, 1=Yes)

Your level of enthusiasm to take the course at the time of the Initial registration (1=low, 2=medium, 3=high)

B Course Evaluations XIII


PHY131: Fundamentals of Physics I (2008, Fall)

The evaluation was conducted by Dr. Harlow; the following TA–specific questions wereasked. The results are given on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)and average scores for all TAs are given in parentheses.

• “My demonstrator communicates the goals and requirements of the lab clearly andexplicitly.”

Mean: 3.6 (3.7)

• “My demonstrator is available to students, attends to students questions, and answersthem clearly and effectively.”

Mean: 4.0 (4.0)

• “My demonstrator ensures that students work is graded fairly and on time.”

Mean: 4.1 (3.9)

• “All this considered, my demonstrator performs effectively as a university teacher.”

Mean: 3.4 (3.7)

In addition to the numerical survey, student comments were collected. The followingcomments were given:

• “So helpful its simply awesome”

• “he was very good and helpful TA indeed but his writing was not the best”

• “he was very helpful. he helped us understand the concepts by ourselves instead ofproviding us with the answers”

• “he is an excellent demonstrator”

• “some lack of clarity in answering questions”

PHY205: Physics of Everyday Life

The evaluation was conducted by Dr. Harlow and is reproduced on the next page; onlyquestions 2, 4, 5, & 6 were TA–specific.

B Course Evaluations XIV

Response Frequency Percent Response Frequency Percenttimeday

Mean: 1.00 Mean: 1.00M 18 100.00 6 18 100.00W 0 0.00 10 0 0.00F 0 0.00 12 0 0.00

Response Frequency Percent Response Frequency Percenttatut group

Mean: 1.00 Mean: -M1 18 100.00 Andre Erler 18 100.00M2 0 0.00M3 0 0.00M4 0 0.00W1 0 0.00W2 0 0.00W3 0 0.00W4 0 0.00F1 0 0.00F2 0 0.00F3 0 0.00F4 0 0.00F5 0 0.00F6 0 0.00F7 0 0.00F8 0 0.00

Response Frequency Percent Response Frequency Percent

q2 In terms of aiding your learning, the tutorials havebeen

q1 How many tutorials have you attended from thebeginning of January until now

Mean: 5.00 Mean: 4.39extremely few 0 0.00 completely

useless0 0.00

less than 1/3 0 0.00 somewhatuseless

0 0.00less than 1/2 0 0.00 neutral 0 0.00less than 3/4 0 0.00 somewhat

valuable11 61.11

pretty much all 18 100.00 extremelyvaluable

7 38.89


q4 Your tutor's oral communication skills (ie.e.comprehensibility) are

q3 The heart of the learning in the tutorials is youworking on the activities with your group. Was this aneffective way of learning for you

Mean: 4.44 Mean: 4.39definitely not 0 0.00 well below

average0 0.00

probably not 0 0.00 below average 0 0.00i'm not sure 1 5.56 average 2 11.11probably 8 44.44 above average 7 38.89definitely 9 50.00 well above

average9 50.00

Condensed Item Analysis Report

Condensed Item Analysis Report Page 110/04/2014


q6 Rank this tutor on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 = extremelypoor to 5 = outstanding give this tutor an award

q5 Has your tutor carried out their duties in aprofessional manner. Have they been polite, punctual,responsive

Mean: 4.61 Mean: 4.50stronglydisagree

0 0.00 1 0 0.00disagree 0 0.00 2 0 0.00neutral 0 0.00 3 2 11.11agree 7 38.89 4 5 27.78strongly agree 11 61.11 5 11 61.11

Condensed Item Analysis Report Page 210/04/2014


Atmospheric Dynamics II

This tutorial was held in Germany and hence the evaluations were also conducted in Ger-man. I have translated the evaluation questions into English as accurately as possible.Note that the scores were reported on a scale from 1 to 6, with the smaller number indi-cating better performance (i.e. 1 is best and 6 is worst); the average for all courses in thedepartment is given in parentheses.

• “The assignments/tasks were communicated clearly.”

Mean: 1.6 (2.9)

• “The tutorials improve understanding of the material.”

Mean: 1.6 (2.2)

• “The tutorial and the lecture were well integrated.”

Mean: 1.1 (1.6)

• “The TA was well prepared.”

Mean: 1.1 (2.1)

• “The TA communicated clearly.”

Mean: 1.4 (2.0)

• “The TA attends to questions and concerns in a helpful manner.”

Mean: 1.0 (2.1)

• “The tutorial was held in an interactive way, with students actively participating.”

Mean: 1.0 (1.9)

• “Marking of assignments is clear and comprehensible.”

Mean: 2.0 (2.4)

• “The difficulty of assignments was ... (1: too easy, ..., 6: too hard)”

Mean 1.7 (2.3)

B Course Evaluations XVII


B.2. Reference Letters

Prof. B. Milkereit

ENV235: Physics of the Environment, 2010 - 2013

Dr. J. Harlow

PHY131/132: Introduction to Physics I/II, 2008/09

Prof. V. Wirth

Atmospheric Dynamics II, 2008

B Reference Letters XVIII

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, 60 ST. GEORGE STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA M5S 1A7

Telephone: (416) 978-2466 FAX: (416) 978-7606 e-mail: [email protected] November 5, 2012 Reference for Andre R. Erler Andre Erler is a graduate student at the Department of Physics and he has been the Teaching Assistant (TA) for the undergraduate course ENV235Physics and the Environment. The curriculum for ENV235 covers physical processes (such as heat transport), measurement of physical parameters (such as temperature or radioactivity), and physical processes (such a wind, tides and currents). The tasks for the TA are to organize and supervise weekly (mandatory) tutorial sessions: - review key concepts covered in the lectures (for example, diffusion equation); - presentation of "hot" topics not covered in the lectures (for example, ocean circulation, integrated climate models); - selection of topics for individual (or small group) reading projects, review (grading) of project reports and final student presentations at the end of the term. The major challenge for the TA is the highly variable background of the students in ENV235 (many students opted out of math and physics in high school or university). Other challenges are of organizational nature (for example, larger class sizes over the past two years forced Andre to offer to tutorial sessions per week to better accommodate the students). Andre handled all challenges very well. Andre is an excellent TA. He can explain complex concepts, he enjoys discussion of scientific problems with the students, he doesn't cut corners, and he is always available for questions. He provides important guidance and supervision for reading project reports and final student presentations. Consequently, many students’ presentations are of great quality. I hope Andre is available (and willing) to TA this year's ENV235 course. Bernd Milkereit Dept. of Physics, UofT

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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, 60 ST. GEORGE STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA M5S 1A7

Re: Andre R. Erler

January 3, 2013

Dear Persons,

I first met Andre Erler in September, 2008, when he began his graduate studies here in the

Physics Department at U of T. I supervised him in the departmental Teaching Assistant training

that month, which included a 3 hour teaching workshop, followed by a microteaching

component. During the microteaching component, Andrew delivered two 10-minute teaching-

style presentations to a small group of peers, including a senior TA. Andre completed all of this

training to my satisfaction, and his senior TA particularly reflected positively about Andre’s

interactions with the audience.

Andre was a Teaching Assistant in a 2-semester course for which I was the laboratory

coordinator: PHY131/132 “Introduction to Physics I/II” from September 2008 to April 2009. In

the fall Andre was a laboratory demonstrator, and his duties involved direct contact with

students, helping them with their experiments, as well as marking. In the winter Andre was a

practicals instructor, meaning that he spent time speaking in front of a group of 36 students, as

well as assisting groups of 4 with hands-on activities, and marking.

Student evaluations were performed in both semesters, and specific questions were asked

about TAs. Andre’s evaluations were good. When fall students were asked to react to the

statement “My demonstrator ensures that students’ work is graded fairly and on time.” Andre’s

21 students responded with 4.1 on a scale of 1 to 5. This was the 6th

highest result of 26 TAs that

semester. In the Winter of 2009 his students evaluations were in general among the top 10 of my

40 TAs (top 25%). His numerical scores were 4.3/5 for communication (3.7 course average),

4.5/5 for availability and responsiveness (4.0 course average) and 4.3/5 for organization and

presentation skills (3.9 course average).

A selection of specific student written comments about Andre:

“So helpful its simply awesome” [Fall 2008]

“he was very helpful. He helped us understand the concepts by ourselves instead of

providing us with the answers” [Fall 2008]

“he is an excellent demonstrator” [Fall 2008]

“very helpful” [Winter 2009]

Jason J.B. Harlow

Senior Lecturer

Telephone: (416)946-4071

Fax: (416)946-3236

Email: [email protected]

XXI

2

To summarize, Andre has demonstrated good teaching skills, and even in his first year

quickly developed a good rapport with his students. In my dealings with him he always strikes

me as extremely intelligent, polite, well organized and diligent. I would recommend him for

future teaching positions.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me,

Yours sincerely,

Jason Harlow

Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics, University of Toronto

(416) 946-4071

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