[staff-physics-and-astronomy-HL-UHD-UD] interested in teaching 3EC custom modules in MSc Physics & Astronomy?

[Joshua Dijksman]

Dear colleagues

There is a new opportunity to add expert-level modules to the MSc Physics & Astronomy curriculum.

Students can take these modules for 3EC, as part of the Capita Selecta (CS) course codes that I am now coordinating. See below for details and requirements.

You are encouraged to design such a module and offer it to a minimum of 2 students simultaneously, but the more the merrier. If you are interested in offering such a module, you can do that via this form:

Request for Capita Selecta teaching module - Formulier invullen<https://forms.office.com/e/sWB5Yp98ha>
We require posting a module on the Canvas page of CS for 1 month before they start, to allow all interested students time to consider and enroll. Offering modules for Jan 2026 thus requires action soon. Modules for period 6 are especially welcome.

If you have any questions about this after reading the PS, pleae let me know.

Best,

Joshua

PS: details and requirements:

Concept and Opportunity

Capita Selecta enables you to create a compact, in-depth learning experience. It is an appropriate format for:

  *   Providing essential theoretical training to a group of your thesis students.
  *   Exploring a specialized topic from a long-form review paper in a seminar style.
  *   Offering content that was discontinued in recent program updates to a dedicated audience.

The framework gives you significant freedom to determine the content, format, and schedule.

Module Design and Guidelines

As a PI, you can design a teaching module with the following parameters:

  *   Content and Format: The module should focus on training cognitive skills through teachable content such as lectures, exercises, or design work. It is not intended for project work, writing assignments, or thesis extensions.
  *   Scheduling: Sessions can be scheduled ad-hoc, based on your availability and that of the enrolled students.
  *   Administration: The course has a dedicated Canvas page where modules are advertised. A minimum enrollment of 2 students is required for the module to run. The course is assessed on a pass/fail basis.
  *   Eligibility: The person responsible for delivering the training must hold a PhD degree.

Administrative Framework

To ensure academic standardisation, the structure is as follows:

  *   Submission Process: A standard form will be used to submit module proposals, collecting essential details such as the title, a content description, and the contact person.
  *   Course Codes: Two courses are available: Capita Selecta (3EC) and Capita Selecta 2 (3EC). You can design a cohesive 6EC program by creating two separate 3EC modules.
  *   Quality Assurance: For coordination and quality control, you will be asked to provide:
     *   Clear learning goals.
     *   A description of the assessment method.
  *   Assessment: Acceptable methods include a written exam (to be archived) or an oral exam, the latter requiring a second assessor and a brief report.
  *   Logistics: PIs are responsible for coordinating directly with students regarding scheduling and location. Central support for room finding is not provided.

Important Considerations

  *   Recognition: Please note that contributing a Capita Selecta module does not carry a formal DVM credit. To ensure your teaching efforts are recognized, we advise you to document this contribution and discuss it during your annual appraisal.


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Dr. Joshua A. Dijksman | Associate Professor | Soft Matter Group | University of Amsterdam

Web: www.multiphasematters.com<http://www.multiphasematters.com/>
Linkedin: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/joshuadijksman
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