Learning support

Aims and objectives

• to provide regular and effective pastoral support and advice for students
• to ensure that students understand the fundamentals of the subjects taught, and deal with any academic problems encountered
• to monitor the progress and attendance of students as part of the ‘early warning system' which aims to identify students showing signs of difficulty
• to help students work in a disciplined manner and promote responsibility for their own learning
• to obtain formal and informal feed back about courses
• to promote discussion about wider aspects of the subject of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
• to improve students' verbal communication skills

Organisation

You will be assigned a personal tutor who is a  member of academic teaching staff.

Personal Tutorial groups are one hour sessions, timetabled at two week intervals throughout the first and second year of the EE and EIE courses. EIE students are placed with tutors who have the most relevant experience of the particular technical requirements of this course. Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. Tutorials are held in groups of 3 or 4, but you are also encouraged to seek additional help from your tutor on an individual basis when required.

At the start Autumn and Spring terms of each of years 3 and 4 you will meet your tutor for a compulsory c tutorial. The aim of this meeting is to ensure discuss your planned programme of study for that year, and how things are going. Although there are no timetabled tutor group meetings, your tutor is a point  of contact throughout the year. 

It is intended that the relationships built up over the early years continue on an informal basis through your time in the Department, and you may contact you personal tutor to discuss any academic or personal difficulties you may have. In your their final year a further layer of support and monitoring may be provided by your final year project supervisor. Your superisor  should ensure they pass on any evidence of a student who fails to meet deadlines and is falling behind.

You can also seek help and advice from the Undergraduate Office team, Senior Tutor, Wellbeing Advisor or relevant year organiser.

Team-based learing (TBL) classes take place in the first and second year.  These are scheduled classes where you work in your tutor group on material to prepare for the lectures.

TBL leaders are members of teaching staff, and postgraduate teaching assistants (GTAs).  TBLs requireclose-co-operation with the module leader, your group and the whole group as seems appropriate. Attendance is compulsory. Your personal tutor will be told about any pattern of absence and they will contact you to talk about this. 

In addition to the TBL and academic tutorial support systems, additional tutorial support in Mathematics is provided to first years by a team of postgraduate students appointed by the Department.

You should also take a look at the METRIC Scheme - which aims to help prospective students and new entrants build or consolidate the knowledge and skills to cope with their studies at Imperial - or the summer revision material provided for new students.

• The Centre for Academic English works with all Imperial College London academic staff and students, both native and non-native speakers of English, to help improve your STEMM communication skills.
  
• The Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication can help you learn a new language, or improve your language skills.
  

Peer tutors are undergraduate students who have done especially well in specific modules and have been selected to work as a tutor for their peers.

If you are struggling with a particular module and would like support, please contact one of the students listed on the Peer Tutor page directly to arrange a date, time and location (on campus or virtually) to carry out an hour long session. This can be a scheduled weekly session, or a one off session.