Become a casual Student Support Worker this academic year!
The Support Worker Service are looking to expand their bank of excellent support workers for the academic year 2025/26. Our Support Workers provide support to disabled students throughout the academic year.
Completing our Expression of Interest form will add you to our mailing list so we can notify you if we have any new vacancies.
Employer: University of Sheffield – DDSS Support Worker Service
Job title: Study Assistant - Computer Science COM level 2 and 3 modules
Job Category: Other type, University Vacancies
Salary/Hourly rate: Grade 6.1, £17.58 p/h
Expected weekly hours: up to 2 hrs per week, casual hours may vary.
Start Date: Teaching Weeks
Person Specification:
Essential
- Be studying at Level 3, 4 or Postgraduate level (PG) at the University of Sheffield.
- Knowledge of Computer Science module content - including Systems and Networks, Java Programming, Systems Design, Functional programming etc
- Excellent Communication and Interpersonal Skills: The ability to explain technical concepts clearly and patiently to individuals with varying levels of digital literacy and learning styles. This includes active listening, empathy, and the capacity to build rapport and trust with students.
- Patience and Empathy: A genuine understanding and appreciation of the challenges disabled students may face in their learning journey. The ability to remain patient and encouraging, fostering a supportive and positive learning environment.
- Problem Solving and Adaptability: The capacity to identify and diagnose basic technical issues, find creative solutions to individual student needs, and adapt teaching methods to suit diverse learning preferences and disabilities.
- Understanding of UK Disability Legislation (e.g., Equality Act 2010) and Inclusive Practices: Awareness of the legal framework surrounding disability rights in education in the UK, and a commitment to promoting inclusive learning environments.
Desirable
- Experience working with disabled individuals in an educational or support setting.
- Experience using Assistive Tech software for example; Genio, Dragon or Caption.ED
Overview of roles and responsibilities:
This role provides crucial support to disabled students, helping them gain equal access to their course materials and succeed in their studies.
As a Study Assistant, you'll work one-on-one with an allocated student, typically meeting for pre-arranged sessions of one to two hours per week during term time.
To be successful, you should have a solid understanding of the course content, ideally from having studied the subject yourself. Your subject specific knowledge will enable you to help students who may need extra time to process information. You will clarify concepts and theories relevant to their modules (for example, Python coding), and help them navigate and consolidate their learning materials.
Please note that this is not a tutoring role. You are not expected to teach new material or suggest additional reading outside of the provided course content.
How to apply:
3. By completing the expression of interest form your university email address will be added to our mailing list. Please note, this is not a guarantee of work. Our support requirements depend on referrals and the needs of the students we support.
If a suitable vacancy is available we will contact our mailing list and assign work from the respondents. This work is offered on a casual basis and may be withdrawn if no longer required by the student being supported.