Academic Assistant - CYS119 - Software Design Development
Design
Toronto, ON, Canada
CAD 49.93-53.91 / hour
Toronto Metropolitan University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-focused education and a university clearly on the move. It is a distinctly urban university with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Toronto Metropolitan University has a mission to serve societal need and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community.
Guided by a bold Academic Plan, an ambitious research agenda, and a Master Plan to revitalize the campus and surrounding neighbourhood, Toronto Metropolitan University is the most applied-to university in Ontario relative to available spaces, and its reputation with business and community leaders continues to rise.
We offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to 38,950 students, including 2,300 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 170,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Toronto Metropolitan University is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education. The university's focus on innovation and entrepreneurship is represented most distinctly by the Digital Media Zone, a place for students to collaborate and bring their digital ideas to the marketplace.
Toronto Metropolitan University is reshaping the downtown core of Toronto with three new buildings: the Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens, the Toronto Metropolitan University Image Centre in the heart of campus, and a Student Learning Centre on Yonge Street. In addition, currently in progress is the development of a new multipurpose building, the Church Street development (CSD). This new building will be located just north of Dundas on Church Street and will be home to four academic health services programs, Toronto Met. University food services, administration, and a student residence.
Previous evaluation of performance as an Assistant at the University (if applicable).
Enrolled in: Must be enrolled in the Master's or PhD Program in Computer Science at TMU.
Required Qualifications & Skills
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Strong Core Python Proficiency:
Demonstrated mastery of foundational Python topics: core data types, conditionals, loops, functions, scope/call stack, strings, lists, dictionaries, tuples, and 2D arrays/grids.
Ability to write, trace, and debug clean, readable Python code on the spot without relying on complex, advanced syntax (e.g., list comprehensions, classes, or advanced libraries) or external tools.
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In-Person Pedagogy & Active Mentorship:
Exceptional ability to explain elementary programming concepts and trace code (variable state diagrams, call stacks) step-by-step for absolute beginners.
Strong active listening and interpersonal skills to lead in-person lab sessions, run live comprehension checks, and guide students through debugging their code without simply giving away solutions.
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Flipped Classroom Alignment:
Comfort with facilitating collaborative problem-solving, guiding peer discussions, and addressing fundamental beginner misconceptions during scheduled lab slots.
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Academic Integrity & Assessment Support:
Capability to conduct brief, live code-comprehension spot-checks with students in the lab and assist in proctoring in-person, individual computer-based assessments.
Key Responsibilities
Lab Facilitation: Lead two-hour in-person lab sessions (Hour 1: Guided practice; Hour 2: Proctored individual lab assignments).
Interactive Code Spot-Checks: Conduct brief, live evaluation spot-checks during labs to gauge student comprehension according to the course rubric.
In-Session Student Support: Answer lab-related conceptual and debugging questions exclusively during official, scheduled lab times.
Professionalism & Policy Adherence: Comply strictly with course email guidelines, official TorontoMU communication channels, and academic integrity protocols.
(Note: Prior experience with Spyder IDE and auto-graded execution environments is considered an asset.)
September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025
Master - $49.93 per hour
PhD - $53.91 per hour
September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026
Master - $51.17 per hour
PhD - $55.26 per hour
