Transcript Document

Undergraduate Learning
Assistants Program
Mark Allen Weiss
Florida International University
April 18, 2015, 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
TEAm Grant Innovations Convening
Tampa, FL
2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL
Learning Assistant (LA) Model
• Transformation of instructional practices across
the STEM disciplines has entailed establishing the
undergraduate Learning Assistant (LA) program
at FIU, based on a model developed by University
of Colorado, Boulder.
• The LA Model
– Experiential teaching program in which LAs
experience the reward of teaching by facilitating their
peers’ learning in undergraduate courses and serves
as a recruitment tool for STEM teachers.
– Faculty and institutional change are at the core of the
LA program, as faculty must incorporate active
learning into their courses to merit LA support.
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FIU Learning Assistant Program
• Over the past 6½ years, FIU became the
nation’s largest LA program
• Supporting 182 LAs, across 9 disciplines
and over 40 faculty in Spring 2015.
• The LA program has become central to
FIU’s STEM education identity.
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LAs in Physics Courses
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IT Learning Assistants
• All sections of COP-2250 (Intro
Programming for IT majors)
• Instructor Cristy Charters (hired with
TEAm funds)
• 180 students, 12 LAs
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LA Program for CS
• What is the Role of an LA
• How to Become an LA
• Benefits of Being an LA
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What is the Role of an LA
• To Provide
– Peer Guidance in the Classroom
– Peer Assistance during Lab time
– Feedback to Instructor
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Peer Guidance in Class
• Help find path to solution, without giving
answer
• Help understand concept first, rather than just
the correct solution
• Listen to students’ concerns, alleviate their
worries
• Motivate students to do better
• Serve as an intermediary between students
and instructor
• Create a professional learning community
• Facilitate Active Learning
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Peer Assistance During Lab Time
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Provide one-on-one assistance to students
Proctor chapter quizzes
Provide clarification of difficult concepts
Identify common misconceptions of concepts
and assignments
– Provide additional tutoring as needed
– Provide encouragement to persevere in
problem-solving
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Feedback to Instructor
• During Weekly Status Meetings
– What concepts did students grasp and what concepts did they struggle with
– Contribute to the creation of the following week’s lesson plans
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Create Programming Exercises
Identify Resources to facilitate learning
Come up with ways of presenting concepts
– Practice the planned assignments, to ensure their effectiveness
• During & After Labs
– Informally, verbally communicate problem areas needing further review
– Gather feedback from students on their successes/failures in chapter quizzes
– Advise students on how to better prepare themselves for future assessments
• After Class Lectures/Active Learning
– Identify what active learning activities were effective & what were lacking
– Identify specific students that may need individual attention
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How to Become an LA
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Undergraduate students apply online at:
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www.fiulearn.fiu.edu
Candidates are interviewed by LA Director & Instructor:
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Determine level of mastery of content area for class using LA’s.
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Evaluate the candidate’s interpersonal skills
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Willingness to reach out to struggling students
Patience, Politeness, Responsibility, Punctuality
Confidence to communicate with other LA’s and instructor
Coordinate availability of candidate
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Evaluate transcript of candidate, especially for mastery level of course to be an LA.
To schedule of course’s offering & weekly status meetings
Willingness to register for the LA Seminar, a 1-credit course on Education.
Pass background check, and eligibility to work.
Requirement not to work second job, nor FIU work study beyond a total of 20 hours biweekly.
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Ability to handle LA work and studies
Ability to get paid 20 hours bi-weekly
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Benefits of Being an LA
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Develops Confidence
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Develops Leadership Skills
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More planning abilities
Better organizational skills
Project management skills
Becoming more responsible
Networking
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Interpersonal skills
Content area
Teaching ability
Meeting experts in field of Active Learning
Getting involved in the STEM Transformation Institute
Potential for conducting research on education
Asset to each LA’s Resume
A convenient source of income for an undergrad student
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Additional Benefits
• Learning Assistants scale: more students
mean more learning assistants
• Students gain experiences valued
comparably to internships
• Students get paid, but do work on
campus: easier to schedule their other
classes
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Future LAs
• Fall 2015 will use LAs in some sections of
COP-2210 (Intro Programming course for
CS majors and IT Software majors)
– Instructor newly hired from TEAm funds
– Will use new active learning rooms in PG6
– Will conduct a scientific study
• Will also use LAs in selected sections of
COP-3804 (second programming course
for IT majors)
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Challenges
• Setting up LA program is significant work
for faculty
• Active learning rooms in short supply
• Funding
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More Information on LA Program
• http://STEM.fiu.edu
• http://FIULearn.fiu.edu
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Thank You!
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