Proposal Title
Teaching science undergraduate students how to Teach – Evaluation of science undergraduate teaching assistant training programs
Session Type
Presentation
Room
FNB 1220
Start Date
3-7-2019 2:00 PM
Keywords
Teaching assistants, Active learning, Undergraduate education
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Undergraduate teaching assistants (UTA) are being utilized more frequently as course enrollment in introductory science courses increase. The use of science UTA has mutual benefits: it allows for personal growth and development of communication skills of the UTA while also providing a helpful teaching resource for undergraduate students. In many North American universities, teaching assistant (TA) training has largely focused on the training of graduate students and often utilizes interactive training programs that also incorporate elements of professional development. However, training for UTA is often non-existent or limited to strictly didactic approaches resulting in UTA entering teaching roles with no previous teaching experience. As the demands for science UTA increase, the training methods will need to be evaluated in order to ensure that UTA are fully prepared before entering a classroom setting. In this presentation, we will review current TA training programs for science UTA utilized at different institutions. We will also discuss current research about the outcomes of UTA training programs and how these findings can be utilized in the development of UTA training programs. Participants will be encouraged to critique available training models and identify areas of improvement required in science UTA training at their institutions.
Elements of Engagement
Participants will discuss current models of Science UTA training with a focus on their strengths and limitations. Key discussion areas include:
Identify & Describe - We will discuss the current undergraduate science TA training programs used at different institutions (if participants are able to identify the training approaches currently used) and the eligibility of selecting UTA.
Evaluate – A variety of training programs exist at different institutions ranging from short one-day didactic training sessions to intensive term-long weekly seminars and microteaching sessions. Selected examples will be presented and evaluated for benefits (i.e. the training outcome for the UTA) and limitations (i.e. scheduling).
Innovate – Based on the current training methods and selection criteria for UTA utilized at participants’ institutions and training programs that exist at other institutions, participants will be asked to identify how institutional TA training programs could be improved in order to meet the training needs of UTA.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Teaching science undergraduate students how to Teach – Evaluation of science undergraduate teaching assistant training programs
FNB 1220
Undergraduate teaching assistants (UTA) are being utilized more frequently as course enrollment in introductory science courses increase. The use of science UTA has mutual benefits: it allows for personal growth and development of communication skills of the UTA while also providing a helpful teaching resource for undergraduate students. In many North American universities, teaching assistant (TA) training has largely focused on the training of graduate students and often utilizes interactive training programs that also incorporate elements of professional development. However, training for UTA is often non-existent or limited to strictly didactic approaches resulting in UTA entering teaching roles with no previous teaching experience. As the demands for science UTA increase, the training methods will need to be evaluated in order to ensure that UTA are fully prepared before entering a classroom setting. In this presentation, we will review current TA training programs for science UTA utilized at different institutions. We will also discuss current research about the outcomes of UTA training programs and how these findings can be utilized in the development of UTA training programs. Participants will be encouraged to critique available training models and identify areas of improvement required in science UTA training at their institutions.