2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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. 2

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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 The LA program has become central to FIU’s STEM education identity. 3

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL LAs in Physics Courses 4

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL IT Learning Assistants All sections of COP-2250 (Intro Programming for IT majors) Instructor Cristy Charters (hired with TEAm funds) 180 students, 12 LAs 5

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL LA Program for CS What is the Role of an LA How to Become an LA Benefits of Being an LA 6

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL What is the Role of an LA To Provide – Peer Guidance in the Classroom – Peer Assistance during Lab time – Feedback to Instructor 7

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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 8

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL Peer Assistance During Lab Time 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 9

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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 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 10

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL How to Become an LA Undergraduate students apply online at: – Candidates are interviewed by LA Director & Instructor: – Determine level of mastery of content area for class using LA’s. Evaluate transcript of candidate, especially for mastery level of course to be an LA. – Evaluate the candidate’s interpersonal skills Willingness to reach out to struggling students Patience, Politeness, Responsibility, Punctuality Confidence to communicate with other LA’s and instructor – Coordinate availability of candidate 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 bi- weekly. Ability to handle LA work and studies Ability to get paid 20 hours bi-weekly 11

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL Benefits of Being an LA Develops Confidence – Interpersonal skills – Content area – Teaching ability Develops Leadership Skills – More planning abilities – Better organizational skills – Project management skills – Becoming more responsible Networking Active Learning – 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 12

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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 13

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL 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) 14

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL Challenges Setting up LA program is significant work for faculty Active learning rooms in short supply Funding 15

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL More Information on LA Program

2015 TEAm Grant Innovations Convening – Tampa, FL Thank You! 17