1. Initial Findings about Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Training Needs to Foster Active Learning in Statistics Kristen E. Roland and Jennifer J. Kaplan 18 April 2017 CAUSE Teaching & Learning Webinar

2. Where We Started…
No course improvement since before GAISE College Report (2005)
Needed to understand Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) needs to implement active learning activities and teach for conceptual understanding

3. Our Setting STAT 2000: Introductory Statistical Methods
1200 Students each semester: fall and spring
Meet 3 hours per week in lectures of 200 – 250 and one small lecture of 35
Meet 1 hour per week in computer labs of 28
Lectures are taught by faculty (2 – 5)
Labs are run by GTAs (10 – 12)
15 week semester with 3 labs for teaching

4. FALS:R Project Goals
Create and implement exemplary activities for use in undergraduate introduction to statistics courses
Document changes in student learning and attitudinal outcomes associated with the classroom use of the activities
Determine the needs with respect to knowledge of content and pedagogy of GTAs to effectively facilitate the activities in the classroom

5. How do we use GAISE? Teach Statistical Thinking
Investigate Process
Multivariable Thinking
Focus on conceptual understanding rather than knowledge of procedures
Integrate real data with a context and purpose
Foster active learning
Use technology to explore concepts and analyze data
Use assessment to improve and evaluate student learning

6. What we know about PD… Sparse Literature
Faculty Professional Development
Statistics GTAs
Have strong theoretical and weak conceptual knowledge
Have never taken the course
Want to improve instruction
Want clear guidelines on content

7. Lessons Learned and Changes Made
GTA Pedagogy Issues: Pacing and Closure
Discussion of lab content and connecting it to lecture
Availability of hard copies of activities
Uses of readings and sample student responses
Emphasize conceptual aspects of lab
Importance of working through lab – Pro’s and Con’s

8. Implementation Training Data Collected
Weekly meeting of project team to plan training
Summarize key concepts
Demonstrate the lab
Identify possible issues
Discuss readings and previous experiences
Make explicit connections to lecture
Emphasize conceptual ideas
Weekly:
Survey: Affect and Feedback on Lab
Observations of Training Sessions
Observations of Labs (COPUS)
Semester:
GTA focus groups (2)
GRA content knowledge
GTA pedagogical knowledge

9. COPUS Visual Display for Instructors

10. Results for Instructors

11. COPUS Visual Display for Students

12. Results for Students

13. Future Directions Research on GTAs and Students
Analysis of Data Collected by the Project
Changes in GTA Content Knowledge
Changes in GTA Pedagogical Knowledge
Changes in Student Content Knowledge
Follow up Studies: Clinical Interview and Case Studies of Individual GTAs
Dissemination: Activities, Training Model, Research

14. Thank You The 2015 – 2017 STAT 2000 GTAs
G. Kim Gilbert, University of Georgia
Krista Varanyak, University of Georgia
Victoria Weber, Meredith College
Roger Woodard, North Carolina State University
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.