Utilizing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Active Learning Environments

Carrie Robinson; James Collofello

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: FPD V: Increasing Engagement and Motivation of First-year Students
Tagged Division: First-Year Programs
Page Count: 11
Page Numbers: 25.1455.1 - 25.1455.11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22212
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22212
Download Count: 472

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Paper Authors

biography

Carrie Robinson Arizona State University

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Carrie Robinson is the Executive Coordinator for Academic Administration in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. She earned her doctorate of education in May 2012 from Arizona State University and her master's of education in 2007 from the University of Southern California.

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James Collofello Arizona State University

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Abstract

Utilizing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Active Learning EnvironmentsEngineering schools must strive to evolve a new paradigm for undergraduate education that recognizesthe evolution of the skills and learning styles of its incoming students and prepares them to tacklesociety’s grand challenges of the future while at the same time increases the probability of their successin their chosen engineering program. Most researchers and experts in the field agree on some basictenants of retention, which include developing community amongst freshmen, creating connections forfreshmen through meaningful interactions with returning students and faculty, engaging freshmen inactive learning environments, helping freshmen understand and internalize the vision and mission of theschool, and assisting freshmen to develop a personal identity as an Engineer. This paper will describe anUndergraduate Teaching Assistant Program (UGTA Program) that utilizes several of these pillars toimprove retention rates in engineering.The primary objective of the UGTA Program is to improve the educational experience of freshmen intheir engineering classes. Faculty who teach Introduction to Engineering and other first-year classes areencouraged to engage students in exploratory and collaborative learning activities. Active learningenvironments transcend the traditional lecture model and allow students to discover, process, and applythe information they learn in the classroom. Active learning focuses on developing students’ skills,rather than merely transferring information, and fosters higher-order thinking skills that involve analysis,synthesis, and evaluation. Similarly, the exploratory activities utilized in our first-year classrooms enablestudents to collaborate with each other to advance their understanding of engineering.UGTAs are sophomore and upper-division undergraduate students in good academic standing whospend about five hours each week working with a first-year engineering class. UGTAs meet with theirfaculty instructor to prepare for activities, assist their faculty in facilitating classroom active learningprojects, and may hold office hours or review sessions throughout the semester. Through theirpresence in the classroom, UGTAs promote more effective learning and achievement through peermentoring, act as a cultural bridge from high school to the university environment, help navigate theinstitution and promote self-confidence and self-reliance, and act as role models who demonstratepersonal and academic success.In addition to the benefits received by freshmen, the training and development of the UGTA students isequally important. UGTAs attend a two-hour training session at the beginning of the semester andenroll in a one-credit online class aimed at developing their leadership, communication, and teamworkskills. Course assignments help to develop the students’ soft skills, promote reflection on their growththrough the semester, and provide a forum in which they can articulate the real-world experiences inwhich they have utilized their skills. Through the course and their experience in this program, UGTAsdevelop a working relationship with a faculty member in their major and earn valuable experience fortheir resume. In addition to the course credit and notation on their transcript, UGTAs also earn amodest stipend each semester.Since the program’s inception in fall 2009, more than 100 students have worked with over 40 facultymembers, and feedback from students and faculty has been overwhelmingly positive. This paper willdefine the rationale for utilizing UGTAs in first-year classes and identifies the attributes that make itunique in relation to similar programs, such as learning assistants or supplemental instruction. Thepaper will also detail the recruitment, training, and responsibilities of UGTAs; best practices for facultywho incorporate UGTAs in their classroom; and an analysis of how assessment results from freshmen,UGTA, and faculty participants in previous semesters have helped to modify and improve the program. 1

Citation
Format

Robinson, C., & Collofello, J. (2012, June), Utilizing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Active Learning Environments Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--22212

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Utilizing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Active Learning EnvironmentsEngineering schools must strive to evolve a new paradigm for undergraduate education that recognizesthe evolution of the skills and learning styles of its incoming students and prepares them to tacklesociety’s grand challenges of the future while at the same time increases the probability of their successin their chosen engineering program. Most researchers and experts in the field agree on some basictenants of retention, which include developing community amongst freshmen, creating connections forfreshmen through meaningful interactions with returning students and faculty, engaging freshmen inactive learning environments, helping freshmen understand and internalize the vision and mission of theschool, and assisting freshmen to develop a personal identity as an Engineer. This paper will describe anUndergraduate Teaching Assistant Program (UGTA Program) that utilizes several of these pillars toimprove retention rates in engineering.The primary objective of the UGTA Program is to improve the educational experience of freshmen intheir engineering classes. Faculty who teach Introduction to Engineering and other first-year classes areencouraged to engage students in exploratory and collaborative learning activities. Active learningenvironments transcend the traditional lecture model and allow students to discover, process, and applythe information they learn in the classroom. Active learning focuses on developing students’ skills,rather than merely transferring information, and fosters higher-order thinking skills that involve analysis,synthesis, and evaluation. Similarly, the exploratory activities utilized in our first-year classrooms enablestudents to collaborate with each other to advance their understanding of engineering.UGTAs are sophomore and upper-division undergraduate students in good academic standing whospend about five hours each week working with a first-year engineering class. UGTAs meet with theirfaculty instructor to prepare for activities, assist their faculty in facilitating classroom active learningprojects, and may hold office hours or review sessions throughout the semester. Through theirpresence in the classroom, UGTAs promote more effective learning and achievement through peermentoring, act as a cultural bridge from high school to the university environment, help navigate theinstitution and promote self-confidence and self-reliance, and act as role models who demonstratepersonal and academic success.In addition to the benefits received by freshmen, the training and development of the UGTA students isequally important. UGTAs attend a two-hour training session at the beginning of the semester andenroll in a one-credit online class aimed at developing their leadership, communication, and teamworkskills. Course assignments help to develop the students’ soft skills, promote reflection on their growththrough the semester, and provide a forum in which they can articulate the real-world experiences inwhich they have utilized their skills. Through the course and their experience in this program, UGTAsdevelop a working relationship with a faculty member in their major and earn valuable experience fortheir resume. In addition to the course credit and notation on their transcript, UGTAs also earn amodest stipend each semester.Since the program’s inception in fall 2009, more than 100 students have worked with over 40 facultymembers, and feedback from students and faculty has been overwhelmingly positive. This paper willdefine the rationale for utilizing UGTAs in first-year classes and identifies the attributes that make itunique in relation to similar programs, such as learning assistants or supplemental instruction. Thepaper will also detail the recruitment, training, and responsibilities of UGTAs; best practices for facultywho incorporate UGTAs in their classroom; and an analysis of how assessment results from freshmen,UGTA, and faculty participants in previous semesters have helped to modify and improve the program.                                                                                                               1
AU  - Carrie Robinson
AU  - James Collofello
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Utilizing Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Active Learning Environments
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/22212
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22212
ER  -