Reflecting on TA efficiency and Reflecting on TA efficiency and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Reflecting on TA efficiency and Reflecting on TA efficiency and effectiveness: Complementary or effectiveness: Complementary or competing goals? competing goals?

Maggie Stevenson, TA Mentor, Maggie Stevenson, TA Mentor, Sprott Sprott School of Business School of Business Katrina Rogers Katrina Rogers-

• Stewart, TA Mentor,

Stewart, TA Mentor, Math and Statistics Math and Statistics Roxanne Ross, TA Coordinator, Roxanne Ross, TA Coordinator, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

Thanks to workshop participants for your contributions Thanks to workshop participants for your contributions during the discussion activity during the discussion activity— —your input your input has been included in the final has been included in the final version of these slides for your reference version of these slides for your reference

Agenda Agenda

Being an effective TA Being an effective TA

• Creating an effective learning environment

Creating an effective learning environment

• Small group discussion

Small group discussion

Bringing it all together: Addressing efficiency Bringing it all together: Addressing efficiency and and effectiveness effectiveness Goal setting Goal setting

• So what? What does this mean for me?

So what? What does this mean for me?

The Role of Teaching Assistants

Assist student learning Supporting faculty in their teaching role How do we best assist student learning? What does an effective learning environment consist of?

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Group discussion Group discussion

Each group will be given one aspect of the learning Each group will be given one aspect of the learning environment to discuss environment to discuss In your groups create a list of strategies or ideas on how In your groups create a list of strategies or ideas on how TAs can enhance this particular aspect of the learning TAs can enhance this particular aspect of the learning environment for students environment for students

• Feel free to use specific examples from your own TA context

Feel free to use specific examples from your own TA context

Your group will be asked to share your ideas with Your group will be asked to share your ideas with everyone everyone

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Knowledge Knowledge

Preparing the content ahead Preparing the content ahead

• Consider how you can

Consider how you can ‘ ‘add value add value’ ’ to the students to the students’ ’ experience in the course experience in the course

• Anticipate problems, key information and think

Anticipate problems, key information and think through alternative explanations, real through alternative explanations, real-

• life examples

life examples

• Consider different approaches to engage all learners

Consider different approaches to engage all learners

• Work closely with the professor

Work closely with the professor

Knowledge

Group one’s contributions

Goes beyond understanding of the content to include

the presentation of that content

Structuring how the material is presented to students

is important

Preparing examples of ‘lived experience’ helpful in

engaging students with the content

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Practice / Experience Practice / Experience

Creating opportunities for students to Creating opportunities for students to actively engage with material and use actively engage with material and use skills skills

• Opportunities to practice skills more than

Opportunities to practice skills more than

• nce
• nce
• Facilitating learning rather than

Facilitating learning rather than ‘ ‘answering the answering the question question’ ’

Practice / Experience Practice / Experience

Group 2 Group 2’ ’s contributions s contributions

• Create opportunities for students to talk through their experien

Create opportunities for students to talk through their experience ce with the writing process and/ or learning process as they with the writing process and/ or learning process as they complete assignments by breaking up the process into smaller complete assignments by breaking up the process into smaller components, i.e. submit an outline of the essay components, i.e. submit an outline of the essay

• Create opportunities for students to peer review the work of

Create opportunities for students to peer review the work of

• thers to gain experience in critiquing work constructively as w
• thers to gain experience in critiquing work constructively as well

ell as exposure to alternative approaches to the assignment as exposure to alternative approaches to the assignment

• Help students set goals related to the course and / or

Help students set goals related to the course and / or assignments assignments

• Create interactive activities around the content of the course

Create interactive activities around the content of the course

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Providing feedback on assignments Providing feedback on assignments and written work and written work

Moving beyond just identification Moving beyond just identification Thinking about your audience Thinking about your audience

• Focused feedback

Focused feedback

• Tone of commentary

Tone of commentary

Feedback in the classroom Feedback in the classroom

Engaging with student responses Engaging with student responses

• Taking time to formulate good questions

Taking time to formulate good questions

• Providing appropriate wait time after

Providing appropriate wait time after questions and responses questions and responses

• Repeating student responses for everyone to

Repeating student responses for everyone to hear hear

• Thanking students for their contributions

Thanking students for their contributions

• Asking others to build on incomplete

Asking others to build on incomplete responses responses

• Treating responses equally

Treating responses equally

Feedback

Group 3’s contributions

Feedback should always be honest and constructive

in order to help students know where they need to improve

WebCT can be an effective tool for providing

feedback to students who do not come to office hours (students not coming to office hours or engaging with written feedback was raised as a challenge in the feedback process)

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Motivation Motivation

Sharing your enthusiasm for the subject, Sharing your enthusiasm for the subject, learning and student success learning and student success Relating to student experience Relating to student experience Keeping different learning styles in mind Keeping different learning styles in mind Stating goals and Stating goals and ‘ ‘big picture big picture’ ’ relationships relationships

Motivation

Group four’s contributions

Set high expectations but support students along the

way

Increase ‘value’ of the material by connecting it to

‘real life’

Offer frequent, positive and constructive feedback Offer students choices

Practice / Experience Knowledge Reflection Motivation Feedback Creating an effective learning environment

Reflection Reflection

Build activities into tutorials or labs which allow Build activities into tutorials or labs which allow students to reflect students to reflect

• ‘

‘Think / Pair / Share Think / Pair / Share’ ’

• Study sessions

Study sessions— —developing study plans developing study plans

Invite students to meet with you to discuss Invite students to meet with you to discuss feedback on assignments feedback on assignments Engage students in discussions which connect Engage students in discussions which connect new knowledge to their previous knowledge new knowledge to their previous knowledge

Reflection

Group five’s contributions

Create informal writing opportunities for students to summarize a

lecture, relate information to a personal experience or previous knowledge or track content that they are not sure about

Have students generate questions about the content Distribute a survey on study strategies for students to complete

and then share strategies with each other

Bringing it all together: Addressing Bringing it all together: Addressing efficiency efficiency and and effectiveness effectiveness

Collaborate with others Collaborate with others Let the students get involved Let the students get involved Multi Multi-

• task

task Get organized Get organized Set guidelines Set guidelines

Collaborate with others Collaborate with others

Divide up prep work for tutorials with other TAs when Divide up prep work for tutorials with other TAs when possible possible

• Take turns preparing content notes, solutions, classroom

Take turns preparing content notes, solutions, classroom activities each week activities each week

Seek out TAs who have Seek out TAs who have TAed TAed the course before the course before

• Ask if they have any approaches, materials or ideas they would

Ask if they have any approaches, materials or ideas they would like to share like to share

Call on support services and campus professionals as Call on support services and campus professionals as guest speakers guest speakers

• Consider arranging a visit from the Writing Centre on writing or

Consider arranging a visit from the Writing Centre on writing or SASC to discuss study skills SASC to discuss study skills

Let students get involved Let students get involved

Let students teach each other Let students teach each other

• Assign groups a problem or section of the course

Assign groups a problem or section of the course material to teach the class material to teach the class

• Ask students to brainstorm links between content and

Ask students to brainstorm links between content and / or their own experience / or their own experience

Have students prepare questions and answers Have students prepare questions and answers for a for a ‘ ‘jeopardy style jeopardy style’ ’ exam review exam review Assign groups the task of locating and Assign groups the task of locating and presenting a news item relevant to course presenting a news item relevant to course material material

Multi Multi-

• task

task

Hold a Hold a ‘ ‘working session working session’ ’ for students for students

• Have students bring in course assignments to work

Have students bring in course assignments to work

• n while you meet one
• n while you meet one-
• on
• n-
• one with each student to
• ne with each student to

discuss his / her progress discuss his / her progress

Link material to your own research areas and Link material to your own research areas and interests when applicable interests when applicable Be on the lookout for relevant news / research of Be on the lookout for relevant news / research of interest to relate to the course interest to relate to the course

Get organized Get organized

Keep a teacher Keep a teacher’ ’s toolkit s toolkit

• Keep a bag with chalk, whiteboard markers,

Keep a bag with chalk, whiteboard markers, attendance records, course files, evaluation attendance records, course files, evaluation activities, etc. at the ready activities, etc. at the ready

Create materials in reusable forms Create materials in reusable forms Keep an Keep an ‘ ‘ideas to try ideas to try’ ’ folder with articles folder with articles and /or activity ideas and /or activity ideas

Set guidelines Set guidelines

Grading Grading

• Determine key learning objectives for feedback and

Determine key learning objectives for feedback and limit comment to those areas limit comment to those areas

• Develop a marking guide in advance (if one is not

Develop a marking guide in advance (if one is not provided) provided)— —share it with students if possible share it with students if possible

• Benchmarking, Grouping (questions / assignments)

Benchmarking, Grouping (questions / assignments)

• Post general writing / assignment advice or solutions

Post general writing / assignment advice or solutions

• n
• n WebCT

WebCT

• Set a timer per assignment and try to stick to it

Set a timer per assignment and try to stick to it

• Clarify procedures for grade review, plagiarism, etc.

Clarify procedures for grade review, plagiarism, etc. with the Prof early in the term with the Prof early in the term

Set guidelines Set guidelines

Email communication Email communication

• Select a specific block of time each day when

Select a specific block of time each day when you will respond to emails and inform you will respond to emails and inform students ahead students ahead

• Respond to email questions on

Respond to email questions on WebCT WebCT discussion boards so everyone can benefit discussion boards so everyone can benefit from the answer from the answer

Goal setting Goal setting

Reflect Reflect

• Take a few minutes to reflect on the strategies we

Take a few minutes to reflect on the strategies we have shared today have shared today

Set a goal Set a goal

• Set yourself one goal for improving some area of your

Set yourself one goal for improving some area of your TA work related to efficiency and effectiveness TA work related to efficiency and effectiveness

Outline an action plan Outline an action plan

• What

What action(s action(s) do you need to take to meet your ) do you need to take to meet your goal? goal?

TA Resources TA Resources

EDC (Educational Development Centre) EDC (Educational Development Centre)

• http://

http://edc.carleton.ca edc.carleton.ca/ /

The TA Mentorship Program The TA Mentorship Program

• In participating departments

In participating departments

• Visit TA programs on the EDC website at

Visit TA programs on the EDC website at http:// http://edc.carleton.ca/taprograms.php edc.carleton.ca/taprograms.php for for more information more information