An effective Learning Assistant (LA) Program provides benefits for both Learning Assistants (LAs) and faculty, in addition to benefits for students. By analyzing LA and faculty reflections, weekly preparation sessions, and interviews with LAs and faculty, we can better understand the partnerships that develop between faculty and their LAs. We leverage a combination of qualitative and quantitative data to investigate the types of LA expertise and skills faculty value and how this affects the formation of these partnerships. The Preparation Session Observation Tool (PSOT), developed from this work, can be used by LAs, LA Program Coordinators, and faculty to reflect on the types of LA partnerships that emerge, and how these partnerships can be used in constructing effective learning environments. We anticipate that this tool can then be used to help LAs, coordinators, and faculty modify their working relationship to develop the type of partnerships that are best for their particular instructional setting. PSOT provides a finer-grained analysis to three broad partnership classifications that exist along a continuum: mentor-mentee, faculty-driven collaboration, and collaborative.
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Research on a faculty support program for working with learning assistants.
Learning Assistant Reflection, Guidance, and Exploration (LA-RGE) is a new program at [Institution] designed to provide support for university faculty working with learning assistants (LAs). Faculty in LA-RGE attend facilitated bi-weekly meetings throughout the semester which discuss various topics about pedagogy, LAs, and equity. In this presentation, we will discuss a research study on what kind of support is being provided by this program and how that can potentially lead to better partnerships between faculty and LAs. During one-on-one interviews, we asked faculty to discuss their personal experiences over the time they have worked with LAs, and if LA-RGE meetings have had any effect on their perspective and relationship with their LA. We then categorized the different effects and support that faculty were receiving through LA-RGE.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2234071
- PAR ID:
- 10518504
- Publisher / Repository:
- PERC Proceedings
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Physics Education Research Conference proceedings
- ISSN:
- 2377-2379
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Sacramento, CA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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