instructional supports for graduate teaching assistant at the...
TRANSCRIPT
University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Instructional Supports for Graduate TeachingAssistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nathan WakefieldAllan Donsig
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
[email protected]@unl.edu
January 8, 2016
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Overview
1 The Setting
2 Instructional Supports
Teaching Apprenticeship
Close Coordination
Active Learning Model
Pedagogical Training
3 The Results
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
The University
Large Public Land-Grant University: ≈ 25, 000 students,70% acceptance rate
Mandatory in-house math placement exam for courses upto Calculus I.
Two-thirds of incoming freshman take a math course andone-third take some form of pre-calculus (≈ 1, 500students).
Four Pre-calculus courses: Intermediate Algebra, CollegeAlgebra, College Trigonometry, or CollegeAlgebra andTrigonometry.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
The GTA’s
About 80 graduate students in program, mostly doctoral;first year students lead Calculus recitations
Starting in second year, they typically teach 3 courses ayear
GTA-taught courses: precalculus, contemporary math,courses for teachers, and some advanced courses
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
The Goals
Our overarching goal for GTA’s is to make them informed,reflective, and effective teachers.
In particular, they should master a student-centeredactive-learning model.
This is hard to measure and we do not have much data(especially longitudinal data).
Nonetheless, the department sees this effort as having asubstantial payoff for both undergraduate instruction atUNL and the placement of our doctoral graduates.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Teaching Apprenticeship
In second year, GTAs teach only 2 courses: eitherIntermediate Algebra or College Algebra.
Time for pedagogy course and mastering teachingmethods.
GTAs are observed (by Director, Associate Convenor, orfaculty) and mentored.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Close Coordination
Course Meetings
Common Lesson Plans
Common Course Worksheet Packets
Commonly Graded Common Exams
Faculty Classroom Observations
Common Online Homework (WeBWorK)
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
The Classroom
Figure : Active Learning Classroom8 / 16
University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
The Classroom
Everything we do in the classroom pushes the students todiscuss mathematics with their peers and instructors.
In addition to the GTA, there is an undergraduate(learning assistant) who works with the students.There is an early formative assessment to engage studentsat the start of the course and encourage groupaccountability.Team homework encourages students to work together.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Our Pedagogy Course
This is a three-credit graduate level course entitledTeaching and Learning at the Post-Secondary Level.
This is not just about organizing the pre-calculus courses,or a support group, but a course in education theory,literature, and practice.
Students observe classes, read and discuss papers, andwrite analyses of student work (action-research).
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Sample Readings
Carraher, T. N., Carraher, D. W., and Schliemann, A. D.(1985). Mathematics in the streets and in schools. Britishjournal of developmental psychology, 3(1):21-29.
Erlwanger, S. H. (1973). Benny’s conception of rules andanswers in ipi mathematics. Journal of Children’sMathematical Behavior, 1(2):7-26.
Lage, A. and Gaisman, M. (2006). An analysis ofstudents’ ideas about transformations of functions.Proceedings of the 28th annual meeting of the NorthAmerican Chapter of the International Group for thePsychology of Mathematics Education. Mrida, Mxico:Universidad Pedaggica Nacional, pages 23-30.
Steffe, L. P. and Kieren, T. (1994). Radical constructivismand mathematics education. Journal for Research inMathematics Education, pages 711-733.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Sample Assignment
After a few weeks of reading and discussing constructivismas a learning theory GTA’s complete their first paper:
Write a 3-5 page paper. In this paper you should detailyour own view of how learning occurs, how it applies toyour classroom, and how it compares with constructivism.At a minimum your paper should address issues such as:How do students in your class learn? How can youevaluate when a student has learned a topic? In your viewof learning, what can you do to improve student learning?If a constructivist visited your class, how would they saythat learning was occurring?
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Sample Assignment
By the middle of the semester GTA’s work together tobegin applying what they have learned to their ownclassrooms:
Your project is to work with two others to incorporate theideas we have talked about so far to reflect on how yourstudents are doing. Your task is to administer ateam-quiz/group-quiz in one of the courses, analyze thestudent work, and try to identify an area of studentmisunderstanding. Once you have identified themisunderstanding, you should then develop a shortintervention activity that you could do in office hours, orextra class time to try and help students better understandtheir misunderstanding.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
GTA Development
GTA’s, in their first semester teaching at UNL, arebeginning to act as reflective practitioners.
One GTA wrote “While it may be tempting to simplyauthoritatively state the correct order in which to performhorizontal transformations, doing so effectively removesownership of knowledge from students, and encouragesthem to view mathematics as a set of arbitrary rules to beapplied blindly. By removing ownership from students, weultimately discourage students from building their ownbase of knowledge surrounding the topic.”Another GTA referenced a well known article, “I’mreminded of another article we read, about Brazilianschoolchildren who easily solved math problems whenselling produce on the streets, but were unable to solve theexact same problems when presented with them in aclassroom setting. Using students’ existing knowledge anmathematical intuition as a base off of which to build thetheory would promote deeper understanding, I think.”14 / 16
University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Student Success
More students are succeeding than ever before!
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Math 100A 63% 64% 70% 61% 63% 68% 77%Math 101 60% 68% 60% 59% 80% 80% 80%
Table : Fall Semester Success Rates(
C or betterEnrollment after 1 week
)
Students are doing just as well in subsequent courses asthose who tested into the subsequent course.
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University ofNebraska-
Lincoln
NathanWakefield
Allan Donsig
The Setting
InstructionalSupports
TeachingApprenticeship
CloseCoordination
Active LearningModel
PedagogicalTraining
The Results
Thank You
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