Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Josh Herring
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Learning Assistant Program
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The Learning Assistant program is designed to support instructors implement active and group learning in classrooms. Learning Assistances (LAs) are students who complete a course and return to help assist current students in that course. During the fall of 2021, I was an LA for Intro to Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry during recitation. Recitation is time where students work on problems from the class and complete a quiz. My role in recitation, was to help students work through questions, and facilitate group learning. Initially, I observed students mostly chose to work alone. The LA program emphasizes peer learning and the importance of getting students to ask questions. A goal of mine was to minimize individual learning among the students. Methods I used were, making students sit in groups, by making them ask a peer before asking me a question and finally partnering people up. After doing this, I saw improvement in understanding of the material and overall enjoyment in the class. Halfway through the semester the students filled out a survey that reflected our work as LAs. The results concluded that students got more enjoyment from learning in groups and liked have an LA in their class.
Throughout the semester I noticed a lot of my own personal growth. My confidence then also reflected onto the students making them more confident in themselves. Going forward, this experienced proved that students enjoy learning peers and that small group components are crucial for a large lecture class. The way classes are formatted and how students interact should be considered to help student success. Overall, my experience of being an LA, was really beneficial because it provided me with a new perspective to learning and especially teaching.
Category
Social Sciences
How Students Can Help Other Students Learn
UC South Ballroom
The Learning Assistant program is designed to support instructors implement active and group learning in classrooms. Learning Assistances (LAs) are students who complete a course and return to help assist current students in that course. During the fall of 2021, I was an LA for Intro to Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry during recitation. Recitation is time where students work on problems from the class and complete a quiz. My role in recitation, was to help students work through questions, and facilitate group learning. Initially, I observed students mostly chose to work alone. The LA program emphasizes peer learning and the importance of getting students to ask questions. A goal of mine was to minimize individual learning among the students. Methods I used were, making students sit in groups, by making them ask a peer before asking me a question and finally partnering people up. After doing this, I saw improvement in understanding of the material and overall enjoyment in the class. Halfway through the semester the students filled out a survey that reflected our work as LAs. The results concluded that students got more enjoyment from learning in groups and liked have an LA in their class.
Throughout the semester I noticed a lot of my own personal growth. My confidence then also reflected onto the students making them more confident in themselves. Going forward, this experienced proved that students enjoy learning peers and that small group components are crucial for a large lecture class. The way classes are formatted and how students interact should be considered to help student success. Overall, my experience of being an LA, was really beneficial because it provided me with a new perspective to learning and especially teaching.