Under the general direction of the Associate Director, Student Learning Programs, the Student Learning Specialist, STEM Equity Initiatives (SLS) will help expand and enhance STEM learning initiatives across various departments and programs. The focus of these initiatives will be on creating equitable and inclusive academic environments within introductory STEM courses, particularly for first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) students. The SLS trains and supports undergraduate students who serve as peer learning assistants (LAs) associated with introductory STEM courses. LAs may lead weekly problem solving and mentoring sessions and/or help facilitate group work and active learning in main class sessions, depending on the specific course. The SLS will collaborate closely with instructor-facing CTL colleagues, as well as departments, faculty, and instructors on new and continuing models of direct student learning support integrated with STEM courses. By facilitating the integration of learning strategies with course objectives and driving the continuous improvement of teaching and learning practices within the STEM disciplines, the SLS will play a crucial role in advancing STEM learning and equity initiatives across multiple departments at Stanford.
In this role, you will:
- Train and provide ongoing support of approximately 70 Learning Assistants (LAs) in multiple courses and departments
- Prepare LAs to develop and facilitate their weekly discussion sections and/or in-class active learning support
- Develop the structure for regular instructional team meetings with the course instructor and/or the course instruction team and LAs
- Provide consultations to course instructors or departments to identify and select students for enrollment in LA-led sections
- Where peer mentorship is involved, develop and refine a student application/survey for the mentor program that gathers key information to be used to best match student mentees with an appropriate mentor group
- Regularly meet with course instructors to identify the core academic skills that students need to succeed in their courses; incorporate key skills into LA training
- Oversee and administer additional learning support models involving near-peer student facilitators such as study halls, practice exam sessions, and academic skills workshops, including topics like problem-solving strategies in Chemistry, time management on STEM exams, and success strategies for the Physics core
- Implement a common problem solving and study skills language that can be used across STEM courses/instructors at Stanford, allowing students to easily transfer these skills to other courses (i.e. importance of active learning, how students learn, documented problem-solving, problem-solving template, practice exams, etc.)
- Administer additional programming, such as panel discussions, to support students in the program
- Create a central knowledge base of potential programmatic resources that would also contribute to the support of students in these programs, to ensure we can more efficiently connect students with appropriate resources
- In collaboration with CTL assessment and evaluation colleagues, develop and administer pre- and post- quarter surveys to mentees and mentors to track program success and solicit ideas for improvement
- Contribute to the long-term strategic plan of the peer learning assistant model such as the expansion of the program across other introductory courses at Stanford
- Collaborate closely with Stanford Pre-Orientation programs for incoming first-year students to develop and implement peer learning assistant model(s) that provide academic support for summer STEM learning experiences
- In collaboration with instructor-facing CTL colleagues, partner with departments to develop and implement innovative pilot projects on STEM learning support
- Partner with teams within CTL to enhance innovative teaching and learning initiatives
- Ensure that student learning programs are accessible and inclusive for first-generation students, low-income students, underrepresented students of color, and other students historically marginalized in higher education
- Exercise discretion when sensitive information is made available or disclosed by students and ensure the protection of student data and communication