The Equity-minded DBER Fellow will administer, assess and instruct two major initiatives within CEILS and the LS Core: LS192: Introduction to Collaborative Learning Theory and Practice and LS 495: Preparation for College-Level Teaching in the Life Sciences. LS 192 is a 1-unit upper division pedagogy seminar that is part of UCLA’s Learning Assistant (LA) program (https://ceils.ucla.edu/learningassistants/).
LS 495 is a 2-unit graduate-level course for teaching assistants (TAs) in the Life Sciences Division who are teaching for the first time in the division. Both of these courses require experience and knowledge of inclusive STEM education practices, especially those involving collaborative learning. Formative assessment along with program evaluations are key components to advocate for institutional change in pedagogical practices, which will be a primary focus of this position.
LS192: Introduction to Collaborative Learning Theory and Practice
This position involves teaching and managing assignments for the LA program (LS 192B-E, Chem 192F, Physics 192M, and CS 192). It requires experience and knowledge of inclusive STEM education practices, especially those involving collaborative learning. This position will work directly with faculty to raise awareness about the program and recruit them to participate as faculty mentors for LAs in their own courses as well as recruit, hire, supervise, train, and evaluate undergraduate LAs; assess the LA Program and use results to iteratively improve and optimize the program, taking a scholarly approach to this work, disseminating and publishing the findings as appropriate.
LS 495: Preparation for College-Level Teaching in the Life Sciences
This TA training course is designed for graduate students who are teaching assistants (TAs) in the Life Sciences Division and is to be taken concurrently with the term in which TAs are teaching for the first time in the division. The pedagogical knowledge, instructional methodologies, and peer observation strategies covered in this course are suitable for teaching in large enrollment undergraduate courses with secondary sections overseen by TAs (i.e., discussion sections, laboratory sections, computational laboratory sections). With an emphasis on creating inclusive learning environments for our students, topics in this course include active learning, peer instruction and other collaborative or group activities, reflective teaching models, assessment and course design approaches that promote transparency and equity in the classroom. This course also provides resources to support the lifelong learning and ongoing professional development of graduate students as teachers, scientists, and science communicators. By the end of this course, TAs will have observed and collected a portfolio of instructional materials and approaches to apply in their own courses as a TA and in their future careers. TAs also leave with knowledge about the literature supporting the merits of student-centered teaching practices as a means to promote the academic success and persistence of all UCLA undergraduate students.