STEM graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) frequently lead laboratory and discussion sections as part of their teaching assignments. Often, these GTAs receive little training on teaching before they interact with students. The training they do receive is usually limited to workshops or seminars that have a limited focus on practicing techniques. The opportunity to practice teaching skills is valuable as it allows the GTAs to work through techniques before implementing them with students. As part of their professional development, GTAs teaching in active learning classrooms in Chemistry and Physics participated in a mixed-reality teaching simulator to practice evidence-based pedagogical skills in a low-risk environment. GTAs rehearsed cold calling and error framing in the simulator with several GTAs practicing these skills in multiple sessions. Classroom observations were conducted using a modified laboratory observation protocol for undergraduate STEM (LOPUS) that included the codes for cold calling and error framing. The effect of multiple practice sessions and its impact on actual instruction will be discussed. Findings from this research have implications for GTA professional development and broadening the use of active learning.

Determining the impact of multiple sessions in a mixed reality teaching simulator on GTA teaching practices

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.