Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduate students who have previously succeeded in a course and return to assist faculty in engaging current students. The authors used a mixed methods approach to explore changes in LAs' teaching self-efficacy and pedagogical knowledge (PK) over a semester. They found that LAs significantly improved their…

Small group interactions and interactions with near-peer instructors such as learning assistants serve as fertile opportunities for student learning in undergraduate active learning classrooms. To understand what students take away from these interactions, we need to understand how and what they learn during the moment of their interaction. This…

Research suggests learning assistant (LA) programs can be a change lever to support the institutionalization of active learning in postsecondary education. Some research suggests LAs offer unique benefits for STEM courses, independent from other change levers, but more research needs to be done to understand how LAs support active learning…

This article describes a one semester Professional Development for Teaching (PDT) seminar designed for mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) that focuses on the implementation of active-learning techniques. The PDT seminar models active-learning strategies so GTAs have experiences to draw on when teaching undergraduate classes. A…

Students often experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses as competitive, weed-out spaces. Learning Assistants (LAs) have potential to improve students' experiences in these courses. Previously, we elucidated themes describing the impact of LAs on students' sense of STEM belonging and science-related confidence in…

As part of a departmental reform project, a large University converted a "Precalculus College Mathematics" lecture-based course for 97 students into an active learning flipped classroom for first-year engineering students. The curriculum was designed specifically to provide applications of pre-calculus in various engineering subjects.…

The University of Wyoming recently implemented a Learning Assistant (LA) program with the goal of supporting undergraduate students in traditionally lecture-based STEM courses. The authors performed a multi-method qualitative study utilizing a focus group and individual interviews in order to investigate the impact of the program's pilot year on…

A growing number of university STEM departments are incorporating active learning practices in their courses in response to evidence of the general effectiveness of such practices. Professional development for instructors new to active learning practices is increasingly important as efforts extend to reach past early adopters to engage a wider…

Active learning has often been reported to improve student outcomes in STEM courses. However, there are barriers to its implementation, and it is challenging to include this approach in large classrooms with fixed seating. This investigation explores the development of a novel approach in which the class contact time was reallocated for a general…

Drawing is a teaching tool that provides numerous benefits to student learning, including enhanced knowledge retention, improved observation skills, and increased engagement with course content. However, these exercises also place high cognitive demands on students and require a considerable time commitment. To acknowledge and celebrate the effort…

The use of student-centered instruction or active learning has been linked to higher rates of student success compared to traditional lecture. However, a mechanistic understanding of why active learning "works" has proven elusive. This dissertation explores active learning in Learning Assistant supported courses and makes the case for…

Contribution: This study identifies the types of interaction that contribute to student learning with student-led tutorials (SLTs). The quality of these interactions include peer discussion, student tutor presentation, joint reasoning, and constructive feedback. Background: The introduction of SLTs in an advanced electromagnetics bachelor course…

There is an assumption that graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) have mastery of the chemistry content they are teaching and preparation to instruct students. However, in reformed classrooms, GTAs may need more support and resources. We designed chemistry rehearsal modules for use in a mixed-reality teaching simulator to help prepare GTAs for…

In order to improve the student success rate in a "gateway" undergraduate Biology course, changes were made to both content delivery and classroom support, and the impact of these changes was measured. Requiring students to interact with course material prior to class time by viewing pre-recorded lectures freed up time in class to delve…

Active learning environments are ideal settings to help students develop process skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving. However, implementing active learning pedagogies where students have the opportunity to develop these skills can be challenging in large enrollment courses. With the assistance of undergraduate teaching…