Initial Findings about Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Training Needs to Foster Active Learning in Statistics Kristen E. Roland and Jennifer J. Kaplan 18 April 2017 CAUSE Teaching & Learning Webinar

Where We Started… No course improvement since before GAISE College Report (2005) Needed to understand Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) needs to implement active learning activities and teach for conceptual understanding

Our Setting STAT 2000: Introductory Statistical Methods 1200 Students each semester: fall and spring Meet 3 hours per week in lectures of 200 – 250 and one small lecture of 35 Meet 1 hour per week in computer labs of 28 Lectures are taught by faculty (2 – 5) Labs are run by GTAs (10 – 12) 15 week semester with 3 labs for teaching

FALS:R Project Goals Create and implement exemplary activities for use in undergraduate introduction to statistics courses Document changes in student learning and attitudinal outcomes associated with the classroom use of the activities Determine the needs with respect to knowledge of content and pedagogy of GTAs to effectively facilitate the activities in the classroom

How do we use GAISE? Teach Statistical Thinking Investigate Process Multivariable Thinking Focus on conceptual understanding rather than knowledge of procedures Integrate real data with a context and purpose Foster active learning Use technology to explore concepts and analyze data Use assessment to improve and evaluate student learning

What we know about PD… Sparse Literature Faculty Professional Development Statistics GTAs Have strong theoretical and weak conceptual knowledge Have never taken the course Want to improve instruction Want clear guidelines on content

Lessons Learned and Changes Made GTA Pedagogy Issues: Pacing and Closure Discussion of lab content and connecting it to lecture Availability of hard copies of activities Uses of readings and sample student responses Emphasize conceptual aspects of lab Importance of working through lab – Pro’s and Con’s

Implementation Training Data Collected Weekly meeting of project team to plan training Summarize key concepts Demonstrate the lab Identify possible issues Discuss readings and previous experiences Make explicit connections to lecture Emphasize conceptual ideas Weekly: Survey: Affect and Feedback on Lab Observations of Training Sessions Observations of Labs (COPUS) Semester: GTA focus groups (2) GRA content knowledge GTA pedagogical knowledge

COPUS Visual Display for Instructors

Results for Instructors

COPUS Visual Display for Students

Results for Students

Future Directions Research on GTAs and Students Analysis of Data Collected by the Project Changes in GTA Content Knowledge Changes in GTA Pedagogical Knowledge Changes in Student Content Knowledge Follow up Studies: Clinical Interview and Case Studies of Individual GTAs Dissemination: Activities, Training Model, Research

Thank You The 2015 – 2017 STAT 2000 GTAs G. Kim Gilbert, University of Georgia Krista Varanyak, University of Georgia Victoria Weber, Meredith College Roger Woodard, North Carolina State University This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1504587. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.