Department Activities towards TA training
Initial Session
Living Lab Session
Lab / Tutorial Visitation
Evaluation
List of TA Duties or Activities
*Department Activities towards TA training: Go to Top
Department offers GTA training, designed and carried out by 2-3 experienced TA’s (TA Trainers) with the support and guidance of an instructor or faculty member. Here is a sequence of the over all TA training program:
- One day training session: The training consists of a one-day session at the beginning of the fall semester before TA duties begin.
- Individual tutorial/lab visits and one-on-one meetings: In the fourth to fifth week of the semester TA Trainers visit the tutorials or labs conducted by the new TA’s, following up with one-on-one assessment sessions.
- Mid-term TA evaluation: This also includes an informal TA evaluation which is administered in the middle of every semester to obtain student feedback on the performance of both new and continuing TA’s.
- Reviewed and followed-up: Both the midterm and end-of-term student evaluations are reviewed and followed-up by TA Trainers and faculty member in charge of TA training.
- Course-specific training for 2XX TA’s: Additional training specific to 2XX courses has also been offered where TA’s who are new to 2XX courses receive (i) orientation from past or head TA’s at start of term and (ii) further within-course training from head TA’s and instructors. Head TA’s are very experienced, they, together with the course instructors, provided within-course training to fellow TA’s without the support from the TA Trainers. The training is also focused on providing hands-on training to potential head TA’s for STAT 2XX.
- TA feedback session: In mid-February, new TA’s gather for an informal meeting to provide feedback to the TA Trainers on their training and their TA experiences. As well, the TA trainer addresses any general concerns that students or faculty members may have with the TA’s.
*Initial Session: Go to Top
Department holds a one day training session for new TA’s in early September. The outline of this session is as follows:
- Experienced TA’s (TA Trainers) discusses learning and teaching styles. Overview of TA duties, expectations and responsibilities are explained.
- New TA’s give practice presentations that are discussed.
- TA Trainer illustrate what makes one a good TA and a bad TA in various scenarios.
- Marking exercises are performed in groups under the supervision of the TA trainer.
- TA’s also receive computer lab training.
- A writing evaluation takes place.
- A department tour to familiarize new TAs admin staff, offices, TA facilities, computer labs.
Other than this, at the start of each term, the TA Trainers or experienced head TA’s conducts orientation and training for TA’s involved in the large Stat 2XX courses. These courses have very high enrolments, with many lab or tutorial sections. Many continuing TA’s would not have had experience with Stat 2XX. Hence both new and continuing TA’s benefit from this targeted training.
*Living Lab Session: Go to Top
Interpersonal skills are important for creating a comfortable learning environment, an environment respectful of the diversity of the UBC classroom. To help to develop these skills, in the first or second week of classes of term 1, new TA’s will participate in a Living Lab session by CTLT. Department invites CTLT personals’ and their group to conduct a Living Lab session in the department.
Aim: The Living Lab session aims at helping new TA’s develop skills to create a learning environment respectful of the diversity of the UBC classroom.
Pre-assessment: The TA Trainers contacts with CTLT to discuss diversity issues in Statistics classroom environment, based on which a customized play was developed.
Description: The one hour session involved an activity that addressed diversity issues and a play that portrayed a GTA lecturing at the board and trying to engage students in group work. Participation was required for all new TA’s. Continuing TA’s and new faculty members were also invited.
*Lab / Tutorial Visitation: Go to Top
Three to five weeks into the first semester, TA trainers visit each new TA in the lab or tutorial. TA trainers will meet with each TA to discuss strengths and weaknesses.
*Evaluation: Go to Top
Both short- and long- term effectiveness can be measured via:
- Mid-term evaluation by Students: In the middle of each term, performance of all TA’s (new and continuing) is assessed via student questionnaires. TA’s and instructors are given the responses as soon as possible so that the results can be used to improve performance. Any problem cases are flagged and followed-up by the faculty member in charge of TA training, with the help of the TA Trainers.
- End-of-term evaluation by Students: At the end of each semester, TAs are again evaluated by the students.
- End-of-term evaluation by Instructors: At the end of each semester, the Department continues its practice of requesting faculty assessment of TA performance.
In January of term 2 new TA’s meet with a TA trainer to discuss performance in term 1. Discussions are based on the midterm and end-of-term student evaluations, on instructor reports, on any comments provided by the Head TA’s, and on TA self-evaluation. Where warranted, the new TA are visited in the lab/tutorial.
In both terms, the TA Trainers work directly with the Instructors and Head TA’s in STAT XXX to ensure that Head TA’s take a leadership role, that instructors encourage TA engagement in the course, and that TA’s receive guidance targeted for their assigned work. For instance, TA trainers may facilitate a peer-review process in which TA’s will visit each others’ labs/tutorials, review each other’s assignment grading, and provide feedback to each other. TA trainers help the head TA to provide guidance in marking. Thus, the department uses the idea of 360 degree evaluations, in which all involved in teaching are part of the evaluation process.
*List of TA Duties / Activities: Go to Top
Usual duties: GTA’s in STAT 2XX, 3XX and 4XX courses are involved with the following duties:
- grading
- hold office hours
- lead either tutorials or computer labs.
- sometimes design computer labs, particularly in the 3XX and 4XX courses.
Detailed descriptions of duties are as follows:
In labs and tutorials:
- develop lab material or supplement supplied material
- handle nuts and bolts issues of the computer lab (e.g. helping students log in, making sure the printer has paper)
- present main goals of the lab/tutorial to the students
- encourage student participation and active learning
- answer students’ questions in a language appropriate for the course
- devise homework questions
- provide answer keys to homework questions and exams, at a level appropriate to the course
- maintain the course web site
- assess students’ understanding – ranging from a rough assessment to report to instructor to a formal assessment via grading – providing feedback verbally and/or in writing
Head TA: Delivery of 2XX courses is facilitated by a special GTA called the head TA. These courses, typically with multi-section lectures and many small lab sections, have about 5-6 TA’s per semester. These TA’s work under the direction of a head TA, who acts as a liaison between instructor(s) and the TA’s.
Detailed descriptions of duties are as follows:
Head TA’s are expected to develop leadership and administrative abilities. Their competencies include (in addition to above):
· serve as a liaison between instructors and fellow TA’s
· organize and conduct regular meetings with fellow TA’s to go over lab/tutorial duties
· oversee and provide guidance to fellow TA’s on completing their assigned tasks
· act promptly on and bring to instructors’ attention issues regarding TA’s and students
· handle student requests and complaints, and direct students to course instructor when appropriate
· maintain grade book and assist in final grade submission
· have good knowledge of the course curriculum and assist instructor in revising lab/tutorial contents to reflect curriculum changes
