Oral Assessments
(50 min sessions, typically in addition to lecture and can be optional or required)
Typical Learning Environment
Orals typically occur outside of class time. Five to eight students meet for 60 minutes. Each session is facilitated by 1 or 2 LAs, and each LA facilitates 3 - 4 sessions before each written exam.
What Do Students Do?
Students work in small groups of 5 to 8 students.
Groups meet for an hour in a small room with ample board space so that all students can write.
Students are asked both conceptual and procedural questions and they are expected to defend their reasoning and negotiate meaning with their peers and the LA.
Students are asked to explain the “how” and “why” of important topics.
What Do LAs Do?
LAs work with students on an individual basis to address difficult conceptual issues.
The LA asks the initial scripted questions as well as follow-up probing questions and encourages students to work together to make sense of the ideas.
Materials Needed
Sets of well-sequenced questions that allow students to articulate, defend, and modify their ideas. For examples, see:
Ample chalkboard or dry-erase boards
The Numbers
LA to Student Ratio
1 LA to 5-8 students for each session, each LA facilitates 2 or 3 sessions prior to written exams.
Hiring Needs
1 LA per 60 - 80 students in the course
Coordination with Other Course Components
Typically, orals co-occur with a class that meets 2-3 times a week. Orals may be organized before unit exams and the final.
Variations
When LAs are first learning to facilitate orals, a team approach with either with one TA and one LA or the Instructor and one LA can be fruitful.
The LA may lead sessions independently prior to exams later in the semester.
For more detailed information about implementation see: http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/learning_assistants/examples/example5.html