Agenda for a Weekly Preparation Session Texas State University
Context:
LA program is only in physics
All sections of intro calculus-based physics have LAs; LAs come to the “lecture” times (two 80-minute class meetings each week) to transform 50-student sections into small-group learning environment
Weekly prep is two hours (Fridays noon to 2:00pm)
Begins with all physics LAs together, with all faculty teaching in the intro sequence, then breaks into groups by course (multiple sections)
Outline of activities
(5-10 min.) Announcements / opportunities (e.g., SPS outreach event, REU programs)
(15-25 min.) Whole-group discussion (some weeks) on current concerns / relevant current events topics. Examples:
What are your current struggles?
What are your strategies for working with the students in the Help Center?
Here’s an article that just came out about “expectations of brilliance” and gender – is this consistent with your experiences? What do you think about this research result?
BREAK into course groups – intro Mechanics, intro E&M, intro Waves and Heat all in different rooms.
(10 min.) LAs meet with Course-specific instructors (in different corners of the room), debrief the previous week, give instructors feedback about students / groups
Note: some LAs are assigned to multiple sections – choose which instructor to meet with
(60-90 min.) Get into small groups, work through tutorial / challenge problems for the next week
work in groups of 3-4 – different groups each week
as you work, think about where and how students will struggle
(10-20 min.) Debrief: first with your small group, then with large group:
What are the key concepts/skills we want students to learn from this activity?
What are the pedagogical issues? – e.g., common student mental models, places in the tutorial to let students continue even if they are incorrect vs. places to intervene.
What do students need to know before they start the tutorial / activity?