The Essential Elements of the LA Model

Practice: LAs facilitate discussions and activities in class, focusing on student thinking and understanding.

Preparation: Weekly meetings with instructors to plan classes and discuss student progress. LAs co-design with instructors and help implement class activities.

Pedagogy: LAs enroll in a special pedagogy course to support their development and growth as LAs, learning evidence-based strategies, student-centered and inclusive teaching practices, and practical strategies.

Initially, the implementation of the LA model was developed with four goals in mind (Otero, 2015; Otero, Pollock, & Finkelstein, 2010): (1) transforming undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum, (2) recruiting and preparing future STEM teachers, (3) engaging faculty in discipline-based educational research literature, and (4) changing departmental and institutional culture to value evidence-base teaching.

The model was developed and first implemented at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus in 2001 when Drs. Valerie Otero and Dick McCray introduced LAs in the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences department. Since then, the program has expanded throughout CU Boulder, and other programs have been introduced at institutions around the world (Otero, 2015; Otero, Finkelstein, McCray, & Pollock, 2006). In 2009, an International Learning Assistant Alliance was established, and as of August 10, 2020, it has 2228 members from 456 institutions, 97 of which report having an LA program (Learning Assistant Alliance, 2020). The growth of these programs has stimulated interest in the model as a topic for study, and the founders of the model were recently recognized by the American Physical Society for excellence in physics education (American Physical Society, 2020).

[...]

This review was guided by the goals of the LA model described by Otero et al. (2010) and Otero (2015). We thus ask the question “Does implementation of the LA model improve undergraduate courses and curricula, facilitate teacher recruitment and preparation, encourage faculty to study discipline-based education research, and promote departmental and institutional change?”

To contribute to the broader literature outlining the effectiveness of LA programming, here we a) identify two factors that contributed to the successful initiation of the program, b) describe our implementation and organization of the core aspects of an LA program, c) outline the challenges encountered as we grew the program to serve the broader university, and d) reflect on the ways LAs are used in the classroom and how their use might affect student learning. To formatively assess the LA program following full implementation, we sought to examine the perceived role that LAs play in the classroom through the lens of the students, the faculty partner, and the LAs themselves. This was done to ensure that the role of an LA aligned among the three groups. The results of this analysis are discussed in the context of the LA program during the period of the assessment and the program’s current state.

Our findings have several important implications for both policy and practice. Firstly, they highlight the potential of the LA model as a tool for improving student outcomes, particularly in STEM fields. In addition to discovering the overall benefits of having a LA program on campus, we found that the intensity of the LA program adoption in terms of the number of LA courses/programs increasingly benefit students. Moreover, we also discovered more STEM disciplines could potentially benefit from LA program. Right now, the program is concentrated in subjects such as physics, math, biology, and chemistry. Additional adoption in other disciplines such as computer science will boost student success in these courses and majors. All these insights suggest that higher education institutions may benefit from investing in such programs.

Secondly, our study underscores the importance of fidelity in implementing the LA model. LA program directly benefits the students in the courses where LAs are present, as they receive additional support and engagement. The LAs themselves also benefit from the deep learning that comes from teaching others. Furthermore, faculty who work with LAs often report shifts towards more interactive and student-centered teaching practices. Therefore, ongoing recognition and institutional support for the continued implementation of the LA model are essential. Our results indicate that institutions may implement the same program with different fidelity and resulting in different outcomes. To have program implementation fidelity will require active participation from both students and faculty, change in department culture, and institutional financial support. Institutions that wish to adopt this model should ensure they have the necessary support structures in place, such as pedagogical training for LAs and regular preparation sessions.

Here at BU, the goal of our program is to improve student learning, both that of the LAs themselves, and of the students who are taking the courses with LAs. We also aim to prepare undergraduate students for careers in education, or careers involving educational best practices.

Our philosophy is “Learn to teach; teach to learn.” By learning how to teach, LAs don’t simply master pedagogical skills; they become lifelong learners.

Derek Bruff: I talked with Katie (Johnson) and with Katarya Johnson-Williams, a senior in software engineering with a minor in marketing at Florida Gulf Coast University. We talked about the Learning Assistants model, the impact this kind of program can have on faculty and students, and advice for instructors who are interested in starting up an LA program in their department or on their campus.