Developing Instructional Teams for Evidence-Based Instruction in Large Collaborative Learning Environments

该项目将极大地改善招生人数较多的STEM入门课程的所有学生的学习机会。本科生STEM入门课程经常在100多个座位的报告厅中提供，在那里，学生参与学习新信息的艰苦工作，而不是简单地听专家谈论，是一种例外，而不是规则。许多进入STEM专业的本科生在学习如何学习方面需要帮助，特别是在具有挑战性的STEM内容的大型招生班级。这一项目将改变这一状况。利用最近为小组合作重新设计的大教室，该项目将使用学习、教学和评估研究的证据来创建和改进STEM讲师及其教学助理作为学习领导者的培训团队的模式。协作学习环境中的所有学生，在教学团队的指导和支持下，都将有机会在协作、任务导向的课堂上学习STEM。同时，学生将学习如何在类似于他们未来职业生涯的工作环境中学习STEM。该项目将产生一个专业发展模式，以提高教学团队成员在大招生本科生STEM协作学习环境(CLES)中实践循证教学的能力。这些团队实践的教学和评估的质量是在大招生中成功学习的一个重要方面。每个团队将由四个角色组成：(1)首席教师，将成为主要教师、课程规划者和学习任务开发者的教职员工；(2)学习助理培训师，将为参与学生学习的基于证据的实践培训学习助理；(3)评估教练，经验丰富的学习助理，通过监测和支持学习教练的形成性评估实践，充当学生敬业度的首席评估者；以及反馈提供者，领导教师和学习助理培训者；(4)学习教练，学习助理，直接与学生接触并提供形成性评估。该项目将建立在对学习任务质量、形成性评估实践和学生辅助教学的研究基础上，这些研究表明，在大量招生的学生中进行有效的学习：(1)需要参与适当具有挑战性的高质量学习任务，(2)通过基于证据的形成性评估实践来培养，(3)涉及准备用基于证据的实践支持学生学习的教学团队的有效运作。在这些前提的基础上，该项目的专业发展活动将培养教学团队成员成功履行其职责的能力。研究目标是：(1)在六到九个大招生的几个学期中跟踪任务质量、形成性评估实践和教学团队绩效的变化，以及(2)记录和描述与使用和每年修订专业发展模型实现所需的基于证据的任务开发、形成性评估和教学团队绩效实践相关的挑战。

This project will significantly improve opportunities for learning experienced by all students in large enrollment introductory STEM courses. Too often, undergraduate introductory STEM courses are offered in 100+ seat lecture halls where student engagement in the hard work of learning new information, as opposed to simply listening to an expert talk about it, is the exception rather than the rule. Many undergraduates entering STEM majors need help in learning how to learn, especially in large enrollment classes with challenging STEM content. This project will change this situation. Using large classrooms recently redesigned for small group collaborations, this project will use evidence from research on learning, teaching, and assessment to create and refine a model for training teams of STEM instructors and their instructional assistants as learning leaders. All students in the collaborative learning environments, with guidance and support from the instructional team, will have opportunities to learn STEM in collaborative, task-oriented classes. Simultaneously, students will learn how to learn STEM in an environment which likely resembles the work environment of their future professional careers. This project will generate a professional development model that improves instructional team members' abilities to practice evidence-based instruction in large enrollment undergraduate STEM collaborative learning environments (CLEs). The quality of instruction and assessment practiced by these teams is an important aspect of successful student learning in large enrollment CLEs. Each team will be comprised of four roles: (1) a lead instructor, a faculty member who will be the primary instructor, curriculum planner, and developer of learning tasks; (2) a learning assistant trainer, a faculty member who will train learning assistants on evidence-based practices for engaged student learning; (3) assessment coaches, experienced learning assistants who will serve as lead assessors of student engagement by monitoring and supporting learning coaches' formative assessment practices and feedback providers to lead instructors and learning assistant trainers; (4) learning coaches, learning assistants who will directly engage with students and provide formative assessment. The project will build upon research on learning task quality, formative assessment practices, and student-assisted teaching, which suggests that productive student learning in large enrollment CLEs: (1) requires engagement with appropriately challenging, high quality learning tasks, (2) is fostered with evidence-based formative assessment practices, and (3) involves efficient functioning of instructional teams prepared to support student learning with evidence-based practices. Built upon these premises, the project's professional development activities will build instructional team members' abilities to succeed in their roles. Research goals are to: (1) track changes in task quality, formative assessment practices, and instructional team performance over several semesters within six to nine large enrollment CLEs, and (2) document and describe the challenges associated with achieving the desired evidence-based practices of task development, formative assessment, and instructional team performance using, and annually revising, the professional development model.