UW Science Initiative
SIB Rm 2030
Department 4325, 1000 E. University
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-4415
Email: SI@uwyo.edu
The Learning Assistant Program supports undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students as learning assistants in large gateway science courses taught in active learning classrooms. Learning assistants receive a stipend and/or scholarship each semester and new students also enroll in a 1-unit graduate-level seminar introducing them to STEM pedagogy.
"This has been one of my most important parts of my college career. Not only has it developed me into a better educator, it has developed me into a better student, effective communicator, and leader. I absolutely have loved this experience and would recommend it to all of those who want to pursue teaching and being a life long learner."
"I feel like I know how to speak as an educator and as an individual better to professors and students around me. I also find myself knowing so many students and engaging with them on campus. Which I think is great because campus engagement and success in university go together."
"It's been awesome. I have been able to develop my understanding and passions for
teaching--which is an incredible opportunity. I have no regrets."
"My partnership with my LA was wonderful and helped further my creativity in forming
active activities in the classroom. I enjoyed having the perspective of another LAMP
trainee to bounce ideas off of and since my LA had some background education in the
subject matter, they were also able to help come up with helpful videos and readings
related to the materials for the course!"
"Having the near-peer model in class showed me how valuable active learning is in creating a safe environment for all students."
"My LA is very thoughtful about teaching and learning, and it has also been very useful to have a student partner to work on ideas with. My LA provides an invaluable student perspective (I can ask how a student might view an activity or assignmnet), and is able to draw on recent and current experiences as a student in other classes."
Our 2024 Spring featured LAMP Learning Assistant is Bailey Iacovetto. Dr. Joseph Russo writes about Bailey:
“I have had the pleasure of working with a truly gifted [Learning] Assistant for the past four semesters, a budding professional by the name of Bailey Iacovetto. As an agricultural education major, Bailey came to me as a part of LAMP, the Learning Actively Mentoring Program. In the Fall of 2023, I can say that Bailey truly hit her stride and was, to say it accurately, figuratively ‘on fire.’ Because she herself had mastered the material in my classes, she was able to fashion learning exercises for students, deliver a lecture or two, compose test questions, and host mentoring sessions (many of which were on her own time) … all the while, maintaining a full load of credits. She engaged with the students in a manner which allowed them to ask the proverbial ‘dumb question’ in order to fine tune their own understandings and broaden what that could do for their development as pre-service educators. She is a poster child of sorts for the entire idea of ‘learning actively,’ and is an invaluable resource to me and my students.”
Our 2024 Fall featured LAMP Learning Assistant is Dawson Poteet.
Dawson is an LA for Anatomy and Organic Chemistry. Additionally, Dawson spent his summer working as an LA for LAMP itself, assisting Rachel with everything from curriculum development for undergraduate courses to facilitation of faculty development retreats. Dawson is also a member of the LAMP Educator Learning Community and submitted a proposal to present at the Lilly Conference on College Teaching, entitled Instructor Control and Student Resistance: Exploring Autonomy in a STEM Course, which was accepted as a poster. In August, Dawson served as an LA for place-based and experiential learning at the Teton Summit, partnering with a team of educators, students and scientists from diverse Chinese and American institutions. Dawson helped the learners (many of whom had never left highly urban environments) to become Bear Aware and recognize what it means to Leave No Trace in the wilderness. On the post-session reflection, one of Dawson’s mentees said, “[Dawson taught me to] be more offensive and be more determined and willing to try new experiences.” Congratulations Dawson; your facilitation of learning across levels is second to none!
Applications are now open.
Faculty members who wish to have LAs in their course should contact LAMP Director Rachel Watson at rwatson@uwyo.edu and be ready to:
Demonstrate or explain how they have/will transform their class to be active-learning oriented.
Encourage students they think would be good LAs to apply to the program.
What kinds of students should apply? Do they need to have certain majors/minors?
Secondary Science Post-Baccalaureate students interested in gaining undergraduate mentoring experiences in active-based courses.
Undergraduates passionate about teaching and learning and furthering the education of their peers.
Students from all majors are welcome and encouraged to apply, especially if interested in mentoring or education.
Most LA positions will be in STEM fields.
Students should not be discouraged if they feel they are not an "expert" yet. LAs should be mostly comfortable with content but will naturally deepen their own understanding through mentoring and teaching experiences.
How is being an LA different than a TA and why would you want to do it?
A Learning Assistant, or LA, is a peer mentor in the classroom supporting active-based instruction, rather than a teaching assistant (TA) whom may, for example, grade, teach labs and/or lead discussion sections.
LAs facilitate group discussions in large active learning classrooms. They are often viewed as less intimidating than TAs, supporting peer interactions and collaborations.
LAs may support course assessments, but focus on supporting teamwork and student understanding of the material.
LA responsibilities may vary depending on the course being supported; this is associated with differences in instructor teaching practices.
What is the approximate time commitment per week?
LAs must attend and participate in every class for the section assigned (~3 hours per week)
LAs must attend weekly preparation meetings with their faculty mentors (~1 hour per week)
New LAs must enroll in a 1-credit hour graduate-level seminar introducing LAs to STEM pedagogy (~1 hour per week)
LAs spend time providing student feedback and preparing for class activities. This time commitment varies based on student comfort and experience (~1-5 hours per week)
The LA Manual Provides useful resources for all LAs.
For further questions or concerns, please contact LAMP Director Rachel Watson (rwatson@uwyo.edu).
"Exploring the Impact of a Learning Assistant Program on LAs and Their Mentors: A Qualitative Case Study"
UW Science Initiative
SIB Rm 2030
Department 4325, 1000 E. University
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-4415
Email: SI@uwyo.edu