Learning Assistants are undergraduate students trained to foster and facilitate collaborative peer learning by engaging students in the articulation of scientific ideas during group work in class, lab or outside of class.
While the main job of a graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) has traditionally been to assist the teacher (by grading papers, running recitations, etc.), the main job of a Learning Assistant is to help students learn and to help students learn how to learn. The pedagogical course that they take along with their teaching experiences in class makes them particularly well-suited to identify student difficulties and to help students reach their own understanding through guided questions. Learning Assistants meet with the faculty every week and discuss the content, how to teach it, and give feedback that informs future instruction. By being students themselves, LAs connect with students as peers and help them integrate into the community and make sure their voice is heard.
The FIU LA Program is part of the STEM Transformation Institute. We are students, faculty, and administrators dedicated to student success. Together, we transform teaching and learning at FIU by creating inclusive and collaborative learning environments that help student learn effectively.
The LA Model
The Learning Assistant (LA) Model started in introductory science and mathematics courses and extends to non-STEM courses to:
- Recruit and prepare talented math and science majors for careers in teaching.
- Engage math and science faculty in the recruitment and preparation of future teachers.
- Improve the quality of math and science education for all undergraduates.
- Transform departmental cultures to value research-based teaching for ourselves and for our students.
With the aid of the LAs, the transformation of introductory science and mathematics courses involves creating environments in which students can interact with one another, engage in collaborative problem solving, and articulate and defend their ideas. At the same time, the undergraduate LAs engage in live teaching experiences (while being paid), and thus decide if teaching will be part of their future career. Students that elect to continue will enroll in top quality teacher preparation programs and are eligible for up to $24,000 in Noyce Fellowships. Support continues as the teacher enters the classroom, through an established professional community of practice.
Hallmarks of the LA program include:
- The focus on teacher recruitment and preparation
- An introductory seminar targeted at helping LAs integrate content, pedagogy, and practice
- A collaborative educational research program to evaluate the effects of the LA model
- The involvement of science and mathematics research faculty in recruitment and preparation of teachers
LAs are paid approximately $1,200 per semester to work approximately 8 to 10 hours per week in various aspects of course transformation.