Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Facilitating laboratory sessions is a complex task that even the most experienced teaching assistants are constantly aiming to refine. On the one hand, labs usually follow a well-constrained step-by-step methodology. On the other hand, it is not always clear how this methodology supports a theoretical concept, or how a specific experiment fits into the course as a whole, or how a concept or experimental process may be translated to a real-life scenario.  These complexities can make it challenging to effectively present material in a clear and efficient way, to effectively demonstrate procedures and processes for students, and then to ensure students understand the concepts investigated in the experimental process. This training session will address the most common challenges associated with leading effective laboratory tutorials, and will offer strategies around how to effectively monitor student progress and give formative feedback to students in the context of the lab.