About Metro State University LA Program
The LA Program supports LAs, faculty and students by transforming courses so that they are more closely aligned with research based instructional strategies. Every LA Program around the globe incorporates the required pedagogy class for new LAs plus a weekly prep session and meeting between LAs and their faculty mentor. This program promotes the creation of effective learning spaces for all students in STEM and other disciplines.
Our program is based on the LA Model developed at CU Boulder. We are proud members of the LA International Alliance- Essential Elements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av1IH8vSlZQ
Congratulations to the MSU LA Program! We received an award from NSF on the proposal: Learning Assistant Transfer Pathway: Fostering STEM Connections – IUSE: Hispanic Serving Institutions
Being an LA this semester and every semester has been an honor and also an awesome learning experience as well. It opened up the doors to get to know and establish a great relationship with some great educated people along the way.
I also wanted to thank you both for your help this semester, your positive emails and messages have sometimes been the highlight of my day.
I couldn’t have done the switch to virtual labs without my brilliant LAs.
LAs are a presence in the learning process who are there for the students and the students know that.
Please apply through the Learning Assistant Alliance website.
LA Requirements: LAs will be paid up to 10 hours a week per LA course. These hours are to minimally include:
If you would like to apply to be an LA submit an application through the Learning Assistant Alliance website.
CCD LAs: one more step…
Please view the Student Employee site
HR will be hosting required new student-employee orientations, during which student employees will complete all necessary documentation.
Orientations will be held Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings.
You will apply here as well to begin the onboarding process:
https://www.msudenverjobs.com/postings/14977
All new LAs are required to attend all of the class sessions – they are vital to your growth as a group facilitator and LA.
Please enroll in MTL 3850 LA Teaching and Learning-2 credits:
Fridays 9-10:50AM
Also, apply to the LA job posting on the MSU Denver Career Site https://www.msudenverjobs.com/postings/14977
to prompt your timesheet.
Learning Assistant (LA) Program Policies
Metropolitan State University Denver and Community College of Denver
Community
After a professor is awarded LAs, and selects you as a great fit, you become part of an instructional team, and a much larger community. Locally, you are supported by this instructional team. If you are a new LA, you are also supported by other LAs in your pedagogy course section, LA mentors, and Returning LAs. Each semester, LAs work with faculty in >70 different classes across various departments at MSU Denver and the Community College of Denver. Further, the International Learning Assistant Alliance consists of over 500 institutions across 21 countries, so you are connected to an international network. There are many models for how LAs are used in lecture, lab, recitation, help room, work group, office hours, etc., and through this diverse community, we continue to learn new and better ways for instructional teams to work together to support student learning. This was especially true amidst the transition to remote/online learning Spring 2020 and continued remote and physically-distanced learning during academic year 2020/2021.
Effectiveness
In LA-supported courses, LAs facilitate group discussions and encourage interaction and collaboration among students. LAs apply pedagogical principles and are able to connect with students. By sharing their ideas and having their thinking challenged, students develop a deeper understanding of the content. The LA program improves undergraduate education. Research shows that LA-supported courses have better learning outcomes than comparison classes and have better retention in those classes, especially for students traditionally under- served by STEM disciplines (Pollock, 2009; Otero, 2015; Alzen, Langdon, Otero, 2018; Van Dusen & Nissen, 2020).
There are three essential aspects to the LA Experience for which LAs receive a fellowship:
Expectations of LAs:
Expectations:
OVERALL, LAs should expect to spend 8 – 10 hours/week (on average) on all paid LA fellowship responsibilities, including weekly preparation meetings, individual content preparation, and LA-Student Interactions.
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Benefits
LAs report that they learn the content better, become better learners, and develop leadership skills. They also have the unique opportunity to develop close relationships with like minded students and with instructors at their institution. Most LAs put their LA experience on their résumés, since it points to their abilities to teach, to manage, to lead, and to learn. Most LAs report that they learn much from the LA experience, especially by tying their evolving understanding to particular principles addressed in the pedagogy course. During the Spring 2020 transition to remote learning, LAs reported a high sense of belonging, and LA Program communities, and increased motivation due to their work as LAs, which translated to their roles as students, as well.
References
Alzen, J. Langdon, L., & Otero, V. (2018). A logistic investigation of the relationship between the learning assistant model and failure rates in introductory STEM courses, International Journal of STEM Education, 5 (56), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0152-1.
Gray, K., Webb, D., & Otero, V. (2016). Effects of the Learning Assistant Model on Teacher Practice, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 12, 020126.
Otero, V. (2015). Nationally scaled model for leveraging course transformation with physics teacher preparation, To be published in Effective Practices in Preservice Physics Teacher Education: Recruitment, Retention, and Preparation, edited by E. Brewe and C. Sandifer.
Pollock, S. (2009). Longitudinal study of student conceptual understanding in electricity and magnetism, PhysRev: Phys Ed. Rsrch 5, 020110, 1-8.
Van Dusen, B. and Nissen, J. (2020). Associations between learning assistants, passing introductory physics, and equity: A quantitative critical race theory investigation, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 16, 010117 – Published 9 April 2020
Our program is based on the LA Model developed at CU Boulder. Publish Date: March 31, 2022
Our program follows the LA Model developed at CU Boulder. We are a member of the LA International Alliance.
As a member of the LA Alliance, you have access to the following resources:
The faculty course proposal has five (5) sections that must be completed in order for the proposal to be submitted. Upon clicking the Submit to Dept/Submit to Program button, a validation check is carried out.
Email: [email protected]
Office Location:
SI
Auraria Campus
Mailing Address:
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Campus Box 38, P.O. Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362