Improving opportunities for student learning in large enrollment undergraduate STEM courses through the development of instructional team members that focus independently on classroom management and student thinking

While overwhelming evidence in support of active learning has propelled many undergraduate courses toward transformation, instructors often encounter implementation challenges in large enrollment introductory STEM classrooms. Some of these challenges can include designing and implementing high quality tasks that demand high-level thinking, collecting evidence of student reasoning and using it responsively to make instructional decisions, juggling complex classroom management issues, and effectively using learning assistants. We sought to address some of these challenges through the implementation of the Instructional-Team model and the development of supporting professional development (PD) opportunities. The aim of this Instructional-Team model is to help instructors create: 1) high-functioning instructional teams focused on student learning, 2) high-quality instructional tasks that maximize student learning, and 3) effective formative-assessment opportunities that provide information to improve instruction. In this model, the instructional team includes four interconnected roles: 1) a Lead Instructor (LI), who plans and leads the implementation of the course; 2) a Learning Researcher (LR), who engages in formative assessment of student thinking and provides feedback to the instructor; 3) an Instructional Manager (IM), who helps manage the instructional team; and 4) a team of Learning Assistants LAs who support students during in-class tasks.

We have piloted the Instructional-Team model and PD with 26 faculty in 14 departments. While the LI is a faculty member, the remaining roles are typically fulfilled by undergraduate and graduate students. Each role has specific responsibilities that are uniquely supported through different PD opportunities. In addition to describing the Instructional-Teams model, this poster presentation will highlight some of the accomplishments faculty and students have realized in adopting the model. We further identify some of the challenges faced by participants and present our supporting PD to facilitate change.