Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Implementation of a Learning Assistant Program Improves Student Performance on Higher-Order Assessments |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Sellami, Nadia, Shaked, Shanna, Laski, Frank A., Eagan, Kevin M., Sanders, Erin R. |
| Source: |
CBE - Life Sciences Education. Dec 2017 16(4). |
| Availability: |
American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
10 |
| Publication Date: |
2017 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: |
DUE1432804 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Higher Education |
| Descriptors: |
Academic Achievement, Active Learning, Introductory Courses, Science Instruction, Disproportionate Representation, Minority Group Students, Thinking Skills, Pretests Posttests, Achievement Gap, Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences, Program Implementation, Predictor Variables, Comparative Analysis, Educational Improvement, Teaching Assistants, Federal Aid, Grants, College Entrance Examinations, Undergraduate Study, Undergraduate Students |
| Geographic Terms: |
Colorado (Boulder), California (Los Angeles) |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: |
Pell Grant Program |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: |
SAT (College Admission Test) |
| DOI: |
10.1187/cbe.16-12-0341 |
| ISSN: |
1931-7913 |
| Abstract: |
Learning assistant (LA) programs have been implemented at a range of institutions, usually as part of a comprehensive curricular transformation accompanied by a pedagogical switch to active learning. While this shift in pedagogy has led to increased student learning gains, the positive effect of LAs has not yet been distinguished from that of active learning. To determine the effect that LAs would have beyond a student-centered instructional modality that integrated active learning, we introduced an LA program into a large-enrollment introductory molecular biology course that had already undergone a pedagogical transformation to a highly structured, flipped (HSF) format. We used questions from a concept test (CT) and exams to compare student performance in LA-supported HSF courses with student performance in courses without LAs. Students in the LA-supported course did perform better on exam questions common to both HSF course modalities but not on the CT. In particular, LA-supported students' scores were higher on common exam questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills, which LAs were trained to foster. Additionally, underrepresented minority (URM) students particularly benefited from LA implementation. These findings suggest that LAs may provide additional learning benefits to students beyond the use of active learning, especially for URM students. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Number of References: |
42 |
| Entry Date: |
2018 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1165210 |
| Database: |
ERIC |
