Felix Muzny
ABSTRACT
We present an adaptable curriculum for training undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in computing disciplines that is modular, synchronous, and explicitly mirrors the teaching techniques that are used in our classes. Our curriculum is modular, with each component able to be expanded or compressed based on institutional needs and resources. It is appropriate for TAs from CS1 through advanced computing classes. In addition to being easily adjustable to institutional needs, this curriculum holds two important positions. First, that synchronous training is most effective. Second, that it is vital the curriculum is designed based on peer-to-peer learning and actively incorporates abstract pedagogical reflection into the materials. When TAs are taught the content, it is grounded in the same techniques that we are encouraging them to use and that, as computing faculty, we ourselves use. Finally, we posit that student-TA interactions are a specific site of amplifying and attenuating inequality in computing classrooms. By providing a curriculum that is easily accessible and sensitive to both the technical and interpersonal needs of pedagogical training, we aim to create a more welcoming environment for all learners in computing disciplines. Based on our experience teaching this curriculum to more than 900 TAs at two institutions in four different formats, we offer insights and recommendations to using and adjusting this curriculum under varying circumstances. We release the curriculum in its entirety to the computing education community (at https://cic.northeastern.edu/ta-training/).
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Index Terms
- Teaching Assistant Training: An Adjustable Curriculum for Computing Disciplines
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