Managing Teaching Assistants Using LabWrite


Our research has shown that you can’t just tell your TAs to use LabWrite and expect them to do it effectively, in a way that engages students in learning the science of the lab. It’s important to make your expectations clear for how they should use LabWrite and to provide some training. We provide the tools you need to fully prepare TAs for making the best use of LabWrite resources.

There are two basic areas you’ll need to cover in an introduction and training for TAs:

  • What is LabWrite?

  • How to teach with LabWrite?


What is LabWrite?

A good way to introduce your TA’s to LabWrite is to use the same tools that you will want your TA’s to use when introducing LabWrite to their students. Go to Teaching With LabWrite—The Basics on the Instructor’s Site for information on introducing students to Labwrite, and choose the format and materials you want

One good strategy for building the TA’s familiarity with the website is to ask them, after the introduction, to go through the LabWrite process for a lab, preferably the first one that their students will be doing. This strategy also has the advantage of giving the TA’s the opportunity to run through that first lab and learn it well. It’s also possible to use a box lab or a virtual lab. The experience of going through the lab from PreLab to LabCheck will help the TA’s to provide better motivation and guidance to their students in using LabWrite.


How to teach with LabWrite?

Once TA’s are familiar with LabWrite and have used it, you can address the logistics of teaching. Teaching With LabWrite—The Basics in the Instructors’ site deals with the basic issues that need to be covered for using LabWrite effectively (you’ve already covered the first one, an introduction to LabWrite).

1. Introducing students to LabWrite
2. Assigning the PreLab before labs
3. Reminding students to use other parts of LabWrite as appropriate
4. Grading lab reports

Each of these links takes you to a brief discussion of the teaching issue and provides further links to more in-depth treatments. Review this material ahead of time to decide what approach you expect your TA’s to take (see Initial Decisions for Using LabWrite). One strategy is to have students pull up the Instructors’ website and go to these links, which provide an outline for the training. You can discuss each issue, helping TA’s understand what your expectations are for each one. (If computers are not available, ask the TA’s to view How to Teach With LabWrite—The Basics beforehand and to bring a copy to the training session.

When you reach Grading Lab Reports, have TA’s swap and grade the lab reports they had written earlier when they did the lab using LabWrite. After having written a trial lab report using LabWrite, the TA’s will be familiar with the grading criteria in the grading rubric. Once TA’s are familiar with the criteria and have practiced applying them, you can discuss the grading logistics you have decided to apply for this lab course (see Initial Decisions for Using LabWrite). Making sure that TA’s are well trained and understand your expectations can create greater consistency in grades and grading practices across lab sections, reducing student complaints.


 
 
 

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