Supporting Graduate Teaching Assistants: A Study of Online Workshops
Phil Tietjen, North Carolina State University
LEARNER OUTCOMES:
1. Identify need for more robust professional development support for graduate teaching assistants.
2. Explain knowledge-building affordances of virtual whiteboard technology.
3. Analyze study results for potential application in home institutional context.
Keywords:
Design, Pedagogy, Community
Key Statement:
Universities rely extensively on teaching assistants and so adequate training is crucial. This poster shares results of a study of online workshops for teaching assistants.
TRANSCRIPT:
In the field of educational development, researchers have generated an impressive volume of research regarding issues and challenges pertaining to faculty development; however, much less attention has been paid to professional development for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). This is problematic because GTAs not only represent future faculty but they are also often undergraduate students’ first experience with college teaching (especially at R-1 universities) and so it’s crucially important that they be provided with a solid level of training and support.
This study examines the use of a virtual whiteboard tool, Padlet, as a means for promoting engagement and interaction in professional development workshops for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). Virtual whiteboards provide a nearly friction-free method for offering ideas, posing questions and sharing various types of multimedia content that can enhance the level of interactivity among participants.
Two research questions guided the focus of this study: First, how do graduate students perceive the use of virtual whiteboards as a tool for learning in synchronous workshop settings? Second, what forms of knowledge are shared by graduate students in professional development workshops when using virtual whiteboard technology?
Data consisted of Padlet posts and comments from 11 online workshops and a 6-question survey administered at the conclusion of each workshop session.
Data results captured from the first semester of this study generally found that GTAs perceived Padlet as helpful to their professional development. For example, one GTA shared how they found it useful for seeing connections between their own experiences and other GTAs.
Qualitative analysis of Padlet posts revealed that students shared various types of knowledge including conceptualizations of learning and approaches to preparing a course design.
Looking forward to next steps, data collection will continue through the Spring 2025 semester. I will also be looking to see if there are certain types of workshop prompts or activities that foster more interaction or engagement than others.
Thanks for listening and I look forward to seeing you at the conference!
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Thursday, January 9th, 2025
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References:
Agarwal, J., Bucks, G., & Murphy, T. J. (2020). A Literature Synthesis of Professional Development Programs Providing Pedagogical Training to STEM Graduate Students. 2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE44824.2020.9274036
Gilmore, J., & Hatcher, M. (2021). Preparing for College and University Teaching: Competencies for Graduate and Professional Students. Taylor & Francis Group. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ncsu/detail.action?docID=6638715
Hokanson, S. C., Grannan, S., Greenler, R., Gillian-Daniel, D. L., Campa, H., & Goldberg, B. B. (2019). A Study of Synchronous, Online Professional Development Workshops for Graduate Students and Postdocs Reveals the Value of Reflection and Community Building. Innovative Higher Education, 44(5), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-9470-6
Sadera, E., Suonio, E. E. K., Chen, J. C.-C., Herbert, R., Hsu, D., Bogdan, B., & Kool, B. (2024). Strategies and approaches for delivering sustainable training and professional development of graduate teaching assistants, teaching assistants, and tutors: A scoping review. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-08-2023-0323