Dr. Erin Saitta, University of Central Florida
Seminar Title: "Empowering Graduate Teaching Assistants through Transformative Training: Innovative Strategies for Effective STEM Instruction"
Host: Matthew Wu, wu.6250@osu.edu
Zoom Link: https://osu.zoom.us/j/99096707342?pwd=FGrJ7q3zFWjLhPZcfHPtO9zTROC0DK.1&from=addon
ABSTRACT:
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are a critical part of undergraduate instruction, especially at large research institutions. Investigating effective ways to prepare GTAs for college level STEM instruction is an investment in student learning and a strategic way to broadly implement evidence-based practices. It can also be a mechanism to support graduate student mental health. The presentation will showcase two research projects focused on innovative GTA professional development. The first project describes how a simulated classroom environment can provide low-risk rehearsal opportunities for GTAs to practice evidence-based teaching skills before trying them on actual students in the classroom. The second project examines how video-based training, featuring authentic interactions between GTAs and undergraduate students, contextualizes GTA discussions about accessibility and inclusivity. Together, these projects provide insight into the transformative power held by the under-researched population that is GTAs.
BIO:
Dr. Erin Saitta is an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry department at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Her research is focused on instructor beliefs and practices. She has over a decade of experience in faculty professional development and evidence-based curricular design where she specializes in inquiry-based instruction and collaborative action research. Her NSF funded projects have aimed to foster the use of evidence-based practices in university calculus courses and explore the use of a mixed- reality teaching simulator to influence graduate teaching assistants’ discourse decisions in active learning environments. Her current works aim at creating more inclusive and equitable environments for chemistry teaching and learning. Her work has been published in reputable journals such as Science, the Journal of Chemical Education, and the Journal of Science Education & Technology. Dr. Saitta received her bachelor’s degree in Science Education, Chemistry and her Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry where she investigated the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in painted metal and concrete. She was the Assistant Director of the UCF Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning before joining the UCF chemistry department in 2015.
