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North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical
State University
GRADUATE TEACHING
ASSISTANT HANDBOOK

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Handbook
Produced by
A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams
Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies
Graphic Design by Vicki Cruise

North Carolina A&T State University
Graduate Teaching Assistant Handbook
II
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD:
GREETING FROM THE DEAN OF GRADUATE S TUDIES...................................V
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1
SECTION I:
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AGRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT (GTA) AT
NC A&T S TATE UNIVERSITY.....................................................................1
Types of GTARoles and Duties.......................................................2
Standards for GTAs Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes Necessary
to Be an Effective GTA ....................................................................4
Setting Boundaries and Limits .........................................................9
SECTION II:
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS....................................10
Language Requirements ................................................................10
Cultural Dimensions.......................................................................10
Benefits of Having a Mentor...........................................................11
Resources For Additional Advice ...................................................13
SECTION III: FOUNDATIONS OF GOOD TEACHING .........................................................14
The 10 Commandments of Teaching.............................................15
Effective Instruction........................................................................15
Traits of Effective Teachers............................................................18
What Can Graduate Students Do To Be More Effective GTAs?....20
Modes of Teaching.........................................................................21
Dimensions of Effective Teaching..................................................22
Teaching Methods and Active Learning.........................................23
Tying Teaching Methods to Objectives .........................................24
Classroom Situations to Consider .................................................26
SECTION IV:
GETTING S TARTED.................................................................................28
Orientation to Teaching at N. C. A&T State University...................28
Checklist for Teaching....................................................................29
Establishing the Classroom Climate..............................................33
Course Planning & Design.............................................................35
Suggestions for the First Day of Class..........................................37
Diversity in the Classroom.............................................................39

SECTION V. HELPING S TUDENTS LEARN ....................................................................44
Helping Students Learn..................................................................44
How Students Learn.......................................................................46
Learning Styles and Preferences...................................................46
Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education ............47
Cooperative Learning.....................................................................51
Adults as Learners.........................................................................52
Time Management in the Classroom.............................................53
III
SECTION VI.
MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONAL S TRATEGIES, SITUATIONS, TECHNIQUES,
TECHNOLOGIES, AND TOOLS ...................................................................54
Teaching With Technology .............................................................54
Media/Audio-Visual Aids ............................................................55
Computers and Instruction.........................................................59
Incorporating Instructional Technology ..........................................61
Additional Resources on Teaching & Learning..............................61
Teaching Through Discussion........................................................63
Planning a Class (Lecture Guidelines) ..........................................64
Teaching Laboratory Sections........................................................70
Safety Considerations....................................................................73
Strategies to Enhance Learning.....................................................75
Teaching Strategies for a Diverse Student Body ...........................78
Using Your Voice Effectively ..........................................................79
SECTION VII:
GRADES AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.................................................81
Testing and Grading.......................................................................81
Evaluating Student Performance ...................................................94
Keeping Records ...........................................................................95
Advising Students ..........................................................................97
The Role of the TAas a Faculty-Student Liaison ..........................98
Recommending ESL for International Students .............................99
The Teacher - Student Relationship.............................................100
SECTION VIII:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT..............................................................102
Reflective Practice .......................................................................104
Feedback from your Students ..................................................105
Links to Additional Resources .................................................107
Instructional Support and Services offered at NC A&T
State University ............................................................................108
Further Reading for Professional Development...........................110
Contact Information for Professional Development .....................110
Preparing a Teaching Portfolio .....................................................111

SECTION IX: UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO GTAS ...................114
GTAAdministration Policy ............................................................114
Purpose........................................................................................114
Categories................................................................................115
Eligibility ...................................................................................115
Appointment .............................................................................116
Performance Review................................................................117
Conduct & Discipline................................................................117
Compensation..........................................................................117
Grievance Procedures .................................................................118
Guidelines Regarding GTAQualifications....................................118
Professional/Ethical/Legal Responsibilities..................................118
Safety and Emergency Procedures.............................................120
University-Based Technology Transfer ........................................123
Student Initiated Programs and Unfunded Projects .....................124
IV
SECTION X: HOW TO HELP GTAS BE S UCCESSFUL .................................................125
Checklist for the Supervising Professor.......................................125
GTA-to-GTAAdvice......................................................................126
Additional On-line Resources for Teaching..................................127
Balancing Your Roles...................................................................128
Frequently Asked Questions by TAs............................................129
REFERENCE GUIDE TO CAMPUS RESOURCES............................................................131
APPENDIX A:
N.C. A&T S TATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE ASSISTANT EVALUATION
FORM..................................................................................................134
INDEX..................................................................................................................................135

V
Congratulations on becoming a graduate teaching assistant at North Carolina A&T State
University. This is a unique opportunity to grow professionally and we hope to make it as
valuable an experience as possible.
We believe graduate teaching assistants play a vital role in educating undergraduate
students at A&T and recognize the value of the experience that graduate teaching assistants
gain as they develop and refine their teaching skills. We also acknowledge the challenges that
graduate teaching assistants face as they serve in a teaching role while balancing their own
course loads in graduate studies.
The Office of Graduate Studies and members of the Teaching Assistant Advisory
Committee have worked diligently to develop a handbook that is pertinent, comprehensive,
and offers advice and guidance on issues that affect graduate teaching assistants in general. We
hope you find it a valuable tool as you make your way into what can be an enriching experience
in your academic career.
Good luck, and I hope you enjoy the challenges and opportunities you will discover as a
graduate assistant at North Carolina A&T State University.
Dr. Kenneth H. Murray
o
Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and
Dean of Graduate Studies

PREFACE
VI
This handbook is provided as part of a four (4) phase comprehensive approach to training Graduate
Teaching Assistants (GTAs) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in
Greensboro, North Carolina. The comprehensive training begins with a Summer Institute for
Graduate Assistants, followed by supplemental training and support at the departmental level,
on-going workshops throughout the academic year, and access to an on-line interactive handbook
and CD as a reference and resource guide.
The Graduate Teaching Assistant Handbook was produced with the support of a FUTURES Ventures
Seed grant at North Carolina A&T State University.
The articles included in the handbook are based on information collected from a survey of graduate
teaching assistants at A&T, feedback from students attending Effective Teaching Training Workshops,
information collected from over fifty (50) universities, extensive discussions at the Graduate Teaching
Assistant Advisory Committee meetings, and comments from graduate academic departments
regarding graduate teaching assistant effectiveness and training.
The edited collection is addressed particularly to graduate students who have teaching responsibilities
at North Carolina A&T State University but also has practical relevance to anyone who is either
currently engaged in teaching or interested in an academic career. The handbook will also be of value
to supervisors of teaching assistants, as well as school administrators.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chancellor James C. Renick, members of the
FUTURES Planning and Resource Council, and the 2003-2004 FUTURES Review Committee for
funding this project through the FUTURES Ventures Seed grant. I would also like to thank members
of the Graduate Teaching Advisory Committee for their tireless effort in reviewing the volume of
information collected and for providing critical feedback to help streamline the process. We owe a
special thanks to Dr. Lelia Vickers and the faculty of the School of Education, as well as the other
contributors for accepting our invitation to use their expertise in providing information for the
handbook and for putting up with the friendly e-mail reminders about the deadline. I would also like
to thank the many universities that we contacted for feedback about what they had in place to train
graduate teaching assistants and for their generous permission to allow us to reference their materials
throughout the document. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Michele Levy, Dr. Jane Brown and Mrs.
Ruby Carlson for reviewing and proofing the document. I would also like to thank Miss Swapna
Kanury for her technical expertise and assistance in preparing the document for on-line access.
I am especially indebted to Susan Payne, not only for efficiently researching, collecting and
organizing the information, but also for her invaluable input and suggestions. I would also like to
thank Dr. Kenneth Murray for his on-going support of the project. Last, but not least, special thanks
to our graduate students, particularly Mrs. Terese Coon and other graduate teaching assistants for
providing the initial feedback that provided the impetus for the development of a graduate teaching
assistant handbook.

FUTURES
PLANNING AND RESOURCE
COUNCIL 2002-03
VII
Dr. Janice Brewington
Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs-Institutional Planning, Research and
Assessment
Mrs. Deloris Chisley
Program Director, IBM Corp.
Dr. Quiester Craig
Dean, School of Business and Economics
Mrs. Mona Edwards
Senior Operations Manager
Center for Creative Leadership
Mr. Tommy Ellis, Jr.
Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance
Nashett Garrett
President, Student Government Association
Dr. Colleen Grotsky
Executive Assistant to the Chancellor
Mr. Rodney Harrigan
Vice Chancellor for Information Technology
and Chief Information Officer
Mr. David Hoard
Vice Chancellor for University Relations
and Development
Dr. Alvin Keyes
Chair, Faculty Senate
Psychology Department
Dr. Wanda Lester
Assistant Dean, School of Business and Economics
Ms. Albertina McGirt
President Staff Senate
Upward Bound
Dr. Carolyn Meyers
Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Dr. Peter Meyers
Director, Honors Program
Dr. Samuel Moseley
Associate Professor, Political Science
Dr. Earnestine Psalmonds
Special Assistant to the Chancellor
Mrs. Lesley Renwrick
Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Legal Affairs
Mr. Calvin Riley
Owner, Nehemiah Leadership Company
Dr. Sanjiv Sarin
Associate Dean and Professor, Industrial Engineering
Mrs. Mable Scott
Associate Vice Chancellor for Media Relations
Mr. Obrie Smith
Chairperson, NC A&T Foundation
Dr. Velma Speight-Buford
Secretary, Board of Trustees
Mr. Dennis Stearns
Certified Financial Planner
Stearns Financial Services
Dr. Godfrey Uzochukwu
Director, Waste Management Institute
Dr. Willie Willis
Professor, Animal Science School of Agriculture
Dr. Roselle Wilson
Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS FOR
GTA HANDBOOK
VIII
Dr. Paul Ankomah
Human Performance and Leisure
Studies
Dr. Patricia Bethea-Whitfield
Human Development and Services
Mrs. A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams
School of Graduate Studies
Dr. Judie Bucholz
Human Development and Services
Dr. Shea D. Burns
Mathematics
Mrs. Terese Coon
Graphic Communication Systems
Dr. Jane Davis-Seaver
Curriculum and Instruction
Mr. Jason DePolo
English
Mr. Marvin Dickerson
ARISA/Environmental Health
and Safety
Dr. Patrice Faison
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Marihelen Glass
Landscaping Architecture and
Horticulture
Dr. Anthony Graham
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Etta Gravely
Chemistry
Dr. Vallie Guthrie
GAMSEC
Dr. Karen Guy
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Brenda Hall
Human Development and Services
Dr. Richard Jackson
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Muktha Jost
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. John Kelly
Computing and Electrical
Engineering
Dr. Rita Lamb
Center for Student Success
Dr. Trent Larson
Human Performance and Leisure
Studies
Dr. Robin Liles
Human Development and Services
Dr. Kenneth Murray
School of Graduate Studies
Dr. Gloria Palma
Human Performance and Leisure
Studies
Mrs. Susan Payne
School of Graduate Studies
Dr. Larry Powers
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Kimberly Richards
Human Development and Services
Dr. J. Y Shen
Manufacturing Systems
Dr. Karen Smith-Gratto
Center for Professional
Development
Mr. Doug Speight
Office of Technology Transfer and
Commercialization
Dr. Lelia Vickers
School of Education
Dr. Dawn Waegerle
Human Development and Services
Mr. Marvin Watkins
Division of Research
Administration
Dr. Mulumebet Worku
Animal Sciences
GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Dr. Kenneth H. Murray, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean,
Graduate Studies
Mrs. A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams, Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies and Chair
Dr. Goldie Byrd, Biology
Dr. Erick Cheek, Electrical and Computing Engineering
Dr. Robert Cobb, Graphic Communication Systems
Dr. Marihelen Glass, Landscape Architecture and Horticulture
Dr. Vallie Guthrie, GAMSEC
Dr. John Kelly, Electrical and Computing Engineering
Dr. Dorothy Leflore, Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Michele Levy, English
Dr. Cynthia Nearman, English
Mrs. Susan Payne, Research Assistant, Graduate Studies
Dr. Leonard Uitenham, Chemical and Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Mulumebet Worku, Animal Sciences

UNIVERSITY CONTACTS
Brown University
Rebecca S. More, Ph.D.
Sheridan Teaching Center
Director
IX
University of
California at Los Angeles
Howard Lee
Office of Instructional
Coordinator Development
TA Training
University of California
at San Diego
University of California
at Santa Barbara
Rosalind Streichler, Ph.D.
Shirley Ronkowski, Ph.D.
Center for Teaching
Development
Director
Director of
Instructional Development
Clemson University
University of
Connecticut
Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D.
Catherine Ross, Ph.D.
Office of Teaching
Effectiveness and Innovation
TA Programs
Director
Director
Cornell University
Virleen Carlson, Ph.D.
Center for Learning
and Teaching
Dean
University of Delaware
Gabriele Bauer, Ph.D.
Center for Teaching
Effectiveness
Teaching Consultant
University of Florida
Linda S. Vivian
The Graduate School
Associate Director
University of Georgia
Dr. Kathleen Smith
The Graduate School
TA Program Coordinator
Harvard University
John Hopkins University
Iowa State University
University of
Massachusetts-Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
City University of
New York
University of NC at
Chapel Hill
University of NC at
Charlotte
University of NC at
Greensboro
Ohio State University
Penn State University
Rutgers University
Stanford University
Washington University
University of
Washington
Beckie Hunter
Sabrina Raymond
Karen Bovenmyer
Dr. Matthew Ouellett
Earl Lewis
Joyce Weinsheimer
Linda N. Edwards
Donna Bailey
Jill S. Ehling
James Peterson, Ph.D.
Alan Kalish, Ph.D.
Barbara Pennypacker
Barbara E. Bender
Valerie A. Ross, Ph.D.
Elaine Berland, Ph.D.
Brenda J. Kelly or
Donald H. Wulff
The Derek Bok Center
for Teaching and Learning
Krieger School of Arts
and Sciences
Graduate College
Center for Teaching
Rackham School of
Graduate Studies
Center for Teaching and
Learning
The Graduate Center
Center for Teaching
and Learning
School of Graduate Studies
The Graduate School
Office of Faculty and
TA Development
The Graduate School
New Brunswick
Graduate School
Center for Teaching
and Learning
Graduate School of the
Arts and Sciences
Center for Instructional
Development and Research
Program Coordinator
Assistant to Vice
and Dean of Faculty
Program Assistant
Associate Director
Dean
Director
Associate Provost and
Dean Academic Affairs
Director
Assistant Dean
Dean
Director
Assistant Dean
Associate Dean
Associate Director,
Humanities
Associate Dean
Manager or
Director

OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENTS
X
The handbook is divided into ten sections dealing with specific information regarding effective
teaching. Some of the items offer information specific to North Carolina A&T State University, while
others provide Internet hyperlinks to resources and articles of other outstanding institutions nationwide.
Permission has been granted by all of the institutions to which links to resources have been made.
Section I provides an overview of what it means to be a graduate student at North Carolina A&T State
University as it relates to advancing the mission of the university. Highlights of some of the advantages
and challenges that you are likely to face in your role as a GTA are noted. The roles and responsibilities
of the various types of graduate assistants are defined and discussed by Dr. John Kelly. Dr. J.Y. Shen
provides a detailed description of the ten standards that are used to ensure the basic competency of
GTAs at A&T. These ten standards are based on the standards established for teachers in public schools
in North Carolina and reflect the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively and
successfully carry out their responsibilities as educators.
The articles in Section II address the challenges facing international graduate teaching assistants. An
overview of the language requirements for international graduate students applying as graduate teaching
assistants is presented. Dr. Judie Bucholz provides a definition of culture and discusses some of the
challenges instructors face in making diversity in the classroom work to their advantage. Dr. Mulumebet
Worku offers specific suggestions on how international graduate students can take advantage of mentors
and other services at the university to facilitate their transition to a GTA.
Section III focuses on the fundamentals of effective teaching. Dr. Lelia Vickers begins with an overview
of the basic concepts involved in being an effective teacher. Dr. Marihelen Glass lists the 10 tenets of
good teaching. Dr. Larry Powers discusses the need to develop an instructional paradigm that includes
planning, monitoring student progress, and effective communication skills. Dr. Richard Jackson lists
traits that can have a negative impact on student learning. Dr. Brenda Hall and Dr. Jane Davis-Seavers,
provide information on methods and styles of teaching that promote active learning. Dr. Dawn Waegerle
describes various philosophical approaches that link learning with planned outcome measures. Dr. Judie
Bucholz provides tips on how to handle various situations that many GTA may face in the classroom.
Section IV includes information to help you get started. Assistant Dean A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams
discusses the orientation and training program for GTAs at A&T. A checklist of things to do and people
to contact before you begin your assignment is provided. Dr. Godfrey Uzochukwu provides helpful
information on how to conduct a class. Dr. Kimberly Richards provides information on developing a
positive classroom environment. Dr. Paul Ankomah suggests potential sources of information for
planning and designing a course. Dr. Etta Gravely outlines suggestions on what to do during the first day
of class. Dr. Muktha Jost presents information on dealing with the multiplicity of diversity issues in the
classroom.
Section V deals with helping students to learn. Dr. Trent Larson and Dr. Richard Jackson present
strategies on how to help students learn. Dr. Kimberly Richards lists seven principles that can be used to
enhance the learning experience of both the student and the GTA. Dr. Jane Davis-Seavers discusses
using collaborative groups to foster cooperative learning. The special needs of the adult learner are
identified by Dr. Judie Bucholz. Dr. Muktha Jost presents information on effectively managing the time
allotted for each class.

Section VI identifies the various instructional tools available to enhance the learning process. Dr. Karen
Smith-Gratto provides a list of audio, visual and motion media and suggests strategies for utilizing each
instructional technique. Dr. Marihelen Glass offers tips for developing good discussion sessions.
Dr. Kenneth Murray presents information guidelines for giving effective lectures. Dr. Vallie Guthrie
provides useful information on teaching and managing laboratory sections. Information on laboratory
and classroom safety guidelines is presented by Dr. Etta Gravely. Dr. Anthony Graham presents a list of
recommended instructional strategies based on learning modalities. Dr. Gloria Palma suggests strategies
for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students in the classroom. Dr. Robin Guill Liles
discusses the importance of self-discovery in understanding teaching responsibilities and identifies three
basic elements needed to help teaching assistants create and refine their effective voices.
XI
Section VII covers issues related to grades and the overall management of the classroom. Dr. Karen
Smith-Gratto discusses the role of grades in evaluating performance and provides various rubrics for
assessing performance. Dr. Gloria Palma clarifies the distinction between evaluations that measure
progress versus evaluations that measure performance. Dr. Rita Lamb discusses the roles and
responsibilities of academic advisors. Dr. Robin Guill Liles reports on the exclusive role of the GTA as
an academic liaison between senior faculty and undergraduate student. Dr. Patricia Bethea-Whitfield
discusses the importance of building rapport and provides suggestions for expressing empathy with the
student’s situation.
Section VIII looks at the issue of GTA professional development. Dr. Patrice Faison and Jason DePolo
discuss the value of reflective professional development. Terese Coon provides a sample survey for
soliciting feedback from students. Assistant Dean A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams identifies services available
at A&T to enhance professional growth. Dr. Karen Guy and Dr. Thurman Guy present information on
how to prepare a competitive professional portfolio.
In Section IX, Assistant Dean A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams details the University and North Carolina
General Administration’s policies and procedures related to graduate teaching assistant appointments.
Dr. Kenneth Murray discusses the professional and legal responsibilities of GTAs. Mr. Marvin Dickerson
details the safety and emergency procedures in the classroom as required by ARISA/Health and Safety.
Doug Speight provides information on the purpose and benefits of the university transfer program.
Marvin Watkins provides information on student initiated programs and unfunded projects.
Section X provides advice for supervisors and graduate students on how to help GTAs be successful. A
checklist for supervisors to use to help orient GTAs to their assignment is included. Comments from
Terese Coon and other experienced GTAs are listed.
It is our sincere hope that you will use this handbook as a tool to guide you in making your experience
as a GTA a significant milestone in your education.

SECTION I
Introduction
What it Means to be a Graduate Assistant at NC A&T State University
1
Graduate Teaching Assistants are a vital part of North Carolina A&T State University’s vision as a
learning centered institution that fosters quality instruction and continued learning. They contribute to
the teaching mission of the University by fulfilling their responsibilities in their role as paraprofessionals
and the dual role they play are important to this university. Involving GTAs in labs, recitations, and
discussion sessions allows faculty members more time to lecture, teach upper-division courses, and do
research with their graduate students. Your insight as a student who has either taken this same course,
or one very similar to it, is invaluable. Such insights are useful in planning the course and helping your
students learn.
As a student enrolled in a graduate study program, you are taking classes and managing the workload
of any other grad student, yet, as a GTA, you are also juggling your role as a teacher. While you are
working on your assignments for class, studying, writing papers, and all the other tasks that go with
being a student, you are also planning lessons and grading papers for the students whom you teach in
your role as GTA.
This balancing act can often be unnerving, humbling, and even frustrating. Yet because you are both a
student and a teacher, you are in an ideal position to be conscious of both sides of the situation and use
that knowledge for your own benefit, as well as that of your students.
There are other advantages to being a GTA. It helps finance your education and gives you a role in
the everyday life of your department. Staff and faculty will learn your name, and you will have the
opportunity to become acquainted with other GTAs with whom you can share ideas and support. The
relationship you establish with the faculty member who supervises the course you teach is valuable. He
or she may be a source of useful advice and guidance on teaching, and he or she may become a mentor
during your graduate career and a reference for you when you search for your first job after graduation.
As you prepare your lessons to teach you are also further embedding in your mind the subject matter,
and the questions your students will ask can further stretch your knowledge.Your lecture notes, lesson
plans, presentations, and other preparations for teaching are likely to be useful to you later on.
This teaching experience may be one of the most important components of your education for the
future. Whether you aspire to be a college professor or not, the experience of teaching others will help
you develop poise, self-assurance, organizational skills, and structure. And it may be an important
credential for employment applications and continuing your education even further.
Teaching can be rewarding as you instill knowledge and serve as a role model for other students. You
may influence many students, some of whom will be freshman, to seek a major in your field of expertise.
Let’s be honest – serving as a GTA does have its drawbacks. You may be under a lot of pressure as you
are also studying for a degree. In addition, the undergraduates that you teach may insist on individual
attention and you will be in a position where you have to make decisions of authority in some instances.
Often times, you are close in age to your students and they may expect you to be their friend and
confidante in addition to their instructor. You will have to set limits on what you can and cannot do,
and stick to it.
You may discover from your role as GTA that you are not a born teacher or do not like the
give-and-take of an undergraduate classroom. Teaching skills do improve with experience, and with
that experience often comes increased satisfaction with the role. If this is not the case for you, at
least you tried it and learned that teaching is not for you and you can plan your future accordingly.

Types of Graduate Assistant Roles and Duties
Edited by John C. Kelly, Jr., Ph.D.
Chairperson – Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering,
College of Engineering
2
At North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) the term, Graduate Assistants (GA),
is a general term meaning a graduate student enrolled and employed by the university to
assist in the area of administration, research, or teaching. Departments within the university
vary in the responsibilities they assign their GAs, but the most common GA roles are
described below in general terms:
Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA)
A Graduate Administrative Assistant’s duties primarily involve assisting the university's
administrative staff or a specific department with collecting, organizing and analyzing various
administrative data. These duties should be relevant to the graduate program and professional
goals of the student.
A GAA is most often assigned to assist with registration, collection of materials, computer
work, editing, department exhibitions or special projects. Minor responsibilities involve
attending seminars, engaging in library research and holding conferences.
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
A Graduate Research Assistant is one who assumes research-oriented responsibilities
including library work, computer programming, analysis, fieldwork, laboratory experiments,
scientific investigations, or other endeavors. The principal investigator of a funded research
project normally employs GRAs. The student’s work on a research project should be closely
supervised; it could lead to the successful writing of a thesis or dissertation, a significant
intellectual discovery, or provide long-range direction for the student’s development as
a scholar.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
A Graduate Teaching Assistant serves in an instructional role in a class or laboratory within
a specific department at NCA&TSU. GTAs may perform pedagogical functions, such as,
preparing lectures, teaching classes, grading tests, holding conferences, assigning course
grades, or providing support for the faculty member in charge of the course. In all cases, the
GTA works under the supervision of a faculty member. To this end, the GTA works to gain
teaching skills and a better understanding of the essentials of his/her academic discipline.
Both GRAs and GTAs must also fulfill duties and responsibilities concerning safety in the
laboratory equipment. Supplemental guidelines are available from the colleges/schools
department offices.
The duties of GTAs will vary by department and role as well, but some of the more
common duties are described below:
Recitation or Discussion Leader
This is the most common GTA assignment in many disciplines where lectures represent the
major form of instruction. The supervising professor plans the course, makes the reading
assignments, and delivers lectures on a regular basis. As a GTA you are expected to attend
the lectures so that you can address student questions and relate your own teaching to
the instructor’s.

The purpose of recitation or discussion section is to have students engage in discussion of the
course content presented in the lectures. Students are divided into smaller groups that meet
separately for interactive class sessions. As a GTA you may moderate or stimulate student
discussions, solve homework problems, assign and evaluate student projects, answer questions,
present additional materials, and serve as a liaison between the professor and the students.
3
In some instances you may be responsible for reading and evaluating written assignments
submitted by students. You may also help develop or administer exams and quizzes, or grade
them if the professor prepares them. At the end of the semester you may work in consultation
with the supervising professor to assign grades. If you have any questions about your role or
duties, please ask your supervising professor. In most cases, they served as a GTA during their
own graduate training and will be more than willing to clarify what they want you to do.
Laboratory Assistant
Working as a GTA in a teaching laboratory is very much like being a GTA in recitation
sessions (see section above). You provide supplemental, practical instruction to a lecture
course for students in smaller groups; develop, assign, supervise and grade student projects in
the lab; and periodically evaluate student progress.
Your range of duties may include overseeing laboratory safety and maintenance, preparing
samples, stocking supplies, fabricating equipment, and trouble-shooting computer problems.
You may be involved in instruction, or you may be on hand to handle materials and problems
that may arise. In all cases, the supervising professor is your contact person, defining duties
and outlining expectations for the operation of the laboratory and the instruction that takes
place in it.
General Assistant to a Professor and His/Her Course
This assignment generally involves duties to assist students in learning the course material,
such as holding office hours and review sessions before exams. It may also involve
maintaining course web pages, posting solutions to homework problems, and grading quizzes,
exams, and projects. You may be asked to make a presentation to the class if you have
knowledge or experience on a particular topic, or if the professor has to be away from class
on occasion.
Grader
Some departments assign GTAs to evaluate student exams, projects and papers. As a grader,
you are an extension of the professor and should consult that person regarding what standards
and expectations he or she wishes to apply to the evaluation process. Through the grading
process, you will become aware of how individual students are doing and may be asked to
counsel certain students about their performance.
Tutor
Another common GTA assignment is tutoring for a specific course or in a department help
session. Departments that offer tutoring opportunities usually structure this help in one of
two ways. One way is to work with each student individually, walking through a problem
with them step-by-step.
Another method is to work with a group of students who may have similar problems or
misunderstandings of the subject matter. By getting the group to interact and solve each
other’s problems cooperatively, you can help them recognize the value of working in a
study group.

Standards for Graduate Teaching Assistants -
Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Necessary to Be an Effective GTA
By J. Y. Shen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Manufacturing Systems, School of Technology
(Edited by Mrs.Susan Payne, Research Assistant, School of Graduate Studies)
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As a Graduate Teaching Assistant at North Carolina A&T State University, you may be
asked to engage in a variety of teaching-related activities including lecturing, class discussion,
labs, one-on-one tutoring, office hours, testing, grading, and more. The standards described
below, based on the standards established for teachers in public schools in North Carolina,
reflect the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the successful execution of
the duties of a GTA:
1. Content Pedagogy
The GTA understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline he or she
teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful
for students.
For a GTA, being able to effectively teach a particular course is not based solely on having
taken and passed that same course. Knowing the content is one thing, but being able to
effectively teach it and help others learn it is another. Depending on the course you are
teaching, you will need to think back to when you were taking it (or a similar course) and
what principles for learning worked for you. Was there a particular assignment, exercise, or
activity that brought some of the key concepts into focus for you? What was most
challenging? What was most effective? Start by asking your supervising professor to suggest
ways to present material and make it meaningful for students. Also read Sections III
through VI of this Handbook for valuable information relating to course planning,
teaching, and learning.
2. Student Development
The GTA understands how students learn and develop, and can provide learning
opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development.
Some ways to support the development of students whom you teach include the following:
Make students feel important. Teachers, who value students, avoid condescension,
sarcasm, and impersonal behavior, and cultivate self-esteem through praising good
performance and taking a personal interest in students.
Make students feel invited. Teachers, who make students feel invited both in class and
outside of class, have a strong impact on motivation, student retention, the presence or
absence of classes.
Deal with needed changes from a positive point of view. Honest and frequent feedback is
essential to good learning, but even very critical feedback can be offered in a constructive
way. Teachers can usually find some good point to praise and can suggest specific ways in
which unsatisfactory performance can be improved.
Learn to make nonverbal cues. Good eye contact, smiles, and active listening skills such
as nodding, help motivate students.
Get to know students as individuals. Teachers who request that all students visit them
outside of class to chat informally and instructors who have lunch or coffee with students
are examples of those who understand that a personal acquaintance enhances the
teaching-learning relationship.
Learn to empathize. Teachers who remember some of the hardships, uncertainties, and
stress of their own student days are better able to help their students who are undergoing
those difficulties.

Establish parameters. Teachers who clearly define tasks and set high expectations for
behavior and learning are better able to motivate students.
Use student-centered instruction. Student-centered instruction involves planning
learning activities that will actively engage students and will anticipate the kinds of
opportunities and challenges that will be present in a specific area.
Be enthusiastic. Most instructors find their discipline compelling, but sometimes it is hard
to recapture excitement about a familiar topic. Trying to look at the familiar in a new
light or to present things in fresh ways are strategies instructors use to maintain their
enthusiasm. Integral to any discussion of motivation is “personalizing” the classroom.
Using instructional strategies that enable some individualization of instruction or small
group work helps develop personal investment and interest in learning. Similarly, direct
attempts of instructors to talk about such things as their own life experiences related to the
subject and their personal difficulties in mastering certain concepts create a warmer
classroom climate.
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3. Diverse Learners
The GTA understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates
instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity is an important component of a good learning atmosphere.
You should also be sensitive to other kinds of diversity, including everything from sexual
orientation to political convictions to religious beliefs. The key to a good environment is
freedom of thought and expression in which to explore new ideas, test hypotheses, and
question old assumptions. No student should feel ostracized because of his or her thoughts,
beliefs, or background. They come to A&T with different experiences and worldviews. Your
job as a teaching assistant is neither to correct “wrong” views nor to allow students to
placidly dismiss views different from their own. Learning implies the exchange of ideas and
creating a classroom that allows for such an exchange is your responsibility.
We all make conscious and subconscious decisions about what we consider valuable and
why. However, be aware of your own biases and how you might be inadvertently
communicating these to your students.
Students who discontinue their education for any purpose and then later return to college
can be considered re-entry students. They are usually older than what we normally think of
as college-aged students and may have more varied life experiences than traditional-aged
students. Many of them have been away from the classroom for many years, and entering or
re-entering college represents a major change in their lives. For some, it is a great loss of social
status to again be a student.
For GTAs, teaching to re-entry students can be a challenge, particularly when the re-entry
student is nearer in age to the GTA’s parents than to the GTA. Yet, such an age difference
can be equally difficult for the student. The GTA needs to respect the student's life
experience and the student needs to respect the GTA’s formal education. Because re-entry
students tend to be very goal oriented, they want to learn and they want the GTA to teach
them. Re-entry students are, for the most part, equal to their GTAs in age, life style, and
seriousness of purpose. As a result, GTAs may have to exert more effort in getting re-entry
students to utilize their help. A re-entry student is more likely to go directly to the professor,
or feel uncomfortable asking anyone for help because of their more mature status. Also,
re-entry students may want to know and discuss more than what is in the books. GTAs need
to remember that these students have life experiences and responsibilities outside of the
classroom that are quite different from those of the traditional full-time student.

Most North Americans value democracy and believe that all people should have equal social
and political rights. In the classroom, this means a high level of student participation is
usually expected. In other cultures, however, student questions and comments during class
may be regarded as disrespectful interruptions. In the US, great importance is placed on the
individual. In the classroom, most students expect individual attention and recognition.
They expect to be rewarded for independent thinking and creativity. Conversely, other
cultures may prioritize collectivity over individuality and may reserve the highest praise for
teamwork, cooperation, and emulation.
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Also, Americans are often comfortable with informality. In the classroom, students may
slouch in their seats; many come to class wearing jeans and t-shirts. Teachers may also dress
casually and may sit on their desks with their feet dangling to the floor. Students and GTAs
generally expect to be on a first-name basis with each other. In more formal educational
systems around the world, it is appropriate to come to class in dress clothes and polished
shoes, maintain an erect posture throughout class, and address the teacher only by last name.
Be cognizant of these differences and what they may or may not mean to you as a GTA.
4. Multiple Instructional Strategies
The GTA understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student
development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Teachers should use a variety of teaching techniques to utilize and build on the students’
experiences. Active participation by the students is critical to accomplishing this task.
When students are involved, they are more likely to explore alternative ways to think about
the subject as well as think of alternative ways to complete the task. As a result, critical
thinking skills are enhanced. One active teaching technique is having students role play
situations that they have confronted. Another is large and small group discussions in which
adult students are encouraged to share relevant experiences. Posing questions to students can
further encourage this integration. Equally effective is the instructor’s sharing examples from
his or her own practice. The use of analogies and metaphors can also be extremely useful in
helping students integrate new and old knowledge.
Some traditional instructional strategies that you may incorporate into your classroom
sessions include the following. More detail on many of them is provided in Section VI of
this handbook.
Lectures
Class Discussions
Question and Answer Sessions
Small Group Activities
Chalkboard and Dry Erase Board Work
Overhead Projector Presentations
Project Journals (as a way for
students to record process
and progress in a
developing project)

5. Motivation and Management
The GTA uses an understanding of
individual and group motivation and
behavior to create a learning environment
that encourages positive social interaction,
active engagement in learning, and
self-motivation.
Educational psychologists have
concluded through various sorts of
studies that in classes where students
are highly motivated, there are eight
characteristics that are almost always
present related to the instructor:
While motivation to make a good
grade may also be a factor, it is believed
that what an instructor does or does
not do has a major impact on students’
willingness to make a persistent effort
to learn.
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
Enthusiasm for the topic.
Relevance of the course material to the
lives, experiences, or career goals of the
students.
Classes were organized and well-planned.
Material and workload was regarded by
the students as challenging but “doable.”
Students are actively engaged in
classroom learning.
A variety of instructional techniques and
strategies were utilized.
Instructors were perceived as
approachable and friendly, and appeared
interested in the students as individuals.
Course material was made real, concrete
and understandable through the use of
appropriate examples and anecdotes.
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6. Communication and Technology
The GTA uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication
techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
In order to insure that all students are provided with the opportunity to learn, learning
environments must be designed in ways that allow learners to approach learning in diverse
ways. By including a variety of techniques and tools to enhance student learning, we allow
students many opportunities to interpret the content.
Section VI of this handbook includes volumes of information on how to incorporate various
forms of media and technology into your teaching, thus allowing many ways that students
can become engaged in an interactive classroom environment.
7. Planning
The GTA plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the
community, and curriculum goals.
Planning of a course
and class time can be
anxiety producing for
GTAs. By devoting
some creative energy
to planning, you can
lay the groundwork for
a successful semester.
Steps to make the
planning process
go smoothly include:
Understand Your Position and Working Environment:
Be sure you are in sync with the professor of the course. This
is a partnership in which he or she is the lead partner. Follow
the lead.
Plan the first day of class carefully. Decide what you want to
cover and how you want to present it. Balance is important.
Balance the day between (a) introductions, (b) course
policies and procedures, and (c) specific content that
introduce students to the course, encouraging focus
and enthusiasm.
Check the room before class starts to study the
layout and make sure everything is
working. Think about logistics. Also, look
at the room from the students’ perspectives.
Can they see you, the board, or screen?

8. Assessment
The GTA understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate
and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
Evaluating student performance is a key component of the role of an instructor. Constructing
tests and assignments that measure student learning and understanding of course content
requires careful planning and execution. The articles in Section VII of this Handbook
provide multiple suggestions for making student assessment more effective and meaningful.
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9. Reflective Practice: Professional Growth
The GTA is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her
choices and actions on others (students, faculty, and other professionals in the learning
community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
One way to evaluate your teaching is to seek feedback from the students you teach. Many
GTAs provide a form for student feedback during and/or at the end of the semester. Examples
of survey/feedback forms are included in Section VIII of this Handbook, as well as a link to a
web-site that offers a way to customize forms for the course(s) you teach.
While most professors at A&T distribute a standard Student Opinion Form to students at the
end of each semester to gather feedback, this data is not always compiled and available to the
GTA in a time frame that allows them to use the feedback for the very next course they
teach. By providing your own survey tool in addition to the standard university form, you will
be able to study the feedback immediately and determine what aspects of the course and/or
your teaching need to be fine-tuned before the next semester begins.
For on-going preparation for your role as a Teaching Assistants, many departments within the
University schedule orientation and training activities for new teaching assistants and/or
faculty. In some cases, this orientation involves several days of meetings, interviews, and
information sessions. Contact the department under which you teach concerning training
opportunities that are available.
In addition, Career Services in Murphy Hall offers university-wide training programs for new
and returning graduate assistants and new faculty. Topics vary and have included promoting
active learning, leading discussion, developing group process techniques, and using technology
in the classroom. Pre-registration is required, but the seminars are offered free of charge.
The School of Graduate Studies STAR program offers the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF)
program for graduate students interested in pursuing a faculty career in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics. PFF helps participants learn more about the full range of
faculty life in teaching, research, and service at a variety of higher education institutions.
The program includes seminar and workshop courses, individual faculty mentoring,
opportunities to gain a variety of teaching experiences while earning graduate credit, and
interactions with faculty and administrators from other institutions.
The Effective Teaching Training Institute, coordinated by The School of Graduate Studies,
offers workshops throughout the year on topics such as “Using Technology to Support
Pedagogy,” “Using Your Voice Effectively,” and “Creating A Teaching Portfolio.”

The Academy of Teaching & Learning, located on the lower level of Bluford Library on
campus, supports A&T’s commitment to effective teaching through seminars, workshops,
newsletters, grants, and other efforts to improve the instructional environment.
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Additionally, Section VIII of this Handbook contains numerous articles, suggested reading,
contact information, and links to resources for professional development.
10. School and Community Involvement
The GTA fosters relationships with colleagues and agencies in the larger community
to support students’ learning and well-being.
Various departments on campus offer support services for students. As an instructor, when you
identify students whom you believe need assistance with educational, health, or other issues
that affect their learning or wellbeing, please make every effort to direct them to the
appropriate resource(s). Establishing a contact at each of these departments when you decide
to become a GTA may be helpful in the event you have questions you need answered before
referring a student to one of these resources. In addition, your department chairperson and
the student’s academic advisor are also valuable resources.
Academic Affairs Dowdy Building 334-7965
Academy of Teaching & Learning Bluford Library 256-0212
Center for Student Success Hodgin Hall 334-7855
Counseling Services Murphy Hall 334-7727
Sebastian Health Center 334-7880
Student Affairs Murphy Hall 334-7696
Setting Boundaries and Limits
The relationship between GTAs and students is
multifaceted and thus can be a very complex one.
Harassment -- sexual or otherwise -- can work
both ways. You could be perceived of as harassing
a student in your class, or, you could be the
recipient of what you perceive of as harassment
by a student in your class. GTAs are, after all, the
peers and colleagues of the students whom they
are assisting. Yet by the nature of their position,
they are often perceived of as having power and
authority. You may not feel you have power and
authority, but the students may feel you have.
Under these circumstances, you need to be
particularly sensitive to the relationship you
establish with students.
Remember, there are two versions of events --
what you mean, and what the other person hears.
Your intention might be one thing, but for a
variety of reasons, the student you are talking
with may perceive your actions or words differently.
Be sure you make it clear when you are on duty
and accessible and when you are not. You have a
responsibility to yourself to protect your own
boundaries. You have your own courses to study
for, or to work in the library or computer lab on
your own work without interruption. If you give
out your phone number to students so that they
may call you at home for assistance, make it clear
what hours are acceptable for calling.
If students approach you for assistance during
times that you are doing your own work, its
OK to tell them you cannot help them now,
but suggest they contact you during your
designated office hours, or at some other
time when you will be available to
help them.

SECTION II
International GTAs
A significant number of GTAs at North Carolina A&T State University come from outside the
United States, from countries where English is not the dominant language or where it is spoken with
different pronunciation and vocabulary. As an international GTA, we value the knowledge of the
world that you bring to teaching here. The special flavor and perspective you can contribute to undergraduate
education is important, however, U.S. classrooms and undergraduates may present challenges
for you if you are new to higher education in this country.
Language Requirements
English Proficiency Tests (Procedure, ITAs Duties for Non-native Speakers)
International students applying for graduate assistantships who are graduates of institutions of higher
education located outside the USA in non-English speaking countries are required to demonstrate
proficiency in the English language by having official scores directly from the test of English as Foreign
Language (TOFEL) submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. International teaching assistants
MUST score a minimum of 550 on the paper base test or 213 on the computer base test. Only scores
received from Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08451, will be considered official. Students
are responsible for requesting ETS to forward scores to the university.
A graduate student for whom English is a second language must obtain clearance through the
International Students Office for enhancing their communication skills. This office is located in
Murphy Hall, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411;
the telephone number is (336)334-7551. The academic unit (department, college, and school) also
evaluates international students’ effective communication skills.
In addition to the TOEFL requirement, a number of departments stipulate that graduate student for
whom English is a second language must engage in a personal interview, satisfy the expectations of a
faculty mentor, and/or meet other standards such as presenting a certain score on the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE).
Other methods used to assess English proficiency include writing assignments or oral presentations
under the supervision of faculty mentors. Student evaluations are also used to determine mastery of
English. Students with a need for additional language work are required to audit appropriate classes in
English or Business Communication. The Department of English requires their teaching assistants to
take English 700, a special topics course designed to instruct, monitor, and evaluate each individual
graduate student in the art of teaching English 100: Ideas and Their Expression I. Additionally,
personal interviews by the department are used to evaluate the student’s verbal skills and proficiency
in communicating, i.e., clarity, accent, demeanor, etc.
As a non-native speaking GTA, you may be assigned to activities that do not demand extensive oral
communication, such as laboratory preparation and demonstrations or grading.
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Cultural Dimensions
By Judie Bucholz, Ph.D., SPHR
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Human Development and Services
There have been many definitions of culture over the years. Walter Lonner (1994) said the
most common definitions of culture include the following ingredients:
Culture is an abstract idea, a hypothetical construct that is created by humans and is
useful primarily for scientific reasons.

Culture is not behavior. It simply provides complex settings in which various behaviors
may occur. To say that Astrid behaves in a certain way because she is Swedish is like
saying that a man limps because he is lame. Culture creates for individuals certain
potentials for reaction. These potentials differ from time to time and place to place.
Culture shapes and bends behavior by interacting with individuals. Not even the most
sophisticated and enlightened definition of culture can explain behavior, because
definitions themselves are static and not dynamic. A good definition however, may help us
to organize the various ways in which we might formulate explanations of differences
in behavior.
Any culture contains values, beliefs, attitudes, and languages that have emerged as
adaptations to the peculiar geographic and temporal circumstances that have impinged on
the lives of a group of people who agree on what to call themselves.
The values, beliefs, attitudes, and languages that have proved to be adaptive are
considered important enough to pass on to the next generation. Such generational
transmission either can be done explicitly, by using formal instruction and rules (the
socialization processes), or can be implicitly and subtly taught to succeeding generations
in the course of everyday life. The enculturation process).
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Instructors confront significant challenges in making diversity work to their advantage. These
challenges include: (1) genuinely valuing student diversity, (2) balancing individual needs
with group fairness, (3) coping with resistance to change, (4) promoting group cohesiveness,
and (5) ensuring open communication.
If effectively managed, diversity can be powerful in the classroom because it stimulates
creativity, enhances problem solving by offering broader perspectives, and infuses flexibility.
Personal and cultural values are challenged by diversity. In addressing the challenge, we must
develop an appreciation of variations among human beings, even if the differences may be
antagonistic to our own beliefs and values.
Benefits of Having a Mentor
By Mulumebet Worku, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine,
School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The first weeks as an international student can be confusing and difficult in particular if you
are in the United States for the first time. Settling in is vital and will contribute to your
academic performance. Living in a new environment has many challenges. International
students have the added pressures of having to learn how to cope in a new cultural environment,
dealing with language issues, getting around, learning the rules and regulations of the university,
experiencing loneliness and separation from family and friends, wanting to make friends with US
students without knowing how, understanding US laws and living up to expectations from family.
Many international students find that one of the best ways to overcome issues of relating to
culture shock and homesickness is through the use of Peer-support or mentoring. Mentors can
make this adjustment easier by providing support, encouragement and friendship. This support
may be social, emotional, and academic, though mentors are not expected to serve as either
counselors or tutors. Having a mentor who will be available to answer questions, give a point
of view on life at the university, and how to get the most out of it as well as pointing you in
the right direction to the services offered at A&T will be most helpful to you.
Services such as help with language and writing are especially significant for international
students. International students go through overwhelming experiences as newcomers while
adjusting to the demands of graduate study in a US university. A mentor serves as a contact

that will share experiences and their time with you to help you adjust to the culture on campus
and the US way of life. Webster’s dictionary defines a mentor as ‘a wise person and advisor, a
teacher…, and a loyal friend to someone.’ International students often feel disconnected when
they have left their countries to seek new friends. Mentors offer both help and support when
coming to a new country where you’re not familiar with the culture of the people.
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As an international student the mentor gives you an opportunity to get to know other students
and helps with practical matters such as getting a bank account. Mentors should have a
genuine interest in the experiences and well being of the international student to share
cross-cultural experiences and knowledge in a reciprocal fashion, to help guide the student
through the rules of the institution, to provide appropriate feedback on academic work and
questions and to broaden the student’s exposure to US culture.
To identify a mentor, students should look for individuals with a strong willingness to
understand international students, familiarity with American universities, and a good academic
standing and reputation within the university. The mentor will help introduce you to an
environment that will allow you to develop a network of individuals that will be important to
your academic career and social needs. This relationship is valuable for both the mentee and
the mentor.
The advantages of having a mentor include:
Assistance with the rules and
.
regulation expectations
activities and the general
necessities of student life on
campus and in the community
Guidance in adjusting to the
campus culture and academic
environment.
Career goals that are
strengthened and sustained.
Promise of an exciting and
fulfilling and successful
experience at NC A&T.
Increased knowledge about
campus services, self
confidence and reinforced
personal values and
professionalism.
Service as a peer mentor for
other students.
Students, staff and faculty at NC A&T have embraced globalization as part of the FUTURES
initiative. They are very willing to get an insight into other cultures. This willingness creates a
welcoming atmosphere on campus for international students to identify peer mentors and
faculty mentors. Further, the large number of international faculty and staff and who have
international experience are a resource for any international student interested in identifying a
mentor. This introduces exciting possibilities for global cultural awareness.
Get connected by keeping abreast of campus news and interacting with the Office of
International Programs and the International Student Scholars Office. For example, the
university hosts an international week celebration, the Mattye Reed Cultural Arts Center, and
also interacts with community-based international activities in the area. Further, visitors and
speakers from numerous countries are hosted on the campus. Mentors can make a difference
and provide support in understanding rules and procedures in the context of the institution and
way of life.
An incoming international student requires basic information such as where to buy food, where
things are in the university, how to set up a bank account, how to find housing or where the
recreational areas are and faith-related organizations are located. Ask other students in your
program. A student should identify a mentor on campus that will provide this information. The
new international student should attend all orientation programs. In particular, you must check
in with the International Student and Scholars office at 221 Murphy Hall immediately upon

arrival and use this office as a resource in identifying mentors on campus. The Office of
Graduate Studies in Gibbs Hall and the Offices of Foreign Languages are also important
contacts. The campus map in your registration packet will provide the locations of these
places.
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Form relationships with your academic advisor who might be able to recommend mentors.
Your academic advisor may serve as your mentor and provide guidance in areas including
courses and academic expectations. Consider joining the national or ethnic organization that
best fits your need on campus or in the community. These organizations may sponsor events
and activities of special interest to your group and will notify you of upcoming activities. Read
campus newspapers as they are a good source of current information about possible mentors.
Look over bulletin boards in the classroom, buildings, cafeteria and student union. Also, check
bulletin boards in the dormitory and apartment house. The university has an e-mail system and
the web-site provides information on upcoming activities and the names of faculty who will
help you identify mentors. As an international students at NC A&T, you will have many
opportunities to meet new people, learn a new language and experience a different culture. You
will experience new things and your mentors will be learning from you, too. Remember, being
an international student is a give and take situation. You bring a wealth of experience, too.
Resources For additional advice:
Althen, G. (1988). Manual for Foreign Teaching Assistants. Iowa City, IA.: University of Iowa.
Althen, G. (1988). American Ways. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. (1993). Teaching in America (Video). Cambridge,
MA: The President and Fellows of Harvard University.
Illinois State University, link to their International TA Program resources.
Iowa State University TA Handbook, Section II for International TAs
Sarkisian, E. (1997). Teaching American Students: A Guide for International Faculty and Teaching
Assistants in Colleges and Universities. Cambridge, MA: The
President and Fellows of Harvard University.
University of California at Santa Barbara, link to TA Handbook
and International TA Handbook.
University of Washington, link to their International TA Program
resources.

SECTION III
Foundations of Good Teaching
The ultimate test of your classroom abilities may well be not how much you have taught, but
how much you have learned and the degree to which your students have learned to learn.
C. Roland Christensen
in The Art and Craft of Teaching
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Overview
By Lelia Vickers, Ph.D.
Dean
School of Education
Good teaching is imbued in principles of learning based on scientific research and information
that has been acquired from observations and analyses of actions in the world. Social scientists
and others who try to discover the complexities of teaching and learning frequently focus on
variables such as students’ characteristics and abilities, teaching behaviors, communication,
organization, and measure of students’ learning. From kindergarten through graduate instruction,
good teaching requires one to possess the knowledge, skills and disposition to create meaningful
learning environments.
Good teachers know that scientific research has identified simple truths about connecting
teaching to learning. Effective teachers apply these principles to the learning situation in both
creative and technical ways to ensure that students utilize their capabilities to acquire new
knowledge. Understanding students and communicating effective are two strategies for
effective teaching for all teachers.
Understanding students is a key criterion for teachers to use in the selection and use of the
most appropriate pedagogical content . The student’s cultural background and experiences can
be expanded and used as the foundation to infuse the knowledge base. Good teaching always
conveys to the students ways to build new learning upon previous learning. Good teachers
strive to help students become discerning, critical, and life long learners. Good teachers
employ the students’ cultural context as a means of accomplishing effective communication.
Communication is the transmission of information through a variety of mediums including
lectures/discussions, technology, direct or indirect instruction, and experiences. Good teachers
use effective communication skills to establish expectations for students’ performances. In
addition, effective communication allows teachers to clarify goals, objectives, evaluation criteria,
and outcomes so that the expectations of the teachers are clear to the students. Goals extend the
opportunity to delineate expectations, align curricula, and select appropriate materials, methods,
assignments, and evaluation strategies. Effective teachers of graduate students organize instruction
that will create active learning and collaborative activities to engage students in intellectual
discussions that result in independent learning. Clear articulation of the expectations for courses,
assignments, and experiences sets the foundation to ensure that students accomplish the goals.
Knowledge of the students and effective communication are prerequisites for good teaching.
Outcomes of good teaching include the acquisition of content knowledge, sequenced
instruction, infusion of cultural influences, attention to learning styles, and a viable evaluation
construct. Good teaching ensures that learners have acquired new knowledge, skills, and
dispositions, which have been integrated to reconfigure and expand the knowledge base.
References:
Davis, Barbara (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers.
McNergney, Robert and Joanne Herbert (2001) Foundations of Education, New York,
Allen Bacon.

The Ten Commandments of Teaching
By Marihelen Glass, Ph.D.
Professor of Horticulture, School of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences
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Good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason.
Good teaching is about substance and treating students as consumers
of knowledge.
Good teaching is about bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Good teaching is about listening, questioning, being rigid but flexible,
fluid and experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust
to changing circumstances.
Good teaching is about style. Should good teaching be entertaining?
Good teaching is about caring, nurturing, and developing minds and talents.
Good teaching is about strong visionary leadership and tangible instruction
support.
Good teaching is about mentoring between senior faculty and junior
faculty, teamwork, and being recognized and promoted by one’s peers.
At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing
pleasure and intrinsic rewards.
GOOD TEACHERS COULD NOT IMAGINE DOING ANYTHING ELSE!
Effective Instruction
By Larry Powers, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
Many writers indicate that teaching is too often simplified by someone who has the notion
that knowledge alone is the prerequisite for effective instruction. This notion is supported by
the old adage referred to in the question---what do you need to know to teach a horse? The
answer is -- more than the horse! Certainly, good instruction is a complex maze of intentional
acts undergirded by rigorous behavioral science research, instructional planning, assessment of
what the learner already knows, an in-depth knowledge base of the subject, and the utilization
of appropriate methodology (pedagogy). The purpose of this paper is to assist graduate
teaching assistants to become effective instructors in the academy. Therefore, the primary
focus is to assist the graduate assistant with the development of an instructional paradigm
based upon contemporary behavioral science research inclusive of instructional planning,
monitoring student progress, and utilization of effective communication skills.

Instructional Planning
Prior to teaching any university course, the instructor should review the course description in a
current University Bulletin. By reviewing the course description the instructor will ensure that
the course syllabus to be distributed to all enrolled students within the first two class meetings
is consistent in content established by the academic department. In developing the syllabus a
primary starting place for the graduate instructor is to decide what he/she wants his/her students
to know. At the very minimum an adequate class syllabus would include: (1) course description
from University Bulletin, (2) itemized course objectives, (3) schedule of test dates and course
topics including dates, (4) detailed description of all assignments and the point value for final
grade, (5) description of instructional strategies, (6) required references and or books, and (7)
other specific information students need to know to matriculate through the course in a timely
manner. Once the instructor has determined what he/she wants the students to learn a plan
should be made to facilitate the process. The plan essentially outlines the teaching methodology
to accomplish instructional goals.
Writing behavioral/performance objectives is a major part
of preparing any lesson. There are three domains that
categorize objectives. According to McNergney and
McNergney (2004), behavioral objectives are categorized
as cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Cognitive
objectives address mental processes and are expressed with
verbs such as identify, write, explain, list, or discuss, etc.
Affective objectives address feelings and are expressed
using terms such as appreciation, love, fear, anxiety,
and/or hate. Psychomotor objectives address physical
movement and are expressed using action verbs such as
lift, jump, run, or walk, etc. The most common behavioral
objective is cognitive. Behavioral objectives when
properly written have three sometimes four components
depending upon the writer.
BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE COMPONENTS
1. Behavior or outcome – clearly states
what the learner should know or
be able to do.
2. Conditions under which learning will
occur – describe the teaching
technique or learning intervention.
3. Criteria or standard – describes the
level of achievement or the
acceptable performance to mastery.
4. Student or learner may or may not
be indicated – this is the student
or learner.
16
To assist the instructor, an example of each type of objective is provided below.
Cognitive – Given lecture
and group activity the
students will be able to
identify the four components
of a behavioral objective
according McNergney and
McNergney.
Affective – Given group and
individual assignments
students will develop an
appreciation for the food
production system as evidence
by their selection of at least 8
of 10 politically appropriate
responses according to Mager.
Psychomotor – Given
demonstration students will
be to assemble a small
engine according to the 25
specifications in the Briggs
and Stratton Manual (2004).
Instructors need to clarify for themselves what they are attempting to teach students. By
shaping/writing it in the form of a measurable objective they must reflect upon it in a way that
they clarify it for themselves. When the instructor has a plan, monitoring students progress
becomes a strong vehicle to inform the instructional process by letting students know that they
will be held accountable for learning.

Monitoring Student Progress
To ensure that all students perform up to their maximum potential, the instructor must develop
and implement an instructional monitoring system. It is important and plausible to indicate the
details of the instructional monitoring system in the course syllabus. It is not only necessary to
monitor the performance of each student; it is also important to let them know their performances
are constantly being monitored and each student is systematically apprised of his or her progress.
17
This raises a basic question – what do students need to be apprised of in relation to their
performances? The instructor should evaluate, grade, and return all student work by the next class
meeting. When student work is not returned in a timely manner it loses its utility as a positive
impact on the student. Returning student work late also sends the wrong message to the student.
When work is returned late students interpret this as the instructor’s lack of professionalism.
Returning work late reduces the overall impact of its importance. The instructor should
systematically meet with each student at specified intervals during the semester. During these visits
the student should be kept up-to-date on his or her performance and provided substantive feedback
on how he or she can improve. Students should be apprised of their attendance and the extent to
which attendance will impact final grading. The best plan and monitoring system will fail if the
instructor does not have effective oral and written communication skills.
Effective Communication Skills
Effective instructors are good communicators both orally and in written. Instructors tend to focus on
the group; however, effective instructors tend to focus on the individual student. The literature is
clear that we work with groups but we teach individuals. Effective instructors must be able to relate
to the learning of individual students. This means that in order to effectively teach the material
the instructor must be able to make connections with individual students. In other words, learners
must believe/perceive that the instructor is attempting to communicate with them.
Effective instructors are skilled at communicating learning expectation and setting attainable goals
for learners. How can the instructor communicate this perception to the learner? Effective
instructors learn and refer to students by name soon after the class starts. During class sessions the
instructor should frequently call upon students to interact within the context of the subject matter.
When students do not respond correctly to in class questions the instructor should not chastise the
but provide clues and tips to encourage them. Students tend to respond more favorable to positive
reinforcement in class. Effective instructors never use sarcasm or embarrass students.
According to Slavin (2004) “communicating expectations for success and reinforcing success when
it occurs are two of the most important skills a teacher exhibits.” Instructors must communicate in
such a way that they are able to acknowledge student failures in a supportive environment and in
the context of goal setting and improvement. Developing effective communication skills is an
integral part of learning and implementing effective instructional strategies. According to Slavin
(2003) “the link between what the teacher wants students to learn and students’ actual learning is
called instruction or pedagogy.”
Summary
Effective instruction is a complex social, cultural and interpersonal interaction/communication
between the instructor, and learner. The instructor must be an effective planner and be familiar
with instructional strategies that best communicated the pending subject. The instructor must be
able to access what the student already knows and be able to clarify for himself what he is
attempting to teach. The effective instructor is able to motivate students through success and use
failures positively as building blocks for improvement. Effective instructors are able to set learning
objectives and assess when they have been accomplished. The effective instructor has passion for
his subject matter and enjoys working with students.
Additional Resources include:
What Is Good Teaching? By Diane M. Enerson – Linked with permission from The Penn
State Teacher II: Learning to Teach; Teaching to Learn, a publication of Schreyer
Institute for Teaching Excellence at Pennsylvania State University.

Traits of Effective Teaching
By Richard A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education
18
What is an effective teacher? In large measure, we identify effectiveness by input and outcome
measures, along with the performance of students on various testing criteria. We often tend to
generalize student performance as a simple measure of teacher effectiveness. A forceful
argument can be made that the upward change in a students’ performance on an examination
is not the only measure to identify teacher effectiveness.
Some of the traits of a good teacher now being explored as effectiveness measures include:
• Student motivation: Knowing
when and how to intervene. A
teacher must decide whether a
student is off task or misbehaving.
• Use of the principle of least
intervention: When simple or
routine classroom behavior is being
handled, such misbehaviors should
be handled with the simplest, least
intrusive methods of prevention
or correction measures that
will work.
Some practices to avoid include:
• Harsh and humiliating reprimands
that involve very negative verbal
feedback: Teachers sometimes give
harsh reprimands when they have
lost emotional control in response
to misbehavior.
• Threats: A statement that
expresses the intent to punish if
the student does not comply
with the teacher’s wishes.
• Group punishment: This occurs
when the entire class or group is
punished because of the
misbehavior of an individual.
Additional information is available at the following link:
Traits of Effective Teachers
Borrowed with permission from Teaching at The Ohio State University: A
Handbook 2001.
Published by the Office of Faculty and TA Development, The Ohio State University

Although many people believe that good teaching is impossible to define in any general way, a
large body of research suggests that certain characteristics are consistently associated with good
college teaching as viewed by students, other teachers, and administrators. In a study of
winners of the Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award at Ohio State (Ebro, 1977), observation
of classes identified the following characteristics of effective teaching, which strongly parallel
those found in other studies:
19
The teachers got right down to
business. They began class promptly
and were well organized.
They taught at an appropriately fast
pace, but stopped regularly to check
student comprehension and
engagement.
They used a variety of instructional
strategies rather than lecture alone.
They focused on the topic and their
instructional objectives and did not
get sidetracked. Their explanations
were clear.
They used humor that was in keeping
with their individual styles.
They practiced good classroom
management techniques, holding the
attention and respect of the group.
They interacted with students by
providing immediate answers to
questions or comments and corrective
feedback when needed. They praised
student answers and used probing
questions to extend the answers.
They provided a warm classroom
climate by allowing students to speak
freely and by including personal
humor or other attempts to relate to
students as people.
They used nonverbal behavior, such
as gestures, walking around, and eye
contact, to reinforce their comments.
Joseph Lowman (1996) describes two main dimensions of effective college teaching that
emerged in his studies: intellectual excitement (enthusiasm, knowledge, inspiration, humor,
interesting view-point, clarity, organization) and interpersonal concern/effective motivation
(concern, caring, availability, friendliness, accessibility, helpfulness, encouragement,
challenge). Other studies (see, for example, Chickering and Gamson, 1991) consistently
identify knowledge of subject matter, organizational skills, enthusiasm, clarity, and interpersonal
skills as marks of the effective teacher. The amount of agreement across studies suggests that
the characteristics of good teaching are not mysterious or extremely discipline-specific. They
can, and have been, identified by researchers, students, and professionals alike. Inspection of
these characteristics fails to support another commonly held belief about teaching:
“Good teachers are born, not made.” While certain characteristics, such as humor and interpersonal
skills, seem to come easily to some people and not others, people are not born with knowledge of a
given discipline or competency in the use of instructional strategies. Furthermore, those who exhibit
these qualities most consistently state that they work hard at attaining them and are very conscious
of their actions and their effects.
These highly conscious teachers are examples of what Donald Schön (1983) has termed the
“reflective practitioner,” the professional who acquires expertise by learning in the action
environment. In a study of Ohio State faculty (Chism, 1988), a model of faculty growth in
teaching emerged that suggested that effective teachers develop by maximizing what they learn

through experience. They engage in cycles of learning during which they try a practice,
observe its effects, and decide how and when they will use a similar practice. The process is
often carried on without a great deal of conscious attention and rather unsystematically by
most teachers. What distinguishes those who learn best, however, is the very level of conscious
reflection and the quality of information they bring to bear in determining the effects of a
practice in a particular context. The best teachers know not only what they are doing, but why
it is working and why it is likely to work in one kind of environment and not in another.
Although they may have some natural personality characteristics that support their success,
they also work very hard at their teaching and continually try to improve.
Teaching Styles
Borrowed with permission from Ohio State University Teaching Handbook, Chapter 3.
A number of writers have observed differences in style among teachers. They classify them
according to a number of dimensions that represent how the teachers approach their students,
the ways in which they think learning takes place, and personal strengths and preferences.
Lowman (1996), for example, observes that exemplary college teachers “appear to be those
who are highly proficient in either one of two fundamental sets of skills: the ability to offer
presentations in clearly organized and interesting ways [intellectual excitement] or to relate to
students in ways that communicate positive regard and motivate them to work hard to meet
academic challenges [inter-personal rapport]. All are probably at least completely competent in
both sets of skills but out-standing in one or, occasionally, even both of them” (p. 38). Grasha
(1996) delineates five teaching styles:
20
Expert — is concerned with transmitting information from an expert status; challenges
students to enhance their competence.
Formal Authority — is concerned with the acceptable ways to do things and providing
students with the structure they need to learn.
Personal Model — believes in teaching by personal example; oversees and guides
students to emulate.
Facilitator — emphasizes the personal nature of teacher-student interactions;
guides students toward developing their capacity for independent action.
Delegator — is concerned with developing students’ capacity to function
autonomously; encourages independent projects.
Grasha advocates an “integrated model” of teaching and learning styles, recognizing that
individual teachers will naturally exhibit different styles, but stressing that teachers must
cultivate certain styles so that they can use approaches that are appropriate to the instructional
situations and kind of learners they encounter. For example, he observes that a blend of the
Expert-Formal Authority styles works best with learners who are dependent and less capable
with the content. Grasha advocates that teachers reflect on their stylistic approaches and make
conscious decisions about these. His book, Teaching with Style, provides many exercises for
faculty to use in thinking about styles of teaching.
What Can Graduate Students Do To Be More Effective TAs?
Linked with permission from Washington University TA Handbook (See Page 6 of PDF file)
with credit given to the University of California at San Diego for providing the original
article from which it was derived.
Additional Resources include:
What Is Good Teaching? By Diane M. Enerson – Linked with permission from The Penn State
Teacher II: Learning to Teach; Teaching to Learn, a publication of Schreyer Institute
for Teaching Excellence at Pennsylvania State University.

Modes of Teaching
By Brenda Hall, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
21
Modes of teaching refer to the manner or ways of teaching. It is essential to link the way an
individual teaches to his or her understanding of learning. Students in academic settings must
be encouraged to know how and why to think for themselves, how to make and support
individual judgments, and recognize the vital connection between content and skills
development. Learning is inspired by sentiments of compassion, fairness, and a fervent desire to
gain the intrinsic and pragmatic values of education. It is crucial for students to build this
foundation for the pursuit of knowledge and growth in a world that is changing so quickly and
where career opportunities are becoming more complex.
Modes of teaching must inspire an active exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experiences that
enhances the learning of others and self. Based on this notion, there are several guiding
principles for selecting the ways of teaching. These include:
Knowledge is viewed
as a social construct,
contextual and relative.
Learning occurs
through constructing
knowledge with a
social context or group.
The learning
environment must
be one where students
actively participate,
searching for meaning
and asking questions.
Learning is
developmental,
interactive.
Learning is student
centered, uses prior
knowledge and
capitalizes on context.
Teaching assistants can provide students with experiences that help them to rethink their
existing ideas, knowledge bases, and skills, creating new skills, and developing their full
potential. Specifically in the classroom this requires that teachers create an interactive
environment, promote an exchange of a wide variety of information (theory, concepts, ideas,
research, experiences) and encourage ownership and application of content. In addition to
lecture other specific modes of teaching include:
Collaborative learning groups - The key concept in the collaborative learning group is
“shared responsibility.” This is a version of small group work but the major difference is that all
members of the group must contribute equally and most of the work is done in class, following
specific instructions. The collaborative groups are designed so that students must integrate
their work and function as a team.
Research projects - These can be assigned individually or as a large class project. By involving
the entire class in a project and working through the research process, students can take
ownership and have a “hands-on” experience regarding research. It is useful to have an end
result such as a workshop or research presentation so that students can share their data and
results with another audience.
Case study - This mode of teaching requires application of content to specific experience.
Students are expected to apply understanding of theories and concepts to a practical situation.
These are particularly helpful for those classes related to professional training programs.
Concept checks - These are a series of assignments designed to facilitate student learning,
especially as it relates to reading assignments. A variety of formats can be used. Students may
be asked to respond to specific questions, locate and summarize related research, identify and
critique web-sites. It is a good way to ensure students are comprehending the readings.

Large/small group discussion - One way to implement these modes of teaching is to have
students responsible for leading a discussion. The instructor can model appropriate ways to
present information and involve the students in discussion. These discussions can be facilitated
by individuals or by small groups.
22
These modes of teaching allow for connections among theoretical, conceptual, and practical
learning. Students exposed to a variety of teaching modes help to create a supportive, positive
learning environment.
Additional Resources on Teaching Modes includes:
Ohio State University Teaching Handbook - Linked with permission from Ohio State
University. Topics covered include:
◆ Active Learning
◆ Leading and Managing Discussions
◆ Lecturing
◆ Building Rapport
◆ Student Feedback
◆ Creating Closure
Dimensions of Effective Teaching
By Richard A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
There are many elements to consider if one is to be an effective teacher. These include:
• Planning and goal setting – What are the goals of the course, class, or lesson to be taught?
•Teaching or classroom environment – What is the structure of the teaching environment?
Is it one dimensional and multi-dimensional? Are there various delivery systems and
instructional methods available, or is the instructor limited to traditional lecture and
demonstration?
• Cultural considerations – Are there cultural elements that need to be considered? Is the
classroom a multicultural or single cultural environment? Are the students functioning in
their native language or are they learning a second language? Can the students relate the
lessons being taught to their own backgrounds and experiences?
• Classroom management – Are there basic classroom management issues that need to be
considered? Student discipline issues, cultural values, and religious backgrounds all can
impact successful classroom management.
• Student motivation and interest retention – What techniques will be employed to develop
and maintain student interest in the subject matter and motivate student learning?
Additional information is available at the following link:
Effective Teaching - Linked with permission from University of Georgia TA Handbook.

Teaching Methods and Active Learning
By Jane Davis-Seaver, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
23
Perhaps the most effective teaching method is the hands-on approach that requires students to
become actively involved in the learning process. This is easy to accomplish in a lab setting, or
an art, music or physical education setting. These disciplines are inherently hands-on.
It can also be accomplished in lecture classes however, by doing one or all of several things.
First, you can begin the class by asking a question, then dividing the class into small groups for
a short discussion. One person from each group can summarize the conversation of his or her
group, and when you begin your lecture, the students are already actively involved. A second
method for actively involving students in a lecture is to punctuate your lecture with timely
questions and call on several students to respond to each one, (not just one student per
question). A third method is known as the call and response wherein students actively enter
the lecture itself by repeating or responding in a repetitive way to your comments. For
example, if you are reviewing the characteristics of a butterfly and comparing them to a moth,
you can ask “Does a butterfly fly at night?” and all the students can respond “No!” You can say
“Does a moth fly at night?” and the students can respond “Yes!” You should break this pattern
from time to time, however, to make sure that the students are actually listening to your
questions.
Another way to do this is to start a sentence and have one or several students finish it for you.
Grouping students within the class for discussion of topics brought up in your lecture while you
walk around and listen to the conversation is an effective way of checking to see if they
understood what you have said to them.
The lecture method of teaching can be enhanced by the effective use of technology. A lively
and colorful PowerPoint presentation can help students think through difficult material.
However, the instructor should be careful not to read the slides to the students but to add to
and explain the information on the slides. It is also helpful for students to have individual
copies of the outline form of the presentation to take notes on. That way they can pay more
attention to what you are saying instead of trying to copy the slides. Short videos, DVD’s
or other visuals that accompany your lecture should enhance, not replace, your role as
the instructor.
Whatever method you choose,
adequate and careful preparation
is vital. All materials should be
prepared ahead of time and be
readily available. All technology
should be ready and on standby
when class begins, and you should
be present when students come
into class. Not all surprises can be
anticipated, but careful and
thorough groundwork can
eliminate most of them. When
you are well-prepared, you can
then be enthusiastic about your
topic and students will have
confidence in your knowledge
and ability as an instructor.
Additional information on teaching methods and
strategies can be found at the following links:
In the Classroom - Linked with permission from John
Hopkins University.
Alternative Strategies and Active Learning - Linked with
permission from “Teaching at Carolina,” a publication of
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tying Teaching Methods to Objectives
By Dawn C. Waegerle, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
24
One of the most difficult things a teacher must do is to make learning mean something, not
just for a test, but for use later in life. Knowledge itself is the outcome of learning, but general
knowledge built on rote, short term memory, fades quickly and may not be used to facilitate
later learning. There are a number of models that teachers use to help bring sense to their
instruction. One is a revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning, which ascribes levels of learning
to cognitive processes. The link below will take you to a web-site that explains the concept
more fully.
http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom.html
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Understanding
Knowledge
Another philosophical approach comes from Constructivist approaches where teachers and
students plan and make decisions about content, activities and approaches to learning content.
No one of these theoretical approaches is the right one to use all the time with all content.
Some work better than others viewing the students, their needs, and the learning that
must occur.
Each of these approaches does present an opportunity for the teacher and the learner to
develop a depth of learning and understanding that takes them beyond pure memory. The
teacher that can cause “big picture” learning to happen, is the most effective teacher.
In order to determine which of these teaching models to follow based on the course objectives,
teachers must think about what the objectives describe and then determine the best way to
present the content. They must think about who the potential students are that will be taking
the class. The prior experiences and knowledge that they bring to the desk have a great deal
to do with the instructional choices made. Try to design the course around the needs of the
students. What are the students like and what do they know? Are they traditional age students
or adult learners? Individuals of different ages have different learning styles and needs. All of
this requires thought and planning. It is best to try to make your teaching flexible to meet the
needs of the learners, the setting, the number of students in your class, and the primary
purposes of the lesson.
Rosenshine has given us Six Teaching Functions. (Rosenshine, 1988). These functions give a
skeletal guideline for effective instruction, particularly for content that lends itself to more
direct instruction.

Teaching Functions:
Review and check previous lesson’s work and
check to see that students understood
content prior to moving to the next concept.
Provide for guided practice, where the
students can demonstrate what they are
learning or understanding from the lesson.
25
Present new material, making sure to tell the
students what will be taught. In other words,
describe and review the objectives for the
lesson, then teach in small steps,
providing examples.
Give feedback and correctives as needed.
Provide independent practice, where
students can demonstrate what they know.
Review as needed to tie new learning to
old knowledge.
Constructivist models lend themselves to inquiry learning, cooperative grouping, instructional
conversations, and cognitive apprenticeships. This form of instruction is based on social
cognitive theories of learning. Observational learning is one of the ways that this constructivist
approach uses this technique. Through observational learning, we learn how to perform
behaviors. This requires attention, retention, production, motivation and reinforcement.
Some common elements of
constructivist perspectives
include the beliefs that the
learning environment
presents:
• Complex, challenging, environments and authentic tasks
• Social negotiation and shared responsibility as a part of learning
• Multiple representations of content
• The understanding that knowledge is constructed
• Student-centered instruction (Driscoll, 1994)
The teaching approach used can be effective if it is matched to the needs of the learner and
the content to be taught. As a teacher develops lessons and teaching strategies tied to objectives,
thought must be given to the types of materials and content used for teaching enhancement.
These materials must:
Be appropriate for defined objectives.
Provide adequate instruction for required
skills.
Be sequenced logically and chunked
meaningfully.
Be clear and understandable.
It is important to remember what teaching strategies worked well when you were a student,
but don’t design your teaching strategy solely on the style of learning you prefer. Thought and
reflection prior to instruction will help create learning environments that work for most
students and give the teacher the satisfaction of a class well taught.
Additional information can be found at the following link:
The Penn State Teacher II: Learning to Teach; Teaching to Learn, a publication of Schreyer
Institute for Teaching Excellence at Pennsylvania State University (linked with permission):
Articles to select from include: (click on links below)
Be relevant to learners' needs.
Use media and technology that encourages
efficient management.
Allow adequate opportunity for practice
and constructive feedback.
Provide relevant assessment tied
to performance objectives.
• Teaching with the Lecture Method - Effective Explanations--John P. Lowe
• Teaching with Collaborative Activities and Small Groups
• Preparing Effective Collaborative Activities
• The Process and Product of Collaborative Activities or Three Men and an Egg
• Commonly Asked Questions about Teaching Collaborative Activities

Classroom Situations To Consider
By Judie Bucholz, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
26
1. Be Professional. You are no longer a student and will command more respect from the
students if you dress in professional attire and carry yourself as a professional. You should not
hang out with the students at the wall or the plot or go to parties where your students might
be. Your language should be professional and not heavy in slang. Keep your biases in check.
2. Be Prepared. Students will know if you know the material or if you’re bluffing. Do your
homework and prepare for the classes in advance. If you don’t know the answers to questions
the student’s pose, let them know you’ll find the answers and get back to them and be sure
you do.
3. Use Various Forms of Course Delivery. Students learn in many ways. Lecture is not the
only method of course delivery. Use technology in the classroom and encourage the students
to use it as well. Many times the publisher of the text will provide PowerPoint slide
presentations to compliment the course, some have videos available, and others have
web-sites available to the students for other learning activities. Ask your advisor about the
options in the course you are teaching.
4. Absenteeism. It is not unusual for students to skip a class here and there. An attendance
policy clearly stated in the syllabus will eliminate many issues associated with attendance.
Students should be informed how their grade will be affected by attendance. Consistent
application of the policy and reminders of the policy will reinforce the standards.
5. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is not tolerated by any institution of higher learning. Some students
may not understand what constitutes plagiarism and may need to be reminded of the proper
procedures for citing another person’s work.
6. Textbooks. Some students try to get through a course without buying a textbook. The
importance of the text to the student’s successful passing of the class should be emphasized
early in the course. There are a variety of sources on the web and in the local area that sell
textbooks, new and used, some even cheaper than the bookstore. Cost and availability should
not be prohibitive factors in getting a textbook. Remind the students of their options as well
as responsibilities.
7. Inadequate Writing Skills. Students without adequate writing skills should be referred to the
Center for Student Success or Student Services as soon as possible.
8. Disruptive Students. Swift action sets the tone that disruption will not be tolerated. If a
student becomes disruptive and will not listen to you, report him or her to your advisor. An
altercation in the classroom will undermine your position and authority. Let the advisor
handle the situation.
9. Personal Issues. Some students think the classroom is a place to vent their personal issues.
Rather than allow a student’s personal issues to overwhelm a class, students should be referred
to agencies appropriate for the issue e.g., counseling center, financial aid, registrar’s office,
etc. When a student is venting, ask him or her to speak to you after class and make the
referral. Be careful how you shut the student down. Do it tactfully and appropriately. Do not
join in when a student is criticizing or displaying negativism. You will lose the respect from
the students.

10. Tardiness. It is the student’s responsibility to report to class on time, allowing time for
parking, traffic and other issues. Coming to class late is an unnecessary disruption. A clear
statement on tardiness should be in the syllabus and the consequences enforced fairly and
equitably. You as the Teaching Assistant should not be late for class. In fact, early is better.
When you cannot avoid being late, notify someone who is able to notify the class before it
starts. You do not want to give the students the impression you do not care about the class or
about them.
27
For additional information:
Common Teaching Situations: Teaching and Learning @ UW - Linked with permission from
Teaching and Learning at The University of Washington, a publication of The
University of Washington.
Articles to select from this section include: (click on links below)
Presenting Information
Tutoring
Leading Discussions
Critiquing Student Projects
Conducting Labs
Teaching Problem Solving
Teaching Foreign Languages
Student Writing
Leading Quiz Sections

SECTION IV
28
Orientation at N.C. A&T State University
Getting Started
By A. Ayanna Boyd-Williams,
Assistant Dean
School of Graduate Studies
At the beginning of each semester, the School of Graduate Studies presents an orientation and
training session for all graduate students who have either applied for or were offered a teaching
assistantship. As mandated by the State of North Carolina General Administration, all
departments hiring graduate assistants are required to have their graduate assistants attend the
orientation and training sessions provided by School of Graduate Studies prior to the first day
of class.
In addition to the orientation and training program, your academic departments may
supplement these training efforts with such activities as laboratory safety orientation, faculty
mentoring, weekly colloquium sessions dealing with teaching techniques, learning styles,
technical topics, and required courses. Other departments require teaching assistants to
participate in an initial orientation session with the course faculty. These sessions acquaint
the teaching assistants with faculty expectations, grading standards, and specific methods of
laboratory instructional delivery. Some departments require their students to take a teaching
methodology class as well as a course in class management prior to becoming a GTA.
Graduate Teaching Assistants in the English department are required to take English 770,
which is a seminar, designed for student presentations and discussion.
Funding to supplement the cost of the GTA Orientation Program is provided by the National
Science Foundation Student Transition and Retention Program (STAR) as part of its mission
to recruit, retain and prepare the next generation of under represented minority professors in
the sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology.
The workshop consists of two half-day segments and focuses on topics such as Duties and
Responsibilities; Compensation; Effective Teaching; Roles and Expectations, Performance
Evaluation; Classroom Management and Diversity, Professional Portfolio Development and
Professional Ethics.
Please click on link to view a sample current and previous training program information.
http://www.ncat.edu/~gradsch/orientation.htm

Planning Ahead of Time
Checklist for Teaching
Getting off to a good start requires planning ahead. Well before the semester begins, check
with the supervising professor in charge of the course to confirm or clarify expectations for
your role(s) in the course.
The following list will give you some ideas about what you may want to ask people in your
department before the first day of class:
Questions to ask the department chair or graduate coordinator
• Terms of your contract written in the letter of intent: What are the possible duties? Do I
have a choice of courses to GTA for? What is the usual length of time to serve as a GTA?
Are there limits on the number of semesters I can be employed as a GTA? Is there a
reapplication to be a GTA each year or is my GTA appointment automatically renewed?
• Office space and facilities: Do I have a choice of office space? What facilities and supplies
(telephone, computer, photocopier, or other job supplies) are provided?
• Employment opportunities: Are there summer GTA opportunities? Is it possible to hold
another part-time job at the same time as the assistantship? What other means of
financial support are available within the department?
• Training for new GTAs: Does my department offer orientation or training for new GTAs?
Is the University Teaching Seminar in August required? Who coordinates the GTAs?
Who supervises my course?
• Evaluation process of GTA’s performance: Is my teaching observed and assessed by faculty
or lead-GTAs? Do I have access to the results of my evaluation? Are written performance
standards available? Is the student evaluation form available for my information? When
are student evaluations given during the semester?
Questions to ask the course supervisor
• Goals of the course: Are there course prerequisites? What are the course learning
outcomes? What is the level and range of abilities of typical students? What are the
expectations for student performance?
• GTA Structure: Is my section a highly structured course with each GTA required to cover
the same information and give the same tests, or is there more latitude in determining
the material?
• Course/Meetings: What is the place and time the class meets? Are GTAs expected to
attend lectures?
• Specifics of your section, lab, or other duties: What are my responsibilities for preparing
lectures? Evaluating student work? Getting or creating quizzes, tests, and assignments? In
general, how much time will these responsibilities take?
• Course policies and materials: Is there an attendance policy? Plagiarism policy?
Disabilities policy? What is the department procedure for handling student requests to
drop or add the course? Getting the class list? Getting or creating a course and/or section
syllabus? What are some first day activities? How do I post grades? How do lab or
recitation grades contribute to the students’ course grades? Are there assigned textbooks
and readings? Does the course have a web page?
• Department procedures: What are department procedures when I am sick or have
another necessary absence? What is appropriate dress when teaching?
29

Questions to ask experienced GTAs in your department
• Role GTAs play in the life of the department: Are we required to attend faculty meetings? Serve on
committees? Socialize? What are the means of information about departmental policies and activities?
Getting things done in the department, e.g., copying, getting coffee, selecting a major professor?
• Amount of departmental guidance and support for GTAs: Are there weekly GTA meetings? Do we
attend course lectures? Are mentors available?
• Approximate amount of time a GTA spends: How much time will I spend preparing for class? Meeting
with students during office hours? Grading papers and tests?
• Experiences other GTAs have had with the course you will GTA: Is this a difficult course for
undergraduates? On what areas of the course do they need the most help? What are students’
attitudes towards class?
Planning Ahead of Time
Getting off to a good start requires planning ahead. Well before the semester begins, check with the
supervising professor in charge of the course to confirm or clarify expectations for your role(s) in the course.
Once you are clear about your teaching roles and responsibilities, here are the next things to think
about as you prepare to teach:
Goals
Whether you are planning a ten-week course, a fifty-minute section
meeting, or a twenty-minute office hour, it will help you and your
students if you think about your teaching and learning goals. For any
of these interactions with students, plan ahead by asking yourself:
For example, as a lab assistant your goal might be to have students
solve problems for themselves. With this goal, your task is to design
What do I want students to learn?
What challenges to learning are
students likely to face?
How can I help students meet
those challenges?
How will I be able to tell
what they have learned?
activities that will lead students to take appropriate independent steps with an experiment rather than
relying solely on step-by-step instructions in the lab manual.
You can anticipate that students who have previously worked only with carefully prescribed lab procedures
may have some difficulty working in the lab more independently. Therefore, you should provide them with
guidelines for making decisions as they work through the lab, and monitor students’ decision-making in their
lab groups in order to assess their progress.
You will need to decide in advance how to determine the effectiveness of these activities in helping students
to solve problems on their own. For example, will it be apparent from their lab write-up? Or will you need to
have students document their decision-making process separately from the lab manual, so you can judge their
problem-solving process in addition to the final results of the
experiment?
The Syllabus
The value and utility of a good syllabus should not be underestimated. The time you spend planning the
course and writing a syllabus will have far-reaching and time-saving benefits throughout the semester. A good
syllabus will answer many of your students’ questions about your expectations, your role in the course, and
their responsibilities. Typically the syllabus includes information on learning goals, course content and
materials, a timetable for class meetings (including reading, assignments, due dates, examination dates, etc.),
and evaluation procedures. The supervising professor generally develops the syllabus; however, you may be
involved in the process.
If you are teaching quiz sections or labs, you may not be involved with development of the syllabus for the
course as a whole, but students will appreciate receiving a syllabus providing information for the portion of
the course that they have with you. In your section or lab syllabus, provide clear and specific information
about policies and expectations (for example, participation, plagiarism, make-up examinations, absences, late
assignments, incompletes, and extra credit). Include your office location and hours so students know where
and when to find you. You may also find it useful to offer "online "office hours, so students know your policies
and timelines for responding to their e-mail messages.
For more information on how to develop a course syllabus, click on this link borrowed from Pennsylvania
State University.
30

Classroom Guidelines
Many of the classroom policies you develop to manage your classroom have the potential to affect
students’ grades. When developing policies, first check with your department or supervising
professor to determine if there are set rules to which you must adhere. Whether you use
departmental policies or create your own after talking with experienced GAs and professors, be sure
to clearly state your policies on your course syllabus. In all cases, you are required to make clear at
the beginning of the term exactly what elements will be evaluated. It is not appropriate, for
example, to include classroom participation in your final evaluation if your students have not been
advised of this requirement. When developing classroom rules, keep in mind that it is always easier
to loosen up tight policies than to introduce stricter policies midway through the semester.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend class meetings as scheduled. As an instructor, you decide how to
evaluate attendance in determining students’ grades. Before doing so, check to see if your
department has a policy regarding attendance. Excuses for absence from class are handled
you and the student, and you may refuse a student’s request that an absence be excused or require
the student to submit proof of absence (e.g., a doctor’s note).
Late Assignments
Accepting late assignments with no penalty is unfair to students who meet the deadline and have
less time to perfect their work. To discourage late work, establish clear consequences for late
assignments and discuss those consequences with the students at the beginning of the term. For
instance, you may lower the grade on a late paper so much per calendar day, or you may add extra
requirements to late papers. You may also establish a point (e.g., one week; once the next
assignment is due) after which you will no longer accept late work. If your supervisor does not
already have a policy in place for late work, talk with experienced GAs about their policies.
Cheating
The university has an established system for dealing with those who violate its conduct regulations.
If you become involved in such a case, you should contact your supervising professor for assistance
in handling the situation.
31
It is wise to find out before you give exams or start receiving students’ work just how your
supervising professor would like you to handle instances of academic dishonesty. Often the professor
will wish to take the leading role in dealing with any problems that arise, and he or she should be
able to assess whether the incident should be reported to the Dean.
If you are proctoring an exam and notice that a student is using unauthorized reference material or
copying from a neighbor, you should attempt to halt that activity at that point or note the students
involved and handle the matter after the exam ends.
Plagiarism
If you receive term papers or reports that you suspect are plagiarized (i.e., copied in whole or in part
from some other author), you should make a reasonable effort to identify the source of the copied
material before discussing your suspicions with the student. In some cases, you will find that the
student does not understand the distinction between appropriate use of sources and outright
plagiarism. Often your counseling and guidance can help you resolve the issue with the student.
If after speaking with the student, you believe he or she has knowingly plagiarized all or part of the
assignment, you must follow university procedures in dealing with the student. Although this is an
unpleasant business, it is unfair to the students in the class who have done their work honestly to
allow others to get away with cheating.

The best way to avoid plagiarism, however, is to prevent it. Below are some suggestions for
preventing plagiarism in your classroom:
When giving a writing assignment, discuss plagiarism and its consequences.
To help those students who simply do not understand plagiarism (e.g., they
think it only means copying an entire paper or section word-for-word; they
come from a culture that has a different attitude toward using the words/ideas
of others), provide examples of various types of "borrowing" and discuss
whether each is plagiarism.
32
When developing a major assignment, include several steps along the way so
students have to work on the assignment early and turn something in to you
on specific dates. For example, if you want them to write a term paper or create
a poster on a topic of their choice, you could also include another two steps,
such as a project proposal and an outline of their projects. This strategy
minimizes procrastination and gives you a chance to see what the students
are working on and guide them a little. Because of time limitations and
fairness, you have to be careful to limit the scope of the feedback and give
the same amount to all class members.
Make it clear in the assignment instructions that you expect students to hand
in all their preliminary workings together with the final draft of their project:
their notes, doodlings, outlines, web and library printouts, preliminary computer
drafts with notes and crossings out, etc. This material itself will not be graded,
but will show the path the project took and demonstrate that the complete
project was thought through and created rather than being downloaded whole
from the web. Remind the students several times not to throw away their
preliminary notes and drafts. Do not accept assignments that have almost
no preliminary workings, and check that what is submitted relates to the
final draft.
Alter assignments from one semester to the next to decrease the likelihood
that students will borrow papers from others who took the course in
previous semesters.
Make assignments specific to your course. For example, rather
than asking students to write a paper on Stephen Jay Gould’s
contributions to the field of science, ask them to write
about how Gould’s book The Structure of Evolutionary
Biology supports or conflicts with the principles discussed
in your class.
Additional Resources on Preventing Plagiarism:
Can We Solve the Problem of Plagiarism? –linked from EXCHANGE, a collaborative
publication of the following partners:
The National Co-ordination Team (NCT)
The Learning and Teaching Suppor Network (LTSN)
The Institute for Learning and Teaching (ILT)
The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)

Graduate Teaching Assistants As Writing Teachers
Linked with permission from the University of California at Santa Barbara,
Office of Instructional Development.
33
Recommended Reading on Teaching Writing Skills:
Elbow, P. Writing Without Teachers. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973.
Fader, D. N., with Duggins, J., Fenn, T., and McNeil, E. The New Hooked on Books. New York:
Berkeley Medallion Corporation, 1976.
Fader, D. N., and McNeil, E. B. Hooked on Books: Program and Proof. New York: Berkeley
Medallion Corporation, 1970.
Holt, J. “How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading”. The Norton Reader, Eastman, A. M., et al.
(Eds.). New York: W. W. Norton and Co., Inc., 1977, pp. 189-198.
Marcus, S. “Teaching Editing in Composition Classes: A Somewhat Confluent Approach”.
California English, 1978, October, Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 4-5.
On-line Resources on Including Writing Across Disciplines:
Including Writing in Instruction linked with permission from The Ohio State University.
Click on link and go to Chapter 5, pages 11-12 of PDF file.
Writing Across the Curriculum linked with permission from University of Wisconsin –
Madison.
Writing to Learn by Professor Erika Lindemann, as part of the monograph series “For Your
Consideration,” published on-line by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Establishing the Classroom Climate
By Kimberly Richards, Ph.D.
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
Setting a positive classroom climate is perhaps the most important aspect of the teaching
process. Though climate or tone is conveyed from the first day of class and is important to
develop this tone over the first few class meetings, maintaining the classroom climate is a
consideration for the instructor throughout the period of the course.
A positive classroom climate develops when instructors construct environments where all
students are respected, given equal consideration, dealt with fairly, and have equal opportunity
to understand and develop mastery of course subject matter. Humanistic environments
cultivate a positive emotional atmosphere so students are able to develop a sense of connection,
inquisitiveness, empowerment, and scholarly excitement. Inclusive environments are vital as
well as learning will increase when students feel appreciated, safe, supported, and encouraged.
Some tips for establishing a positive classroom environment are provided below.
Get to Know Your Students
Students are more likely to behave respectfully and learn more readily when the teacher has a
genuine interest in their students. Students can be asked the first day of class to write their
names, details, such as phone number and e-mail address, and professional goals/interests, or
even a short autobiography. The instructor can refer to this information throughout the term.
If class size permits, have students introduce themselves verbally.

Communicate Interpersonal Sensitivity
You may have more positive experiences with students as you become aware of issues affecting
students of various backgrounds. Instructors that are warm, empathetic, respect the students,
and enthusiastic are likely to motivate students and build positive relationship with their
students. Even if students demonstrate negative emotions, it is important for instructors to still
exhibit warmth, respect, and empathy.
Allow for Student Input into Course Framework
Student input into the formulation of the class framework maximizes the chance that they will
perceive the course as pertinent and valuable.
Use a Variety of Instructional Strategies
Students in your classes will have an array of learning styles. Develop a full repertoire of
instructional strategies so you can reach as many students as possible and enhance the learning
process of the students.
Promote and Provide Multicultural Viewpoints on Issues and Experiences
By presenting views and materials from a variety of perspectives you can promote a multitude
of viewpoints on issues and experiences for your students. For example, if the topic is
“Epistemology,” the content should include various ways of knowing/epistemological experiences,
that is Euro-American, African-American, Native-American, and Asian-American ways of
knowing can be included in the discussion and included with equal importance. It would also
be important to include for example, the experiences and views of people with different
socio-economic and gender statuses.
Have High Student Expectations
The instructor should have high expectations for all students, not just students from particular
membership groups.
Provide all Students the Opportunity to Participate
Develop a system to ensure that all students are called on or provided with opportunities to
participate if they wish to do so.
34
References:
Sandler, B., Silverberg, L. & Hall, R. (1996). The Chilly Classroom Climate: A Guide to Improve
the Education of Women. National Association for Women in Education.
Saunders, S. & Diana Kardia. (2002). Classroom Climate For Graduate Teaching Assistants.
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Tulane University. (2000). Teaching Resource Manual. Teaching Enrichment Program New
Orleans, LA 2000.
Wright, J. (2002). Teacher Tips for Managing Group Behaviors. Intervention Central.
Additional Resources on Classroom Climates:
In the Classroom - Linked with permission from John Hopkins University. (Click on link
above and scroll down to section titled “Establish A Classroom Climate.”)

Course Planning and Design
By Paul Ankomah, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies,
School of Education
35
Course Planning: This stage involves identifying potential sources of information and the
types of information to be collected from each source. Potential information sources include:
the University Bulletin, the College/School, Department, Faculty, Students, Professional
Associations, Practitioners/Employers, etc.
1. University Bulletin: You may obtain information on the
resources available to both students and faculty and how
to access these resources.
2. College/School: From this source, you will gather
information on the conceptual framework that guides all
departments and programs within this unit. Also from this
source, you will obtain information on accreditation
standards and other requirements established by some
education governing bodies. Information from this source
is very critical in the course design phase. For instance, in
the School of Education, the conceptual framework
guiding all departments and programs is referred to as
DART (Diversity, Assessment, Reflection and
Technology). Your course design should be guided and
reflected by the conceptual framework of your particular
College/School.
3. Department: From your department, you may obtain
information about individual or specific program
accreditation requirements and standards, certifications,
pre-requisites, available resources, etc.
4. Faculty: Faculty, especially those who have taught the
course before you, may be an excellent source of
information for course planning. Such individuals can
share with you their personal experiences and also provide
you with suggestions and ideas on how to structure the
course, recommendations on textbooks and actual copies
of course syllabi. Faculty interactions should not be
restricted to only those that have previously taught the
course. They should be extended to include faculty in your
department/college/university teaching different courses
and faculty from other universities teaching similar
courses. Views and advice form such diverse sources will
greatly enhance your course.
5. Professional Organizations (including Accreditation and
Certification)/Practitioners/Journals: From professional
organizations you will learn about specific standards and
expectations required of your students. Practitioners/
potential employers will provide you with an overview and
information on expected skills required of potential and
future employees. Journals will help identify the current
state of the literature and knowledge in the area.
Cumulatively, all these sources enhance your ability to
structure and design a course that is relevant, up-to-date,
stimulating and comprehensive.
Course Design:
This stage entails creating the
course syllabus. You will need to
decide upon the components of
the syllabus. The components
may comprise of:
1. Goals for the course.
2. Specific Learning Objectives:
These refer to the desired learning
outcomes.
3. Activities to be used:
Refer to activities that you will use to
facilitate student learning. Examples
include, lectures, guest speakers,
role-playing, student presentations
(individual/groups), course projects,
discussions, seminars, field trips,
interviews, etc. It is important to use
different activities and strategies for
instructional delivery because of the
different learning styles of students.
4. Assessment:
The purpose is to demonstrate that
students actually learned what you
claim they did learn in the course.
Some forms of evidence that may
be used to support your assertion
include: test/exam results, portfolios,
copies of assigned projects, student
self-assessment evaluations,
certification exams, reflective
journals, pre and post exit interviews.
In other words, employ a variety of
assessment methods to evaluate
student learning. Using just test
grades may not provide a sufficient
and comprehensive learning profile
of any individual student.
Assessment results can provide
an invaluable piece of
information for course
planning, restructuring,
and re-design.

References:
Fairweather, James, A. (1996) Faculty Work and Public Trust: Restoring the Value of Teaching
and Public Service in American Public Life. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
36
Haworth, G., & Conrad C. (1997). Emblems of Quality Education: Developing and Sustaining
High-Quality Programs. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
George, P. (1995) College Teaching Abroad: A Handbook of Strategies for Successful
Cross-Cultural Exchanges. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
http://catalyst.washington.edu/planning/portfolio_design.html (retrieved: 2/6/04). Designing a
Portfolio Assignment.
http://online.fsu.edu/learningresources/handbook/instructionsatfsu/. Instructions at FSU: A
Guide to Teaching and Learning Practices (retrieved: 2/6/04).
Additional Resources for Planning and Preparing for the Classroom are linked below:
Course Planning and Teaching – Linked with permission from “Teaching at Carolina,” a
publication of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Planning a Class Session – Linked with permission from The Penn State Teacher II: Learning
to Teach; Teaching to Learn, a publication of Schreyer Institute for Teaching
Excellence at Pennsylvania State University.
Planning What You Are Going To Teach – Linked with permission from the University of
California at Santa Barbara, Office of Instructional Development.
Preparing To Teach – Linked with permission from University of Georgia.
Preparing for Class – Linked with permission from John Hopkins University.
The First Day of Class – Linked with permission from Iowa State University.

Suggestions for the First Day of Class
By Etta C. Gravely, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry,
College of Arts and Sciences
37
Prior to going to class, obtain a validated class roster from the web site. Check the roll. If
students are not on the roster, they must produce a validated receipt to remain in the class.
Inform students to go to the registrar’s office if they are not on the roster. Non-validated
students must not be permitted to remain in class.
Introduce yourself to the students and inform them of your office location and office hours
which should be written on the course syllabus. Use a student questionnaire to obtain background
information on the student, the preparedness of the students (previous courses taken
relevant to the discipline), present course load, what the student perceives as his/her talents,
hobbies, weaknesses and strengths, their method of learning, and what grade the student
expects to obtain from the course. Review the course syllabus, which should include
the following:
•Your name, office location, office hours, office
telephone number and e-mail address.
• Catalog course description.
• Course goals.
• State Department of Public Instruction
Goals, if applicable.
• Praxis goals, if applicable.
• Performance objectives/goals or their location if
included in the textbook.
• Outline of subject matter (Point out if
arrangement is different from textbook).
• Name of textbook, edition, author and
publisher. Point out special aids and
features of the textbook and any
supplementary materials provided
with the textbook.
• Method of evaluation.
• Activities to be engaged in, how they will be
evaluated and due date for each activity.
• Date for make-up work.
• Indicate co-requisites for the course and if they are
graded as separate courses or part of the present course.
• References including multimedia available.
• Sample of an examination.
• Sample of a quiz.
• Sample of homework or special project, if applicable.
• Safety rules and regulations contract for laboratory.
• Attendance policy.
• If freshman- Study strategies for succeeding in
the discipline.
• University policy on issuance of Incompletes and
the dates for removal.
• Sources for tutorial assistance and other types of
assistance.
Allow students to converse in pairs to obtain information about someone they do not know.
Have each one to introduce the other. Use the questionnaires to identify various majors and
ask students of each major to raise their hands so that they can identify others in their majors
in the event they want to form study groups for some of their classes. Emphasize that
preconceived beliefs about the class is detrimental to their success.
Have students complete a form indicating that they understand the syllabus and that it was
explained to them. Also ask them to sign a form permitting or not permitting the instructor to
speak with their parent/guardian about their progress in the class.
Inform students of emergency exits and where they will assemble outside the building in case of
an emergency. Inform them they are not to return to the building until instructed by you to do
so. If the emergency requires that students assemble inside a facility, designate a person to lead
the student to that location while the instructor will follow the last student out.

Tips for Conducting The Class
By Godfrey A. Uzochukwu, Professor, LSS
Director
Interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute
38
In order for graduate students to effectively and confidently carry out their responsibilities as
teaching assistants it may be helpful for them to consider the following advice:
Dress appropriately, smile big, and
wear a name tag.
Provide the following personal
information about themselves to
students: Full name, hometown,
education, experience, and hobbies.
Obtain the following information
from students: Graduation date,
contact information (e-mail, phone
numbers, etc), course background
(science, mathematics, English, etc.
already completed), extracurricular
activities (band, choir, football,
basketball, etc).
Course Materials (textbooks,
workbooks, and laboratory books)
must be carefully reviewed with
students.
Class policy, grading, attendance,
participation, assignments, quizzes,
examinations, and office hours should be
explained to students on the first day
of class.
Students should be encouraged to write
in class.
Speak clearly and loud enough while
conducting the class. The whole class
must be engaged in discussions.
Classroom time management is very
important. Know when to start and
when to stop.
Develop a study guide, hold review
sessions before examinations, compose
reasonable examination and quiz
questions, give adequate time for
examinations and quizzes, be available
to answer questions, grade fairly, look
for creativity and innovation, return
graded work promptly, and let
students know their grades at all times.

Diversity in the Classroom
By Muktha Jost, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
39
Much like the proverbial blind
brothers attempting to understand
the different parts of the elephant,
much confusion, ambivalence, and
contradiction awaits those wanting
to open the diversity door for true
understanding. What you see
beyond the door depends very
much on the lens you wear or the
fact that your eyes are closed.
What you learn with your eyes
closed is that diversity is a
cumbersome issue that makes your
already challenging teaching
life even more difficult. If you
have your eyes open, you may be
viewing diversity issues through
the lens of –
The Root of Diversity Issues:
The Elephant in The Room
While all the above ways of looking at diversity sheds light on the different parts of the
elephant, they seldom illuminate the whole elephant, and it becomes just what it is in the
classroom – a huge elephant that we mostly ignore because we don’t understand it.
At the heart of all the above diversity issues is a paradox of the U.S. political, social, economic,
and philosophical context: equality, fairness, and democracy for the majority culture on one
end and domination and oppression toward minority cultures on the other. The current
approach to addressing diversity issues is like attempting to cajole an elephant into your home
through the front door. What makes the attempt futile is the push and pull between the two
extremes of the paradox; the stresses and tensions caused by the inequities; the anger and
sadness at the limited successes of the crusades and struggles by minority cultures; and the
disappointment at the subversion and cooption of diversity issues.
Barriers to Understanding the Diversity Elephant
Teaching styles (Lecture?
Group discussion? Cooperative learning? Quiz? Project?
Service learning? Student-designed assignments?)
Learning styles (Sensory or intuitive learner? Visual
or verbal? Sequential or global? Inductive v. deductive?
Active v. reflective?)
Race (African-American or Black? Latino or Hispanic?
Native American or Indian American? Stereotypes,
differences, preferences)
Gender (what are the inherent differences between
male and female? Can they learn content the same way?)
Culture (individualistic v. cooperative)
Disability (special needs, inclusion, curriculum
modification, adaptation of learning context)
Sexual preference (right v. wrong, human rights, right to
lifestyle)
Religion (Christianity, Islam, Hindu, pacifism v.
terrorism, moral v. immoral).
• Fear of the elephant - Much of the dialogue on race, racism, institutional racism and
internalized racism stems from fear, lack of knowledge, divisive propaganda, and human
frailty. A true educator must go through this maze in order to understand them and then
find a place of knowledge and compassion.
• Racism v. Institutional Racism - The dialogue and debate about racism is confined to the
personal level: what is done by one person to another because of personal hatred or prejudice.
What follows from this perception is that if we work on individual feelings of racism, then the
problem is addressed. What is a thousand times more powerful and a thousand times harder to
understand is the power of institutional racism. This is the power that has been vested
systematically with institutions, organizations, and society through a history of separation,
exclusion, and oppression of minority cultures.
• Institutional Racism - Institutional racism manifests itself in ways and places that actually
double its power and makes people believe that social disparity exists because minorities are
inferior. For instance, it is institutional racism that has prevented minorities from having a
fair and equal education, deprived them of equal housing or health care, and lead to

deplorable statistics on prison population, school suspensions and dropouts, special
education classes, and the achievement gap. At the other end of the paradox, corporate
boardrooms, gifted education, academically advanced contexts, and places of power are
filled with members of the majority culture leading many, including minorities, to believe
that they are not up to par.
• Internalized racism - Another outcome of institutional racism is internalized racism.
Minorities living and breathing in the environment created by the subjugation and
oppression of minority cultures eventually internalize those feelings of inferiority that are
related to issues of self-esteem, self-confidence, depression, and anxiety.
Scaling the Walls: A Look Back
Once you understand the barriers and give the diversity elephant its rightful place in your
classroom, the issues and challenges of diversity may not seem as insurmountable. There is one
little course, however, that you have to go through yourself before you make any alterations to
your syllabus, lesson plans, or assignments. It’s a look back at the history of the education of
dominated cultures: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and
Hispanic/Latino Americans. While there are numerous resources, a slim book (127 pages) by
Joel Spring called “Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A brief history of the
education of dominated cultures in the United States” is an excellent one.
As an educator at NC A&T you must be aware of the collective story of these cultures,
especially African-American culture, if you plan to feel any satisfaction in your diverse class
room. Educational policies in the United States have historically served mainstream society
and were often formulated with the notion of minorities,
their language, culture, traditions, and religion, as
inferior. The reading gives you a clear understanding of
the systematic efforts to deculturalize the people from
their cultures and the effects of that insidious process in
society today. It also provides historical information on
what was systematically denied to these cultures –
democracy, equality, respect, and access to education.
Issues of immigration, colonization, slavery, constitutional
rights, justice and legal cases, citizenship, etc., are
truthful pointers to the challenges in the classroom when
it comes to diversity issues. For centuries, educational
policy used the following methods of deculturalization
(Spring, 2004):
The popular discourse in society is that all things are equal now. Nothing can be farther from
the truth. After 50 years of desegregation with Brown v. Board of Education, the judgment is
that public schools are not successfully educating African-American and Hispanic-American
students. One of the reasons attributed to this colossal educational failure is that schools were
integrated without appropriate diversity training for teachers, principals, and administrators.
Other reasons include institutional racism, racism, internalized racism, and various social
inequities.
At the Top of the Wall: A Look Within
1. Segregation and isolation
2. Forced change of language
3. Curriculum content that reflects
culture of dominant group
4. Textbooks that reflect culture of
dominant group
5. Denial of cultural and religious
expression by dominated groups
6. Use of teachers from dominant
group
From this place of understanding, your view of yourself is likely to be altered. Where do I stand
on the race circle? Where am I on the color continuum? What are my attitudes toward minority
cultures (if you are white)? What are my attitudes about myself and people from other
dominated cultures (if you are minority)? What is the nature of the content I am trying to
teach? Is the content that I’m trying to teach completely reflective of the culture of the
dominant group? Can my learners connect to the curriculum? Can they connect to me? How
am I different from my students? How are they different from each other? What are my beliefs
about teaching and assessment?
40

Bridging the Gaps
The diversity elephant is in full view now, and you begin to see the gaps. The gaps are spaces
between you the teacher, your students, and those that create the curriculum or content that
you are trying to teach. Many of those spaces are so challenging that they cannot be addressed
in a semester or two, which is the time frame that you are likely to be involved in the lives of
your students. Many others though can be understood and addressed through reflection, action
research, and appropriate action.
Action Research
The disconnects or gaps that can be addressed often come in areas of prior knowledge and
experiences, language, communication styles, racial and ethnic identities and histories, cultural
value systems, and assessment. The writing, reading, and communication skills that students
bring into the classroom are a result of their K-12 experiences, and you’ll gain valuable insights
if you spend any significant time in those classrooms. While you cannot change those
classrooms, coming to grips with those deplorable conditions can help you address the needs
of your students in ways that build bridges between you and your students.
Many of us in higher education make the mistake of running to the ‘literature’ for help. When
it comes to diversity issues, the literature is often too diluted, too narrow, or too universal. The
best strategy is to go to the source: your students. Observe them, ask them, poll them, goad
them, but make every effort you can to understand them. If they are strong on one learning
style, introduce another to them. If you have a preference for group discussions, try a lecture
for a change. Ask them what they value, and ask yourself where you internalized your values.
Ask them about their reading habits and check your syllabus to see for a connection between
their reading habits and your expectations. If the gap is too wide, discuss it in class.
Know your Curriculum Thoroughly
Most of the dialogue about diversity centers on teaching styles and learning styles and ignores
the tremendous role played by the curriculum. Like one master teacher says, make your course
curriculum centered. Ultimately, your students are in the class to learn content, and the best
way to communicate that content so each student understands it is a logical approach. Before
you even begin to design the course, examine the curriculum. Ask yourself how well you know
what you are trying to teach. Who are the people who contributed to the curriculum? What
are their values and priorities? How is it connected to the needs of the students?
Are the goals of the course mostly related to knowledge, skills, or attitudes? Each of the three
categories call for different approaches in teaching and different methods of assessment, and it
is only at this level that the teaching style and learning style comes into play. For instance, if
you are teaching psychological principles related to motivation, which falls mostly in the
category of attitudes and knowledge, then a lecture followed by an objective test is probably
the least effective. If your curricular goals include the teaching of skills, then hands-on
teaching with a performance assessment is better than a lecture.
Integrate Categories of the Curriculum to Teaching Methods and Assessment Methods
Do everything you can to make the curriculum come alive for
students. This process begins with the goals of the course. If the plan
is to take a trip to Paris, then make it explicit in your syllabus. Then
explain to your students how you are planning to get everyone to Paris
from Greensboro, North Carolina. Your syllabus is essentially a road
map of that trip. Most of us will not undertake a trip without
knowledge of the cost, but our students often sign up for courses
without considering the price they have to pay that semester to
successfully complete the course. Explain to your students what it
‘costs’ to take the course, what your role is, and what role you expect
them to play. Most importantly, explore together how you’ll know
when you’ve reached your destination (assessment).
Once you come to
grips with the diversity
elephant, other issues
begin to fall in place.
Your understanding of
these issues will begin
to have a profound
effect on the interest,
achievement, and
motivation of your
students.
41

References:
Spring, J. (2004). Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A brief history of the
education of dominated cultures in the United States. New York: McGraw Hill
Diversity: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography
Prepared by R. Johnson with Diane M. Enerson and Kathryn M. Plank at Pennsylvania State
University.
42
Borrowed with permission from The Penn State Teacher II: Learning to Teach; Teaching to
Learn, a publication of Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Pennsylvania State
University.
Although cognitive psychologists have long been interested in diverse learning styles, the
debate about accommodating social diversity and creating multicultural classrooms in
institutions of higher learning began only recently. Still in its infancy, research on the
educational impact of socio-cultural differences has developed as a result of two things: larger,
better organized, and more visible minority populations on American campuses; and, perhaps
more importantly, increasing diversity among those actually doing the teaching and research.
The bibliography below brings together a number of challenging and useful materials on
diversity and multiculturalism in higher education. Besides being descriptive, each annotation
is intended to provide the reader with a sense of the educational purpose the book or article
could serve. Although several sources address cognitive diversity alone, most are concerned
with the connection between students' approaches to learning and their socio-cultural
backgrounds. For balance, one critique of the multicultural movement has also been included.
Because issues of multiculturalism arouse strong emotions, we must address these issues with
considerable patience and provide ample opportunities for dialogue. Our hope is that the
bibliography below will provide you with one such opportunity, and we look forward to your
reactions, comments, and suggestions.
Border, Laura L. B., and Nancy Van Note Chism, eds. Teaching for Diversity. New Directions
for Teaching and Learning, no. 49. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.
Capello, Doris Correa and Paul G. Kreuzer. ‘“Don't Teach It to Us; Teach It to Them’:
Teaching Cross-Cultural Literature to a Multicultural Class.” In Teaching a "New
Canon"?: Students, Teachers, and Texts in the College Literature Classroom, edited
by Bruce A. Goebel and James C. Hall, 96-114. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of
Teachers of English, 1995.
Chism, Nancy. “Taking Student Diversity into Account.” In Teaching Tips: Strategies,
Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers, 9th ed., by Wilbur J.
McKeachie, 223-37. Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath, 1994.
Crawford, Mary and Roger Chaffin. “The Reader's Construction of Meaning: Cognitive
Research on Gender and Comprehension.” In Gender and Reading: Essays on
Readers, Texts, and Contexts, edited by Elizabeth A. Flynn and Patrocinio P.
Schweickart, 3-30. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.
D'Souza, Dinesh. Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus. New York:
Vintage, 1992.
Davis, Barbara Gross. “Learning Styles and Preferences.” Chapter 22 of Tools for Teaching.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.
Davis, Barbara Gross. “Responding to a Diverse Student Body.” Part 2 of Tools for Teaching.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Goebel, Bruce A. “‘Who Are All These People?’: Some Pedagogical Implications of Diversity
in the Multicultural Classroom.” In Teaching a "New Canon"?: Students, Teachers,
and Texts in the College Literature Classroom, edited by Bruce A. Goebel and James
C. Hall, 22-31. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of English, 1995.
43
Laube, Linda. “Gender, Assessment, and Writing Instruction.” In Teaching a “New Canon”?:
Students, Teachers, and Texts in the College Literature Classroom, edited by Bruce
A. Goebel and James C. Hall, 148-63. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of
English, 1995.
Martin, Warren Bryan, ed. New Perspectives on Teaching and Learning. New Directions for
Teaching and Learning, no. 7. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1981.
Metzger, Mary Jane. “A Journey Defined by Place: Anti-Racism in the College Classroom.” In
Teaching a “New Canon”?: Students, Teachers, and Texts in the College Literature
Classroom, edited by Bruce A. Goebel and James C. Hall, 67-80. Urbana, Ill.: National
Council of Teachers of English, 1995.
Steele, Claude M. “Thin Ice: 'Stereotype Threat' and Black College Students.” The Atlantic
Monthly (August 1999): 44-54.
Sternberg, Robert J. “Thinking Styles: Keys to Understanding Student Performance.” Phi
Delta Kappan (January 1990): 336-71.
Tatum, Beverly Daniel. “Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: The Application of
Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom.” Harvard Educational Review
62 (Spring 1992): 1-24.
Tobias, Sheila. They’re Not Dumb, They’re Different: Stalking the Second Tier. Tucson,
Ariz.: Research Corporation, 1990.
Wertheim, Margaret. Pythagoras’ Trousers: God, Physics, and the Gender Wars. New York:
Times Books, 1995.

SECTION V
44
Helping Students Learn - Overview
By R. Trent Larson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies,
School of Education
Learning is a dynamic process of making sense of the real world. It requires a purposeful effort
on the part of both the instructor and the student. To build an environment conducive to
learning, the instructor must develop a genuine interest in students and come to value the
whole of students’ experiences (cultural, linguistic and historical). These experiences represent
a wellspring of knowledge and information and provide a foundation for planning subsequent
learning activities. Likewise, instructors should bring their own appropriate life experiences to
the classroom to stimulate student interest and understanding of salient concepts.
To help students learn, instructors must also teach them to value knowledge whether obtained
through formal or informal activities. As they come to value knowledge, students will see what
they lack and become motivated to learn more in these areas. The key is to make learning
relevant and connected to the real lives of students. Through observation, dialogue and
self-reflection, students come to a greater understanding of the world around them. The focus
of the instructor should be to assist students in discovering their purposes for learning, where to
go to find adequate information to make good decisions and how to become contributing
citizens, even advocates for change in the community.
There are a number of strategies or outcomes that instructors should consider in order to foster
student learning and these must be addressed within a conceptual framework. Such a frame
work should consist of the following elements: diversity, an assessment system, student selfreflection
and the utilization of appropriate technology. Attention to diversity assists the
teacher in presenting information in a format that encourages learning. This means developing
an awareness of differences in students due to culture, gender or other personal issues. An
assessment system provides the instructor with regular updates on the progress of students in
the course. With ongoing assessment, evidence of student achievement is monitored and
adjustments in instruction (e.g., new teaching strategies) can occur. Self reflection exercises
such as reflective logs or diaries can help students better understand the concepts learned and
the type of learning styles most preferred. Lastly, technology serves as a basis for stimulating
student interest, understanding and involvement. Teaching the use the Internet and other
related technologies empowers students to seek information on their own. Computers serve as
a useful tool tracking performance within and without the classroom.
With a conceptual framework in place, the instructor becomes prepared to incorporate various
strategies to encourage the learning process. Some of the concepts/strategies that could be
important in this process include: learning styles and preferences, cooperative learning, seven
principles, time management and how students learn.

Helping Students Learn
By Richard A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
45
Depending on the course and the lesson to be taught, there are numerous strategies one can use
to help students learn. In general, the following tools and techniques will have a positive effect
on student learning.
(1) Require students to explain their answers. Pose questions during the instructional process.
Do not simply accept a brief answer or response to a question. Ask the student to explain
their reasoning for their answer and to justify their answer. Higher order questions require
students to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate concepts.
(2) Reframe your questions or break them into smaller parts. Teachers often need to adjust the
delivery of their lesson depending on the needs of the students and their ability to
understand the content. Where students seem unsure, you may need to provide prompts or
clues. You may even need to reframe the question or present it in a different way. This is
especially true if the subject matter is complex.
(3) Other strategies to help students learn include:
Select various procedures
for monitoring and
judging student performance.
Decide how and when to
give feedback and/or
rewards.
Select various types of
feedback and rewards such
as verbal praise, awards,
rewards, etc.
Use mistakes and re-doing
work as learning
opportunities, not punishment.
Press students to think. Make
them explain and justify their
answers.
Monitor for comprehension
rather than just procedural
correctness.
Additional information is available at the following link:
Helping Students Learn – Linked with permission from Iowa State University TA Handbook -
Section III (scroll about a fourth of the way down the article)

How Students Learn
By Richard A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
46
Students learn in a variety of ways, and one of the challenges every teacher must face is
determining what is the best approach for each lesson taught. Making that decision involves an
analysis of a number of factors – Is lecture the best approach? Should a combination of lecture
and demonstration be used? Does the lesson lend itself to demonstration, or is that approach
impractical for the subject matter? Would a student best learn by practice and repartition?
Determining the best teaching method and instructional delivery system to be employed is a
fundamental question that must be answered before effective teaching can occur. Students learn
best by building on information and/or knowledge they already have acquired. Mastering new
information occurs when they integrate what they already know with the new material, thus
expanding their knowledge base.
The techniques of learning work successfully once the basic fundamentals occur. Take a
chemistry experiment or physics exercise. Once one understands what is happening on a
theoretical level, the experiment reinforces the knowledge by verifying that which is expected
or known.
Practice and repartition are approaching teaching tools in some instructional settings. This
method is typically used in settings where eye-hand coordination or other dexterity-based skills
are required.
In order for learning to be effective, there must be a feedback system in place between the
student and the teacher. It is extremely important that the student receive progress feedback
from the teacher and understand the level and quality of their learning.
Additional information is available at the following link:
How Students Learn - Borrowed with permission from Ohio State University - Teaching
Handbook
Learning Styles and Preferences
By R. Trent Larson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies,
School of Education
According to Litzinger & Osif (1992), learning styles are described as “the different ways in
which . . . adults think and learn” (p. 73). Each individual possesses a unique set of behaviors
or strategies to acquire, process and apply new information. Litzinger & Osif (1992) also
indicate that this learning process depends on several processes including cognition (how one
acquires knowledge), conceptualization (how one processes information) and affective (one’s
motivation, decision-making styles and emotional preferences also characterize learning styles).
Many researchers (e.g., Kolb) have identified different types of learning styles.
Kolb (1984) placed learning styles along a continuum ranging from concrete experiences
(learning by putting concrete ideas into practice), reflective observation (learning by
observation or thinking), abstract conceptualization (using abstract thought to consider
relationships), and active experimentation (learning by participating in activities or
experiments). Kolb observed that while individuals move from one learning style to another
over the course of time, they usually settle on one style they prefer over the others.

Some students prefer a particular type of learning style involving the senses. They may be
visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners or tactile learners. Visual learners want to
see the information in front of them (e.g., a movie over the Internet or a PowerPoint
presentation to view pictures). Auditory learners enjoy providing verbal feedback to questions,
listening to speeches through web-sites, or collaborating with other students on projects that
require someone to read the directions while the others perform some operation. Kinesthetic
learners prefer “hands-on activity” and participate in projects involving a computer (especially
the mouse and keyboard). Tactile learners require extensive input using their hands and
brains.They might, for example, use computer-drawing tools to illustrate a product or idea, or
use a tablet to produce an art creation. Other students like seeing the overview of a concept or
problem and require the big picture to gain a complete understanding. Some prefer to view
concepts or processes from a step-by-step perspective.
47
In contrast to learning styles, preferences refer to the conditions under which students prefer to
work and learn. These may refer to things such as the arrangement of the classroom, student
groupings or whether the instruction is teacher driven or self-taught via independent learning.
An observant instructor will detect which preferences work best with particular students.
Learning styles and preferences are also knowable through diagnostic tests and personal
observations. The salient point regarding teaching is that, although students have preferred
learning styles and preferences, it may be unrealistic to expect to meet everyone’s needs
entirely. Therefore, the best approach is to provide instruction using a variety of strategies
during each class period and throughout the semester to attempt to satisfy the needs of as many
different types of learners as possible.
References:
Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and
Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Litzinger, M., & Osif, B. (1992). Accommodating Diverse Learning Styles: Designing
Instruction for Electronic Information Sources. (pp. 73-82) In Linda Sharito (Ed.)
What is Good Library Instruction Now? Library Instruction for the 1990s. MI: Pierian
Press.
Other resources on Learning Styles:
Learning Styles - Linked with permission from “Teaching at Carolina,” a publication of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education
By Kimberly Richards, NCC, SACC, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Community Services,
School of Education
Chickering and Gamson (1991) formulated seven principles for good practice in undergraduate
education after undertaking a meta-analysis of 50 years of educational research. Though the
seven principles they developed relate to undergraduate education, these principles can be
applied to learning at any level. These principles imply a collective and constructivist learning
environment. Learning is enhanced in collective constructivist environments as working with
others can increase student involvement in learning and knowledge construction. Using these
principles provides an approach to education that makes learning more relevant, evocative,
and meaningful for the student. Students take co-responsibility for their knowledge and skill
acquisition and the educator becomes a guide to help students gain/construct new knowledge.
These seven principles are briefly described below and examples for implementing the
principles are provided so that the Teaching Assistant can become familiar with the types of
activities that can be used to enhance the classroom experience for both the students and
the educators.

Encourage student-faculty contact.
Student-faculty contact in the classroom and, perhaps even more importantly, outside of the
classroom, can provide the motivation for a student to pursue his/her professional and personal
interests. Individual contact with the student encourages reflection, critical thinking, and
independent learning, which is learning for the love of learning. This contact can enhance student
self-worth and can help a student through academic, professional and personal uncertainty. Below
are listed some ways to increase individual contact with students:
Communicate with students on a personal
level, for example, learn about their
educational and career goals.
Personalize feedback on student tasks.
Be visible.
Learn students’ names.
If possible arrive to class early and stick
around after class.
Serve as an informal mentor to students.
Involve students in professional activities
such as presentations, conferences, research,
and writing.
Have on-line time with students such as
through discussion boards/chat facilities.
Advise students about professional opportunities.
Communicate with students through the
e-mail.
At the end of each test/task have students
comment on how they feel they are doing
and how the class is going.
Encourage Cooperation Among Students
Learning can be heightened and reinforced when students work together to construct knowledge.
Students sharing ideas and knowledge and responding to each other help develop thinking
abilities and deepens students’ knowledge and understanding. Students working together
strengthens student participation in the learning process. Educators help create positive
interdependence but emphasize individual accountability of students. Some techniques that can
be used to facilitate cooperative learning are:
48
Group assignments, problem solving,
reviewing, and testing.
Activities that encourages students to get to
know each other, such as students sharing
their viewpoints on topics discussed in class.
Create learning communities/teams.
Make use of peer evaluations.
Have students explain difficult ideas or
teach each other.
Good Practice Encourages Active Learning
Have students give classroom and public
presentations of their papers, projects,
discussions, etc.
Break up into small groups for discussions
and other activities.
Have games, skits, and panel discussions.
Lead by example – team teach classes.
Active learning promotes the appreciation of both knowledge construction and knowledge itself.
The educator can provide scaffolding for the students such as brief lectures, individualized
instruction, prepackaged information, and assignments, and with this scaffolding students can
then create their own knowledge. Active learning gives students control and ownership of the
learning process and the knowledge they create. Active learning can take on a variety of forms of
both individual and group work in and outside the classroom. Though through the use of active
learning students are more likely to understand, retain, appreciate, and apply this knowledge to
real life situations, many students may feel anxiety and even resentment at having to construct
their own knowledge as most students are use to being spoon-fed knowledge. Students may
perceive that the instructors who have active learning classrooms are not doing their jobs. One
way of preventing this misunderstanding is to explain to the students your philosophy of
education and have them read some articles that speak to active learning and its benefits. The
following ideas can help you develop an active learning classroom:

✰ Provide students with or have students
identify field work opportunities to
participate in, such as, job shadowing,
service learning, practicum, internships,
apprenticeships, activities they participate in.
✰ Encourage students to apply ideas learned or
constructed in the course and reflect on the
implementation process.
✰ Encourage students to challenge ideas.
✰ Give students real-life situations to analyze
and explain or assign projects with real life
application.
✰ Encourage students to suggest curriculum.
✰ Make subject material more relevant by
making course content related to the local
community or home.
49
Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
Most students want and appreciate appropriate and timely feedback. This feedback helps
students to access their levels of knowledge and focus their learning efforts on suitable
topic/areas and sources of information. Feedback is important in that it helps students acquire
the greatest benefit from their education. This feedback allows the student to reflect on not only
their knowledge base, but for example, who they are as individuals; that is, their believes, values,
culture, career choice, and identity. Ways to provide feedback are:
When possible provide immediate and
direct feedback on classroom
activities/events.
Return papers, assignments, and testing
material the following week they were
handed in.
Provide student evaluations throughout the
semester/quarter.
Provide meaningful written comments.
Give homework and quizzes even if they are
upgraded.
Have classroom exercises that provide
immediate feedback.
Schedule individual student conferences to
discuss student progress.
Have students reflect on and record their
progress.
Contact students who miss classes.
Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task
Time on task refers to both the time a student is engaged in learning and the student’s use of
time management. Time on task helps the student learn both efficiently and effectively and
helps instructors teach effectively. For example, students who use their time ineffectively may
interrupt the teaching process and, as such, hinder other students’ ongoing learning. Learning
time management skills is a practical way for students to prepare themselves for both continuing
academic studies and for the ‘real world’ . Effective use of one’s time is a key element in having
successful careers and positive personal relationships. Time expectations need to be made clear
for students in order to establish the basis for high levels of functioning for all involved in the
learning process. Ways to help students stay on task are:
⋆
⋆
⋆
⋆
Have well defined guidelines and due dates
spelled out in the syllabus and go over
timelines in class.
Refer back to the syllabus on occasion
throughout the term to see if class is on
track.
Assign realistic time values for each task.
Let students know the minimum amount of
time they should spend preparing for class
and working on assignments.
⋆
⋆
⋆
Encourage students to prepare papers/
assignments and presentations well in
advance.
Help student develop time management
skills when they fall off task.
Students can be asked to identify how they
can best use their classroom time.

Good Practice Communicated High Expectations
When instructors indicate that they believe all students have the potential to achieve academic
success, students may then be encouraged to set high expectations for themselves. This
philosophy indicates that the instructor believes in the good of all students and can become a
self-fulfilling prophecy for students that feel respected. Communicating high expectations needs
to be followed up by creating humanistic environments where it is possible for students to
attain and maintain high standards of academic support and student behavior. The following
techniques may help the students live up to high expectations set by the instructor:
✰ Support students in living
up to classroom expectations.
✰ Provide students with
examples of outstanding
student work.
✰ Recognize students who do
extraordinary work and provide
other positive reinforcement.
✰ Encourage students to
always be at their best.
✰ Expect students to participate
in the learning process.
✰ Make course expectations
clear.
50
Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
The diversity of student epistemology in any given class would require instructors to construct
classes in ways in which students have a variety of ways of learning/discovering knowledge and
indicating the depth of their knowledge for assessment purposes. Each student should be
provided with the chance to highlight their knowledge, skills, and talents and to learn in ways
that make sense to them. Instructors need to identify diverse classroom methods and practice
them. This expands the educators teaching skills toolbox. In essence, educators that recognize
the diversity of epistemology create a climate that acknowledges and respects cultural diversity.
Engage as many ways of
learning as possible.
Let students know it is okay
to speak up when they do
not understand.
Frequently change the
methodology of material
delivery.
Use diverse teaching
activities to address student
diversity.
Make use of multimedia
presentations to enhance the
learning of all students.
Develop learning contracts
with students in order to
provide students with
alternative learning
methodologies.
Encourage all students to
share their viewpoints during
classroom discussions.
Set activities that relate to
the local community/
background of the students.
Select a variety of types and
options for student
assessment.
Allow students to identify
the ways they would like to
be assessed.
These principles and the examples provided can be useful guidelines for the Teaching Assistant
in transforming the classroom into a vital and vibrant learning community. This, in turn, will
augment and facilitate the student learning process. While instructors are responsible for the
outcome of their learning communities, students also become responsible for their education
and this empowers the student not only as a learner, but also as a member of the academic
community, and as a member in the community at large. Such andragogy provides the learner
with both direction and freedom and can liberate the learning processes of the student and
create students that can empower themselves and others.
Bibliography
Chickering, A.W., and Gamson, Z.F. (1991). Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice in
Undergraduate Education. In New Directions for Teaching and Learning. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Inc.
State University of West Georgia. (2003). Faculty Manual. The State University of West Georgia,
Carrollton, GA.
California State University Bakersfield. (2003). Constructivist Learning Environments. Faculty Teaching
and Learning Center, California State University, Bakersfield.
Additional Resources:
Seven Principles for Good Practice: Enhancing Student Learning - Linked with permission from the
University of Delaware TA Handbook – as adapted from The Seven Principles Resource
Center, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota.

Cooperative Learning
By Jane Davis-Seaver, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
51
Cooperative learning can be accomplished in several ways. The central purpose of those ways,
however, is the same. Many students enjoy working in groups; they tend to do higher quality work,
retain more information, and raise the overall level of learning for the whole group when they work
in cooperative or collaborative groups. Advantages for the teacher are that more coverage of subject
matter can be done, more students are actively engaged in the topics, and the students take over the
responsibility for accomplishing the tasks required. It is important, however, for the groups to spell
out exactly what is expected from each group member, to be ure the work is divided fairly, and that
all members are satisfied with the final project before it is submitted for evaluation. Each group
member should clearly understand that any member who does not uphold the goals of the group, does
not attend the group meetings and does not hand in high-quality work on time may be removed from
the group by the other members of the group. Evaluation of group projects should be done by rubric.
Working in pairs is perhaps a good way to begin for those students who are not accustomed to working
together. The possibilities for problems are minimized when students can establish their own pairings.
However, at times it may be more efficient for the instructor to assign the pairs.
“Jigsaw” is another way to establish cooperative groups. The advantage of this strategy is that a lot of
material can be covered in a short amount of time. A key to making this work, however, is that at the
end of the project or research adequate time be given to presentations, and hand outs for everyone
must be given. “Jigsaw” means that subtopics under a larger topic are divided among several groups.
Each group researches or creates a part of the larger presentation, and when all group work is done,
each group presents their work to the rest of the groups. For example, a large topic in an education
class might be Teaching Methods. Several students can collaborate on the Montessori Method, another
group can research teacher-directed methods, and a third group could research student-directed
methods. Each group would present their findings and provide hand-outs for the other groups. All
students, however, would be responsible for knowing the information found by all the groups.
Groups can be formed in several ways. One quick and easy way is to have students “count off.” That is,
each student says a number. Then, all the 1’s are in a group, the 2’s are in another group, the 3’s in
another, etc. Another way is to have students choose a group according to their interest in or
knowledge about the topic the group will be working on. Another way is to have students analyze the
task, and then choose their members according to whom they feel can best meet the goals of the
project. For example, if artwork is going to be required, the group will want to have a member who is
talented in that area.
Additional Resources on Cooperative Learning:
Cooperative Learning - Linked with permission from the University of California at Santa
Barbara, Office of Instructional Development.
Reading Resources:
Cooper, Jim (1990), Cooperative Learning and College Teaching: Tips from the Trenches, The
Teaching Professor, 4 (5).
Crowley, Mary and Dunn, Ken (1993). Cooperative Learning at Dalhousie, a workshop
presented at Dalhousie University.
Fennell, Hope-Arlene (1994) Cooperative Learning: Students' Perceptions and Preferences,
The Lakehead University Teacher, 4 (1).
King, Alison (1993), From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side, College Teaching, 41 (1).
Millis, Barbara (1993), Cooperative Learning, a workshop presented at Dalhousie University.
Sego, Arlene (1991), Cooperative Learning: A Classroom Guide, Info-Tec, Cleveland, Ohio.

Adults as Learners
By Judie Bucholz, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
52
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
◆
Part of being an effective instructor involves understanding how adults learn. Malcolm
Knowles, who pioneered the field of adult learning, identified the following characteristics of
adult learners:
Adults are autonomous and self-directed. Effective instructors actively involve adult students
in the learning process and serve as facilitators for them. They get adult perspectives on topics
and let the students work on projects that reflect their interests. Effective instructors allow the
adult students to assume responsibility for presentations and group leadership. Instructors act as
facilitators, guiding students to their own knowledge rather than simply supplying them with
facts. Effective instructors show adult students how the class will help them reach their goals.
Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that includes workrelated
activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. Adults need to connect
learning to this knowledge and experience base. Effective instructors can help do this by
drawing out the student’s experience and knowledge that is relevant to the topics in the course.
Effective instructors relate theories and concepts to the students and recognize the value of
experience and sharing of experiences in the learning process.
Adults are goal-oriented. When adults enroll in a program, they usually know what goal they
want to attain. They, therefore, appreciate an educational program that is organized and well
defined. Most adults who are motivated to go to school do so primarily because they have use
for the knowledge or skill being sought. Effective instructors show how the course will help
them reach their goals early in the course. Effective instructors are organized in the delivery of
the course and reach the objectives outlined in the syllabus.
Adults are relevancy-oriented. They want to see a reason for learning something. Learning must
be applicable to their work or other responsibilities to be of value to them. Effective instructors
identify objectives for adult students before the course begins; theories and concepts should be
related to a setting familiar to adults. Allowing adults to choose projects that reflect their
interests and experience can bring relevancy into the classroom.
Adults are practical, focusing on the aspect of a lesson most useful to them in their work. Adults
may not be interested in knowledge for knowledge sake. While adults may tend to learn new
concepts more slowly, they compensate for this by being more accurate and making fewer trial
and error ventures. Effective instructors show adults how the lesson will be useful to them on
the job or their other responsibilities.
Adults, and all learners, need to be shown respect. Effective instructors acknowledge the wealth
of experiences that adult students bring to the classroom. Adults should be treated as equals in
experience and knowledge and be allowed to voice their opinion freely in the class room.
Shared lessons in life can prove an invaluable learning experience.
Educators must remember that learning occurs within each individual as a continual process
throughout life. People learn at different speeds and in different ways. Effective instructors
recognize this and incorporate different methodologies in their classrooms.
It is natural for some adult learners to be anxious or nervous when faced with a new learning
situation and many adults take errors personally. Positive reinforcement by the instructor can
enhance learning and overcome anxiety.
Learning results from stimulation of the senses. In some people, one sense is used more than
others to learn or recall information. Effective instructors present materials using technology
and other sources that stimulate as many senses as possible in order to increase their chances of
teaching success.
Sources used:
“30 Things We Know for Sure About Adult Learning” by Ron and Suzan Zembe.
“Principles of Adult Learning” by Stephen Lieb.

Time Management in the Classroom
By Muktha Jost, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
53
The key to time management in the classroom starts with a good, clear, and interesting
syllabus. The syllabus is your road map to the course and should include simply written sections
on goals of the course, topics covered, textbooks and other materials required, methods of
instruction, methods of assessment, grading scale, calendar, academic honesty and integrity,
and information about the instructor (office hours, phone number, e-mail, etc.)
For a semester filled with learning, take the first class and focus it on getting to know your
students and giving them opportunities to get to know each other. Communicate the best ways
to get in touch with you, ways to reach you and ask you for help, what you expect from them,
and what they can expect from you. If you can, learn the names of each and every one of your
students (depending on class size). For large class sizes, a digital camera can be handy to store
pictures of students.
Before the semester starts, design the course calendar. Make sure that each class meeting is at
least outlined with readings and activities. Make it a habit to assess continuously whether the
class activities are in sync with the goals of the course and the work assigned to the students.
Once you design and circulate the calendar, stick to it and announce any changes that you
may have to make to the calendar.
Before the class, spend time prepping the class space. Arrange it in ways that can make the
kind of communication and interaction that you want possible. When you design the agenda
for the class, make sure that you are matching it to the attention span of learners, interest in
the topic, prior knowledge about the subject, and familiarity with teaching methods. Breaking
up the class in segments for mini-lectures, group discussion, activity, reflection, etc are very
effective in conveying content in the time provided. If you are using technological tools, make
sure that they are set up and ready before class, and that you have a back up plan when the
tools fail.
Communication related to assessment is important when it comes to using class time
effectively. Grade student work promptly and return with constructive feedback to students.
This will help with student confusion or anxiety about their performance in your course.
While it’s important to keep your eye on the clock and make those transitions to the next
segment, do keep in mind that there are teachable moments that must be seized at the expense
of time. In addition, being around a few minutes before class begins to greet students and
answer questions, and staying after class to clarify questions and provide help can give that
extra support to those students hesitant to take class time for their needs.
Additional Resources include:
Time Management in the Classroom - Linked with permission from John Hopkins University.
(Scroll down to near the bottom of linked page to locate the Time Management section.)
The Role of Motivation & the Classroom Environment – Linked with permission from Ohio
State University. (Section begins on Page 2 of linked PDF file)

SECTION VI
Multiple Instructional Strategies, Situations, Techniques,
Technologies, and Tools
54
The courses I remember the most are the ones where the professor talked, used
videos, did demonstrations, used overheads and did other things to save us from
just listening to him droning on.
- Graduate student
Teaching with Technology
By Karen Smith-Gratto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Center for Professional Development,
School of Education
In order to insure that all students are provided with the opportunity to learn, learning
environments must be designed in ways that allow learners to approach learning in diverse
ways. First and foremost we need to understand that all learners are unique and interact with
the content based upon their experiences. Once we understand this, it becomes clear that
educational environments need to include a variety of techniques and tools to enhance
student learning.
Students come to the learning environment with their own experiences that affect how
they interpret the content. Students’ cultures, previous school experiences, and previous
interactions with the concepts will impact how much they interact with the material. How
well students learn and understand content is also influenced by the way the student
approaches learning (learning style), what type of intellectual approach a student uses,
and the student’s motivation to learn the subject at hand.
If we want students to “learn” then we have to provide experiences that address not just one
way of learning but multiple ways of learning and different levels of motivation. By planning
the learning experiences to take the differences of students into consideration, there is a
higher probability of student success. In this section, we will examine different ways to
address student diversity through the use of multiple teaching strategies that incorporate a
variety of techniques, technologies and tools.
Technology includes not only equipment and media but how we plan, deliver, and evaluate
instruction. In order to insure that we use instructional time effectively, systematic planning
is essential. While this section emphasizes the use of media and equipment, the importance
of the previous sections in which planning was discussed can not be overemphasized. In the
previous sections you learned that knowing the goals and objectives of the instruction were
important to establish so that the planning, delivery, and ultimately the evaluation of student
learning is consistent. Once we have established what students will be expected to know we
can choose the appropriate tools to help students achieve success. Media and technology are
just tools that can be employed to enhance learning.

Media (Audio-Visual Aids)
This section will be divided into the following types of media: Visual, Audio and Motion.
These types of media can be delivered through a variety of means. Visual media includes
non-projected and projected media. Chalk and white boards; posters; flipcharts (easels);
photographs; models; and real objects are examples of non-projected media. Projected media
includes overhead projection, filmstrip projection, slide projection and the use of Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD projectors) units. Audio can be delivered via tape, sound CD, and computer.
Motion media can be presented using both projected and non-projected means. The most
familiar means of delivering motion media is through the use of the television often combined
with the use of a video tape player (VCR). The LCD projector can project motion media via
a connection between the projector and a television, VCR, video camera, or computer.
55
Later in this section you will learn about diversity among learners. Perceptual preference is
one way that we can address diversity. Some students prefer auditory means, others prefer
visual stimulus, and still others must be kinetically involved in the learning environment.
Support for the use of different media and the development of different media by students as
a learning activity is also supported by Howard Garnder’s work in multiple intelligences. The
variety of media is one way to address different learning styles and multiple intelligences.
Visual Media
Visual media can help instructors by providing a concrete reference for abstract information.
Visuals run along a continuum from photographs which are the most realistic to drawings that
are easily identified with concrete objects, to symbolic graphics, and finally to verbal symbols.
Most visual forms can be delivered in both non-projected and projected formats. Regardless of
the delivery method, there are specific characteristics that need to be considered when
choosing or creating visuals. General visual design principles need to be followed in order to
avoid distracting or confusing students with the visual.
Visuals can help students understand material or can interfere with that understanding. The
application of visual design principles can help insure that the visual will contribute to
student understanding. You can refer to some of the books and web-sites in the Resource
section to gain a fuller understanding of what those principles are. One of the most
important to consider for instructional purposes is simplicity.
When the principle of simplicity is applied to visuals it serves as a guide to making the visual
easy for students to interpret. For example, let’s suppose we are teaching students to identify
different types of columns. We have two visuals available for use: a photograph of a building
with ionic columns and trees and people in the picture and a drawing of an ionic column.
For introductory purposes, the drawing would be best. Once students have been introduced to
different columns using the simpler representation, the photograph could be used to help
students transfer what was learned to the more complex representation.

When one uses visuals that incorporate text it is essential to have legible text. The following
elements need to be considered when using text in visuals:
56
Font style – Plain and simple (for projected
media use sans serif style fonts)
Special considerations for projected
media (like PowerPoint):
Font size – Should be large enough to be seen
easily by students sitting in the back of a
classroom when used with large groups. If the
fonts are small, the graphic should be used for
small groups only. When using PowerPoint or
other projections, font size should be at least
14 point for ease of reading by students
when projected.
❍ Use key phrases and words rather
than paragraphs.
❍ Use about six lines per slide (do not
crowd lines on the screen).
❍ Use graphics, animation, video to
support topic.
Use a combination of Upper and Lower case,
not all upper case. Text that is all upper case is
more difficult for readers to decode.
Foreground/background contrast – the color
of text should be quite distinct from the
background color. The use of textured
backgrounds (such as bricks) can hinder the
clarity of the text. When using textured
backgrounds make sure the text stands out
clearly or box the text with a solid
color background of sufficient
contrast.
❍ Motivational graphics and animation
should be used sparingly.
❍ Use screen transitions/animations
when changing concepts (do not use
for every screen).
❍ Use text animations to gradually
introduce information.
❍ Use sound effects sparingly as they
can distract learners.
Auditory Media
Auditory media provides learners with an additional means of learning material. We are used
to listening to lectures, but audio materials can be used for other types of learning experiences.
The first content areas that we consider as appropriate for auditory media are foreign language
and music. However, auditory media can be used to provide auditory instruction for individual
learners. Radio broadcasts, recordings of speeches, sound effects, and music can be used in
other content areas when appropriate.
Motion Media
For the purposes of this discussion, video and animation are motion media. Video and
animation can be delivered via VCR, laser disc, DVD player, and computer. In general, video
can provide step by step demonstrations of skills, case studies for analysis, or direct instruction.
Animation can present simplified examples of complex processes that would be difficult to
capture with video.

Chart of Media Use Applications and Suggestions
Media Techniques Uses
57
Non-projected
Chalk or white board
Real objects
•Write only short phrases or words.
•Write with side to board (half facing
board and half facing students).
•Print or write clearly.
• Appropriate for full class presentation as
long as text is large enough to be seen
in the rear of the classroom.
• Pass small objects.
• Point out specific details for notation
by students.
•Note key points or equations during
lecture.
• List student ideas as students produce
those ideas during discussions or
brainstorming.
• Use as reference point during lecture.
• Use to stimulate student discussion
or analysis prior to direct instruction.
• Demonstrate operation or use of object.
Flip Chart or Easel
• Write only short phrases or words when
not prepared prior to instruction.
• Write with side to board (half facing
board and half facing students).
• Print or write clearly.
• For prepared visuals, a pointer or ruler
can help focus students’ attention to
specific elements within the visual.
• Appropriate for full class presentation
as long as the text is large enough to be
seen in the rear of the classroom.
•Note key points or equations during
lecture.
• List student’s ideas as students produce
those ideas during discussions or
brainstorming.
• Have students use in small groups for
making notes to present to class.
• Have visuals placed on easel (for
example a graph, photograph, or
drawing that helps clarify the topic).
Poster
• Place where the poster will be steady
(holding up by hand is inappropriate).
Posters are best placed on an easel, on
a chalkboard tray, or tacked to
corkboard.
• Use to introduce new topic.
• Use to close topic.
• Provide a reference point during lecture.
• Provide a starting point for student
discussion.
Photographs and
Drawings
• Regular size photographs and drawings
are best used for small groups and by
individual learners.
• To stimulate discussion among students.
• To have students analyze information
from the photographs or drawings.
• To provide concrete reference for
students when being introduced to a
concept or reviewing a concept.

Media Techniques Uses
Projected
58
Overhead
transparencies
LCD Projections
ELMO Projections
Auditory
CDs, tapes, and
radio
• Follow visual design principles.
• Follow the elements for using text in
PowerPoint stated above.
• Prepare graphic and extensive text
overhead transparencies in advance
of class.
• Use permanent pens when creating
transparencies in advance.
• Can be used to project video tapes
from VCR or computer based
information.
• Can be used to project photographs,
drawings, small graphs, maps, tables,
and real objects. This allows large
class use of these items.
• An ELMO projector can also be
used to switch between projecting
real objects, and photographs, and
video and computer based materials.
• Make sure that volume will reach all
students and that the sound is clear.
• Use to provide visual focus during
lectures.
• Use blank transparencies to make notes
during student discussion and/or
brainstorming.
• Use blank transparencies for students to
put problem solutions on to share and
discuss with classmates.
• PowerPoint presentation to support
lecture.
• Interactive PowerPoint presentation
(designed with built in discussion
questions for students).
• To show videos for demonstration
purposes.
• To show animations to demonstrate
complex concepts.
• To show video case studies for analysis.
• Refer to photographs, drawings, and
real objects for uses.
• To provide examples of pronunciation.
• Individualized study.
• Analysis activities.
Video tape
DVD
Motion
• Can be shown using a VCR with a
television or with an LCD projector
(check to see if the projector needs
speakers when used with the VCR).
• Can be shown using a DVD player on
a television, or DVD player with
LCD projector, or computer with
DVD drive with LCD projector.
• Present new information.
• Provide demonstrations.
• Provide video case studies.
• Provide vicarious experience through
documentaries and dramatizations.
• Provide individualized instruction.
• Same as video tape.

Media Techniques Uses
Motion
59
Computer-based
animation
Computer-based
video
• When not used for individualized
instruction, the animations are
projected using an LCD projector.
• When not used for individualized
instruction, the video can be
projected using an LCD projector.
• Present a simulation of a process
(like cell division).
• Present a motivational animation.
• Same as video tape.
Computers and Instruction
Computers can be used to help students address a variety of objectives. Taylor (1980) divided
computer use in educational settings into three major categories: tools, tutors, and tutees.
Tools are applications that can be used by instructors or by students to create products.
Word-processing is the most common of these. However, depending upon the field of study
others are just as important. Auto-cad, graphic programs, and statistical analysis packages are
just a few that are appropriate in different areas of study.
Tutees are primarily programming languages and authoring software. Use of tutees is dependent
upon the area of study.
Tutors as a category covers a variety of software that can be considered instructional:
Drill and practice software is software that provides students with practice for skills that have
been previously taught. For example, a program that provided students with practice solving
equations. An example of a drill and practice program can be found at:
http://science.widener.edu/svb/tutorial/sigfigurescsn7.html (Significant Figures).
Notice the program presents problems for the student to solve.
Tutorial software as a specific category under tutors describes software that is used to
introduce new information and requires learner input to which the program responds in ways
that helps the student master the material. For example, students are presented with
animations and audio that explains different types of chemical bonding. Students would
watch the animations as a voice would tell them what was happening. The next text might
be used to describe how one would complete chemical equations based upon what was shown
in the animations. Examples of equations and their solutions would be provided. Throughout
the introduction of the materials students would be asked questions to evaluate their
understanding of the concepts. When students demonstrate understanding, the tutorial
would introduce another type of bonding or more complex equations to solve. When
students respond incorrectly, the tutorial would reteach the information in a different way.
An example of a tutorial that provides pretesting (question by question) and presents
information when asked for or as reteaching can be found at:
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/tutorials/immunology/main.html
(Introduction to Immunology).
Simulations are also a type of tutor.
One type of simulation shows students how something works and does not require
student input. An example of this can be seen at http://www.med.ucla.edu/wilkes/inex.htm
(The Auscultation Assistant) which is a web-site that allows medical students to hear
heart and breathing sounds of different types.

The second type of simulation is one that can be considered problem-solving. Students are
given “real world” or “authentic” type problems to address. These can be simple problems in
which the student provides information for variables and then sees whether the solution
succeeded. An example of this is a “Gas Simulation” which can be found at:
http://intro.chem.okstate.edu/2001ACS/MoLEGasLawManual.pdf. The web address gives
directions on how to use the simulation and the link to the simulation. Students input
information and then see how that impacts the gas molecules.
Simulations Problem-solving software also falls under the category of tutors. Students are
presented with logic problems or other types of problems such as visual analysis problems
(similar to jigsaw puzzles). These are simulations when they use “authentic” or “real world”
situations so that this area overlaps simulations. An example of problem-solving software
(which is also a game) is found at: http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/picturepyramid and
is called Picture Pyramid.
Simulations Games are also considered under the tutorial category. Consider a game such as
hangman (there are computer versions). Games have individuals compete either against
themselves, the computer or another person. Usually there is a score.
60
As you can see from the above categories, software often combines elements for different
categories. A tutorial can have elements of drill and practice and problem-solving combined
with the direct instruction. Drill and practice can be combined with game elements to make it
more palatable to students. Taylor’s categories did not include the use of the Internet. As can
be seen from the reading above, his categories show up on the Internet. The tutors are quite
evident but so too are tools. Students can access a variety of databases from disks, intranets,
and the Internet (the government ERIC database is just one example). The use of the Internet
includes more than the publicly accessible information and programs, it also includes courses
that must be accessed using logins and passwords. One such program is BlackBoard.
Platforms such as BlackBoard are used for on-campus course support or on-line course delivery
over the Internet. BlackBoard contains several tools that can be used for either purpose. All
students registered in the class are usually automatically enrolled in the course shell for the
appropriate semester. This allows the instructor to e-mail students without looking up addresses.
If the instructor prepares students and requires that they log into BlackBoard (for face-to-face
courses), announcements can be placed that appear when the student opens the course. In
addition, there are live chat capabilities (synchronous conversation), discussion board
capabilities (asynchronous conversation), course document areas, assessment (quiz and test)
capabilities, and the ability to place student grades in a format that students can access.
As a support for face-to-face courses, it can be used to post the syllabus, provide live links to
web-based materials that students will use in the course, and provide a common location for
assignments and additional course documents.
While the delivery method is different from face-to-face delivery similar concerns about active
student involvement apply. As an on-line delivery system, usually all materials are placed in
the shell, including quizzes. However, some instructors choose to put all materials on a CD
and have the students use the shell only for uploading assignments and participating in
on-line discussions.

Incorporating Instructional Technology
By Karen Smith-Gratto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Center for Professional Development,
School of Education
61
Systematic planning of instruction is one of the elements of instructional technology. This has
been discussed previously so in this section, how to consider the use of media and other
technological tools will be addressed. Once you know what your goals and objectives are for
the instruction (which can include state or professional organization standards), you establish
learning activities. Not all goals and objectives require the use of media or technology,
however, by examining the type of learning expected, you can best determine what type of
media or technological tools would be appropriate. In addition, the learning activities and
methods chosen will also influence the choice of the most appropriate media or technological
tools. Refer to the Chart for Media Use and in the section on Computers and Instruction to
help determine which are most appropriate.
Additional Resources on Teaching and Learning
Brightman, H. J., & Bahda, Y. K. (n.d.). Master Teacher Programs. Retrieved: February 14,
2004. http://www.masterteacherprogram.com/ This source provides basic information
about teaching and learning styles.
Campbell, L., Campbell, B., & Dickinson, D. (2004). Teaching and Learning Through Multiple
Intelligences. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. This book provides concrete examples of
activities that can be used to help students access learning through the use of different
learning activities.
Chang, D., Dooley, L., & Tuovinen, J.E. (2002). Gestalt Theory in Visual Design – A New Look
at an Old Subject. Paper presented at: Seventh World Conference on Computers in
Education. Copenhagen, July 29 – August 3, 2001. Retrieved: February 14, 2004
http://crpit.com/confpapers/CRPITV8Chang.pdf This article provides insights into
using this theory to improve the visual design for instructional materials.
Heinich, R., Molenda, M., Russell, J.D., & Smaldino, S. E. Instructional Media and Technologies
for Learning. (7th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill-Prentice-Hall. This book
provides theoretical and practical information about the use of media and computers in
educational settings.
Indiana University. (2004). CTL Learning Styles Site. Retrieved: February 14, 2004.
http://www.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/ls1.html This web-site provides information about
learning styles.
Lajoie, S. P. & Derry, S. J. (Eds.). (1993). Computers as Cognitive Tools. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. This book discusses how computers can be used to
address higher level learning objectives.
Leflore, D. & Smith-Gratto, K. (1999). Using learning theory to improve instructional
computer presentations. American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Journal, 2.
Retrieved: February 14, 2004. http://www.aabss.org/journal1999/f16Leflore.html This
article provides theoretical and practical ways to design PowerPoint presentations to
encourage active participation by students.
Lever-Duffy, J., McDonald, J. B., & Mizell, A. P. (2003). Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Boston:Allyn and Bacon. This book provides information about using media in
educational settings with emphasis on computer uses.

Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT). Retrieved:
February 15, 2004. This is a data base created for university instructors in many different
fields.The sites listed as instructional sites are reviewed and described. This is an
excellent resource for finding computer-based resources to enhance learning.
62
New Horizons for Learning. (2002). Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved: February 14, 2004.
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/mi/front_mi.htm This web-site provides
information about Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences.
Shin, S., Smith, S. & Job, K. (n.d.). Visual Design of Web Pages. Retrieved: February 14, 2004.
http://www.people.memphis.edu/~kjob/wbi/Index.html#indextopofpage This web-site
provides information about visual design principles. While the authors say that the
principles are for the design of webpages the principles apply to other forms of visual
media, too.
Teaching Methods & Instructional Strategies – Linked with permission from University of
Georgia.
Teaching with Technology – Linked with permission from The Penn State Teacher II: Learning
to Teach; Teaching to Learn, a publication of Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence
at Pennsylvania State University.
University of Delaware - Center for Teaching Effectiveness
Full-length articles on these topics were linked with permission from the TA Handbook -
• Interactive Lecturing
• Audiovisual Aids
• Instructional Technologies
• Student Participation
• Internal Student Involvement
• Active Student Involvement
• Questioning Strategies
• Instructional Discussion
• Choosing Groups
• Laboratory Instruction
• Demonstrations
• Teaching Problem Solving Skills
(See also University of Washington)
• Problem Based Learning

Teaching Through Discussion
By Marihelen Glass, Ph.D., CPH
Professor of Horticulture
School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
63
Class discussion can be a powerful tool
for teaching and learning, but good
discussions rarely happen by accident.
Discussions should be interesting, lively,
and most important — used as an
effective tool for helping students
learn. Good discussions are prepared in
advance. As the instructor, you need
to prepare yourself before a discussion
takes place.
Good discussions are purposefully led.
Develop strategies to keep the discussion moving.
What do you want students to learn from this
discussion?
Clarify your goals for the discussion.
Plan guiding questions for the discussion.
Design activities that will prepare students to discuss.
Provide focused study questions before class.
Post guiding questions prior to the discussion.
Ask students to respond to the guiding
questions, in writing or in small groups,
prior to the discussion.
Before the discussion, work with
the students to set ground rules
for participation, courtesy, and
inclusiveness.
During the discussion, ask
questions that establish what
students understand
(comprehension and review)
before asking them to do more
complex or original thinking
(apply or critique).
Pause 5-10 seconds after a
question so that students have
time to formulate thoughtful
responses.
Ask follow-up questions that
allow students to develop or
clarify a response.
Be aware of the effect of
non-verbal cues such as eye
contact, gestures, posture, and
position in the room.
After the discussion, provide a
record or summary of key points
as they have emerged, either
orally or on the board.
Draw connections between the day’s discussion and other topics students are learning in the
course. Good discussions are assessed. How will you determine what students learned from the
discussion? Leave time at the end of class for students to write key points from the discussion or
list important questions that remain for them.
Develop continuing assignments or quiz questions based on class discussions. Good discussions
lead to more discussions. How will the next discussion build on the learning created in this
discussion? Use students’ end-of-class comments or written responses to help you plan the next
discussion. Then emphasize connections between the new topic and earlier discussions.
Reference:
Teaching and Learning Bulletin, Center for Instructional Development and Research.
University of Washington.
For further information on facilitating class discussions, see Frequently Asked Questions about
Discussion, link provided with permission by Indiana University.

Planning A Class - Guidelines for Lectures
By Kenneth H. Murray, Ph.D., PE
Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and
Dean of Graduate Studies
64
Below are slides from a PowerPoint presentation that outline how to plan a class session by
organizing the lesson and creating board notes that allow students to more easily follow the lesson.
Planning A Class
Lesson Organization
and Board Notes
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
A Structured Methodology for
Organizing a Class
✰ Formulate learning objectives
Develop in-class learning activities.
Prepare a lesson outline.
Prepare “board notes.”
Develop out-of-class learning activities.
Select reading assignments.
Develop homework assignments and projects.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003

A Structured Methodology for
Organizing a Class
✰ Formulate learning objectives
Develop in-class learning activities.
Prepare a lesson outline.
Prepare “board notes.”
Develop out-of-class learning activities.
Select reading assignments.
Develop homework assignments and projects.
65
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
Prepare a Lesson Outline
Identify major topics to be covered or learning
activities to be performed.
Typically 5 - 8 per class.
Should address the lesson objectives.
Determine the hierarchy of concepts.
Determine a logical sequence.
Plan visual aids and demonstrations.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
Some Ideas
For sensory learners, include practical example
problems (with real numbers).
For visual learners, use sketches, graphs, pictures,
demonstrations, and video clips.
For inductive learners, work a problem or show an
application first then develop the theory.
For active learners, use small group exercises in class,
and allow students to collaborate on homework.
For global learners, discuss the relevance of the subject
and relate it to concepts from other lessons and courses.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003

Example Lesson Outline
EM302, Lesson 16: WORK-ENERGY 1
66
I. Introduction
II. In-class assessment quiz; review as
necessary
A. “Big Picture” where Work-Energy
fits into EM302
B. Scaler/Dot products
III. Characteristics of Work-Energy
Method
IV. Derivation of W-E relationship from
Newton’s Second Law
A. Signs on energy terms
B. Can use this relationship to solve
for one unknown
V. Identify forces/moments that “do
work” and that “do not work”
VI. Determine work due to:
A. Weight
B. Kinetic friction
C. Springs (students do this and
others for homework)
VII. Unbalanced wheel on ramp example
to demonstrate sign of work term.
Use group work.
VIII. Little Red Wagon (LRW) example solving
a problem using entire W-E relationship
A. Read the problem
B. Draw the method
C. Apply Priciples
D. Use math to solve
E. “Does the answer make sense?”
IX. Homework/Next class
Prepare “Board Notes”
The entire classroom presentation recorded
accurately on paper.
Generally one board per topic.
Plan use of colored chalk.
Illustrates hierarchy of ideas.
Enhances clarity, especially for graphics.
Adds distinctive character to the class.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
Blank “Board Notes” Sheet

67
Content of Board Notes
All lesson content that you intend to discuss
in class.
May include:
Administrative announcements.
Visual aids and demonstrations.
Questions.
Transitions.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
Why Are Transitions Important?
Integrate discrete topics into a coherent whole.
Establish relationships between topics.
Establish relationships between a given topic,
prior knowledge, and the “big picture”.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003

Using “Board Notes”
68
Preparation:
Facilitates lesson organization.
Serves as a rehearsal for class.
Use for reference during class.
Frees up your hands.
Frees up a lot of RAM.
Use a record of what you taught.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
Classroom
Assessment
Technique
Approximate Analogy
Board Notes are to a Class Presentation
as _________________ is to __________________
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003
A Structured Methodology for
Organizing a Class
✰ Formulate learning objectives
Develop in-class learning activities.
Prepare a lesson outline.
Prepare “board notes.”
Develop out-of-class learning activities.
Select reading assignments.
Develop homework assignments and projects.
ExCEEd Teaching Workshop 13-18 July 2003

Notes on Effective Lecturing
By Mrs. Susan M. Payne
Research Assistant
School of Graduate Studies
69
In your role as a Teaching Assistant, you may be called upon to present a lecture. Your purpose
should not simply be to transmit information – a book can do this more efficiently. Think of
lecturing as a useful way to provide structure, organize scattered material, pace student
learning, and reinforce assigned reading by providing an alternative perspective or source of
information. A few tips to make lecturing easier and more effective include:
• Speak clearly and loudly enough to
be heard. This may seem obvious,
but according to undergraduates,
some TAs are ‘mumblers.’ Before you
begin, you might suggest that people
signal with a raised hand if they
can’t hear you.
• Avoid distracting mannerisms
including verbal tics like “um” or
“you know,” or methodically
straightening your notes or adjusting
your tie.
• Provide an introduction. Begin with
a concise statement, something that
will preview the lecture. Give the
listeners a “map” of where you are
going during the remainder of your
presentation. Refer to previous
lessons to attract and focus the
attention of your audience on what
is to come.
• Repeat your points in two or three
different ways. Your listeners may
not have heard or understood the
first time, or they may need more
time to write your points down.
• Present an outline. Use the
chalkboard, an overhead
transparency, or better yet – a
handout. Then be sure that you refer
to the outline as you move from
point to point in your lecture so the
students do not get ‘lost’ or lose
sight of the big picture.
• Emphasize principles and
generalizations. Research suggests
that these are what people really
remember—and they are probably
what you really want to teach.
• Include examples or concrete ideas.
Use specific examples that help both
understanding and remembering.
• Use short sentences. Very long or
overly complex sentences are more
difficult to understand when
listening than when reading.
• Stress important points. This can be
done with your tone of voice and by
being explicit (e.g., “Write this
down”; “This is important”; “This
will be on the test.”).
• Pause often. Don’t rush through your
material. Give your listeners time to
think and to write.
• Make eye contact with each
student at least once during the
lecture. This personalizes the
lecture and increases a student’s
sense of involvement.
• Do not read from your lecture notes
or from your presentation slides if it
is a PowerPoint presentation. Use a
set of guide notes to make certain
you cover all intended items.
Remember these points about the style, content, and clarity of your presentation and your
students will gain maximum benefit from the lecture.
For further information on lecturing, see Improving Lecturing Skills: Some Insights From
Speech Communication, linked with permission by Indiana University.

Teaching Laboratory Sections
By Vallie Guthrie, Ph.D.
Director
Greensboro Area Math/Science Education Center (GAMSEC)
70
The purpose of laboratory instruction is to allow students to actively participate in real science
experiments and processes of science, and to allow them to discover science phenomena for
themselves. Lab classes help students gain competence in the following science processes:
1. Stating and delimiting problems
2. Controlling variables
3. Controlling conditions
4. Making measurements
5. Tabulating and interpreting data
Genuine discovery or problem solving laboratory experiences are generally preferred to the
structured ‘cookbook-type’ exercises. The discovery/problem solving activities allow students to
construct their own knowledge and to minimize the idea that the scientific method is a
magical route to scientific discovery. It becomes, instead, a method whose effectiveness is
determined to a large extent by the care with which disciplined, but often quite ordinary
persons find answers to ordinary as well as extraordinary problems.
Typical Daily Activities in the Classroom
Start and end on time.
6. Completing laboratory reports
7. Drawing conclusions
8. Solving problems related to experiments
9. Developing laboratory techniques
Take roll every class period. Keep your roll book up-to-date and in a secure location. Make a
photocopy of the pages periodically and keep at home or another safe place as a backup.
Students cannot receive credit for completing an experiment if they did not attend the class
and perform the experiment themselves under the supervision of the assigned instructor.
Prepare yourself well and outline in writing (being very specific) what you are going to teach.
Share your plans with an experienced colleague or mentor and practice before the lesson.
Outline your goals for the class period on the chalkboard or overhead for the students to
follow. This provides a focus for students as the lesson unfolds.
Start each class with a brief recap or summary of the previous class. This may include
returning corrected lab reports to students, reviewing the purpose of the experiment,
providing answers to key activity questions and exercises, and summarizing scores made
by the class.
Then initiate an ‘assessment of prior knowledge’ activity or question to determine what/how
much students already know about the subject matter to be taught or experiment to be
performed in the forthcoming class period.
When using the chalkboard or overhead projector, make sure it is clean, uncluttered, and
easily visible by all students in the room.
When lecturing or discussing material with the class, stand to the side so students can view
what you have on the chalkboard or overhead.
Look into their faces as you talk and look for signs of comprehension, confusion, problems,
etc. as you cover the material.
If students do not ask questions, plan your lessons so that you can ask THEM questions along
the way to determine if they are getting a grasp of the material you are covering.

Make sure your voice projects so everyone in the room can hear adequately.
Remember that students retain only 10% of what you say in a lecture, but by showing some
visual element or action you can increase that retention to about 30%. By involving them in
some activity related to the learning that retention of knowledge increases to about 50%.
Students learn/retain the most (around 90%) when they are teaching other students. Design
a strategy for getting students to work in study groups where they can learn from each other.
71
Conclude each class with a prepared summary. This means you should stop “teaching” about
10 minutes before the end of class so that you have time to summarize what you have covered
that day and answer any questions that arise. For lab classes, allow enough time for students to
complete the experiment.
Evaluate yourself after each class and keep a record of your findings. Make note of errors so
you will not repeat them in future teaching of same concepts. Also note what you did
exceptionally well. Review your prepared notes and mark anything that left students confused
or where you noticed problems. This will help you prepare for the lesson differently next time.
Reviewing the Experiment for the Day
The Pre-Laboratory Discussion is designed to introduce the experiment for the day, its objectives,
and to share safety tips, laboratory tips, etc. Be careful not to tell the students so much that they
do not have the enthusiasm to carry out the experiment. The following are the components of
the pre-laboratory discussion:
Write the TITLE of the
experiment and the
PURPOSE on the board.
Review the OBJECTIVES
for the experiment.
Safety is the NUMBER
ONE priority in the
laboratory! The instructor
must closely monitor
students by moving through
the room as experiments are
being conducted. NEVER
leave students alone in the
Give a definition of terms
and explanation of the undergirding
science of the
experiment.
Provide safety tips (see below).
Review clean-up procedures
and requirements.
Safety Tips
lab when experiments are
taking place.
Students and instructor must
wear goggles if there will be
any heating, hammering,
etc.
Clean Up Procedures
Decide and announce what
is due at the end of the lab
and what to do if they
cannot complete the entire
experiment in the specific
time period.
The hood must be turned on
if there is any heating and
all heating must be done
under the hood.
No solids should be poured
into the sinks. The sinks will
be checked before and after
each lab.
Cleaner laboratories are a 2003-2004 focus!
They will be inspected after each laboratory
class and a condition report will be prepared
and provided to the chemistry chairperson
each week.
It is easier to require students to clean -up
after themselves than to do it yourself.
All glassware should be washed.
All bottles/jars should be wiped with a paper
towel to remove spills. All desktops should be
wiped down.
All lids and tops for chemicals must be
returned and screwed on tightly.
All equipment should be returned to desk
drawers or other designated areas.
The hood should be turned off.
Every student must turn in the lab report for
the experiment performed that day before
leaving the lab.

Teaching Tips
Move around the classroom and monitor
students as they perform experiments and
procedures. Move from group to group and
observe. Ask questions. Look for safety in
progress. Look for examples of students not
having read the experiment or for students
who have the answers and are not doing the
experiment. Review the wording of the
answers to questions the students are writing.
When you note an answer that is not correct
or well stated, ask the student to review the
answer again.
Some type of laboratory report should be
required of all students and for all
experiments completed in the lab. Laboratory
reports or notebooks must be corrected by the
instructor and returned to each student on a
regular basis. Students need constant and
periodic evaluation of their work in order to
know whether they correctly understand the
required course work or not.
72
Lost and Found
If any personal items (textbooks, notebooks, calculators, etc.) are left by students, leave
them with the secretary in the department each day. Inform students that this is the
procedure and they should check with the secretary if they are missing an item.
Accidents and Incidents
All accidents and incidents must be
reported to the department chair as soon
as they occur.
Write down the name, SS#, local address
and phone # of the student(s) involved,
the course # and section #, date, time,
name of instructor, and title of
experiment. Then describe exactly what
happened and what you did in response.
Students are not to be allowed to use
profanity, be disrespectful, or pose any
danger to the instructor, their classmates,
or themselves during class. The instructor
should address all such cases by writing it
up and notifying the chairperson or
supervising instructor.
A first aid course will be provided by the
course coordinator at an agreed upon
time/place and all instructors are required
to attend.
Quizzes and the Final Examination
For laboratory classes, two
quizzes will be given on
the dates listed in the
schedule of experiments.
An experiment is
scheduled after each quiz.
Each instructor will write
the quiz for each class and
remind students of quizzes
during the pre-laboratory
discussion two weeks prior
to each quiz.
Make sure students have
received their corrected
experimental papers prior
to each.
The final exam covers all
experiments done in and
out of class. It is given on
Tuesday and Thursday of
the last week of the
semester at the time the
class regularly meets.
There should be a review
session for the final
examination.
Teaching Laboratory Sections - Linked with permission from Iowa State University.
(Scroll about half way down through linked article to locate this section)

Safety Considerations
By Etta C. Gravely, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry,
College of Arts and Sciences
73
To achieve safe conditions for students in the classroom and other laboratory workers in the
laboratory setting, evacuation routes should be prominently and permanently posted in every
classroom, laboratory and other appropriate locations throughout the building. If this is not
prominently displayed so that the Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) can direct the students
as to where they are to exit the building and assembly outside of the building, the GTA should
request that the building representative or safety officer provide the information to them.
GTAs should know the location of and how to operate the fire exits, telephones and alarms in
the buildings where they are teaching. For each group exiting, designate one or two persons to
be responsible for counting those present after exiting and report the information to the
individual in charge. No one should return to the building until the individual in charge
authorizes the students to do so.
Before doing demonstrations in the classroom, the GTA should review the Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS), which provide information on the hazards and precautions for
chemicals that are normally used in an industrial workplace. Please note that some of the
information included in an MSDS may not apply to the chemical when it is used, handled or
stored as a laboratory chemical. Consult the ACS Publication “Safety in the Academic
Laboratories” for a list of the Common MSDS Errors regarding academic settings.
Proper ventilation is essential for demonstrations producing airborne toxic substances (dusts,
mists and fumes) that are considered to be chronic toxins. If someone needs medical attention,
call campus security, the laboratory technician in charge, and the medical personnel at the
Sebastian Health Center (334-7880). The laboratory technician will arrange for someone
knowledgeable to accompany the victim to get help in the event of an accident. Report all
accidents and near misses to your supervisor and the building safety officer. Maintain records of
all accidents, including those requiring only minor medical treatment. If a student causes an
accident or a near miss, require the student to write a report indicating how the student thinks
it could have been prevented. File this report with your supervisor and the building safety officer.
The laboratory instructor must be in the laboratory during the entire laboratory period.
Do not allow untrained students or visitors to work with chemical. Prior to each laboratory
session, discuss with the students the possible hazards involved in the specific experiment.
Model appropriate protective equipment and insist that each student wear the same protective
equipment. Inform students to report unsafe acts engaged in by other students to you.
Apprise students of the location and use of safety equipment and facilities such as exits, safety
showers and eyewash fountains. Ascertain from each student the chemicals that they are
known to be allergic or sensitive to. Also inquire if students have any medical conditions that
may be complicated by exposure to certain chemicals.
During the pre-laboratory discussions, model or illustrate the set-up of equipment required for
the experiment. Illustrate the proper method for detecting the odor of a non-toxic chemical.
Laboratory Safety Guidelines
(Extracted from the Student Safety Contract, Department of Chemistry, N.C. A&T State
University)
Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the laboratory.
Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you do not understand a direction or
part of a procedure, ask the instructor before proceeding.
Never work alone. No student may work in the laboratory without the instructor present.

Do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the laboratory area until you
are instructed to do so.
Any time chemicals, heat, or glassware are used, students will wear laboratory glasses or goggles.
There will be no exceptions to this rule! Safety glasses are provided for each student upon
checking into the laboratory. It is the student’s responsibility to bring the safety glasses to each lab.
Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory. Do not use laboratory
glassware as containers for food or beverages.
Dress properly during a laboratory activity. Long hair, dangling jewelry, and loose or baggy
clothing are a hazard in the laboratory. Long hair must be tied back and dangling jewelry and
loose or baggy clothing must be secured. Shoes must completely cover the foot. No sandals
allowed.
Contact lenses should not be worn in the laboratory.
Be prepared for your work in the laboratory. Read and complete all pre-lab assignments prior to
coming to the laboratory. Never fool around in the laboratory. Horseplay, practical jokes, and
pranks are dangerous and prohibited.
Observe good housekeeping practices. Work areas should be kept clean and orderly at all times.
Bring only your laboratory instructions, lab notebooks, worksheets and/or reports to the work area.
Dispose of all chemical waste properly. Sinks are to be used only for water and those solutions
designated by the instructor. Solid chemicals, metals, filter paper, and all other insoluble materials
are to be disposed of in the proper waste containers, not in the sink.
Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth, and body while using chemicals. Wash you hands
thoroughly after performing all experiments. Clean, rinse, and wipe dry all work surfaces and
apparatus at the end of the experiment. Return all equipment clean and in working order to the
proper storage area.
Dispose of all broken glassware in the designated glass receptacles only.
Experiments must be personally monitored at all times. You will be provided a laboratory station
at which to work. Do not wander around the room, distract other students, or interfere with the
laboratory experiments of others.
Students are never permitted in the chemistry storeroom or the chemical preparation area.
Know the locations and operating procedures of all safety equipment including the first aid kit,
eyewash station, safety shower, fire extinguisher, and fire blanket. Know where the fire alarm and
the exits are located.
All chemicals in the laboratory are to be considered dangerous. Do not touch, taste, or smell any
chemicals unless specifically instructed to do so. The proper technique for smelling chemical
fumes will be demonstrated to you.
Never return unused chemicals to their original containers.
Never use mouth suction to fill a pipet. Use a rubber bulb or pipeter.
Report any accident (spill, breakage, etc.) or injury (cut, burn, etc.) to the instructor immediately.
If a chemical should splash in your eye(s) or on your skin, immediately flush with running water
from the eyewash station or the safety shower for at least 20 minutes. Notify the instructor
immediately.
Exercise extreme caution when using a gas burner. Take care that hair, clothing, and hands are a
safe distance from the flame at all times. Never reach over an exposed flame.
Never leave a lit burner unattended. Never leave anything that is being heated or is visibly
reacting unattended. Always turn off the burner or hot plate when it is not in use.
Heated materials and glass remain very hot for a long period of time. Do not place any hot
apparatus directly on the laboratory desk. Always use the wire gauze pad.
NEVER sit on any laboratory counter surface! All aisles must be kept clear.
74

Strategies to Enhance Learning
By Anthony Graham, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
75
It is important that Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) vary their instructional methods
and styles in the classroom to meet the needs of all learners. The GTA should set a goal to
educate all students and their charge should be to find ways to include students in the learning
process rather than ways to exclude them.
The biggest error that most teachers make is they teach the way that they learned best. Thus, a
teaching assistant who learns best through visual representations will often rely heavily on
visual aids in the classroom. While this method may prove beneficial to some students, it can
be dreadful to others. Consequently, you must make a conscientious effort to create a classroom
environment that welcomes all students to the table of knowledge.
Central to this idea of teaching all students are learning styles. There are two learning styles
with which students possess when they enter the classroom -- analytic learning styles and
relational learning styles. Students who are analytic learners feel comfortable using small pieces
of information to build a larger picture. These students tend to focus on facts, and typically feel
more comfortable working individually. Those students who are relational learners feel more
comfortable beginning with the large picture and breaking it down into smaller parts.
In order to reach each student regardless of learning style, GTAs must address the various
learning modalities, or receptive learning styles, within their classroom instructional methods.
There are three learning modalities that GTAs should recognize and address in their pedagogical
practices: visual learning styles, auditory learning styles, and tactile (kinesthetic) learning
styles. The classroom should be arranged in a manner that each student has the opportunity to
receive information through one of these learning modalities.
Although this task may seem overwhelming, GTAs can address these learning modalities with
various teaching strategies that they implement during the planning stage of their courses.
They should recognize that students who are visual learners prefer to receive information
pictorially. Thus, classroom instruction that involves television or movie clips, paintings,
drawings, charts, graphs, timelines, Internet sites, and drama/stage productions will help these
students “see” the main idea of the instruction.
Those students who are auditory learners will prefer to listen to material rather than read
about them. Class lectures and discussions will benefit these students, as well as music or radio
excerpts, speeches, and debates. Students who are kinesthetic learners prefer to be physically
involved in the learning process, because they learn through touching, moving, and
manipulating objects. Effective classroom instruction for these learners involves role playing,
hands-on activities like labs and experiments, creating productions like plays or movies, or
conducting fieldwork.
Graduate Teaching Assistants who develop thoughtful lessons that are sensitive to each of
these learning modalities into their classes often see the greatest gains in their students’
performances. Students in these instructors’ classes often discuss how “fun” the class was or
how engaged they were in the learning process, because the GTA kept the students at the
center of the instruction rather than catering to his/her individual preferences. In addition,
these GTAs put much thought and consideration into their lesson planning for the course. In
order to address these students’ needs, it is imperative that you give much thought and
consideration about the various mediums that you can use to address students’ learning
modalities. Thus, GTAs who prepare properly will prevent their students’ poor performance.

Table of Suggested Instructional Activities for Learning Modalities
Discipline Mathematics/ Physical Sciences Humanities/
Modality
Engineering/
Social Sciences
Technology
76
VISUAL
Demonstrations
Graphs, flow charts
Projections
Trajectories
Vector diagrams
Sketches
Numerical examples
Overhead transparency
Demonstrations
Simulations
Concept maps
Flowchart
Colored chalk
Films/Movies
Field Observations
Storyboards
Paintings
Drawings
Films/Movies
Television clips
Multimedia presentations
(PowerPoint, Frontpage)
AUDITORY
Teacher-led lectures
Interactive lectures
Verbal directives
Descriptive problems
Descriptive projects
Group discussions
Class discussions
Peer conferences
Instructor conferences
Teacher-led lectures
Interactive lectures
Class discussions
Group discussions
Panel discussions
Guest speakers
Peer conferences
Instructor conferences
Speeches
Teacher-led lectures
Interactive lectures
Panel discussions
Class discussions
Group discussions
Case study discussions
Debates
Peer conferences
Instructor conferences
KINESTHETIC
Lab experiments
Poster presentations
Peer teaching
Graphing
Proof work
Project building
Problem-solving
activities
Manipulatives
Lab experiments
Manipulatives
Categorizing activities
Creating pictures,
drawings, and graphs
Peer teaching
Class presentations
Games
Poster presentations
Field experiments
Role playing
Movie productions
Interactive games
Writing assignments
(journals, one minute
papers)
Research
Peer teaching
Dance/movement
Drama productions

In addition, effective GTAs use various strategies in their classroom to create a sense of
community with their students. To achieve this end, you may want to consider the
following ideas:
77
Involve students in the planning of your course: Make the course truly “student
centered” by learning from the students what they want to learn within the course and
how they would like to go about learning this information.
Begin with what students know: Rather than assuming that all students are on the
same playing field, determine exactly where students are in regard to course knowledge.
Once accomplished, the effective Graduate Teaching Assistant can begin to plan
creative and challenging lessons that will move the students from where they are to
where the instructor (and the students) would like for them to be.
Make material meaningful and relevant to the real world: The effective Graduate
Teaching Assistant is able to connect the course content to the world in which students
live. When students can make these connections, then the course material becomes |
more meaningful to their lives.
Allow immediate application of knowledge: Once students have been introduced to
the course content, provide opportunities for them to apply that knowledge.
Application exercises reinforces the content material. The key, however, is that the
application exercises should be meaningful and authentic to the students’ lives.
Provide immediate feedback: Students need to know how they are doing and where
they need to improve. Effective Graduate Teaching Assistants provide ongoing feedback
to their students that encourages them to reflect on their work and promotes positive
change in their work behaviors. Thus, providing immediate, honest, and ongoing
feedback benefits all learners.
These specific strategies used in conjunction with varied pedagogical practices can help
students learn at a maximal level, which is the outcome of all effective instruction.
Additional Resources:
Strategies to Enhance Learning - Linked with permission from University of California –
Santa Barbara, Office of Instructional Development.

Teaching Strategies for a Diverse Student Body
By Gloria M. Palma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies,
School of Education
78
Currently, culturally and linguistically diverse students in the classrooms face barriers and
challenges to their academic success on a daily basis. Providing excellence in the classroom is
difficult if the instructor and students have different styles of communication, cultural beliefs,
and modes of interaction. In order to minimize these barriers to academic excellence in a class
room characterized by a diverse student body, the following teaching strategies are suggested:
Set high expectations for all students
and specify task outcomes in terms of
learning.
Be sure to communicate clearly when
giving directions and new information.
Monitor student progress and provide
immediate feedback relevant to
student work.
Feedback should be clear, specific, and
task-related and should be given to all
students regardless of race, gender, or
color.
Provide class activities that require
“teamwork” or “cooperative learning.”
Working in a group setting will build
the students’ self-confidence and
interpersonal skills.
Provide opportunities for active learning
that can be pursued independently or
with peers. Class activities that require
application of theories or concepts
learned in class will motivate the
students to engage in class work rather
than sitting still listening to the
instructor’s lecture the whole time.
Use a variety of teaching styles. Students
have individual learning styles and learn
best in different ways. Although some
students may be visual learners, others
may use more of auditory or tactile modes
of learning.
Be culturally responsive as an
instructor. Make ways to learn more
about the diverse cultural and linguistic
backgrounds of your students.
Encourage students to ask questions.
Provide lecture outlines or copies of
PowerPoint presentations. Some students
may need time to write class notes during
a lecture. In order to avoid important
points missed during a lecture, handing
students an outline of the instructor’s
lecture presentations will be very helpful.
Give reasonable extended deadlines
for class projects.
Try to rephrase directions or
instructions if unclear to students.
Use instructional materials that are
accurate and free of stereotypes.
Utilize the resources within the
classroom among various cultural and
linguistic groups.
Encourage peer assisted learning
and/or group studies.
In addition to learning style preferences, students also have differences in terms of gender,
sexual orientation, religious beliefs, learning abilities and disabilities, and minority vs. majority
social status. Teaching strategies that address these differences are outlined in charts that are
linked below to provide you with ideas on how to organize and plan instruction to address
these differences:
Linked with permission from University of California – Santa Barbara - under Chapter 3 -
Strategies to Enhance Learning – are the following articles:
Gender socialization
Students with learning disabilities
Sexual orientation and religion
Students with minority status
Addressing value conflicts in the classroom
Non-native speakers of English (ESL)

Using Your Voice Effectively
By Robin Guill Liles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
79
Of importance to most teaching assistants is responsible pedagogy surrounding a specific content
area; and in most university environments, these young academicians are uniquely poised to
facilitate undergraduate learning. However, in addition to their teaching assignments, graduate
teaching assistants will often find themselves engaged in other academic activities, ranging
from commitment to their own graduate studies, to teaching and research assistance for faculty,
to providing basic support services for departmental, school, university and professional activities.
On any given day, Graduate Teaching Assistants may wear many academic “hats,” whereby it is
reasonable to assume that they can experience feelings of confusion about their multiple academic
roles. (Massy & Wilger, 1994) Thus, helping Graduate Teaching Assistants recognize and
develop “effective voices” to move their professional lives in a positive and productive direction
is important.
Common wisdom suggests that open dialogue is helpful in accomplishing many, if not all, of our
daily tasks. Open dialogue has been operationalized across two primary domains, specifically,
respectful speaking and reflective listening. Like most professionals, Graduate Teaching
Assistants may employ these dialoguing skills in multiple contexts, including self-discovery,
interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning, as well as other professional activities.
However, developmental theory suggests that the process of self-discovery, or what may be
generally referred to as identify formation, is fundamental to positive interpersonal behaving,
regardless of the nature of the relationship. If developmental theory holds true, then graduate
teaching assistants may wonder that their greatest personal and professional responsibilities
necessarily spring from this process of self-discovery. Moreover, Graduate Teaching Assistants
should understand that self-discovery is a dynamic and fluid experience, inevitably filtered
through life learning and experiences. Finally, developmental theory dictates that individuals
who positively and courageously engage in the self-discovery process are rewarded with a strong
sense of personhood, and with a clear and resilient vision of their personal values and beliefs.
This vision can be profoundly useful to Graduate Teaching Assistants when negotiating the real
and often bewildering challenges of “wearing many hats.” In confusing situations, exacerbated
by their professional inexperience, Graduate Teaching Assistants may be left with nothing more
than their personal values and beliefs to inform their thinking and decision-making, and to pilot
their behaviors\and actions. Graduate Teaching Assistants whose values and beliefs hold them
to an ethical standard which exceeds simple punishment avoidance or rule implementation, and
who strive to do the greater good, are bound to speak with a more effective voice.
For practical purposes, Graduate Teaching Assistants are most likely to find their professional
time spent in preparing and engaging in their own graduate studies, and in planning and
teaching their undergraduate classes. Massy and Wilger (1994) reported that one difficult reality
which may occur in academia is that faculty work alone. Such autonomy has long been viewed
as providing faculty and young academicians with the scheduling flexibility necessary to
cultivate academic creativity and productivity, as well as personal initiative.
Unfortunately, highly autonomous environments can also generate feelings of professional
isolation, as well as impugn collegial communication and collaboration. These negative
consequences may be further aggravated by other regrettable academic characteristics,
including discrete and specialized teaching and research interests and departmental politics.
Inexperienced Graduate Teaching Assistants are particularly vulnerable to the negative
consequences stemming from more autonomous and less interactive environments, which may
practically translate into no more expert assistance and guidance than a prescribed textbook and
an erstwhile syllabus. Within these environments Graduate Teaching Assistants’ efforts to
activate and utilize their effective voices may be largely unobserved or outright ignored.

By contrast, supportive academic cultures typically portray qualities intended to facilitate both
professional growth and development among faculty, as well as student learning. Teaching is
largely perceived as a collegial and cooperative activity, wherein faculty are about the business
of helping one another sharpen and polish their teaching skills and practices, which naturally
gives way to improved student learning experiences.
80
Supportive cultures also encourage respectful and reflective dialogue among faculty and young
academicians whose professional opinions and personal worldviews may differ. Such dialogue
advances professional and personal growth and development, and precludes the stagnating
effects often associated with overly civil and essentially inauthentic social veneers. Finally, the
generational chasm which can exist among senior and junior faculty and Graduate Teaching
Assistants is narrowed in supportive academic cultures. Senior faculty are more likely to regard
junior faculty as the future of the academic program, department, school, and university.
Similarly, senior and junior faculty are more likely to deem Graduate Teaching Assistants as
pivotal to the daily running of the program, department, school, and university. Of additional
importance in bridging the generational chasm is the necessity of positive role modeling
among University administrators. Within supportive academic cultures, it is reasonable to
assume that Graduate Teaching Assistants’ efforts to activate their effective voices will not only
be observed, but encouraged and valued.
Bronfenbrenner (1979) posited that both personal and professional development evolves in
context, and is a function of bi-directional interactions occurring between an individual and
his or her contextual influences. If we characterize having an effective voice as an important
and useful professional characteristic within academia, then we are obliged to define the
individual and contextual pieces which necessarily work together to engender an effective
voice. It is suggested here that three elements must co-exist to help the Graduate Teaching
Assistant create and refine his or her effective voice.
First, the Graduate Teaching Assistant ought to have a clear vision or his or her personal values
and beliefs. This vision provides the Graduate Teaching Assistant with the solid footing crucial
in guiding his or her professional thinking and behaving, regardless of which “hat” he or she
may be wearing. Second, the university should define a supportive academic culture as one
intended to maintain a healthy balance between creative professional autonomy, collegial
cooperation, intergenerational collaboration, and student learning. Finally, growth-focused
interaction between theGraduate Teaching Assistant and members of his or her academic
culture must occur. In most if not all cases, such interaction becomes a function of open
dialogue, framed by respectful speaking and reflective listening.
In conclusion, the Graduate Teaching Assistant’s ability to use his or her voice effectively
increases the probability that he or she will be able to grow and develop, both personally and
professionally At the heart of every educational venue is the aim to help others as they
advance through life. Thus, helping the Graduate Teaching Assistant recognize, expand, and
refine his or her effective voice may be deemed a worthy goal across supportive academic cultures.
References:
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and
Design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Massy, W. F., & Wilger, A. K. (1994). Overcoming ‘hollowed’ collegiality. Change, 26, p. 10.

SECTION VII
Grades and Classroom Management
Testing and Grading
By Karen Smith-Gratto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Center for Professional Development,
School of Education
81
Introduction
One of the responsibilities of teaching is evaluating student learning. There are many ways to
do so, not just paper and pencil testing. In fact, the best grading (or evaluating of student
learning) should incorporate more than paper and pencil tests. The learning objectives or
standards (often set by professional organizations and/or the state) are always the foundation
for deciding what assessment methods and techniques will be used to determine what a student
has learned. Assessing student learning must reflect what students are told they are expected to
learn. If the learning objectives are clearly articulated and followed, the design of appropriate
graded assignments and tests should logically follow. The articulation of how and when student
learning will be evaluated should be included on the syllabus, so that students have a clear
understanding of what is expected. Informed students are more successful students.
Planning in advance how student learning will be evaluated enhances the ability to carefully
consider how to make sure that the activity or test actually addresses the learning objectives for
the course. In addition, for such things as performance tests, advance planning enables you to
carefully consider the objectives and how to design a grading rubric and activity that
encourages fairness and objectivity when you grade students’ work. It is important to have
objective criteria by which you can judge the student’s performance, either on tests or on other
graded assignments.
With all assessment activities, we want to grade in ways that accurately reflect the learning
objectives (content validity), be consistent over time and between students (reliability), and
be constructed in such a way that it does not embarrass or upset students by inappropriate
cultural, gender, or ethnic descriptions or examples (without bias). First, to ensure content
validity, assignments need to draw directly from the learning objectives and reflect those
objectives accurately. (Please note that there are other types of validity – refer to some of the
additional resources to learn about those). For example, if we have the following objective:
“Students will compare and contrast the underlying causes of World War I and World War II,”
an essay that simply has the students describe the underlying causes of either war is not a valid
way to assess this objective. However, an essay that follows the exact wording of the objective
or even a group assignment that follows the exact wording of the objective would be valid.
Reliability should also be a concern. This means that graded assignment should reflect
consistency (students who normally do well on most assignments (or the other items on a test)
can be expected to do well on the particular assignment (or test item) and students who lack
preparation and do poorly on most assignments (or on the other items on a test) will do poorly
on the particular assignment (or test item). Another area that should be of concern is that of
bias. Case studies and other activities in which language can impact student reaction should be
carefully monitored in order to avoid terms, inadvertent slurs, or stereotypes because their
emotional impact can influence how well the student does and cause an inaccurate evaluation
of student knowledge.
In addition to the consideration one gives to validity, reliability, and bias; it is important to
provide feedback to the students as soon as possible after the assignment or test is completed.
Assignments and tests should be used in order to help students learn, not just provide grades.
By providing feedback, as soon as possible after the assignment or test, the student can review
his or her mistakes and began correcting his or her understanding of the material. The longer
the wait between completion of the assignment and feedback about the assignment or test the
longer the student has to accept his or her incorrect knowledge as correct.

Grading Assignments and Activities
Learning Activities and Products
One way to accurately and fairly evaluate activities and products is to create a “Grading
Rubric” that can be given to students in advance of the activity or production of the product.
By creating a rubric, both you and the students will have a clear understanding of what is
expected of the student. The rubric helps the grader maintain a more objective point of view
than might otherwise be possible without the criteria being spelled out. Rubrics can be
structured in a variety of ways. Rubrics can be developed that will address a variety of student
performance activities: including but not limited to: laboratory exercises; musical performances;
sport activities; and construction steps. Products of various sorts can also be evaluated by using
rubrics. Some products that might be developed by students are: models; web-sites; computer
programs; papers; and so forth. Regardless of the activity or product assessed, all rubrics require
similar decisions and the development of certain characteristics.
82
Must address the
evaluation of at least one
objective or standard
from the course.
May address subobjectives
that may be
derived from the primary
objective that is
evaluated.
May address additional
objectives that are not a
stated part of the course
(such as writing style in
an essay or research paper).
Must articulate observable
elements of the product
or performance.
Scoring must be planned
in advance.
Characteristics of Rubrics for Assessing Performances or Products
While these characteristics sound simple, the development of a rubric for evaluating student
learning should be thoughtfully constructed. The rubric should reflect what is important for
the student to demonstrate. Three examples will be shown.
The first example shown on the next page shows the element of part of the activity (an oral
report) that is evaluated. In this example, each element is assigned a specific number of points.
Students can not earn more than the stated number of points on a given element. However, if
the element assessed is below a particular achievement level (say the student talks so quietly
that others can not hear the student in the back of the room) points will be subtracted from
the total points for that element (“Appropriate volume and rate” would lose 3 points). Once
the activity is finished the points are summed.
The second example (a rubric for a literature review paper) indicates the number of total
points that can be assigned for the entire paper). Notice that for this rubric more points can be
deducted for some of the items than would add up to the total number of points for this
assignment. Using this technique can indicate to students that some errors (like grammar) can
result in all points being deducted, even when other criteria is met.
The third partial example (Final Project Evaluation) gives verbal descriptions of each level of
performance for each element (or criteria) evaluated. Notice that each level (1 through 4)
clearly describes the performance for that level. This format takes more time to develop, but
facilitates quick grading because everything is clearly stated.

Example 1. Oral Report Rubric that provides the number of points that can be earned when each
element is addressed.
Oral Report Rubric
83
Area Evaluated Points Possible Total Received
Content
Presentation is well organized 10
Concepts are clearly expressed 8
Main ideas of topic are covered 10
Demonstrates Understanding of topic 10
(through how presented and responses to questions)
Presentation
Good pronunciation 5
Good eye contact 5
Good posture 3
Neat Grooming 3
Appropriate volume and speech rate 3
Does NOT read from POWERPOINT slides 3
PowerPoint Slides and other media
Choice of media is appropriate 5
Original media demonstrates good practice
(visual design, sound quality, etc.) 5
Handouts
Adequately summarize topic from chapter
(not PowerPoint slides) 10
Includes your conclusions or position on the topic 5
Demonstrate good writing and layout 5
Learning Activity
Activity reinforces learning and is on topic 10
Total Points Earned 100
Developed for CUIN 743 by Dr. Karen Smith-Gratto © 2004
Oral portion should be from 10 to 15 minutes in length
Activity portion should be from 10 to 15 minutes in length

Example 2. Literature Review with a table that provides how many points can be deducted for
specific elements within the literature review.
Rubric for Literature Review
Your paper starts out with 100 points. Area evaluated explains what will be graded, the next column
gives the total number of points that can be deducted for that area of evaluation. The third column
will show what you earned. You can earn a minus grade but the grade entered would then be a zero
(0).
Area evaluated Points that can Points
be subtracted for Subtracted
item
Introduction – must establish the importance of the topic Up to 20 points
Body of the paper should have the following:
Up to 40 points
! Each article should be summarized
! Logical organization of body – often done by categorizing
articles
! Identify the relationships among articles
! Identify the differences in research, theory and/or opinion
! Identify gaps in the literature
Conclusion should have the following:
! Summarize the general patterns of the literature reviewed
! Describe what research you think would add to and enhance
the research reviewed
! Describe how the literature contributes to theory
development or refinement
! Explain possible steps in solving identified problems
! Apply the literature reviewed to practice
Writing style – the paper must exhibit the following:
! Good paragraphing
! Transitions between sections of the paper and between
paragraphs
! Good sentence structure that reads smoothly
Demonstrates good APA format – 1 point per error deducted
Demonstrates good grammer – 1 point per error deducted
Demonstrates appropriate use of mechanics and correct
spelling – 1 point per error deducted
Up to 30 points
Up to 40 points
No limit
No limit
No limit
84
TOTAL POINTS deducted from 100
SCORE FOR ASSIGNMENT
Developed for: CUIN 743 by Dr. Karen Smith-Gratto © 2004

Example 3. Partial example of project rubric that describes the required elements at each level of
accomplishment.
Final Project Evaluation for Multimedia Development and Evaluation
85
Area 0 1 2 3 4 Weight Total
Adequate Instructional Design Documentation and Thought (Part One)
Audience
is clearly
defined
(students)
- Analysis
Not
found
Shows an
inadequate
number of
characteristics
and
characteristics
that are not
relevant – and
does not
specifically
state diversity
characteristics
Shows an
inadequate
number of
characteristics
or shows some
characteristics
that are not
relevant and/or
does not
specifically
state diversity
characteristics
Shows both an
adequate
number of
characteristics
and all
characteristics
are relevant –
does not
include
description of
diversity
characteristics
Shows
extensive
student
characteristics
that are
relevant – this
includes a
description of
diversity
characteristics
x2
The Not
instructional found
need is
established
and the
objectives
are clearly
stated and
adequate for
the content
– Analysis
and Design
No explanation
or an
inadequate
explanation
about why the
objectives are
important *
*State or
District
Curriculum
Guide for
teachers or
stated
explanation of
importance for
business &
industry
The
explanation
about why the
lesson is
important is
inadequate *
Exhibits at least
two of the
following
characteristics:
The
importance of
the lesson is
completely and
adequately
stated; the
objectives are
all correctly
written; and
there are
sufficient
objectives to
meet the need
Exhibits all of
the following
characteristics:
The
importance of
the lesson is
completely and
adequately
stated; the
objectives are
all correctly
written; and
there are
sufficient
objectives to
meet the need
x5
From Complete Form – K. Smith-Gratto © 2002 Developed for CUIN 763

Testing – Planning the Test
Testing is one means by which we evaluate student learning. Tests should address objectives that
can most productively be evaluated by paper and pencil (or computer-based testing – such as in
BlackBoard). Usually, several objectives are addressed through testing. It is easiest to develop a
sound test by creating a “Table of Specifications” which outlines the objectives or sub-areas of
objectives that will be tested. The identification of areas to be tested is only the first step. Next
the test developer must determine how many points or what percentage of the test will be
assigned to each objective or sub-objective. This is done by determining: 1) how important the
objective is when considered in comparison with the other objectives to be tested; 2) how much
class time was spent addressing the objective; 3) the number of activities and assignments that
addressed the objective; and 4) how much the instructor emphasized the importance of the
objective. The determination of weight requires thought and consideration because the decision
made here can result in a student who works hard being unfairly assessed. For example: Dr.
Who’s class spent 5 days on the impacts of WWII. In that time there were whole class discussions,
mini lectures, additional readings, and brief group presentations. On the other hand, students
read about the dates of different battles in the text but Dr. Who did not lecture about the dates
of the battles nor did Dr. Who tell the students that they were responsible for the dates even
though the dates and battles would not be discussed in class. Dr. Who writes the test and
students are graded more heavily on the dates than on the impacts of WWII. This would be an
invalid assessment of what the students learned.
After determining the total number of points or percentage of the test will address the objectives
and sub-objectives the developer might want to consider what level of questions that students
will receive. You can refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy for more detail and include those levels on your
“Table of Specifications” or you can consider low and high cognitive questions. Low cognitive
questions would be those that address memorization or comprehension only. High cognitive
questions would involve such things as comparing and contrasting, evaluating, analyzing, and
synthesizing information. A low level question might ask what date something happened. A high
level question would require that the student know and understand the lower level information
and be able to use it in some way. An example of a Table of Specifications follows.
Example of a Table of Specification that provides the number of points per objective and
the objective the table is based upon.
Objectives for Table of Specifications
86
• Explain what hypermedia is.
• Describe what a flowchart is and when to
use a flowchart.
• Describe what a storyboard is and when to
use storyboarding.
• Describe what a script is and when to use a
script.
• Describe linear design.
• Describe non-linear design.
• Compare and contrast menu design with
network design.
• Describe hybrid design.
• Explain the ADDIE model of Instructional
Design.
• Explain what a hyperlink is.
• Explain what an action button is.
• Explain the difference between slide masters
and design templates.
• Explain the difference between object
linking and embedding.
• List the six kinds of multimedia development
software and give examples.
• Create hyperlinks, action buttons, links to
other applications or programs.
• Draw a variety of lines and shapes in
PowerPoint.
• Create a slide master for PowerPoint.
• Create a design template for PowerPoint.
• Create a data sheet, a Graph in
PowerPoint.
•Create a PowerPoint that can be
read on a computer without
PowerPoint (Pack and Go and
web-based).

Table of Specifications Quiz 2 CUIN 763 Fall 2003
Topic High Low Total
87
Planning - ADDIE 4 2 6
Planning – storyboard, flowchart, script 2 1 3
Planning - Five basic multimedia design paradigms 3 3 6
Triggers and hyperlinks 1 2 3
Drawing (Chapter 36) 0 1 1
Slide Masters and Design Templates (Chap 37) 0 1 1
Creating Charts, Graphs, Tables, and Equations (Chap 38) 0 1 1
Application Development Packages (Chap 9 and class –
i.e. Lectora, Vox Proxy) 1 1 2
Pack and Go (Chap 39) 0 1 1
PowerPoint to Web Page 0 1 1
TOTAL 11 14 25
K. Smith-Gratto developed for CUIN 763 © 2003
Notice that many of the objectives have a performance component. This does not mean that
some aspects can not be evaluated via a paper and pencil test, only that a paper and pencil test would
be inappropriate for a full assessment of the student’s knowledge. Also, if you look at the objectives
and at the table you will see that some of the objectives have been combined. Usually for a full blown
test this is not a good idea, but you will notice that the “test” is a “quiz”, which is normally accepted
as being of less count in the overall grade than a test. The table was prepared not just to plan the quiz
but to provide the students with a study guide. While you don’t need to provide students with a copy
of the “Table of Specifications”, it can provide the students with information that can help them be
successful in choosing what to study and answers the perennial student question “What’s on the test?”.
Constructing and Grading Tests
Test items can be constructed once what will be tested and at what level it will be tested has been
systematically established. Test items can be divided into two categories: selected response items and
constructed response items. Selected response items include: True/false and yes/no items; multiple
choice items; and matching items. Constructed response items include: short answer items and essay
items. There are advantages and disadvantages to both general types of questions. One disadvantage of
selected response items is that it is easier for students to guess a correct answer. In order for selected
response questions, particularly matching and multiple choice to be effective for assessment, care and
time must be spent in the construction. In general grading selected response items is simple, objective,
and reliable. When using constructed response items, guessing on the part of the student is less likely.
However, when using constructed response items, a variety of answers may prove to be correct. One
disadvantage to using constructed response items is that grading is often more subjective. This is
particularly true because depending upon the question; several answers may be logically supported.
Regardless of the type of item there are certain characteristics in good test writing that apply. Items
should be written clearly, using plain unambiguous language. The student should be able to
demonstrate knowledge of the content without being confused by the writing. Also, directions for all
types of items on a given test should be clearly written and descriptive of what the student is expected
to do.

Selected Response Items
• True/false and Yes/No items
o Use clear concise language
o Avoid using “not” or other words that negate the statement
o Use only one main idea or point
e.g. Good – Pack and Go requires that users have a web browser.
Bad – Pack and Go does not require that users have a web browser and they do not
need to have PowerPoint.
• Multiple Choice
o Clear concise language.
o Use simple sentences and appropriate vocabulary.
o Avoid using “not” or other words that negate the statement. If you use “not” be sure to
emphasize the word – for example: “Which of the following is NOT” or “Which of the
following is not”
o Do not give clues as to the correct answer.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
The stem (the part of the multiple choice problem that asks a question or problem)
should be about only one problem or question.
The possible answers should be about the same length.
Avoid answers that are “all of the above” and “none of the above”
Use random assignment of correct answers for position of (a, b, c, etc.)
You may have several answers based upon a reading selection. For example, a scenario
or case study that the student may analyze is appropriate for higher level multiple choice
questions.
(Example follows).
Wording of can be a question – such as: “Where is Greensboro located?” or a statement
that needs completion – such as: Greensboro is located in _______.”
Format of a multiple choice item requires a stem, an answer, and distractors.
Stem – the first part of the item (Where is Greensboro located?)
Answer – central North Carolina
Distractors – central South Carolina, southern North Carolina, eastern North
Carolina, southern South Carolina
e.g. Good stem, answer, and distractors - A habit that develops from imitation is
called ________.
a. Discriminative imitation
b. Generalized imitation
c. Vicarious imitation
d. Delayed imitation
Bad stem - When a person imitates someone else and the person who does the imitating
develops a habit it is called __________.
Bad answer and distractor combinations –
a. Discriminative habit
b. Generalized imitation
c. A vicariously developed habit
d. A delayed imitation and habit
88

An Example of a Case Study/Scenario Type Multiple Choice Question –
Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow it. (Items 8- 10).
Scenario
John is a very good worker and his boss appreciates how hard John works. However, John is a
very sloppy dresser. If John’s work required him to be out of sight of customers his boss wouldn’t
mind, but John must interact with customers. He is polite and always tries to help customers
who need help. Unfortunately, some customers have complained John looks like a bum. In
fact, both customers and co-workers have complained about John’s body odor. His boss doesn’t
want to fire John. He knows John can be neat and that John doesn’t always have body odor. In
fact, John was well groomed when he applied for the job and for the first few weeks on the job.
How can John’s boss help John be better groomed?
89
8. One course of action for John’s boss to take according to what you have learned so far in the
course is:
A. Use classical conditioning to change John’s behavior by withholding part of John’s pay
each day that John shows up for work improperly groomed.
B. Use operant conditioning to change John’s behavior by withholding part of John’s pay
each day that John shows up for work improperly groomed.
C. Use social learning theory to change John’s behavior by withholding part of John’s pay
each day that John shows up for work improperly groomed.
9. If John’s boss did withhold some of John’s pay, it would be considered which of the following?
A. Reinforcement
B. Punishment
C. Modeling
D. Stimulus
• Matching items
o Consist items from one related topic
o Relatively short
o Have more responses than items to be answered
o Make order logical in some way (alphabetical, chronological, or other logical
organization)
o Make it clear how items are to be matched.
e.g. Good –
Directions: In the space to the left of the state listed in Column 1, write the letter of the city
that is the capitol of the state from Column 2. Each city in Column 2 may only be selected once.
Column 1 Column 2
____ 1. Louisiana
a. Albany
____ 2. New York
b. Baton Rouge
____ 3. North Carolina
c. Olympia
____ 4. Oregon
____ 5. Utah
d. Raleigh
e. Salem
f. Salt Lake City
g. Tallahassee
h. Trenton
Bad –
Directions: Match the items on the left with the items on the right.
Column 1 Column 2
_____1. Utah
a. Salt Lake City
_____2. North Carolina
b. Baton Rouge
_____3. Oregon
c. Albany
_____4. Louisiana
d. Raleigh
_____5. New York
e. Salem

Constructed Response Items.
• Short Answer
o Questions or sentences with blanks at the end are appropriate.
o All blanks for all items should be the same length.
o Limit the number of words needed.
o Plan possible answers in advance (to facilitate more objective grading).
90
• Essay
o Use essays for in-depth and high level assessment, not fact or comprehension level
questions.
o Plan the criteria by which the essay will be assessed in advance. Also consider elements
within the answer that will be required (but remember if a student logically supports a
different answer you may need to give credit). For example, if an essay item is “What
event in the 1950’s do you believe had the most impact on American Society? Support
your answer with specific examples of the impact.” Notice, one student could say that
the launching of Sputnik was the most important and support his/her answer, while
another could say that the Brown vs. the Board of Education was the most important
event and support that. In evaluating these types of essay questions, you must look
carefully at the support provided. As can be seen, this is more subjective than other
kinds of questions. Essay questions can be written in a more precise way that would
exclude variety in the answers but that can also lower the cognitive level of the
question. For example, an essay question that reads “Describe the impact of Brown vs.
the Board of Education.” The result of this wording will lend itself to specific
information without making the student evaluate events and then provide support for
his/her evaluation of the events. The more open-ended questions, requires more
thought on the student’s part than the second question.
Course Grading
Now that you have learned a bit about how to establish grading for assignments and create
and grade tests, you need to look at the overall structure of grading for the course. When
considering how to assign grades for a course you need to consider what the goals and
objectives for the course are. First, the objectives should have been designed to allow students
to meet the goal or goals for the course. If that is the case then establishing how to determine
what gets the most weight in a course becomes easier. For example, in the example of
assignments and grading from a syllabus for a graduate course in Educational Multimedia
Development and Evaluation, you will notice that some of the assignments provide a
foundation for the final assignment which is worth 50% of the grade. For some classes, you
can provide students with choices for their assignments and let the students complete a
contract (see Additional Resources for How to Develop Contracts). However, when using
alternative assignments and contracts, make sure you are meeting the course objectives. The
choices should be clearly defined on the syllabus and then individual contracts developed
from those choices for the instructor and the student to sign.

Example of Information from Syllabus that informs students about assignments, testing, and
grading policies.
Activities:
Class activities will include: lecture, large group discussion, small group discussion, group activities,
hands-on activities, and individual activities.
Assignments:
Practice Multimedia Development Assignments (5% of your grade): You are expected to complete
ALL parts of this assignment. You are expected to complete the following tasks to demonstrate that
you have the skills needed by saving ALL of the files to a CD:
• Audio work:
o Create a voice file to e-mail to me
o Create a digital file from the audio tape that I send you
• Graphics work:
o Graphic file made by scanning an image sent to you and edited by having the text “practice”
added
o Digital photo file made by you taking a picture of a person holding a sign with the current
date on it (the date the picture is being taken)
o A drawing file that you make which includes the following elements:
freehand crooked line in red
a square with a blue external line around it and yellow inside (yellow square with a blue a
line around it).
a green line circle (no fill color).
A straight violet line
Has Arial text in 12 point font
• Animation work:
o Create a gif animation file using Ulead animator using the the gif files: ani1.gif;
ani2.gif; ani3.gif; and ani4.gif
o Using the provided PowerPoint file animate:
The text on the screen in two different ways
Make each drawn object animate in different ways
Include one sound effect
• Video digitizing work:
o Create a digital video file from the video tape provided. Add the title practice using a digital
editing program (if you are familiar with a particular program use it - if not, you can
download test editors from Ulead, Adobe, and others) .
o Create a short video file using a digital video camera (you must have a handheld or posted
sign that indicates the date the file is created). DO NOT edit in a date.
Web Resource List (5% of your grade): Students will create a list of five useful web resources.
The list must exhibit the following:
o Be a Word Document with the filename: initials_web.doc (example: ksg_web.doc)
o Put your name at the top of the document.
o Create a table that looks like the following:
Web-site name and address Web Address Description of the web-site and usefulness.
One web-name
In this cell you will describe the resource
http://awebsite.address/index.html
and why you think it is useful.
Second web-name
In this cell you will describe the resource
http://awebsite.address/index.html
and why you think it is useful.
The others should follow the pattern of this table.
Upload your completed document to the Provided Discussion Board in BlackBoard (Name of
Discussion – Web Resources)so that your classmates can get the benefit of your research.
91

Quizzes (10% of your grade) • Units 1 - 4 • Units 5 - 7 • Unit 10
Short Literature Review Paper (15% of your grade): You may choose any topic related to
multimedia in education. This can include: using multimedia in education in some way;
developing different kinds of media for educational use; new developments in multimedia; and
so forth. Note the following:
• The Literature Review Rubric will be used to grade your paper. Download: litrev.doc from
document sharing.
• Paper should be 3 - 5 pages in length (this does not include the title page or the reference
list page(s). (If you have three pages - you MUST have THREE FULL pages not 2 1/2).
• You must have at least 10 references.
• The references must include professional journals! You cannot use just web-based materials
(see the Literature Review Rubric for the percent of web-sites allowed).
Attendance (10% of your grade): Class activities and instruction will begin promptly at 6 p.m.
Roll is taken at 6 p. m. Students who have complete attendance (you can miss or be late for one
class) at the end of the semester earn 10%, those who have missed (or were late) two classes
earn 8%, and those who missed 3 (or were late) classes earn 5%. Those who miss (or are late)
more than 3 classes do not receive any credit for attendance.
Evaluation of an Instructional Web-site (5% of your grade) - You will use the criteria established
in the provided evaluation form. You will:
• Choose one instructional web-site from one of the list at:
http://www.ncat.edu/~student3/pt3/inweb.html
• Download the evaluation form: filename - eval2.doc
• Complete the evaluation form and save it to a file named yourintials_eval.doc (save on
your course assignment CD)
Final Project (50% of your grade): Students will complete a final multimedia/hypermedia
project which will enable the students to demonstrate what was learned during the semester.
Note the following information:
• See Final Project Rubric.
• You will include an instructional design plan.
• You will create an instructional web-site that includes multimedia elements.
• You will create a Lectora, Hyperstudio, Toolbook, PowerPoint, or other multimedia
authoring tool instructional presentation that includes interactivity and multimedia
elements.
• You will write at least a one page reflection in which you explain the following:
o What gave you problems when doing the project and how you addressed those problems.
o How you have applied some of the theories explored in the course.
You will save the whole project to a CD that will be handed in. The CD will NOT be returned to you.
Evaluation:
Grades are on a 4 point scale.
3.8 – 4.0 = A (outstanding work that EXCEEDS criteria)
3.0 – 3.79 = B (work meets all criteria)
2.0 – 2.99 = C (work does not meet criteria adequately)
Below 2.0 = F (work is substandard and inadequate to meet graduate standards)
92

How to Calculate your own grade:
Assignment Weight Total
Practice
Audio
Average of the items
Multimedia Grade:
to the left X .05
Development Graphics
– Average Grade:
of all sections
Animation
Grade:
Video
Grade:
Web Resource List Grade X .05
Quizzes –
Quiz1
Average of the quizzes
Averages of all quizzes Grade:
X .1
Quiz 2
Grade:
Quiz 3
Grade:
Short Literature Review Grade X .15
Attendance Grade X .1
Evaluation of instructional web-site Grade X .05
Final Project Grade X .5
FINAL GRADE
To determine final grade
add all of the numbers in
the far right column
93
Conclusion
The assignment of grades needs to be systematic and adequately address the goals and objectives of the
course. Keep in mind that all graded assignments and tests must strive to be valid, reliable, and without
bias. In addition, a concerted effort must be made to grade each student fairly and objectively. In
order to meet all of the demands of grading, one should think carefully about what will be assessed,
how it will be assessed, and what weight the assessment should take in the course. By thinking about
this and including the information in the syllabus, students are given specific information which helps
them plan for wise time management and prepare for the course properly. The additional resources can
be used to further develop skills for designing assessments that can be used to grade student learning.
Additional Resources on Testing and Grading
Astin, A. W., et al. (2003) 9 Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning. American
Association of Higher Education http://www.aahe.org/assessment/principl.htm Retrieved:
March 8, 2004. This web-site provides a list of principles for good assessment.
Atherton, J. S. (2003). Learning and Teaching: Learning Contracts. UK.
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/teaching/learning_contracts.htm. Retrieved: March 14, 2004.
Bloom’s Taxonomy. (2003). Learning Skills Program. Counselling Services – University of Victoria.
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html Retrieved: March 8, 2004. This
web-site provides information about Bloom’s Taxonomy, including verbs that can help indicate
the level of test items and objectives.
Codde, J. R. (1996). Using Learning Contracts in the College Classroom. Michigan State University.
http://www.msu.edu/user/coddejos/contract.htm Retrieved: March 14, 2004.
Davis, B. G. (2002). Tools for Teaching: Quizzes, Tests, and Exams. University of California, Berkeley.
http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/quizzes.html Retrieved: March 10, 2004.

Grading – Linked with permission from the University of Delaware.
Gronlund, N. E. (2003). Assessment of Student Achievement. 7th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
This book provides information about validity and reliability of assessments and detailed
information about constructing assessments.
High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium. (2003). Rubistar.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php Retrieved March 12, 2004. This web-site helps
you make rubrics to use for assessing student learning and assigning grades.
Popham, W. J. (1995). Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know. 2nd Ed. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon. This book provides information about validity and reliability of
assessments and detailed information about constructing assessments.
Testing – Linked with permission from the University of Delaware.
Walvoord, B. E. and Anderson, V. J. (1998). Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and
Assessement. San Francisico: Jossey-Bass Publishers. This book addresses grading and
assessment in higher education.
94
Evaluating Student Performance
By Gloria M. Palma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies,
School of Education
Evaluation is important to any systematic approach to learning, and should be aligned with
instructional objectives and students’ expected progress. Measuring a student’s progress means
that evaluation should be conducted in relation to the student’s own abilities without regard
to gender, age, cultural status, or disability. In addition, evaluation can be formative
or summative.
Formative evaluation is an ongoing process and is conducted while corrections or improvements
in student behaviors are still possible. For example, information from quizzes, peer assessment,
and self-testing activities permit changes in the learning process while changes can still affect
final performance. On the other hand, cumulative evaluation is focused on the extent to which
a student has been successful in mastering specific learning objectives. This type of evaluation is
usually conducted at the end of the instructional unit. The following measures are cited as
evaluation tools that can be utilized to measure student progress and performance:
• Systematic observation with the use of a checklist or a rating scale. This method is often used
to observe a student’s expected behavior associated with attitudes, preferences, emotions,
values, and interests.
• Written tests to measure cognitive learning to provide a systematic assessment of the student’s
expected academic progress. Examples of objective written tests are short-response questions
such as true or false, multiple-choice, matching, fill-ins, short essay answers, and
problem-solving questions.
• Peer evaluation involving one or more peers evaluating the behavior of another student.
Peers can use a checklist or a rating scale in this type of evaluation.
• The use of portfolio as a form of authentic assessment is rapidly emerging because it does not
only enhance teacher-students involvement in evaluation, but clearly shows the achievements
of the students in relation to the course objectives.
• Other authentic assessment tools that can be utilized in evaluating students’ progress include:
Independent work contracts
Student reflections
Teacher’s anecdotal reports
Task sheets
Workbook pages, and
Class projects

Additional Resources on Student Evaluation are Listed and/or Linked below with Permission
by the Host Institution:
Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. Angelo, Thomas A.,
and K. Patricia Cross. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
95
Commenting on Student Papers – Linked with permission from Schreyer Institute for Teaching
Excellence at Pennsylvania State University.
Evaluating Student Learning – Linked with permission by the University of Washington,
Center for Instructional Development & Research. Sub-topics also linked include:
• Cheating or Plagiarism • Evaluation Methods • Grading
Evaluating Student Performance - Linked with permission from the University of Georgia.
Article begins at bottom of first page of linked PDF file.
Evaluating What You've Done – Linked with permission from the University of California -
Santa Barbara, Office of Instructional Development.
Evaluating Your Students – Linked with permission from John Hopkins University.
Testing and Grading: Assessing Student Performance – Linked with permission from Ohio
State University.
Keeping Records
Keeping Records – Linked with permission from the University of Washington.
Office Hours
By Mrs. Susan M. Payne
Research Assistant
The School of Graduate Studies
The GTA’s office hours are an important extension of the classroom. Most GTAs establish
office hours, but students are not necessarily required to come in during those times. Usually
office hours are scheduled before the semester begins and announced to the students at the first
class session. One alternative is to check with the students about convenient times before
establishing your office hours. Some professors may ask that you schedule your office hours at
times that alternate with theirs, thus increasing the time that one or the other of you is available
to students.
How do you get students to come in? Let them know frequently that they are welcome. Invite
them individually. A comment on a paper (e.g., “Please see me about this”) brings about a 75%
response. Stress the importance and value of office visits both to you and to them. Most GTAs
deal with freshmen and sophomores who are not yet use to personal contact with their
instructors at the university. If those first few who come in have positive experiences, the word
will spread.
Some GTAs find that posting the answers to quizzes or homework problems on or around their
doors is an effective means of attracting students to office hours. While many students may not
take advantage of office hours, on occasion you may encounter those who are overly dependent
on you either for assistance with course material or for companionship and counsel. It may be
necessary to set limits with these students. You might ask them to try assignments on their own
before coming to you for help.

96
Getting students to come to your office hours is
not always a problem. You may find that many
students will come in, for many different reasons.
You should be aware of ways to facilitate a
helpful tutorial session:
• Be approachable. The best thing to do when students come in to your office
during hours is to make them feel welcome. It takes only a little bit of care to
create a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere where communication is natural and easy.
• Be Professional. After you have scheduled your office hours, keep them. Show
up on time, and remain for the full office hour period. If you must make a
cancellation, notify your students that you will not be in ahead of time.
• Let the student tell you the purpose of their visit. You may suspect some
hidden problem, but you should not press the student to disclose. You can help
the students if they actively request it, but your responsibility need not extend
further than responding to their requests.
• Listen to your students. Give them your undivided attention. The best way to
show that you are listening is to reflect their concerns in your own words. This
also shows students that you find their concerns important. Students often fear
that they are wasting your time. By listening attentively and responding
thoughtfully, you can help allay their anxiety.
• Don't be afraid to say, “I don't know, but I'll find out for you.” You should
realize that you won't always be able to provide all the answers students may ask.
• Be non-judgmental and try to see situations from the student's perspective.
Work with students to achieve positive solutions.
• Be aware of your own limitations. Refer serious problems beyond your
expertise to the Counseling Services Department on campus at (336)334-7727
or if the student is seriously depressed or emotional, walk with them to Room
108 in Murphy Hall and stay with them until someone in Counseling Services
can see them.

Advising Students
By Rita Lamb, Ph.D.
Director of
The Center for Student Success
97
WHY ADVISING?
Academic advising is an essential part of the educational
process and an important aspect of the teaching and
learning process. The primary function of advisors is to
monitor closely the progress of their students while
stressing to them their importance of accepting academic
responsibility. Through proper advising, students are
motivated to clarify values, set goals, establish priorities,
develop management and leadership skills, and
understand how the academic system works and their
role in it.
WHAT IS ADVISING?
Advising is a developmental process that helps students
clarify their life/career goals and to develop educational
plans for realizing these goals. It is a decision-making
process that helps students realize their maximum
educational potential through communication and
information exchange with an advisor.
WHO ADVISES?
At North Carolina A&T State University, students are
advised in their academic departments by faculty.
Academic counselors advise undeclared students in
The Center for Student Success.
WHERE IS ADVISING DONE?
Academic advising takes place in the academic
departments of each school and college. Undeclared
students receive advising in The Center for Student
Success. Advising can also take place on-line.
WHEN IS IT DONE?
Academic advising is an ongoing process. Faculty
advisors post office hours of times available for advising.
Students may request appointments at other times as
needed. On-line advising allows advisement during
extended hours.
HOW IS IT DONE?
The Role of the Academic Advisor
• Help students define and develop
realistic career plans.
• Assist students in planning a
program consistent with their
abilities and interests.
• Monitor progress toward
education/career goals.
• Discuss and reinforce linkages and
relationships between instructional
program and occupation/career.
• Interpret instructional policies,
procedures, and requirements.
• Perform designated educational
transactions (e.g., schedule, drops
and adds, etc.)
• Maintain an advising file on each
advisee.
• Refer students when academic or
other personal problems require
intervention by other professionals.
• Inform students of the nature of
the advisor/advisee relationship.
• Assist advisees in identifying
advisor opportunities.
• Develop a caring relationship
with advisees.
• Inform students of special
services available to them for
remediation, academic assistance,
and other needs.
• Refer to the NCA&TSU
Comprehensive Academic
Advising handbook for additional
information.
The advising methods implemented include Individual, Academic Course, Group, Computer
and Self-Advising. It is multi-faceted and the responsibility of both student and advisor. The
advisor serves as facilitator of communication, coordinator of learning experiences through
course and career planning and program progress review, and agent of referral to other campus
services as necessary. Academic advising is coordinated through The Center for Student Success.

Role of the TA as a Faculty/Student Liaison
By Robin G. Liles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
98
Woessner and his colleagues (2000) found that students
generally prefer to seek academic guidance and advice from
peers rather than professors. These findings are not entirely
surprising in view of the long-held belief suggesting that a
natural, perhaps even necessary, divide exists between
students and senior faculty. In this respect, Graduate
Teaching Assistants may find themselves uniquely poised to
act as a liaison between undergraduate students and their
senior faculty.
Within the context of most graduate and professional
programs, there is the expectation that graduate students
should strive to develop skills and abilities which distinguish
them as future professionals and educators (Landrum &
Nelsen, 2002). Moreover, common wisdom suggests that
teaching assistantships provide multiple opportunities for
graduate students to experience and engage in activities
important to professional preparation. Specifically, Graduate
Teaching Assistants routinely observe senior faculty as they
negotiate the demands and complexities of the larger academic
structure, little of which the typical undergraduate student is
likely to understand. Similarly, Graduate Teaching Assistants
often view the academic plights of undergraduate students
with empathy, which may accordingly “set the stage” for
positive Graduate Teaching Assistants/student interaction.
Undergraduate students vary in their abilities to
communicate effectively with senior faculty (Kelly, Duran,
& Zolten, 2001). Many reasons may exist to explain this
variance. However, most educators would agree that student
learning moves in a positive direction when the student
perceives the teacher, instructor, or professor as both caring
and approachable. Thus, encouraging effective communication
between students and teaching personnel seems important.
As a practical matter and as indicated above, it is reasonable
to assume that Graduate Teaching Assistantss may
experience fewer impediments to positive communication
when interacting with undergraduate students and that this
interpersonal advantage could translate into helping smooth
and improve communication between undergraduate
students and senior faculty. Facilitating positive
communication is an important trait or characteristic of an
academic liaison.
Martin, Meyers, and Mottet (1999) suggested undergraduate
students have five primary objectives when communicating
with senior faculty. These student objectives include: (a)
participation (or making evident that they understand course
content); (b) relational (or showing they desire a more personal
relationship with the instructor); (c) excuses (or
explaining tardy work or disappointing test scores);
(d) functional (or trying to improve their understanding of
course content); and (e) sycophancy (or trying to get on the
teacher’s “good side”). At first blush, these objectives may
appear somewhat transparent, and largely set to serve the
student in his or her academic pursuits. In other words,
student concerns regarding the overall academic picture,
including Graduate Teaching Assistants’ and senior faculty’s
scholarly activities, as well as the university’s administrative
responsibilities, appear under-represented, if not altogether
absent, among the listed objectives. Nonetheless,
professional educators, the rank and file of which Graduate
Teaching Assistants aspire to join, cannot lose sight of one
fundamental goal – to impart knowledge to the next
generation of learners. As an academic liaison, Graduate
Teaching Assistants can foster among students a better
understanding of the over all academic picture, and
engender among senior faculty a greater sensitivity to the
developmental nuances of typical undergraduate behavior.
In conclusion, university Graduate Teaching Assistants find
themselves set upon a professional course designed to allow
them full admission into academia. Accordingly, Graduate
Teaching Assistants can realistically define their academic
role as one which spans multiple academic arenas. Moving
comfortably and fluidly among multiple academic arenas is
the hallmark of the liaison’s role. Graduate Teaching
Assistants are encouraged to utilize this exclusive role to
facilitate the teaching and learning occurring between
senior faculty and students, as well as to further their own
personal and professional growth and development.
References
Kelly, L., Duran, R. L., & Zolten, J. J. (2001). The effect of reticence on college students’ use of electronic
mail to communicate with faculty. Communication Education, 50, 170-176.
Landrum, R. E., & Nelsen, L. R. (2002). The undergraduate research assistantship: an analysis of the benefits.
Teaching of Psychology, 29, 15-19.
Martin, M. M., Meyers, S. A., & Mottet, T. P. (1999). Students’ motives for communicating with
their instructors. Communication Education, 48, 155-164.
Woessner, R., Honold, M., Stehr, S. N., & Steidel, W. I. (2000). Support and faculty mentoring programmes
for medical students in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Medical Education, 34, 480-482.

Additional information is available at:
Serving as a Faculty/Student Liaison - Linked with permission from Iowa State University TA
Handbook. (Scroll about half way down linked article to locate this section.)
99
Recommending ESL for International Teaching Assistants
By Jason DePolo
Lecturer
Department of English,
College of Arts and Sciences
Introduction
Language skills are essential to any individual placed in a teaching situation. The importance
of these skills is amplified when the Graduate Teaching Assistant’s native language is not
English. Concerns over pronunciation, speech clarity and volume, social interaction, and cultural
awareness are only a few of the most important challenges the international Graduate Teaching
Assistant will face. Developing sufficient English communication skills is a long and difficult
process for ESOL learners. It is recommended that early on in an international Graduate
Teaching Assistant’s program of study that he or she consider the proficiency at which English is
used. The intention of this chapter is to outline the major concerns of international Graduate
Teaching Assistants as well as suggest ways to improve communication in English.
Cultural Awareness
Awareness of the structure and diversity of the United States’ education system is imperative.
The educational system of the United States drastically differs from learning institutions
abroad. For example, students wishing to pursue higher education or vocational training are
taught together in the same programs of study in most high schools unlike the specialized
secondary training abroad. In addition, students often come from very diverse ethnic, cultural,
sexual, age, and socio-economic backgrounds, which impact the way they learn, and
consequently, how they are taught. It is very important to consider the cultural “make-up” of
each class and approach instruction from diverse viewpoints. Three important classroom
techniques exist that enable an instructor to be aware of student diversity and successfully
meet the academic needs of the classroom community:
Multiple Teaching Methods: By implementing various methods of instruction, the
international Graduate Teaching Assistant can better address individual student learning
needs. The learning styles of students have been, generally, categorized in three ways: visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners are more successful when presented with material in
texts, charts, graphics, and media. Auditory learners prefer oral explanations, lecturers, and
even sound recordings. Kinesthetic learners need hands-on application of the material
through explanations of how to apply the learned concepts or even physical manipulation of
the lesson when possible. When these different approaches are used in the classroom, a
greater number of students will actually learn the material.
Student Interaction: Interaction should occur in the classroom in two ways: teacher/student
and student/student. The international Graduate Teaching Assistant should be conscious that
students not only learn from interaction with the instructor but also through in-class group
work. A balance of these two types of interaction ensures diverse student needs are being
addressed.
Individual Student Needs: The international Graduate Teaching Assistant must be attentive
to each student’s needs independent from the rest of the class. Regularly scheduling
conferences and meeting office hours provides time for individual problems to be addressed.
Because there is never enough time to adequately address all of the students’ needs during
conferences or office hours, the IGTA needs to be aware of the various student support
facilities available.

Classroom Communication
Clear communication is essential. Undergraduates notice errors in pronunciation and grammar,
which is often a concern for IGTA’s, and this can lead to classroom problems. Another issue is
pacing. Pacing is the rate at which a teacher talks. If pronunciation and grammar are an issue,
then the IGTA needs to speak slowly enough to allow comprehension to take place. The IGTA
must be very careful that he or she is understood by the class. Comprehension can easily be
checked by asking the class questions, analyzing the attentiveness of the class, and reviewing
exams to check if an inordinate number of students are not grasping the material. If a problem
does seem to exist that is rooted to the instructor’s English proficiency, the IGTA should seek help
from on-line resources or the University’s ESOL program and lab. In addition, the IGTA should
clearly outline on the board, or via overhead, the day’s lesson. This organizational strategy clearly
provides students with a reference point that aids in comprehension.
Conclusion
Self-conscious teaching is the key to success for the International Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Through monitored and careful practice, the ITA can meet diverse learner needs and even improve
his or her proficiency in English. By presenting material in various ways to respond to individual
learning styles, clarifying discussions with examples and illustrations, emphasizing and summarizing
key ideas, and encouraging both teacher/student and student/student interaction, the international
graduate teaching assistant can productively meet the needs of a diverse student body.
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The Teacher - Student Relationship
By Patricia Bethea-Whitfield, Ed.D.
Rehabilitation Counseling Coordinator
Department of Human Development and Services,
School of Education
The success of the teaching and learning process depends in large part on the relationship
between the teacher and the student. While, the role of the teacher was once viewed as that of
the impassive expert, today the teacher is more often viewed as facilitator and collaborator. Far
from being a win-lose interaction, contemporary teaching sets up an academic partnership in
which the teacher and student are each enriched by the presence and knowledge of the other.
Consequently, the building of rapport is as important in teaching and learning as in any other
relationship. From the outset, it will be necessary to accept the goodwill of the student
recognizing that the student wants to achieve but may not have the skills or support to do so.
Using the therapeutic principals of Rogers (1951), the teacher who demonstrates empathy,
respect, and unconditional positive regard can create an atmosphere for growth and change.
Empathy is an especially important part of healthy teacher-student relationships (Mendes, 2003).
Being able to understand the student’s experience from his or her perspective requires the
teacher to put away his/her judgments and value an issue because it is important to the student.
To begin, identify the feeling the student is sharing and use it in a formula: ‘you feel ________
because ____________’ (Egan, 2002).
For example, “you feel frustrated because you do not have the background for this course”.
Correctly identifying the feeling is a powerful connecting moment between two individuals but
even if the first effort is not accurate, the student will perceive the caring of the teacher.
To further understand the world of the student, teachers need an appreciation for diversity.
Maintaining an open attitude to all students can help to create an environment for learning
where students from different races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds can share and enrich the
learning experience. This openness needs to extend to often neglected individual differences
including age as in the case of non-traditional students, rural/urban backgrounds and
socioeconomic status as well.
Also, it is important to remember that while the classroom is an ideal place for students to voice
their views, the teacher must remain the objective facilitator creating a level playing field for
debate. It is never acceptable for students to attack or belittle other students. When the teacher

models an openness to diversity, students can learn to appreciate the diversity of peers at the
university in preparation for the world of work later on.
Along with student-centered teacher qualities, good listening is vital for the teacher-student
relationship. First, remove the impediments to active listening such as being distracted or
judgmental of the student. Secondly, do not jump to conclusions or generate premature
solutions and thirdly, do not blame. ‘You’ statements generally are not effective. For example,
‘you said you were going to come by yesterday. You kept me
waiting’ communicates an attitude of blaming. Such a
statement would rarely set the stage for productive dialog.
Because what we do carries more weight than what we say,
listening will be first reflected in our body language. Egan
(2002) suggests a model for nonverbal communication,
SOLER, which includes:
☛ Relaxed
Using these non-verbal cues can send a message that the student and his or her concerns are
important. This attending is especially crucial because students often feel they are intruding by
coming to the teacher’s office or desk after class. Never attempt to do several things at once or
engage in any behavior that would make the student feel unvalued by your inattention. If you
truly do not have time to meet, use good nonverbal responses as you say so and warmly invite
the student to return when you will have the time to do your best listening.
Ultimately, teachers who develop good rapport with their students may find themselves
moving into a mentoring relationship as well. Mentoring occurs when professionals are willing
to share their career experience and perspectives with students who are looking for direction.
Sometimes mentoring takes the form of encouragement, information, advocacy or feedback
that can help a student establish a career path. By investing in the mentoring relationship,
mentors often find their lives enriched as well (Mullen, 2000). For further information on
mentoring, see Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend published by National Academy Press
and available on the internet at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/1.html.
Finally, Egan (2002) makes the point that not all help is helpful. Despite the best efforts to
develop quality relationships with students, conflicts can arise. Teachers do not help when they
enable their students. In cases where a student refuses to accept responsibility for meeting
deadlines or producing quality work, the teacher does not help who succumbs to requests for
grade changes or accepts excessive absences and other manipulations. Learning how to
confront without blaming can expedite the management of conflict. To achieve this, focus on
the behavior, your reaction to the situation and what you want, avoiding the ‘you statement.’
For example, “Ted, when you miss your appointment, I feel that you are not committed to your
program. In the future, I will expect you to call if you cannot keep your appointment.” Helping
students to accept responsibility for their choices helps to prepare them for learning and
achieving in the classroom and beyond.
References
☛ Sitting square/facing the student
and maintaining
☛ Open posture (as opposed to
crossed arms)
☛ Leaning toward the other person
and maintaining
☛ Eye contact while remaining
Egan, G. (2002). The Skilled Helper. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Mendes, E. (2003). What empathy can do. Educational Leadership, 61(1), 56-60. Retreived
February 24, 2004, from Academic Search Elite.
Mullen, C.A. (2000). Constructing co-mentoring partnerships: Walkways we must travel.
Theory Into Practice, 39(1), 4-12.
Rogers, C. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its current practice, implications, and theory. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
Additional information may be located at the following link:
Managing Student/Teacher Conflicts - Linked with permission from University of Georgia -
Handbook for Graduate TAs – Student-Teacher Conflicts Section.
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SECTION VIII
Professional Development
102
Overview
By Jason DePolo
Lecturer
Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate Teaching Assistants play a vital role at any university or college. It is a challenge
often met with apprehension due to a lack of prior teaching experience. Primarily, the anxiety
does not arise from questioning what to teach, but rather how to teach. However, teaching is a
lifelong learning process. Both new and experienced teachers alike can grow and alleviate
teaching anxiety through the simple practice of reflective teaching.
Professional development constitutes activities generated by individual teachers, organizations,
and schools that aid old and new teachers in learning current and effective ways to teach.
Unfortunately, regular professional development opportunities are often not readily available
when inexperienced teachers need them. The main focus of this section is to explore ways in
which the Graduate Teaching Assistant can use the “self” as a source. Professional development,
inherently, is the responsibility of the individual. As academics, new and old teachers possess
the critical tools and insight necessary to invent new strategies and methods of teaching simply
through self-reflection, or cognitively negotiating between what has been done and what could
be done better. By reflecting on teaching, the Graduate Teaching Assistant can be involved
directly in the constant pursuit of positively changing and tweaking his or her teaching methods.
Reflective professional development can provide personalized, custom-designed, and self-directed
insight into teaching ability and growth. This can be achieved through professional organization
membership, teaching journals, case studies, audio/visual observation, and teaching portfolios.
Professional Organization Membership
By joining a professional organization, often at discounted student rates, Graduate Teaching
Assistants can open themselves up to a world of development opportunities. The professional
publications of these organizations provide insight into the theoretical and pedagogical
practices of a discipline, as well as introduce the Graduate Teaching Assistant to the various
positions on issues that impact the field. In addition, membership includes invitations to
conferences and workshops that lead to new and effective teaching strategies. Each organization
acts as a collective voice with outlets for advocacy of the profession, advanced education and
training, theoretical and empirical foundations for learning, and standards of practice.
Teaching Journals
Journals are an integral part of the teaching reflection process. They record observations and
changes in teaching perspective. Also, journals provide Graduate Teaching Assistants with an
outlet to comment on lectures, class discussions, assignments, and concerns. Ideally, the
reflective teaching journal should be designed dialogically. A group of Graduate Teaching
Assistant in a given department would keep a teaching journal and then exchange the journals
periodically to be responded to through actual writing in the journal by a colleague. This
practice creates deeper perspectives of reflection as well as a community of teacher/learners.
Case Studies
Case studies aid in recognizing what other teachers are doing and provide insight into what the
Graduate Teaching Assistant can do to improve his or her teaching. The Graduate Teaching
Assistant selects an experienced teacher in the department and conducts a mini-ethnographic
study of teaching practices. First, the Graduate Teaching Assistant interviews the experienced

teacher and transcribes responses to questions that give insight into the concerns, pedagogical
and otherwise, what the Graduate Teaching Assistant deems significant. This can include questions
dealing with the selected teacher’s own early teaching experiences, evaluation procedures, and
classroom management strategies. The GTA then collects archival material, such as syllabi,
course calendars, assignment descriptions, and sample student work. Next, the student observes
the instructor in the class room and documents techniques and student reactions. Finally, the
Graduate Teaching Assistant writes the case study, describing and evaluating the teacher’s practices
and theoretical viewpoints. Ultimately, the student gains a clearer sense of what an experienced
teacher does and how hose strategies and methods can be applied to his or her own teaching.
Audio/Video Observation
One of the most overlooked strategies of self-initiated professional development is revealing
what actually goes on in the Graduate Teaching Assistant’s classroom with the objective use of
video and audio tape. By videotaping or tape recording a series of classes, the Graduate Teacher
Assistant can observe first-hand those things he or she does well and those that need improvement.
For example, the Graduate Teaching Assistant may observe the fact that he or she does not
circulate around the classroom, use a clear and projected voice, acknowledge a variety of
student volunteered responses, or effectively use board space. This type of observation provides
insight into other wise unconscious teaching habits.
Teaching Portfolios
Like journals, teaching portfolios provide the Graduate Teaching Assistant with documentation
for reflection and revision. In addition, if the Graduate Teaching Assistant plans on a professional
career in teaching, hiring universities commonly require teaching portfolios as part of the job
application process. Simply put, the teaching portfolio is a structured collection of information
about a teacher’s practice in the classroom. It should include the following:
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• Teaching philosophy
• Details of courses taught
• Peer observation notes/evaluations
• Feedback from learners
• Examples of student work
• Teaching materials, such as
handouts, assignments, and exams
with written explanations of their
content and function
• Teacher writing samples
The teaching portfolio allows the Graduate Teaching Assistant to examine what is done in the
classroom, what isn’t, and what should be done to ensure students’ needs are being met.
Reflective teaching improves a Graduate Teaching Assistant’s awareness of what is actually going
on in the classroom, how it can be better approached, and how it can be improved. It opens up
his or her mind to the possibility of change. Finally, it is through change that professional
development and intellectual growth occur.
The following sub-sections provide additional information on resources and services to aid you
in incorporating reflective practice into your own teaching experiences.
Additional Information on Professional Development for GTAs:
Professional Development of GTAs in the United States – linked from Learning and Teaching
Support Network.

Reflective Practice
By Patrice J. Faison, M. Ed, NBCT
Clinical Faculty
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
104
Today education is in dire need of reform. Educational reform has to begin with changing how
we prepare our teachers. In shifting the way we prepare teachers for professional practice, we
enable our students to confront, shift, and/or refine the beliefs, knowledge, values, and
assumptions that form their personal theories about teaching and learning (Abell, Anderson,
and Bryan). Reflection helps beginning teachers untangle the web of deeply entrenched
personal theories about teaching and learning.
Prospective teachers no longer view teaching as a predetermined set of rules or “bag of tricks”
to apply to any given classroom situation, but as a practice which is grounded in a system of
values, theories, and practice (Schon, 1983). Reflective Practice is one of the major changes
we must make and will be briefly discussed in this section.
For the purpose heretofore, reflective practice will be defined as ‘thinking about and learning
from one’s own practice.’ It can involve talking and keeping a journal, but always involves
thinking and acting. Furthermore, from thinking and acting, the teacher is able to experiment
with solutions to problems of one’s practice and examine the consequences and implications.
From this talking and journal keeping, questions are being developed as to the importance
and the effectiveness of the learning experience. The practitioner is also thinking about the
effect on student learning and the significance of the activity to impact student learning.
Steps to Becoming a Reflective Practitioner
Reflective practice begins with framing issues of classroom practice and specific experiences in
one’s own practice. One must begin to question and examine passionately held ideas and
assumptions about their teaching. This will assist in developing and communicating the
rationale that underlies teaching strategies that are implemented.
In addition to questioning and examining oneself, others can assist in
the reflective process. Students can be of a huge assistance with the
reflection process. It is imperative to know if the information you are
intending to convey is opaque or confusing to students. There are
varieties of ways feedback can be gathered from students:
•Journaling
•Discussion
•Surveys
•Observation
These methods can be used concurrently and should be ongoing and permanent in the
reflection process. Another factor that can play an important part in becoming an effective
reflective practitioner is contribution from colleagues. Colleagues can assist by observation and
thoughtful conversations, and providing help with aspects of your practice that you may not be
aware. They can also suggest strategies to address particular situations.
By becoming a reflective practitioner, educators will enhance their teaching success and, in
turn, help repair our educational system.
References:
Schon, D.A.(1987).Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching
and learning in the professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Abell, S.K., Cennamo, K.S., Anderson, M.A., Bryan, L.A. Coaching Reflective Practice
Among PreService Elementary Science Teachers.
http://www.ed.psu.edu/CI/Journals/96pap27.htm

Student Surveys
By Therese Coon
GTA at N. C. A&T
State University
105
Graduate Teaching Assistants are practitioners
who should continually evaluate the effects of
his or her choices and actions on others
(students, faculty, and other professionals in the
learning community) and actively seek out
opportunities to grow professionally. One way to
evaluate your teaching is to seek feedback from
the students you teach. Many GTAs provide a
form for student feedback during and/or at the
end of the semester. A couple of examples are
provided for you as a guide, as well as a link to a
web-site where you can create customized course
evaluations on-line.
The first is a survey designed and utilized by Therese
Coon. As you can see, she precedes the survey with
a brief note of instruction to the students.

Survey A
From:
106
To: Course: Semester:
Date:
Re: Course Evaluation and Recommendations
Thank you for making my first semester as a graduate teaching assistant, and student, an interesting experience!
I have enjoyed meeting you and working with you throughout the semester. Your response to this survey will
help me understand what to keep and what to change to improve the course.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please return in to me by _____________________
either directly or to my mailbox ______________________________.
1. What was the most useful thing you learned this semester?
2. What was the least useful thing you learned this semester?
3. What would you prefer to see changed about this course?
4. What would you keep in this course?
5. To take advantage of the career fair timing, I pulled up Chapter 7 (The Job Search) and parts of
Chapter 6 (Letters) to the front of the schedule. Was this effective for you?
6. The papers, presentation, and final exam made up ~75% of the grade and due dates all fell in last
part of semester. Would you recommend spacing these out differently? If so, how?
7. Was lab time useful to you? Were the lab assignments (few) helpful? How would you recommend
lab time be worked into the course?
8. I am considering contracting with students for grades. For example, students would need to
complete up to 800 pts worth of work. This could be done by homework assignments, class
assignments, some number of projects, and mid-term/final exams. The total available work would
be worth more than 800 pts. What do you think about this option? Have you experienced this
type of grading in other courses?
9. Would you prefer to see more group work or more individual work in this course? Why?
10. What are your thoughts on the use of the various presentation materials used this semester?
Overheads: use more use less about right
PowerPoint: use more use less about right
Handouts: too many too few about right
Lecture: too much too little about right
In-class work: too much too little about right
Lab time: too much too little about right
Guest speakers -
(campus/industry): too much too little about right
Do you have comments about any of these materials? Are there materials or teaching aids that you
recommend that may communicate this material more effectively?
11. What would have helped you prepare better for the major documents?
12. Any facility suggestions you may have?
13. Any other recommendations or ideas that I may not have asked about?

Another survey sample, reprinted from a newsletter at the University of California-Los
Angeles, is included as an appendix item in the Iowa State University TA Handbook (linked
with permission from Iowa State University.) You may want to tailor the evaluation to your
circumstances and the aspects of your teaching on which you want students to comment.
Instead of a numerical rating, you may prefer a more informal survey to collect student
suggestions and opinions.
107
You are encouraged to use this format or design your own at Customized Course Evaluations
that addresses the elements of the particular course(s) you are teaching.
While most professors distribute a standard Student Opinion Form to students at the end of
each semester to gather feedback, this data is not always compiled and available to the GTA in
a time frame that allows them to use the feedback for the very next course they teach. By
providing your own survey tool in addition to the standard university form, you will be able to
study the feedback immediately and determine what aspects of the course and/or your teaching
need to be fine-tuned before the next semester begins.
Additional resources on reflective practice for Graduate Teaching Assistants are available
by clicking on the links below.
Assessing and Improving Your Teaching – University of Washington, Center for Instructional
Development & Research. Sub-topics include:
•Student Ratings
• Teaching Portfolio
•Peer Observation
• Four Elements of Effective Teaching
•Faculty Observation
Feedback from your Students - Linked with permission from Iowa State University.
(Scroll down about 9/10 of the way through the linked article to locate this section.)
Growth as a Teacher – Ohio State University.
Journaling – Inspiring Teachers Publishing, Inc.
Professional Reflective Journaling – Patricia E. Eagle
Student Surveys of Teaching – Murdoch University

Instructional Support and Services
What’s offered at NC A&T State University
The School of Graduate Studies offers several workshops each semester designed to prepare
graduate students to enter academic or research careers. Funding for the workshops is provided by
the Student Retention and Transition (STAR) Program, which is supported by a grant from the
National Science Foundation. Previous topics included:
“The Teaching Process: A Study in an Active
Learning Environment”
“Conducting the Class”
“Discussion Class Guidelines”
“Lecture Class Guidelines”
Department Training and Resources
“Using Technology to Support Pedagogy”
“Using Your Voice Effectively”
“Practice Teaching Session”
“Creating a Teaching Portfolio”
Many departments schedule orientation and training activities for new Graduate Teaching Assistants
and/or faculty. In some cases, this orientation involves several days of meetings, interviews, and
information sessions. Most of these orientation sessions – which may run for an afternoon or for
several days – take place at the beginning of the fall term. Contact your department about
orientation and training possibilities available to you.
Your primary contacts as a Graduate Teaching Assistant will be with the department that has
hired you. As a member of the teaching staff of the department, you will find your departmental
office to be a major source of advice and assistance.
In most departments, one person serves as the primary adviser for graduate students. In small
departments, the chair may handle this function. Elsewhere, another faculty member may be primarily
responsible for orienting new graduate students, answering their questions, and
getting them started on the process of finding suitable major professors. The department’s Director
of Graduate Education may serve as the primary contact person for general questions relating to
assistantships. Another faculty member may serve as supervisor for the course in which you have
been assigned a role as one of the GTAs (in most instances GTAs are, in fact as well as in name,
assistants to professors in classrooms and laboratories). A member of the
clerical staff may handle classroom or supply allocations.
108
Developing a good working relationship with all of these departmental faculty and staff
members is an important factor in a productive and pleasant graduate experience.
Additional Campus Resources
Academy for Teaching and Learning
Promotes teaching excellence and the scholarship of teaching and learning, by integrating new
technologies into instruction and adopting multimedia resources to create, support, and manage a
responsive learning community.
Provides leadership in coordinating and distributing technical support services and resources
for sound pedagogical practices enhanced by the latest wireless classroom lab,
teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and multimedia technologies.
Conducts workshops and holds think share sessions to support pedagogic activities
• Instructional enhancement (Teaching and
Learning with Technology)
• Professional and personal development
•Technology accessibility and infusion
• Assessment and evaluation assistance
• Leadership development for professional
growth
• Scholarly exchange of works
• Grant writing and reporting
• Collaborations and partnerships
• Recognition and reward system
•Research initiatives
• Development of innovative works

Campus Media Centers
• Academy for Teaching and Learning
(Bluford Library-Lower Level)
o On-line course delivery faculty development
and training
o Laptops, projectors, and electronic devices for
faculty use and training
o Arranging and coordinating videoconferences and
other Web cast programs for academic departments
o Conducting special workshops on technology
and pedagogy
o Training faculty and staff on basic computer
skills and software usage
o Coordinating and delivering campus-wide media
services including video production, audio
recording, computer, and multimedia
applications
• Center for Distance Learning
(1020 Wendover Avenue 2nd Floor)
o Electronically equipped wireless room for
professional meetings, small classes, seminars,
and presentations
o Videoconferencing, and teleconferencing
o Coordinate and implement distance learning
activities
Professional Development Center:
• Crosby Hall (College of Arts and Sciences)
o Video and audio production
o Visual communications
o Instructional television
o Media streaming (audio and video no the Web)
• McNair Hall (College of Engineering)
o eleconferencing
o Videoconferencing
o Interactive/Web cast classroom
• Smith Hall (School of Technology)
o Video and teleconferencing
o Distance Learning/Digital Communication
Networks
o ISDN videoconferencing (High speed video via
telephone lines)
o IP videoconferencing (Internet)
o Direct satellite and cable television programs
•Webb Hall (School of Agriculture)
o Satellite links
o Video services
o Photography
109
• Offers professional developmental workshops
• If you need information regarding workshops and any additional information on what
services are offered please contact:
Dr. Muktha B. Jost
Professional Development Center
2105 Yanceyville Street (336) 275-2060 ext. 3027
Bluford Library:
Instructional Resources:
• Course Related Instruction
• Consultation of Faculty and Librarian over
Library Assignments
• Bluford Individualized Instruction Program
• Interactive Tutorial
• Printed Materials (Guides, Handouts, etc.)
•Walk-In/Point-of-Use Instruction
• Archives on 2nd Floor
• Interlibrary Loan – Service provides for
GTAs and Faculty. Books and articles can
be delivered to Library from other locations.
• Collection Management – Can request the
purchase of material from workshops to be
cataloged and available in library for use.
Virtual Reference Service
NC Knows is a project, still in its testing phase, to provide chat-based virtual reference services in
libraries throughout the state. It is staffed by librarians from various libraries in and outside of the state,
who are on call to chat with and assist you regarding your research needs. You will not necessarily be
speaking to an A&T librarian.
Clicking on the NC Knows banner will take you to the NC Knows page, where you can learn more about
the service, its purpose, and its limitations. Then log in and chat with a librarian to try out the service.
Learning Resources Center:
• If you need information regarding workshops and any additional information on what services
are offered please contact:
Dr. Muktha B. Jost
Professional Development Center
2105 Yanceyville Street (336) 275-2060 ext. 3027

Counseling Services:
• Assists GTAs and faculty with seminars, study workshops, presentation preparation
• Assists with Career Development
110
Further Reading for Professional Development
For more information on teaching and instructional support, locate the following resources at
the campus library or local public library or click on the link (if provided) for Internet access:
Active Learning on the World Wide Web, link provided by San Diego State University.
Andrews, J. D. W. (Ed.). (1985). Strengthening the teaching assistant faculty. New Directions for
Teaching and Learning, No. 22. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Belenky, M. F., Clichy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R., & Tarule, J. M. (1986). Women's ways of knowing:
The Development of Self, Voice, and Mind. New York: Basic Books.
Bess, J. L. (1973). Integrating faculty and student life styles. Review of Educationa Research, 43, 377-403.
Classroom Assessment Techniques, link provided by Southern Illinois University.
Cones, J. H., III, Noonan, J. F., & Janha, D. (Eds.). (1983). Teaching Minority Students. New Directions
for Teaching and Learning, No. 16. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Davis, Barbara Gross. (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Educational Icebreakers, link provided by ABOUT.com.
Erickson, B. L., & Strommer, D. W. (1991). Teaching College Freshmen. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Fink, L. D. (1984). The first year of college teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning.
No. 17. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kamarovsky, M. (1985). Women in College: Shaping New Feminine Identities. New York: Basic Books.
McKeachie, Wilbert. (1999). Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and
University Teachers, 10th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Nyquist, J. D., Abbott, R. D., & Wulff, D. H. (1991). Preparing the Professoriate of Tomorrow to Teach:
Selected Readings in TA Training. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt.
Pascarella, E. T. Student-faculty informal contact and college outcomes. Review of Educational
Research, 50, 545-595.
Perry, W. G. (1970). Forms of Intellectual and Social Development in the College Years: A Scheme.
New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
Robinson, G. M., & Moulton, J. (1985). Ethical Problems in Higher Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall.
Contact Information for Professional Development
The links below provide information on publications and/or organizations in the field of
higher education.
American Association for Higher Education
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching
The National Council for Staff, Program, and
Organizational Development
The National Teaching and Learning Forum
POD Network- Professional and Organizational
Development Network in Higher Education
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education
Syllabus: Education Technology for Higher
Education
The Teaching Professor Newsletter, published by
Magna Publications ten times per year.
Tomorrow's Professor, a product of Stanford
University’s Learning Laboratory.
University Business.com
World Lecture Hall, a product of the University
of Texas at Austin.

Preparing the Professional Portfolio
By Karen D. Guy, Director, Ph.D.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction,
School of Education
and Thurman N. Guy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
111
To compete in the 21st century, institutions of higher education, businesses, and special career
organizations at the national and international levels are seeking the best-qualified graduate
students for their programs and for employment. As graduate students compete in school and in
the work force, the need to showcase one’s intellectual capital and professional capabilities
through authentic means has become a challenge for many. However, one trend used in assessing
and evaluating one’s present intellectual capital and capabilities is the professional portfolio.
In higher education, noting the need for assessment and evaluation changes, research has
reported strong use of the professional portfolio as a maverick approach in charting graduate
students professional and personal goals and development. This article describes the professional
portfolio for graduate students in the developing phase, organizing phase, and the collecting
phase. In addition to this discussion, a list of suggested categories are described when preparing
a professional portfolio.
The professional portfolio is simply defined as an organized selective descriptive story or a
profile presentation that documents the achievement of an individual’s professional goals
describing knowledge, skills, and dispositions in a specialized career area. A professional
portfolio documents the professional goals and growth developed over time to showcase the
accomplishments of an individual (Kilbane and Milman, 2003). Most importantly, the
professional portfolio provides graduate students the opportunities to have time to reflect
and refine their professional and personal experiences by charting their own growth
and development.
Developing a professional portfolio
Many graduate schools and businesses across the nation are requesting students to submit a
professional portfolio with their application as an additional supportive documentation before
or during the interview session. The professional portfolio illustrates diverse examples of your
professional and personal growth over an extended period of time during your studies. A welldeveloped
professional portfolio presents the reader with authentic evidence of one’s overall
development that reflects professional and personal goals and objectives. Equally important,
key benefits in preparing a professional portfolio include fostering self-assessment, opportunities
for personal reflections, and developing a tool for future collaboration experiences.
Organizing a professional portfolio
Organizing your professional portfolio in a goal driven manner demonstrates the expected
knowledge, skills, and dispositions that you bring to graduate school or the work force. In
organizing the portfolio, develop comprehensive professional and personal goal statements from
one to five years. In addition, the organization of the portfolio should address the competencies
and/or standards of an individual’s discipline. According to Campbell, Cignetti, Melenyzer,
Nettles, and Wyman (2001), “Regardless of the goals or standards chosen, everything collected
for your portfolio should be organized around the chosen goal statements” (p.4). Therefore, the
artifacts/evidences selected should demonstrate ones ability to be effective in their chosen
discipline. Listed below are key tips for organizing a professional portfolio:
Use a quality leather binder for the best looking professional portfolio. A leather binder is
an excellent choice for organizing information that can be added or deleted with dividers
to separate each section.
Use quality paper and section sheets or tabs throughout the portfolio to organize the
information in a professional manner.

Use appropriate fonts, art designs, and other special features for a high quality looking
professional portfolio that is free of all spelling and grammatical errors.
Use photographs, newspaper articles, illustrations, charts, graphs, web citations, and
PowerPoint to display your professional and personal goals and objectives.
Use data, audio and video information to enhance your professional portfolio.
Collecting materials for a professional portfolio
In developing a professional portfolio, various kinds of artifacts or sample evidences of a
student’s work should be collected to illustrate the story presentation or profile plan of an
individual. Such artifacts or samples of work of an individual’s actual performance are presented
through: (1) authentic artifacts of work demonstrated, (2) samples or completed work in
progress, and (3) reflective commentaries with evidence of supportive documentation that an
individual acquired during graduate studies or employment.
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Diverse documentation from the three sources should be collected, organized, and presented in
a professional manner in a hard copy (paper) document and/or electronic delivery mechanism.
A professional portfolio should not be an exhaustive sample of everything you have
accomplished, but a selective body of documents that are diverse and valued-added that
supports your specialized career path. The following categories may be included in your
professional portfolio:
•Title page
•Table of Contents
• Copy of resume or vita
• Biographical sketch
• Copy of transcripts
•National test results that demonstrate
competencies in a specialized area of study
• Letter of application(s) for employment or
graduate school
• Philosophy summary or a short narrative
related to a specialized area of study
• Professional development plan with goals
and vision statements
• Summary of career professional and
personal milestones
• Special recognitions of achievements
including awards, honors, certificates,
and letters
•Video and audio work samples
• Demonstration of technology skills
• Professional memberships including
leadership positions
• Professional development conferences,
workshops, and meetings participation
and attendance
• Research competition activities
• Scholarly and reflective papers
• Patents and trademarks
• Blueprints, technical drawing, and
illustrations
•Volunteer work or service learning
experiences
• Internships and field-based experiences
• Publications including electronic media
•Work-in progress activities (article, book,
presentation, etc.)
• Recommendations and/or appointments
letters
• Professional reading list for the last two
years
The professional portfolio is an internal picture of you, a snapshot of you professionally and
personally. The final product should be presented accurately, illustrating your knowledge, skills,
and dispositions in a manner that provides positive insight into your past and present
experiences. As a graduate student, this document will be a valuable resource over time for
self-growth, assessment and evaluation purposes, and employment opportunities.

References:
Campbell, D. M., Cignetti, P. B., Melenyzer, B. J., Nettles, D. H., & Wyman, R.M. (2001).
How to Develop a Professional Portfolio: A Manual for Teachers. Needham Heights,
MA: Allyn & Bacon. (p.4).
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Kilbane, C. R., & Milman, N. B. (2003). The Digital Teaching Portfolio Handbook: A How-
To Guide for Educators. Boston, MA: Allyn and Beacon.
Below are links to several resources to assist in planning and developing your own portfolio.
These links have been provided with permission granted by the host institution:
“Creating a Teaching Portfolio,” (This PDF file is a workbook of activities to get you started on
a teaching portfolio.) Teresa Dawson, Office of Teaching Advancement, University of
Toronto at Scarborough, Canada.
“Designing a Teaching Portfolio,” (This file asks questions to help you get started on a teaching
portfolio.) Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Pennsylvania State
University.
Developing a Teaching Portfolio. Linked with permission from the Center for Teaching
Excellence at Iowa State University (Scroll down to Section 5)
How To Produce a Teaching Portfolio. Seldin, Peter. “The Teaching Portfolio – A Practical
guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions.” Bolton, MA: Anker
Publishing Company, Inc. 1991.
“Preparing a Teaching Portfolio: A Guidebook,” The Center for Teaching Effectiveness, The
University of Texas at Austin.
“Recommended Portfolio Contents,” Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University.

SECTION IX
114
University Policies and Procedures related to GTAs
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP ADMINISTRATION POLICY
Dated 8/17/00
Graduate Assistants (GAs) are afforded the opportunity to function both as students and as
professionals, thereby, enhancing the quality of their education through this dual role. They
complement students toward their degrees with teaching, research or administrative work,
under the supervision of faculty or staff.
The demands of this dual role requires them to have a clear understanding of the requirements,
responsibilities, and privileges of their positions. This document is designed to provide basic,
yet comprehensive, information regarding graduate assistantships at North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University.
Graduate Assistants at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Graduate assistants at A&T, like their counterparts at other colleges and universities, play a
dual role functioning both as students and professionals. While meeting the academic
requirements of an academic degree, or serving in research, administrative, or teaching
capacities, the graduate assistant works under the supervision of a mentor (faculty or staff
member). Maintaining a clear understanding of this unusual position and becoming familiar
with the requirements and responsibilities to be met both as a student and a professional pose
a unique and difficult challenge for the graduate student. Thus, the graduate student must
become aware of the academic regulations of the School of Graduate Studies at A&T and of
any other specific requirements of his/her academic department. By understanding their role in
the overall function of the university, graduate assistants may meet, more adequately, the
demands of the graduate school and function more confidently as graduate students.
Purpose
A graduate student’s principle objective is to earn a graduate degree. Appointment as a graduate
assistant contributes to that objective by providing an apprenticeship experience along with
financial support. This apprenticeship complements formal instruction and gives the student
practical and personal experience than can only be gained by performing instruction, research,
and administrative activities. Rather than interfere or conflict with the graduate student’s
educational objectives, the assistantship is to aid in the successful completion of the degree
program. To this end, graduate assistants should be given assignment and supervision that will
help them grow professionally. Their responsibilities and formal instruction should reinforce
each other. Research projects should lead to a thesis or dissertation. Teaching should give greater
insight into their own performance as students. The mentor relationship is extremely vital in
achieving this type of integration. Careful planning and valuation will provide both the
university and the graduate student a beneficial relationship.
Graduate Assistantships
A Graduate Assistant (GA) is a general term meaning a graduate student enrolled and
employed by A&T to assist a faculty member or staff member in the area of administration,
research or teaching.
A graduate assistant may fall into one of the following categories:
Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA)
A Graduate Administrative Assistant’s duties primarily involve assisting the university's
administrative staff or that of a specific department with collecting, organizing and
analyzing various administrative data. These duties should be relevant to the graduate
program and professional goals of the student.

A GAA is most often involved with assisting at registration, collection materials, performing
computer work, editing, helping with department exhibitions and working on special projects.
Minor responsibilities involve attending seminars, engaging in library research and holding
conferences.
Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)
A Graduate Research Assistant is one who assumes research-oriented responsibilities which
involve library work, computer programming, analysis, fieldwork, laboratory experiments,
scientific investigations, or other endeavors. The principal investigator of a funded research
project normally employs GRAs. The student’s work on a research project should be closely
supervised; it could lead to the successful writing of a thesis or dissertation, and provide
long-range direction for the student’s development as a scholar.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
A Graduate Teaching Assistant serves in an instructional role in a class or laboratory within
a specific department at NCA&TSU. GTAs may perform pedagogical functions, such as,
preparing lectures, teaching classes, constructing and grading tests, holding conferences,
assigning course grades, or providing support for the faculty member in charge of the course.
In all cases, the GTA works under the supervision of a faculty member. To this end, the GTA
works to gain teaching skills and a better understanding of the essentials of his/her academic
discipline.
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Both GRAs and GTAs must also fulfill duties and responsibilities concerning safety in the
laboratory equipment. Guidelines are available from the colleges/schools department offices.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a GA appointment, students may not hold non-degree, special, or probationary
status at the University. Exceptions to this regulation must be approved by the Dean of School
of Graduate Studies. The GA must be fully admitted to a graduate program devoting full time
towards the degree.
To qualify for a GA appointment, a student must satisfy the following eligibility requirements:
1. Be pursuing a graduate
degree at A&T State
University.
2. Be registered during the
academic year for a
specific number of hours
as prescribed by the
academic department.
3. Maintain a 3.0 grade
point average and make
progress towards the
graduate degree.
4. Satisfy other requirements
published by the
employing college/school
5. The academic unit
shall establish eligibility
for assistantships for
summer sessions.
International students applying for graduate assistantships who are graduates of institutions of
higher education located outside the USA in non-English speaking countries are required to
demonstrate proficiency in the English language by having official scores directly from the test
of English as Foreign Language (TOFEL) submitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
International teaching assistants MUST score a minimum of 550 on the paper base test or 213
on the computer base test. Only scores received from Educational Testing Service, Princeton,
NJ 08451, will be considered official. Students are responsible for requesting ETS to forward
scores to the university.

A graduate student for whom English is a second language must obtain clearance through the
International Students Office for enhancing their communication skills. This office is located in Murphy
Hall, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC 27411; the
telephone number is (336)334-7551. The academic unit (department, college, and school) also
evaluates international students’ effective communication skills.
Academic Enrollment
Graduate Assistants must register during the academic year for a specific number of hours as
prescribed by the academic department.
Additional On-Campus and Outside Employment
No specific established policy regarding additional employment exists. Most departments,
however, discourage additional employment.
Appointment/Reappointment/Duration of Appointment
The Department Chairperson and the Dean of the college/school will make appointment of
GAs. Decisions concerning policies for the appointment and reappointment of GAs are
determined by the academic department with the approval of the appropriate college/school
dean within the guidelines established by the Graduate Council.
Each department must complete an appointment letter. This letter will include:
1. Type of assistantship
2. Amount of stipend
3. Responsibilities of the position
Each GA should expect to receive a letter of appointment including this information. The same
procedure is followed for notification of reappointment. GAs are expected to respond in writing
their acceptance/rejection of letters of appointment and reappointment.
The letter of appointment constitutes the first normal step toward employment as a GA.
Typically, the letter contains a job description outlining the type of appointment, responsibilities,
minimum/maximum course load, salary, length/dates of appointment and a faculty supervisor.
Time of Offer
The following timetable is suggested for the offer and acceptance of the appointments by
academic departments employing graduate students.
Timetable Deadlines Acceptance/Rejection:
4. Duration of the appointment
5. Minimum number of credit hours
Semester Offer Dates Response Dates
Summer February 1 February 15
Fall April 1 April 15
Spring October 1 October 15
Acceptance given or left in force after response date prevents the student from accepting another
appointment without first obtaining formal release from the employing unit. Those academic
departments offering initial appointments after April 15 must make offers as early as possible
during the Spring and Summer sessions.
Consistent with planning information and funds, employing academic departments may offer
another graduate assistantship as early as possible, but no later than two weeks before the end
of Spring Semester.
Commitments are made only for the period initially assigned and are non-transferable in terms
of time. The letter of appointment includes the beginning and ending dates of commitment.
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All appointments are contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose. A&T also
adheres to the Council of Graduate Schools resolution regarding graduate assistants.

Period of Appointment
The academic unit (department, college or school) normally makes graduate assistant
appointments. The academic unit also defines the duration and level of compensation for
graduate assistants.
Termination Criteria
A GA appointment may be terminated prior to the end of the appointment period for any of
the following reasons:
1. The GA is no longer enrolled in the School of Graduate Studies.
2. The GA is registered for fewer credit hours than approved by the
academic unit.
3. The GA is registered for more than the maximum number of graduate
credit hours approved by the academic unit.
4. Performance by the GA is determined to be unsatisfactory by the
employing academic department.
5. The position has been terminated due to budgetary constraints.
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Performance Review
Evaluation is a crucial part of the assistantship program. Supervision and performance reviews
should be an on-going process of communication between the GA and the faculty/staff
supervisor/mentor.
At the end of each term appointment, a formal evaluation will be conducted by the School of
Graduate Studies in a manner equitable to all GAs in each academic department. However,
informal evaluations and observations should be conducted as needed by the department.
The formal evaluation should assure fairness in reappointment. Excellence should be noted as
well as continued inadequacies in performance. As part of the total evaluation, the GA should
assess the experience from his/her perspective as well. The evaluation form utilized at A&T is
provided in Appendix A. Your supervisor will complete the evaluation and discuss it with you
at the end of the semester.
Conduct and Discipline
Means for resolving students’ complaints:
The GA, categorized as both student and instructional leader, especially as a GTA, is subject to
disciplinary procedures for academic misconduct. As an instructional leader, the GA must not
become involved in academic honesty in terms of cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, forgery and
aiding/abetting academic dishonesty. A GA is expected to behave at the highest level of
ethical behavior.
Academic Department Responsibilities
Within the above-stated policies on the Administration of Graduate Assistantships, each
employing academic department appointing GAs must develop, publish and make available its
GA rules. The publication should include the following information:
1. Criteria and procedures for
selecting GAs.
2. Criteria and procedures for
reappointing GAs.
3. Period of appointments.
4. Availability of summer
appointments.
5. Date for notifying students of
appointments and for receiving
acceptance or refusal.
6. Statement of duties and
responsibilities.
7. Criteria and procedures for
evaluating and reporting
GA performance.
8. Criteria and procedures for
terminating GA appointments.
9. Grievance procedures within
the academic department.
10. Space and facilities.
11. If available, stipend levels.

Each academic department should endeavor to provide its GAs with appropriate space and
facilities necessary to carry out their assigned teaching, research or administrative duties. A desk
and chair, file space and a mailbox within the department should be provided. Access to a
typewriter or computer, office duplicating equipment and a telephone should be provided.
Grievance Procedures
Discussion of a GA’s concerns with an advisor, supervisor, Graduate Studies Committee Chairperson,
chairperson of the academic department or school dean normally leads to resolution of a grievance.
There may be instances in which resource to these persons does not provide resolution. The
Graduate Council has established grievance procedures, copies of which are available in the School
of Graduate Studies.
Remuneration
Policies related to compensation for GAs vary among colleges/schools. For information
regarding levels of compensation, each GA should contact the respective college/school dean.
Guidelines regarding GTA Qualifications
From NC A&T GTA Evaluation Guidelines – Administrative Memo #349:
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• Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) must possess a demonstrated competence in the subject matter
that they will be teaching as determined by experts in the field. They should have an appreciation
for the theory and practice of the subject matter, as well as a developing understanding of the major
themes and divisions of their field. They should have an appreciation for the teaching and learning
enterprise acquired from their own undergraduate and graduate academic programs, as well by means
of both required and optional teacher training seminars, symposia, workshops, publications, and
university staff resources. Competency to teach includes an effective command of the language of
instruction, usually American English, and an appreciation for the culture of the American
university classroom.
• GTAs must be graduate students in good standing in their programs, which requires
maintaining a minimum B average, or, at some campuses, receiving no grade lower than B.
Professional/Ethical/Legal Responsibilities for Graduate Assistants
By Kenneth H. Murray, Ph.D., PE
Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and
Dean of the School of Graduate Studies
As a Graduate Assistant, you are an employee of North Carolina A&T State University, which
means that the students believe you are the university’s representative in all matters. Many may
not fell that you represent the university outside of the classroom or laboratory, but the students
believe that you do. This means that you must be very careful to understand your responsibilities.
Definitions
To begin the discussion of your professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities requires that we
define some basic terms that will be used throughout this discussion.
Professional – characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical
standards of a profession which is defined as a calling requiring specialized
knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.
Ethical – conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
controlled by a set of moral principles or values.
Legal – established by law.

Professional Responsibilities
Your professional responsibilities are defined by the teaching profession and include:
Giving correct information at all times, if you
do not know the answer, say so and get help.
Being prepared for all assignments and seek
help from others when it is needed.
Being on time with everything – attendance,
returning work, assignments, etc.
Ethical Responsibilities (Values)
Dressing appropriate for the assignment.
Controlling your actions and language at
all times.
Handling each person as an individual
with respect for them and their views.
Your ethical responsibilities are defined by the standards of the educational community and
especially the standards at North Carolina A&T State University. They include:
119
Performing your assignments to the best of your
ability.
Being fair and honest in handling people and
data.
Handling all grading as personal and
confidential.
Legal Responsibilities
Your legal responsibilities are defined by Federal and State law and often overlap your ethical
responsibilities since many of our ethical values have been canonized into the law. They include:
Providing the university with all legal
documentation required for the position.
Understanding your duties and carrying them
out according to the published schedule.
Not disclosing private or personal information
to anyone except that person.
Not embarrassing anyone under your control
in public – correct improper or incorrect
actions in private with the individual.
Not developing romantic or intimate
relationships with students or staff under
direction.
Not placing relatives under your direction or
give them any special treatment.
Not developing romantic or intimate
relationships with students or staff under your
direction.
Not placing relatives under your direction or
give them any special treatment.
Conclusion
As a Graduate Assistant at North Carolina A&T State University, you have professional,
ethical, and legal responsibilities with respect to your assignment. We have trusted you with
these responsibilities and believe you are capable of caring out these responsibilities and
representing the University with the highest of standards. To do this you must understand
the following:
Ethics and values are personal, but with
broader impact.
Maintaining your values is a must, both
personally and professionally.
Shakespeare wrote - “To thine own self be
true” - but this only works if you are “true and
ethical.”
Your values should not change with
situations, but may change with new e
xperiences and over time, and we hope they
improve with each change.
Remember that as a Graduate Assistant you can always ask for help from faculty, staff, and
administrators without feeling embarrassed about not knowing. Great men and women always
know when to say, “I do not know,” and then find the answer. Good luck!
For more information, click on Classroom Legal Issues - linked with permission from
University of California - Santa Barbara, Office of Instructional Development.

Safety and Emergency Procedures in the Classroom
Provided by Marvin Dickerson,
Director, ARISA/Environmental Health and Safety,
North Carolina A&T State University
120
Instructor’s Responsibility
NC A&T State University holds in high regard the health and safety of faculty, staff, students
and visitors. It is the policy of the University to provide a loss-control program that protects
employees from occupational injuries and illnesses, protects University property from loss and
damage, and protects the environment. Operational procedures as developed by University
safety organizations will be implemented and enforced by all university department/
administrative units.
Consistent with this policy, instructors must become familiar with the Division of Student
Affairs, Crisis Response and Emergency Management Handbook and the University’s
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). These documents are available from
the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety
office. In addition, the CEMP can be accessed from the University’s Front Page Web-site at
www.ncat.edu.
Provide his or her class or audience with general information relating to emergency procedures.
This information should be shared during the first week of class or at the start of a seminar. Please
note the posted information for “Classroom Emergency Procedures.”
Know how to report an emergency from the classroom being used.
Assure that persons with disabilities have the information they need. The instructor should be
familiar with the student’s plan and be able to direct visitors with disabilities.
Take responsible charge of the classroom and follow emergency procedures for all building alarms
and emergencies.
Supplemental Information
As an instructor, what do I need to know about Emergency Preparedness?
Every university department and unit should have a written Emergency Plan covering specific
procedures for their facility and employees. These plans will cover events such as: fire,
earthquake, power outage, bomb threat, hazardous material spills, severe weather, etc.
Instructors will find it helpful to review the plans for the buildings in which they teach to see
if the plans differ from the general information provided here.
The “instructor” is an authoritative figure for the student, either consciously or subconsciously,
and can influence how the student responds in an emergency. Calm, collected and clear
directions by the instructor will have a calming effect on the students. In order for the
instructor to exhibit this controlled personae he or she must be prepared for emergencies.
1. EVACUATION ROUTES – Unless unusual conditions dictate otherwise, the best
evacuation route is the nearest stairway and out the nearest exit.
2. EMERGENCY ASSEMBLY POINTS – After the class leaves the building or area, it is
important for them to go to a pre-determined area where the presence of persons can be
documented. This “safe area” will be a designated Emergency Assembly Point where the class
will not interfere with responding emergency services nor place themselves at risk of injury
from the emergency. Evacuation routes in most university buildings lead the occupants out
the building. However, in some high-rise buildings the evacuation routes may lead occupants
horizontally into another wing or down a couple of floors below the source of the alarm.
These high-rise buildings may have Emergency Assembly Points for both inside and outside
the building.

Accounting for all students can be very difficult, particularly with a large class. However, an
attempt must be made. For example, it might be possible for the instructor to: wait until all
the students have left the room/lab, use the class roster, use a head count or have students see
if the students seated next to them are at the assembly point. You must also account for
persons with disabilities (see below).
121
3. EVACUATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – If there is a person with a
disability in the class, the instructor must be knowledgeable of their response and who may be
assisting them. Four options are available to persons with disabilities:
Horizontal Evacuation to outside or another building, if available.
Stairway Evacuation.
Stay in Place unless danger is imminent.
Area of Refuge if available.
“Elevators cannot be used during an emergency evacuation”!
4. REPORTING TO BUILDING EMERGENCY COORDINATOR – After exiting and
accounting for students, the Building Emergency Coordinator will notify emergency personnel
of persons missing or trapped or persons with disabilities that are waiting assistance in areas
of refuge.
5. FIRE ALARMS – Fire alarms will sound and may include strobe lights for people with
hearing disabilities. When the alarm sounds, everyone must exit the alarmed area according
to the evacuation plan.
Everyone Must Evacuate Immediately!
Procedures that may be hazardous if left unattended should be shut down.
Verify that everyone leaves and that all the doors are closed. Closed doors significantly
reduce fire and smoke damage.
6. WHAT TO EXPECT IN A POWER OUTAGE – The University campus power system
is serviced by Duke Power and, over time, has proven to be reliable, even during major
windstorms. Many campus buildings are provided with emergency lighting or standby power
from emergency generators. This system is automatic and should be operational within 60
seconds. Consequently, if the power does go out during class, have the people stay in their
seats for a little while and wait for the power to return. If the power does not return in a
reasonable length of time, (~ 5 minutes) then evacuate the classroom or laboratory.
Evacuation should take advantage of available lighting unless the building is in alarm, and
then use the same evacuation procedures as during a fire. Caution students that there is no
rush and they should take their time exiting the building. Emergency lighting may or may
not be functioning in the room, hallway or stairways.
7. HOW TO REPORT AN EMERGENCY – Check each classroom, lecture hall or laboratory
for the nearest working telephone, the nearest life safety (fire) alarm pull station and the
nearest fire extinguisher.
a. Fire Activate Fire Alarm Pull Station
and if possible - Call 4-7675 or 911
b. Health/Police - Call 4-7675 or 911
c. Hazardous Material Spill - Call 4-7675 or 911
d. Facility or Utility Failure - Call 4-7675 or 911

What Emergency Preparedness Materials should I have with me in Class?
Roster
Important telephone numbers (in addition to Emergency Numbers)
Department Administrator As appropriate
Physical Plant 4-7634
Student Services 4-7696
Other – as appropriate
Classroom Emergency Procedures
1. When you hear the fire alarm…
The Elevators
cannot
be used during
a fire alarm!
Everyone should calmly collect his or her coats and books and
exit the classroom, lecture hall or laboratory.
Please turn off the gas supplies in laboratories.
Leave the room/lab and go to the nearest building exit.
Know the location of alternate exits.
Go to the Emergency Assembly Point. Exception: Persons
with disabilities may choose to remain in place or report to an
area of refuge.
122
2. When there is a power outage…
Everyone should stay in his or her seat to see if the outage is
temporary and to let his or her eyes adjust to the lower light
level.
If the outage appears to be long term, everyone should
calmly collect their materials and carefully exit the building.
3. If there is an earthquake…
4. Shelter-in-Place…
Drop and Cover your head for protection from material that
might fall from the ceiling or walls.
After the shaking stops, calmly evacuate the building.
You should prepare to remain inside of the building or facility
and take directions from designated staff or faculty
Shelter-in-Place coordinators.
5. Student Accident or Injuries…
You should assist the injured person with immediate
emergency medical care.
Contact the University Police Department and the Office of
Student Affairs.
Collect as much information as possible concerning the
accident and complete an Accident Report (Attachment in
the Student Affairs, Crisis Response and Emergency
Management Handbook).
Forward all obtained information regarding the incident,
directly to the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible.

University-Based Technology Transfer
Economic impact on the university and the world around us
Copyright 2000 © Association of University Technology Managers. All rights reserved.
123
Doug Speight
Interim Director
North Carolina A&T State University
Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization
What is Technology Transfer?
Technology Transfer is a term used to describe a formal transferring of new discoveries and
innovations resulting from scientific research conducted at universities to the commercial
sector. One way that universities transfer technology is through patenting and licensing new
innovations. The major steps in this process include: 1) the disclosure of innovations; 2)
patenting the innovation concurrent with publication of scientific research; and 3) licensing
the rights to innovations to industry for commercial development.
How do Academic Institutions Measure Success in Technology Transfer?
Early numerical measures include the number of patents filed, license agreements executed,
and new companies formed. Later, numerical measures include royalties paid to the academic
institutions from the companies that commercialized their inventions and the numbers of
products successfully introduced to the market. Additional models for calculating the public
benefits of technology transfer activities include induced investment, return to licensee/investor,
taxes, and jobs. Success is also demonstrated by the impact the particular products have on our
lives (see for product vignettes.)
Within the university setting, results of technology transfer include a university's capability to
retain entrepreneurial faculty and attract outstanding graduate students; its reputation for
innovation; the enhancement of university research through interaction with the private sector;
and, its reputation for providing highly trained students for the industrial workforce.
What are the Benefits of Technology Transfer?
Academic Technology Transfer in FY 1999-specifically the licensing of innovations by
universities, teaching hospitals, research institutes and patent management firms-added more
than $40 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 270,000 jobs. It has helped to spawn new
businesses, create industries, and open new markets. Moreover, it has led to new products and
services that improve our quality of life. From new cancer treatments to faster modems, from
environmentally friendly metal processing to beautiful flowering plants, technology transfer
from academic institutions is enhancing the way we live and work.
Has There Been Growth in Academic Technology Transfer Programs?
Yes. Academic institutions have seen a significant increase in technology transfer activity.
Prior to 1980, fewer than 250 patents were issued to U.S. universities each year and discoveries
were seldom commercialized for the public's benefit. In contrast, in FY 1999, reports indicated
that 3,914 new license agreements were signed. Between FY 1991 and FY 1999, annual
invention disclosures increased 63% (to 12,324), new patents filed increased 77% (to 5,545)
and new licenses and options executed increased 129% (to 3,914).
Why Has There Been Such a Growth in Technology Transfer Programs?
This success in university technology transfer-and the resulting economic and health benefits is
the direct result of the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act. This legislation, co-sponsored by Senators Birch
Bayh and Robert Dole, enabled universities, nonprofit research institutions, and small
businesses to own and patent inventions developed under federally funded research programs.
The Act provides an incentive for universities to market their innovations and for industry to
make high-risk investments.

How Does the Public Benefit from University-Industry Partnerships?
University-industry partnerships are helping to move new discoveries from the laboratory to the
marketplace faster and more efficiently than ever before-ensuring that products and services
reach the public more quickly and often. The partnership enables a researcher-who made the
initial discovery-to participate in the further development of a product or process, which in turn,
significantly reduces the time to eventual commercialization.
How Do Universities use the Royalties Earned from Licensing?
Royalties earned by academic institutions are used to help advance scientific research and
education through reinvestment in the academic enterprise. The royalties are given, in part, to
university research departments to provide, among other things, new opportunities for graduate
students, buy research equipment, or fund new research. They also are used to help sustain the
technology transfer process by paying for a portion of the legal fees associated with patenting
and licensing, as well as technology management staff. And finally, as the Bayh-Dole Act
requires, a portion of the revenues is shared with the university inventor.
Copyright 2000 © Association of University Technology Managers. All rights reserved.
For more information regarding technology transfer at North Carolina A&T State University,
please contact:
Doug Speight
Interim Director North Carolina A&T State University
Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization
Phone: (336) 334-7995 Fax: (336) 334-7086
Email: mspeight@ncat.edu
124
Student Initiated Programs and Unfunded Projects
By Marvin H. Watkins
Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for
Research and Economic Development
The Division of Research at NC A&T State University facilitates scholarly productivity
throughout the university with the fundamental core values being customer service, quality,
commitment, and excellence. The on-going major priorities for the division are to enhance
research and the productivity of sponsored programs for the entire university, to provide
comprehensive support services for the development and administration of research and
sponsored programs, and to enhance the university’s infrastructure for technology transfer and
commercialization. These major priorities also includes programs initiated by graduate students,
both funded and unfunded.
Both undergraduate and graduate students at A&T are heavily involved in a variety of research
and other sponsored program activities in a diversity of areas. Most of these research activities
are sponsored through individual discipline-specific research awards, or through interdisciplinary
research programs. All units and offices of the Division of Research, including those of the
Director of Research Services and the Research Compliance Officer, are available to assist
students interested in research and other sponsored programs. Please contact us at
(336) 334-7995 or visit the Division of Research on the 4th floor of the Fort Interdisciplinary
Research Center (IRC) Building on the main campus.

SECTION X
125
How to Help GTAs Be Successful
Graduate Teaching Assistants are undoubtedly valuable members of the instructional team at
A&T. While many areas have tried and true ways of gracefully blending their GTAs into the
structure and flow of the department, others do so somewhat haphazardly. So regardless of
where your area falls in this spectrum, the following checklist is a tool that will guide you in
preparing for and orienting your GTAs to their new roles.
For the Supervising Professor:
A CHECKLIST to Help GTAs Be Successful
Teaching Assistant’s Name ___________________________________________________________________
Semester/Year _________________________________________ Dept: _______________________________
Supervising Professor’s Name _________________________________________________________________
Check off items as they are completed by initialing in the
column to the left and indicating date accomplished
Notes
Letter of appointment and job description provided to GTA.
Acceptance from GTA received/acknowledged.
List of specific responsibilities and duties provided to GTA
along with important dates and deadlines.
Arrangements for compensation made.
Office space with a phone arranged.
Arrange for a mailbox and place for messages to be left.
Access to a photocopier, fax machine, computer, and printer.
Clear directions on course requirements, content, etc.
Regular guidance and feedback on the course and their
performance in leading it.
Contact numbers where supervising professor can be reached
at most times in the event of an emergency or crucial situation.
Please add any items that are specific to your department/area as needed.

GTA-to-GTA Advice
By Therese Coon
GTA at N. C. A&T State University
126
Sometimes advice straight from another graduate student who is serving or has served as a
GTA can shed light on an area that you haven’t thought about or are struggling with. Below
are contributions from current and former GTA’s at North Carolina A&T State University.
See which ones can help you in your new role:
From Therese Coon, Graphic Communication Systems:
Remember your classroom experiences as an undergraduate: which instructors and
TAs inspired you to learn the content and do your best work? Model their behaviors
in planning, instruction, feedback.
Treat your GTA assignment as a job. You’ll be writing it into your resume, right? Be
professional, on time, organized, and responsive to the needs of the instructor
(your boss) and the students (your customers).
What’s in it for you? Define what you want to learn from this experience and put that
into your planning for the semester. Do you want to improve your content mastery?
How about giving smoother presentations to the class? Find a creative way to present
the material? Build relationships within the department, school or university?
Remember that you are a role model to the undergraduates. They are soaking up your
perceptions and attitudes about them as students, about being a graduate student,
and about your attitude toward the instructor, department and university with
each interaction. We have not outgrown the poem “Children Learn What
They Live”.
Tips From Former GTAs:
Reflect on what works well for you in class and what doesn't work well and find ways to
further develop your teaching skills.
Utilize resources both in your department and on campus.
Before ever meeting the students, contact the professor in charge of the course and others
involved in the course to learn as much as possible about particular responsibilities and how
the course should be organized and taught.
Talk to colleagues, peers, and friends to learn from them and share teaching experiences.
Offer your students as many opportunities for communication as you are comfortable with.
For example, inform students they can reach you by telephone and provide numbers and
appropriate time frames for calling, or that they can send an e-mail message, drop their work
or notes off in your departmental mailbox, or come by during your office hours.
Try to communicate in a variety of ways based on your audience's needs. Some of us like to
listen to information, others would rather read the information, while others prefer to have it
demonstrated or acted out. Still others may prefer to discuss things.
Keep your presentations simple, exciting and challenging, and adjusted to your audience's
background, knowledge level and interests. Know your audience and consider the needs of
the different groups in your audience to help them learn. Create opportunities for them
to participate.
Students love to get feedback and it needs to be prompt. Grade student work in a consistent
fashion and return it promptly. Allow students to earn extra points if they can present a
convincing argument or prove that the error they made is realized and that they now know
how to do it right.

Be sure to let students know where, when, and how they can reach
you during the semester. Place the name and number of the course
on the board along with your name, e-mail address, phone numbers,
office location and office hours.
Ask students to introduce themselves by sharing their name,
hometown, major, and what they hope to gain from the course.
Hand out 3x5 cards and ask students to give the information they
just gave in the verbal introduction, along with any confidential
information that will help you assist them as a student. For instance,
do they have a learning disability, have they struggled with the
subject in the past, or do they have a hearing problem that you
can accommodate?
It can be helpful to students if you allow them time to get the
names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses from two or three
other students so they can get notes and assignments from missed
classes or find someone to study with during the semester.
Conduct a warm-up activity. For example, students could play a
word game to help them (and you) learn names. You could also
have the class brainstorm important topics for the course or conduct
preliminary debate on an issue central to the course content.
Introduce students to the course syllabus and the contents within it,
so they can return to the document for questions they have at a
later time.
Be sure to cover attendance and homework expectations, exam and
grading policies, and class participation expectations.
Explain major assignments, papers, projects, reports, and/or lab work.
Make sure you have copies of the textbook, lab manual, and any
other materials used for the course.
Let students know about reserve books, check out policies, and websites
that would be useful to them in their study.
Discuss with students how they can best read the text and study for
this course.
Provide an overview of the course, key concepts, and terminology,
including what you will focus on during the semester and what will
receive only limited coverage.
Explain how the course builds on previous classes they may have
had or how it fits into higher level courses they may one day take
later on.
Offer a specific problem or challenge and work through it with
the class to help them see how people in this field think about
their work.
Share your interest and motivation for the subject itself. Modeling
enthusiasm is key to generating students’ enthusiasm toward
the subject.
Additional Resources:
TIPS FROM THE TRENCHES, linked with permission by the
University of Delaware, Center for Teaching Effectiveness,
TA Handbook. Education Resources Links
Graduate Students
may face the
challenge of being
husbands, wives, sons,
sisters, parents and
employees.
To Maintain Balance
and Void Burnout...
•Manage your time
wisely
•Strive for excellence
NOT perfection
•Schedule play time
into everyday
•Believe in yourself
•Ask someone to be
your “Vent Partner”
•Always have a
“Plan B”
•Exercise
•Learn to meet your
own needs
•Talk with a
Counselor
NC A & T State University
Counseling Services
108 Murphy Hall
(336) 334-7727
127

Balancing Your Roles
By Shea D. Burns, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mathematics,
Collage of Arts and Sciences
128
As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, you are held accountable for your own academic development
as well as the academic development of the students enrolled in the classes assigned to you.
Balancing these responsibilities is an ongoing process. To maintain this balance, you must create a
plan of action. The following suggestions are things to consider:
1. Identify all positions that will affect your performance as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Make a list of all the roles you will occupy during your teaching assignment and the people
involved. Your agreement to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant normally does not cancel the other
responsibilities in your life. Besides the obvious role of graduate student, you may have obligations
to family, employment, research, etc. Unless you have made plans to eliminate these duties until
the completion of your teaching assignment, they will require some attention from you.
2. Have an honest conversation with each person involved in each role to determine your
responsibilities.
Before you actually begin your teaching assignment, make an appointment with each person involved
in your activities listed above. The goal of these meetings is to establish an agreement on your
duties. For example, schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss credit hours or
GPA requirements needed for the semester. Allow him/her to express his/her expectations of you.
Be honest about your other obligations. If his/her expectations exceed what you are capable of
fulfilling, make every effort to come to an agreement that is reasonable and satisfying for both parties.
3. Manage your time wisely by prioritizing your obligations.
After establishing your duties, you should have a reasonable idea of which ones require more from
you than others. Of course, because your Graduate Teaching Assistantship is dependent on your
status as a graduate student, graduate classes and study time should be your first priority. Next, your
Graduate Teaching Assistantship may require class time, office hours, and time for grading and
preparation. In some instances, you may be able to combine these obligations. For example, during
office hours, you may use time in between students to study your own class work. Make sure that
you schedule some time for all your obligations regardless of their importance. For example, family
members might understand you spending less time with them in order to focus on your studies.
However, you do not want to neglect all time with them.
4. Make regular self-assessments and obtain feedback from others on your ability to meet your
responsibilities.
It is very easy to focus on one activity more than the others. This is more likely to happen when
one activity is more demanding than others. For example, class attendance and assignments are a
regular and necessary part of graduate school. Thus, you may devote all of your attention to them
and neglect the office hours for your teaching assignment. This happens often when students are
always willing to let you finish your assignments and “come back to office later”. While making a
self-assessment, you may be able to identify problem areas. However, it is important to get feedback
from others involved to get a complete view of your performance. Be open and willing to
hear all remarks, both positive and negative, that they may share.
5. Be willing to ask for help and/or eliminate some of your responsibilities.
If you happen to get some negative feedback, ask for suggestions to help accomplish your goals.
Find a mentor or partner with another graduate student who is successfully balancing his/her
roles. Being accountable to another person is a good way to stay focused on your objectives. If
during your self-assessment, you find that you have overextended yourself, reschedule appointments
with the necessary people to renegotiate your duties. For example, suppose you told your students
you would offer Saturday problem sessions, but you find that you need that extra day to devote to
your studies. Explain to your class that you are no longer able to offer that service and find an
alternative solution for them such as campus tutoring services.

Balancing your roles, although challenging, can be accomplished with some planning and continuing
assessment. With guidance from others and thorough self-evaluation, it can become manageable.
Questions Frequently Asked by TAs
129
Q: What can I do to get a sense of how my sections are going?
Many new GTAs are unsure about their teaching performance. In fact, all new teachers inevitably hit
some rough spots early in their development. Despite the urge to keep one's questions private for fear of
being judged, it is usually extremely helpful to discuss problem areas with other GTAs. Once you view
teaching as an ongoing learning process, you realize that any problems you are encountering have been
experienced by nearly everyone in your department at one time or another. Developing an open
attitude toward your teaching and toward feedback about your teaching makes it easier to identify and
develop your strengths and work on your limitations. Two ways to gather feedback are (1) through the
use of a mid-semester (or earlier) assessment survey; and (2) by scheduling a videotaped recording of
one of your sections and a follow-up consultation, a service offered free of charge by The Academy of
Teaching and Learning.
Q: I recently had my students do a mid-term evaluation of the class, and the feedback was not very
positive. Can you give me some suggestions on how I can improve my teaching?
First, you should set up an appointment with your supervising professor who can review the feedback
with you. Second, you might consider being videotaped in the classroom and receiving feedback on your
teaching from The Academy of Teaching and Learning. This is one of the most effective ways to improve
your teaching. Third, the campus library has a multitude of books and articles on various
pedagogical topics that can be of assistance to you.
Q: What should I do if I know some of my students are struggling in the course, e.g., if they
receive a D or F on their first paper or exam?
This is a complex question, one that has no easy answers but highlights a vital role you will play as a
GTA. Often GTAs are the first “official” university personnel to become aware of student difficulties. At a
minimum, you should establish personal contact with such students after the first paper or exam, perhaps
by writing a note on their papers or exams, inviting them to come see you for assistance. You should also
discuss the matter with your supervising professor. Additionally, you should refer the student to the
services of the Center for Student Success, which can provide counseling and assistance for students
before they encounter even more serious academic difficulties. Their phone number is (336)334-7855.
Q: A student handed in a paper that I think was plagiarized. What should I do?
You should discuss it with the your supervising professor immediately to decide an appropriate
course of action to take. Plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized possession of examination materials,
and unauthorized changing of a grade all fall under the auspices of academic dishonesty, which is
outlined in detail in the Student Handbook under the “Student Conduct” section. Please review
this section of the handbook for more detail.
Q: What should I do if I suspect a student is carrying a firearm, weapon, or illegal substances?
The University upholds a zero tolerance policy on illegal drugs, as well as forbids the possession of
weapons of any type on campus. If you have a reason to believe a student in your class has any of the
above in his or her possession you should not confront the student yourself, but get to a phone where
you can make a private call and contact either the supervising professor, department chair, or the
campus police for assistance. The campus police numbers are (336)334-7128 or 334-7144.
If possible, engage the class in a reading assignment or other activity that will occupy them while
you leave to make the phone call. No indication should be made that there is an ensuing problem.
Q: What if a student challenges me or exhibits disruptive behavior in the classroom?
If the student is challenging the subject matter being taught, try to be open to the challenge and
encourage them to express why they do not accept things “as is,” acknowledging that it is wise to not
passively accept everything they hear. At the same time, do not allow their challenge to disrupt
learning for the rest of the students. It may be something that can be best resolved after class.
However, if the student is being blatantly disruptive, do your best to defuse the student’s anger and/or
resolve the problem while maintaining a tone of calmness and professional objectivity. If the situation
appears to be escalating out of control, either go yourself, or send another student, to the nearest

administrative office or use a cell phone to contact campus police for assistance. The campus police
numbers are (336) 334-7128 or 334-7144. Be sure you can give them the building and room number
where the class is being held.
130
NEVER threaten a student in any way, and do not give in to their demands just to avoid confrontation.
Again, either diffuse the situation, ask them to meet with you after class to resolve the issue, or if
necessary, call campus police. If you do meet the student after class and they are still highly agitated or
aggressive, it is advisable to have another GTA or professor present.
Q: What should I do if a student comes to me with a personal problem?
Students are more likely to go to GTAs than to professors with personal problems. While some personal
contact and general advice is certainly within the domain of your role as GTA, for larger personal
problems you should refer students to the services on campus available for them.
Trained professional counselors in Counseling Services, located in Room 108 of Murphy Hall, offer
confidential counseling to students for educational, career, social, personal or emotional concerns. Their
phone number is (336) 334-7727. For health concerns, Sebastian Health Center provides primary
health care, counseling and health/wellness education. Their phone number is (336) 334-7880.
Q: What should I do if students confide in me about problems they are having with the
supervising professor's lectures, assignments, and exams?
Undergraduates are much more likely to air their discontent with the course with GTAs and not with
professors. When this happens, GTAs should encourage students to use the professor's office hours to
share their thoughts and ideas directly. If they are not already scheduled, GTAs should suggest periodic
meetings with the professor to go over the mechanics of the course and to air their problems and discuss
student progress. Graduate students sometimes find it difficult to offer constructive criticism to
professors, particularly when they are involved with professors in other academic areas. Providing
feedback can be made easier by scheduling regular feedback meetings before the semester begins.
Q: What should I do if I ever encounter difficulties with either my supervisor or other GTAs I
am working with in a particular course?
Difficulties among co-workers can arise in any situation. Problems are best handled by discussions
among the parties involved. If difficulties continue with fellow GTAs, you should speak to the course
supervisor. If this doesn't clear things up, see your department's chair. Most minor tensions and
difficulties can be settled by simply talking with the people involved, but you should always feel free
to consult others when difficulties arise.
Q: What constitutes Sexual Harassment when it comes to students and GTAs?
The policy of the University states that sexual harassment is defined as deliberate, unsolicited and
unwelcome verbal and/or physical conduct of a sexual nature or with sexual implications, which has or
may have direct employment or academic consequences resulting from acceptance or rejection of
such conduct.
Q: Does the Faculty Handbook have a policy on It?
As a GTA, you should maintain a friendly but professional relationship with your students and provide
no cause for them to feel uncomfortable about the student/instructor relationship. On the other hand,
should a student make advances directed at you personally, you should make it clear that while
you are in the role of instructor of a class that he or she is enrolled in, it is advisable to keep the
relationship strictly as student/instructor and nothing more.
Q: What if a student challenges a grade I’ve given them on an assignment?
Agree to meet with the student individually and hear their reason(s) for challenging the grade. You
may want to reiterate the grading policy and explain why you gave them the grade you did. If you
still have not come to terms at this point, inform the student that you will meet with the supervising
professor and seek his/her feedback. Give them a time frame in which they should hear back from you.
Then make it a point to speak with your supervising professor and ascertain if the grade should stand as
given, or if any adjustment is warranted. Make sure you follow up with the student in a timely manner
and do so in private, either outside of class or ask them to stay after class.

REFERENCE GUIDE TO CAMPUS RESOURCES
Area Code is 336
Departments Phone Fax
Academic Affairs, Division of 334-7965 334-7136
Accounting Department 334-7581 334-7093
Accounting Office - Business & Finance 334-7684 334-7013
Administrative Affairs 334-7804 334-7227
Administrative Information Systems 334-7440 334-3833
Admissions Office 334-7946 334-7478
Affirmative Action Office 334-7977 334-7136
Agriculture, School of 334-7979 334-7580
Agricultural Economics Department 334-7943 334-7793
Education Department 334-7711 334-7257
Agricultural Engineering Department 334-7787 334-7270
Air Force ROTC 334-7588 334-7184
Animal Science Department 334-7547 334-7288
Architectural Engineering Department 334-7575 334-7126
Army ROTC 334-7588 334-7184
Art Department 334-7993 334-3635
Arts & Sciences, College of 334-7806 334-7173
Biology Department 334-7907 334-7105
Bookstore 334-7593 334-7481
Budget Office 334-7631 334-3827
Business Administration Department 334-7656 334-7093
Business & Economics, School of 334-7632 334-7233
Business Education & Administration Department 334-7657 334-7093
Business and Finance, Division of 334-7587 334-7914
Business Services 334-7703 334-3827
Campus Mail Center 334-7544 334-4787
Campus Police 334-7675 334-7230
Career Services 334-7755 334-7018
Center for Distance Learning 256-0355 256-0357
Chancellor's Office 334-7940 334-7082
Chemical Engineering Department 334-7564 334-7904
Chemistry Department 334-7601 334-7124
Civil Engineering Department 334-7737 334-7667
Computer Science Department 334-7245 334-7244
131

Departments Phone Fax
Construction Mgmt. & Safety Department 334-7590 334-7433
Contracts & Grants 334-7683 334-7013
Counseling Services 334-7727 334-7284
Development & University Relations, Division of 334-7654 334-7094
Economics Department 334-7744 334-7093
Education Leadership & Policy Department 334-7522 334-7033
Education, School of 334-7757 334-7132
Electrical Engineering Department 334-7761 334-7716
Electronics & Computer Technology Department 334-7718 334-7546
Engineering, College of 334-7589 334-7540
English Department 334-7771 334-3342
Financial Aid Office 334-7973 334-7954
Food Service 334-7560
Foreign Language Department 334-7886 334-3634
Foreign Students Advisor 334-7551 334-7103
Graduate School Office 334-7920 334-7282
Graphic Communication Systems Department 334-7550 334-7577
Handicap Students Affairs 334-7791 334-7378
Health Services Center 334-7880 334-7264
Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department 334-7719 334-7264
Helpdesk 334-7195 334-3833
History Department 334-7831 334-7837
Housing Operations 334-7708 334-7170
Human Development & Services Department 334-7916 334-7280
Human Environment & Family Services Department 334-7850 334-7265
Human Resources Office 334-7862 334-7477
Industrial Engineering Department 334-7780 334-7729
Information & Directory Assistance 334-7500 334-7214
Information Services & Policy Development 334-7085 334-7227
Information Technology and Telecommunications 334-7856 334-3833
Internal Auditor 334-7910 334-7227
Landscape Architecture 334-7520 334-7844
Learning Assistance Center 334-7855 334-7010
Legal Affairs 334-7592 334-7194
Library Services 334-7782 334-7281
Manufacturing Systems Department 334-7758 334-7704
132

Departments Phone Fax
Mathematics Department 334-7822 334-7283
Mechanical Engineering Department 334-7621 334-7417
Memorial Union 334-7571 334-7380
Music Department 334-7926 334-7484
Natural Resource & Environmental Design Department 334-7543 334-7844
Nursing, School of 334-7751 334-7637
Payroll 334-7888 334-7013
Physical Plant 334-7626 334-7214
Physics Department 334-7646 334-7283
Political Science Department 334-7666 334-7321
Psychology Department 334-7970 334-7538
Purchasing 334-7555 334-7013
Registrar, Office of 334-7595 334-7466
Research, Division of 334-7995 334-7086
Salary Administration 334-7794 334-7227
Sociology & Social Service Department 334-7894 334-7197
Speech Comm. & Theatre Arts Department 334-7900 334-7770
Student Activities 334-7676 334-7366
Student Affairs, Division of 334-7696 334-7103
Student Government Association 334-7820 334-7380
Student Teaching & Internships 334-7663 334-7132
Summer School & Continuing Education 334-7607 334-7081
Technological Graphic Communication Department 334-7550 334-7098
Technology, School of 334-7567 334-7098
Ticket Office 334-7749 334-7382
Title III Coordination 334-7166 334-7136
Transportation Institute 334-7745 334-7093
Treasurer's Office 334-7721 334-7208
Veteran's Office 334-7765 334-7333
Waste Management Institute 334-7030 334-7399
133

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
APPENDIX A
School of Graduate Studies
GRADUATE ASSISTANT EVALUATION
134
Department ___________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Graduate Assistant: ___________________________________________________________________
Contract Period: From __________________________________ Through _____________________________
GRADUATE: ❒ Administrative Assistant ❒ Laboratory Assistant ❒ Research Assistant ❒ Teaching Assistant
PERFORMANCE
FACTORS
Quality of Work
Accuracy, thoroughness,
neatness
Quantity of Work
Productive Output
Dependability
Follows instructions,
judgment
Compatibility
Attitude, ability to get
along with others
Attendance
Supervisory/Teaching
Ability
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Far Exceeds Exceeds Meets Partially Meets Does Not Meet
Consistently
excellent, errors,
seldom
Output
unusually high,
exceptionally
fast
Consistently
dependable
Consistently
inspires others to
work with and
assist co-workers
Consistently
present and on
time
Exceptional
ability to
supervise/teach
Better than
average, few
errors
Does a good
day’s work,
better than
average quantity
Dependable in
most respects
Quick to
volunteer to
work with and
assist others
Seldom absent
or late
Above average
ability to
supervise/teach
Consistently
satisfactory,
occasional errors
Average, turns
out required
amount of work,
seldom more
Ordinarily
dependable
Generally works
well with and
assist others
Average
attendance
record, usually
on time
Adequate skills
in supervisory
/teaching
responsibility
Frequent errors,
careless
Slow output,
frequently below
required quantity
Frequently
undependable
Cooperates only
when has to,
frequent conflict
Frequent
absences
and tardiness
Has some
difficulty with
supervisory and
teaching skills
Unsatisfactory,
many errors
Output
inadequate to
retain on job
Consistently
undependable
Consistently
does not work
well with or
assist others
Attendance too
poor to retain
Exhibits little to
no supervisory/
teaching
capability
Immediate Supervisor’s Comments: ________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Recommendation (check one): Retain: ❒ Yes ❒ No Reassign: ❒ Yes ❒ No
Graduate Assistant’s Comments:___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Supervisor Date Graduate Assistant Date
________________________________________
Department Chair or Graduate Coordinator Date
Signatures Required:

INDEX
135
A
Academic Advising - 97
Adults as Learners - 52
Sources Used - 52
Advising Students - 97
Appendix A - 134
Appendices - 135
B
Balancing Your Roles - 128
Questions Frequently Asked by TAs - 129
Benefits of Having a Mentor - 11
Resources For Additional Advice - 13
C
Checklist for Teaching - 29
Classroom Situations to Consider - 26
Absenteeism - 26
Be Prepared - 26
Be Professional - 26
Disruptive Students - 26
Inadequate Writing Skills - 26
Personal Issues - 26
Plagiarism - 26
Tardiness - 27
Textbooks - 26
Use Various Forms of Course
Delivery - 26
Cooperative Learning - 51
Additional Resources - 51
Course Planning and Design - 35
Course Planning - 35
References - 36
Cultural Dimensions - 10
D
Diversity in The Classroom - 39
References - 42
Duties of GTAs - 2
General Assistant to a Professor - 3
Grader - 3
Laboratory Assistant - 3
Recitation or Discussion Leader - 2
Tutor - 3
E
Effective Instruction - 15
E (Continued)
Additional Resources - 17
Effective Communication Skills - 17
Instructional Planning - 16
Monitoring Student Progress - 17
Summary - 17
Establishing the Classroom Climate - 33
Allow for Student Input into Course
Framework - 34
Communicate Interpersonal Sensitivity - 34
Get to Know Your Students - 33
Have High Student Expectations - 34
Promote and Provide Multicultural
Viewpoints - 34
Provide All Students the Opportunity to
Participate - 34
Use a Variety of Instructional
Strategies - 34
Evaluating Student Performance - 94
F
FUTURES - VII
G
Graduate Teaching Assistants As Writing
Teachers - 33
Recommended Reading - 33
GTA-to-GTA Advice - 126
Additional Resources - 127
H
How Students Learn - 46
Additional Information - 46
I
Incorporating Instructional Technology - 61
Additional Resources - 61
Instructional Support and Services - 108
K
Keeping Records - 95
L
Learning Styles and Preferences - 46
References - 47
List of Contributors - VIII

M
Modes of Teaching - 21
Additional Resources - 22
Case Study - 21
Collaborative Learning Groups - 21
Concept Checks - 21
Large/Small Group Discussion - 22
Research Projects - 21
N
Notes on Effective Learning - 69
O
Overview of the Contents - X
P
Planning A Class - 64
Preface
Acknowledgements - VI
Preferences for Good Practice in
Undergraduate Education - 47
Additional Resources - 50
Bibliography - 50
Preparing the Professional Portfolio - 111
Collecting Materials for a Professional
Portfolio - 112
Developing a Professional Portfolio - 111
Organizing a Professional Portfolio - 111
References - 113
Bibliography - 50
Additional Resources - 50
Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate
Education - 47
Professional/Ethical/Legal Responsibilities for
Graduate Assistants - 118
R
Recommending ESL for International Teaching
Assistant - 99
Reference Guide to Campus Resources - 131
Reflective Practice - 104
Steps to Becoming a Reflective
Practitioner - 104
Role of the TA as a Faculty/Student
Liaison - 98
S
Safety and Emergency Procedures in The
Classroom - 120
S (Continued)
Instructor's Responsibility - 120
Supplemental Information - 120
Safety Considerations - 73
Laboratory Safety Guidelines - 73
Section I - 1
Introduction - 1
What It Means to be a GA at
NC A&T SU - 1
Section II - 10
International GTAs - 10
Language Requirements - 10
Section III - 14
Foundations of Good Teaching - 14
Overview - 14
References - 14
Section IV - 28
Orientation at NC A&T State
University - 28
Getting Started - 28
Checklist for Teaching - 29
Additional Resources - 32
Section V - 44
Helping Student Learn - Overview - 44
Helping Students Learn - 45
Section VI - 54
Multiple Instructional Strategies,
Situations, Techniques, Technologies,
and Tools - 54
Section VII - 81
Grades and ClassroomManagement - 81
Testing and Grading - 81
Introduction - 81
Grading Assignments and
Activities - 82
Testing - 86
Section VIII - 102
Professional Development - 102
Overview - 102
Audio/Video Observation - 103
Case Studies - 102
Professional Organization
Membership - 102
Teaching Journals - 102
Teaching Portfolios - 103
136

S (Continued)
Section IX - 114
Graduate Assistantship Administrative
Policy - 114
Section X - 125
How to Help GTAs Be Successful - 125
Checklist for the Supervising
Professor - 125
Standards for Graduate Teaching
Assistants - 4
Assessment - 8
Communications and Technology - 7
Content Pedagogy - 4
Diverse Learners - 5
Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude to be an
Effective GTA - 4
Motivation and Management - 7
Multiple Instructional Strategies - 6
Planning - 7
Reflective Practice: Professional Growth - 8
School and Community Involvement - 9
Student Development - 4
Strategies to Enhance Learning - 75
Table of Instructional Activities - 76
Additional Resources - 77
Student Initiated Programs and Unfunded
Projects - 124
Student Surveys - 105
Additional Resources - 107
Suggestions for The First Day of Class - 37
T
Teaching Laboratory Sections - 70
Accidents and Incidents - 72
Clean Up Procedures - 71
Lost and Found - 72
Quizzes and the Final Examination - 72
Reviewing the Experiment for the Day - 71
Safety Tips - 71
Teaching Tips - 72
Teaching Methods and Active Learning - 23
Teaching Strategies for a Diverse Student
Body - 78
Teaching Through Discussion - 63
References - 63
Teaching with Technology - 54
Auditory Media - 56
Computers and Instruction - 59
T (Continued)
Media (Audio-Visual Aids) - 55
Motion Media - 56
Visual Media - 55
The Teacher - Student Relationship - 100
References - 101
The Ten Commandments of Teaching - 15
Time Management in The Classrooms - 53
Tips for Conducting The Class - 38
Traits of Effective Teaching - 18
Additional Resources - 20
Teaching Styles - 20
What Can Graduate Students Do To
Be More Effective TAs? - 20
Types of Graduate Assistant Roles and
Duties - 2
Graduate Administrative Assistant - 2
Graduate Research Assistant - 2
Graduate Teaching Assistant - 2
Graduate Teaching Assistant - 2
U
University-Based Technology Transfer - 123
University Contacts - IX
Using Your Voice - 79
References - 80
137