Program Coordinator eSeries: LA Model Foundations

LA Model Foundations is a series of virtual workshops intended for those unfamiliar with the LA model or who may be interested in starting an LA program. Those who are familiar with the LA Model are welcome to participate and it can be helpful to bring a colleague with you who is new to the model. The LA program coordinators pathway consists of three workshops: Essential Elements of the LA Model, Nuts and Bolts of Building, Growing, and Sustaining an LA Program, and What is the LA Pedagogy Course and Why is it Necessary? After completing the series, participants will be well-versed in the essential elements of the LA model, will understand the resources and benefits of being a member of the LA Alliance, and will have a strong foundation to start, develop, and grow their own LA program. Terms and Conditions.


Essential Elements of the LA Model

The three key components of the Learning Assistant Model are: LAs facilitating student interactions in class, participating in weekly content preparation meetings with the instructional team, and engaging in a pedagogy course. Workshop participants will consider the coordination and synergy between the different elements of the LA experience and discuss how the LA Model is similar to, or different from, other peer models, such as Supplemental Instruction (SI) and peer tutoring programs.

Participants will be able to:

  • describe the basic tenets of the LA model
  • apply the tenets of the LA model to the development of their LA Program and institutional contexts
  • compare the LA model to other peer models, and
  • identify the resources and community available through the Learning Assistant Alliance.

Registration
Cost: $50
Time: 90 minutes  (75-minute workshop plus 15 minutes of Q&A as needed)
Dates offered: Choose one

  • Tuesday, March 19, 10:00 - 11:30 am PDT | 11:00 am - 12:30 pm MDT | 12:00 - 1:30 pm CDT | 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT
  • Thursday, April 4, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm PDT | 12:30 - 2:00 pm MDT | 1:30 - 3:00 pm CDT | 2:30 - 4:00 pm EDT
  • Friday, April 19, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm PDT | 12:30 - 2:00 pm MDT | 1:30 - 3:00 pm CDT | 2:30 - 4:00 pm EDT
  • Tuesday, April 30, 9:00 - 10:30 am PDT | 10:00 - 11:30 am MDT | 11:00 am - 12:30 pm CDT | 12:00 - 1:30 pm EDT


Nuts and Bolts of Building, Growing, and Sustaining an LA Program

Starting an LA program is both exciting and challenging. In this session we will build upon the content included in the Essential Elements of the LA Model eSeries workshop and apply it to the logistics of building and coordinating an LA Program within your institutional contexts. Participants will learn about and share common concerns and issues faced when starting or growing an LA Program. Participants will classify challenges by themes, discuss strategies for addressing them, and work to prioritize the issues they have identified and develop an action plan. Group discussion will be used to both explore existing repositories of resources and strategies, and seed new resources that participants can access as they work to get their program underway. 

Prerequisites: Essential Elements of the LA Model

Participants will be able to:

  • describe the goals of the LA model and identify which are most relevant to their course, program, and institutional contexts,
  • build from their understanding of the essential elements of the LA model to design infrastructure and resources needed to implement the model at their institution
  • identify common challenges when starting an LA program
    • propose possible strategies to address those challenges
    • avoid possible pitfalls in their program development
  • identify their own critical next steps to take in starting their LA Program
  • describe the resources and network available through the Learning Assistant Alliance to share ideas and solve issues.

Registration
Cost: $50
Time: 90 minutes
Dates offered:

  • Monday, April 22, 10:00 - 11:30 am PDT | 11:00 am - 12:30 pm MDT | 12:00  - 1:30 pm CDT | 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT


What is the LA Pedagogy Course and Why is it Necessary?

The LA Pedagogy course is one of the three essential elements of the LA Model. As with the other two essential elements, the LA Pedagogy course implementation varies across institutions, but all courses have some common practices. This session describes key features of the LA Pedagogy course, provides planning templates and resources, and includes short video comments from faculty and LAs about their experiences with the course. Participants will engage in thinking about what they want LAs to know and be able to do at the end of the course and start the planning process for designing or developing/redesigning their LA Pedagogy course.

Prerequisites: Essential Elements of the LA Model

Participants will be able to:

  • identify the fundamental aspects of the LA Pedagogy course,
  • discuss how to adapt those fundamental elements to their individual programs and institutions,
  • access the tools and resources to create and adapt their own course,
  • design (or modify or redesign) an LA Pedagogy course that aligns with their LA Program’s goals and institutional contexts

Registration
Cost: $50
Time: 90 minutes
Dates offered:

  • Tuesday, April 23, 1:00 - 2:30 pm PDT | 2:00 - 3:30 pm MDT | 3:00 am - 4:30 pm CDT | 4:00 - 5:30 pm EDT