David W. Brooks, Michael Devous, Glenn R. Johnson, J. D. Lewis, Philip Limbacher, Arlyne M. Sarquis, Michael Shapiro, and Raymund Skowronski Texas A&M University College Station 77840
An Introduction to Teaching Techniques for Graduate Laboratory lnstructors
W e have developed a program for preparing ncurly arrivcd graduate instructors for their first laboratory teaching experience. Our method is to use media technology to create an awareness in the newcomers' minds of the kinds of student-teacher encounter situations that will occur, and to provide examples of how each kind of encounter may be successfully handled. The Texas A&h2 program contrasts with others (1) in at least three ways. The newcomers' program is conducted via two informal seminars held prior to any assigned class meetings. The seminars are prepared and conducted by experienced graduate chemistry laboratory instructors who havc undergone spccializcd training in teaching methodology. Finally, convenient optional mechanisms are madc available to the newcomer for u x k in education far beyond the initial seminar program. This report describes both our program for cxperienccd instructors and our seminar program for newly arrived inexperienced graduate instructors. Advanced Training of the Experienced Instructors
At frequent intervals, a short course of one week duration is made available in the Department of Educat,ional Curriculum and Instruction. This course is specifically designed for experienced graduate instructors from departments throughout Texas A&M University. Interested graduate chemistry instructors are invited to participate in these courses. During the fivc meetings of the short course, many education oriented topics are discussed. Interaction analysis ( 2 ) , wherein the nature of the student and teacher verbal statements arc categorized, is described and practiced. In microteaching (S),each short-course student prepares a brief lesson which is presented to a group of three or four of his peers. The lesson is videotaped by a tcacher from the short course staff. Subsequently the small student group evaluates and criticizes the lesson. The video-
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tape is available for the lesson teacher to examine. Though artificial, the microteaching rated as extremely effective by short-course participants. Techniques of questioning are demonstrated to the participants. Many other techniques are dcscribed, but are not pursued in depth. A special option is available to doctoral candidates at Texas A&M through which advanced courses in arcas othrr than those related to their major area may substitute for onc of two required foreign languages. Several appropriate courses which allow extensive pursuit of topics introduced in the short course are offered in the College of Education, and these are often taken by graduatc chemistry instructors. Preparing the Chemistry Teaching Seminar
Experienced graduate chemistry instructors who have completed the short course are askedto forma committee and prcpare a teaching seminar specifically for incoming chemistry graduates. Although regular faculty are very frequently consulted, the senior graduate instructors have the responsibility of preparing the agenda, assembling the materials, and presenting the seminar series. While a small amount of material is presented relating to teaching theory topics, most of thc seminar material concerns specific applications of the theory to problems of chemistry labs. In each of the situations presented, emphasis is placed upon the nature of the interaction taking place, and how the instructor can shape the interaction to bcst educational advantage. The most significant aspect of this seminar program involves using videotapes specijtcally prepared inside the chemistry labs to demonstrate the problems and application of the techniques. Some of the tapes were prepared during regular functioning laboratory periods; others were contrived to represent or dramatize infrequent situations. Of the total of about three and one-half hours of teaching seminar time, over one-half hour
consisted of playing videotapes concerning specijic laboratory situations. These more than anything else, serve to introduce the new graduate instructor to the realities of his forthcoming teaching situation. Evaluation
Immediately after the two seminar sequence is completed, students are asked to evaluate the course. The reaction of newcomers to the program is almost unanimously favorable. Although long-term evaluation will take scveral years, we are extremely encouragcd by somc local findings which we suspect are general. Novice graduate instructors are often far more concerned about the problems that thcy will encounter in teaching laboratory students than thcir faculty supervisors imagine. Meeting this concern head-on in the early moments of thcir graduate careers is cffective in reducing the new instructors' anxictics. Experienced graduate instructors are more keenly awarr of the problems facing newcomers than are the faculty advisors. Once these senior instructors arc provided with appropriate foundation material via short-courscs and graduate courses in education, thcy make excellent teachers for the newcomers. Finally, the taping of actual laboratory scenes using inexpcnsivc portable taping cquipment is the most effective means we have yet discovered for conveying the impact which teaching will have on novices. Videotaped sessions of the various areas in which ncw instructors mill actually work are extremely helpful, as are many real examples of student-teacher interactions (both positive and negative).
A g e n d a for t h e Meetings First Meeting Greeting by senior chemistry faculty member. Introduction of seminar organizers. Videotape (contrived) of "Problem Children" in the lab. Introduction of interaction analysis and microteaching, and description of shorecourse by senior curriculum and instruction faculty member. Interaction analysis and its use in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. Questions in the laboratory; examples of question types (live and videotaped). Techniques: teacher eye contact, holding student interest, physical expressions, etc. Second Meeting
office hours) Techniqr~enfor establishing authority Puttine techniaues into action ivideotaoe). ~radir; papers Videotape of real laboratory in action (live commentary, and opportunity for interaction with newcomers) Evaluation
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During each meeting there was a break, and refreshments acre always made mailable. The seminars were very informal and interactions between the speakers and thcir audiencc deliberately encouraged. Literature Cited (1) MELLON. E. I
