Examining Feedback From Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Assistants: Implications for Formative Assessment

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Measuring Undergraduate Outcomes for Learning and Critical Thinking

Abstract

Undergraduate teaching and learning assistants (UTLAs) can help implement student-centered learning and may provide valuable feedback to support formative assessment and improve teaching and learning. This paper introduces a model for a formative assessment system between instructors, UTLAs, and students and focuses on one aspect by asking: What types of feedback might UTLAs provide and does the feedback support formative assessment? An analysis of UTLA-instructor meeting transcripts and written communication over a semester revealed that UTLAs offered feedback on logistics and instructional materials, student attitudes and behaviors, and student conceptual understanding. UTLA feedback was valuable for adjusting instruction; however, feedback did not always include evidence of student ideas, which made it limited in terms of supporting formative assessment.

Author

• Hannah Elizabeth Jardine, Catholic University of America