Teaching Lab Sections

James N. JensenProfessor and Director of Undergraduate Studies

Dept. of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering

Conference for Graduate Teaching Assistants, August 29, 2015

First Rules of cha-no-yu (Way of Tea)(Sen no Rikyū, 16th century)It is only by careful observation that one learns.

In putting down a utensil after using it, do so

regretfully as if you loved it.

No pains must be spared in helping anyone anxious to

learn.To become expert one needs first love, second dexterity, and then perseverance.

Outline

•First Priority

•Unique Challenges

•Unique Opportunities

First Priority

Safety!

Safety: Principles

•Require Safety Training Before the First Lab

•Document Safety Training

•Enforce Safety Rules

Safety: Resources

On Environmental Health and Safety’s (EHS) Website (www.buffalo.edu/facilities/ehs):

•Right-to-Know

•Lab Safety Training

Unique Challenges

•Programmatic Coordination

•Manual Coordination

•Diverse Skill Set

Unique Challenges: Programmatic Coordination

•Coordinate with the CurriculumKnow your students (level, majors, prerequisites)Role of lab in curricular learning outcomesLearning outcomes of the lab course

•Coordinate with the CourseSyllabus/UBLearnsAttend lectures?

•Coordinate with the (Other) Instructor(s)

Unique Challenges: Manual Coordination

•Bloom’s TaxonomyCognitive, affective, and psychomotor domainsLabs operate in all three domains

•Frustration

Unique Challenges: Diverse Skill Set

•Organization and Preparation

•Assessment of (Technical) Communication

•People Skills

Unique Opportunities

•Reinforce Material

•Fun

• Inspirational

Unique Opportunities continued

•Most Hands-On Work with Students

•Most Independent Teaching

Summary

•Safety First!•Unique Challenges

Programmatic coordination: Curricula, course, instructorManual coordination: Can be frustratingRequires you to have a diverse skill set

•Unique OpportunitiesReinforce, inspirational, and funMost hands-on and most independent teaching