CID Summer 2005 Convening: Developing Effective Teachers

Topic 3 - Able to Teach

MSU Neuroscience Program

1. MSU Neuroscience Program Mission Statement:

"Preparation for research career in academia, private sector, or government"

4. How has our teaching requirement/training changed?

  • MSU Neuroscience Program now has training grant and more University support for students
  • students now provided department TA positions for one semester
  • only for courses with Neuroscience content
  • free for the department


    		•

    7. What are we doing to address these issues?

  • reinforce to faculty that teaching is an important component of our training
  • faculty need to provide opportunities to teach

    • -open up their classes

    -allow NSP students to give lectures, review sessions

    -not just grade papers

  • currently revising our teaching requirement

    • Two components:

    1) Neuroscience teaching course

  • summer before second year
  • twice weekly to discuss
  • teaching theory
  • developing objectives
  • organizing material
  • practice giving mock lectures, running laboratory demonstrations, and working in small groups
  • learning how to evaluate student performance and learning

    • 2) One-semester teaching experience

  • mentored by the faculty in charge of course
  • student given detailed feedback at end of semester
    •


    2. How does teaching fit in with our mission?

  • One component of our "professional skills" development
  • Included in "communication of our science"


    		•

    5. What training is provided?

  • Virtually none
  • MSU Graduate School 3-day course

    • Intro to TA responsibilities

    Ethics, conduct

    No pedagogy

  • College of Natural Science

    • Certificate in college teaching

    2-3 courses

    None of our students have done this

  • Other programs have courses, but none specific to the sciences
    •


    8. Contact Information

    Joe Lonstein

    Neuroscience Program, Giltner Hall

    Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824

    517-353-8675

    lonstein@msu.edu

    3. What was our teaching requirement/training?

  • Zoology and Psychology Departments paid our students to TA for undergrad courses

    • -paid during year one of training, student TAed for two semesters during year 2 or 3

    -department dictated what courses students would TA

    -even if no Neuroscience content

    6. Issues that have arisen

  • student experiences, expectations by faculty varied
  • students wanted more training beforehand
  • students wanted a generally more meaningful experience

    • -learned this through CID process

  • how should students be supported financially while teaching or training to teach?
  • most on training grant or advisor's federal research grants
  • "We can't possibly train our students in everything in 5 years"
  • even if in academia, tenure decisions not largely based on teaching (as long as it is adequate)
    •


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