Valerie Otero is a professor of science education at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her talk was titled "The Learning Assistant Model as a Catalyst for Instructional Improvement and Institutional Change." 

Abstract

The learning assistant model began at CU Boulder in 2001 with 4 LAs to support one section of Introductory Astronomy. Since then, the program has grown throughout campus, with 100+ faculty members each year working with 410 LAs in 14 departments in 4 colleges and schools, impacting approximately 20,000 students annually. The International Learning Assistant Alliance has emerged as a group of 1000+ faculty, administrators, and professional society representatives throughout the world, concerned about improving educational conditions for a diverse student population through the use of LAs. I will discuss the history of the LA program and how it has grown and been sustained. In addition to the funding history, I will present data that indicates some of the diverse outcomes that the program has on student success. Finally, I will discuss the tools that are available through the LA Alliance, including the LA Campus management and longitudinal data system, the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) automated assessment system, and resources such as videos, manuals, pedagogy course materials, and ways to use LAs.