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GSI Teaching & Resource Center
University of California, Berkeley
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Introduction
Almost all graduate students in the sciences will teach a laboratory at some point in their graduate careers. Labs should be a process of discovery for students as they uncover the mechanisms behind important scientific principles. The GSI's role is to lead students through the learning experience by giving them the conceptual basis for the lab, and to guide them through the investigation so they can make discoveries on their own.
Labs are a unique challenge as they combine many different aspects of teaching, including:
- lecturing
- organizing group work
- leading hands-on learning
- asking meaningful questions
- creating assignments
- evaluating student work
Your goal as a teacher is to make the most effective use of the lab period in order to give students a beneficial, hands-on experience of doing science. There are two aspects to teaching labs that are sometimes difficult to juggle but are interrelated and complementary:
- Pedagogy: determining the best teaching methods for the desired outcomes
- Logistics: ensuring the experiments go smoothly and that your students understand the tasks they need to accomplish; helping your students accomplish those tasks in an efficient and timely manner
Coping with these two aspects can be daunting at times. However, a smooth-running, efficient lab section need not be mutually exclusive with using sound pedagogical techniques that provide your students with a successful learning experience.
How to Teach Lab Sections Links:
- The Pre-Lab
Teaching Resources Links:
- Creating Ground Rules for Discussion Sections
- Using Group Work in Discussion Sections
- Strategies for Variety in the Classroom
- Developing Critical Reading Skills
- How to Teach Lab Sections
- Award-winning Teaching Ideas (Teaching Effectiveness Award Essays)
- Theories of Learning
- Dealing with and Preventing Academic Dishonesty
- Grading Students' Written Work
- Understanding & Using Instructional Technology
- Five Ways to Improve Your Teaching
- How to Write a Letter of Recommendation
- Campus Resources
- FAQs
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