Teaching Experience #2:
IST 343, Recitation Lead,
Fall 2023
IST 343, or Data in Society, is an undergraduate course in the School of Information Studies which is divided into a large lecture and multiple recitation structure. In the Fall semester of 2023, I was a recitation lead for 24 students from various majors and years in their programs. As this was my second time teaching the course, I was excited to implement the lessons learned during my first experience. Although I did not create the syllabus, I was in charge of implementing it for my student group. Additionally, the instructor of the course was very open to feedback regarding weekly material and activities therefore allowing me to have a say in curriculum adjustments.
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The course description is as follows:
Students will critically examine how individuals, groups, and society create and are created by digital data and algorithms. Students will explore social, political, legal, and professional issues across varying contexts including social media and the Internet of Things. To read more about the course and see the most up-to-date, public information - including the course syllabus - refer to the linked Syracuse Answers page.
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My duties for this teaching opportunity included:
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working with the course instructor and other recitation leads to plan lessons and create assessments
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delivering lesson plans with the goal of clarifying and expanding lecture material
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grading student assessments (weekly quizzes, three papers, and a final)
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providing extra, customized assistance to students with special learning requirements
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holding weekly office hours for all students
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Reflection
As this was the second time in the role of recitation leader for this course, I felt more comfortable in my position in the front of the classroom. Lessons I learned from the first time around (listed in Experience #1) informed the pedagogical decisions I made; in fact, this knowledge was very beneficial as I was TAing for a new instructor of the course, who leveraged my previous experience. This came with new challenges, as I adapted to a new instructor's preferences. However, I realized the importance of a great group of TAs and instructors who were willing to listen to each other's ideas. Our weekly meetings included discussions of the previous week's wins, setbacks, or questions which also helped me feel confident in front of the classroom as I knew I had the support of others.
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Additionally, the recitation leaders discussed an opportunity to restructure the final deliverable for the course. As the students already had three previous papers where they were able to demonstrate their know-how in a traditional essay format, the team of recitation leaders wanted to pilot another way to demonstrate comprehension. This also became an opportunity to encourage students to think about the practicality of the course's knowledge or think about "real life" after graduation. After coming up with the general idea of the assignment as a team, the questions were edited for a few rounds before becoming the final version linked in the PDF below. I additionally had the responsibility of creating the rubric so expectations and assessment processes were clear. I used a structure that the students were familiar with from previous assignments but adjusted it to the specificities of the final. The creation of this final assignment was an interesting experience, especially as students had mixed reactions about a new format for the final. Given some of the hesitancy from students, I held an additional recitation section at the end of the semester where I reviewed key concepts from the course using a Jeopardy game template. This class ended up being an open office hours session, and it was a great last time to connect with my students. Overall, students did well on the final essay as a majority got at least 85%. If I were presented with the opportunity to teach the class again, I would likely incorporate a third assessment option such as a presentation so that students could choose how they wanted to demonstrate their know-how.
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Student evaluations are available here, and linked in the Table of Contents.
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Lessons Learned
Leading the Horse to Water
In an ideal world, all my students would learn all of the course material and demonstrate work worthy of an A. I'm one to give multiple options to students to demonstrate their understanding of a learning objective. There were a handful of students who had slipping grades or missing assignments, and I always went out of my way to send reminder emails that assignments could be made up; even partial credit is better than nothing. I would remind students of their options to meet during office hours, or set a meeting during alternative times, if they were worried about grades. However, I didn't hear from some struggling students until it was too late in the semester. Those moments often led to doubt if I "did enough", but seeing the success of other students reminded me that I truly did do what I could. Although I wish every student would succeed in my classes, some of them have to use my class as a learning opportunity to be a better advocate for themselves in the future.
Flexibility is Good, But Structure is Needed
Pedagogically, I believe it is important to stay up to date with the needs of the contemporary classroom. During my first experience as the recitation lead for this class, I had less confidence in my teaching decisions; thus, I heavily relied on student's opinions for classroom activities. This was a great way to build communication in the classroom, however, I learned that students also need to feel trust in their classroom leader. With more confidence in my teaching capabilities, I was more sure of the structure I set for classroom activities or curriculum changes. There should be some "wiggle room" to allow for real-time adjustments, but the importance of believing in the structure you set cannot be underestimated. With that said, some students may feel extra empowered to question or openly criticize classroom decisions - you have to be ready to defend your choices!
Students Apreciate Open Feedback Channels
I've learned to be myself in the front of a classroom. That means being transparent with students on days when I might not be as prepared or awake as I'd like. This honesty not only promotes building rapport but also provides insight into the realities of being a Ph.D. student working on their dissertation while teaching a course. I believe those honest conversations are what encouraged students to communicate with me vulnerably about hard semesters, sleepless nights, or other things impacting their class performance. This allowed me to build curated relationships where I tried to best meet that student's needs, and that 'custom' teaching was reflected in overall great grade performances in my classes.