BIOG 4982

Biology Senior Study Group Leader Training and Teaching Experience

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2017-2018.

Course offers training and experience as undergraduate senior study group leaders (senior SGLs) in the biology core courses. Senior SGLs will meet weekly for training in collaborative, student-centered, active learning methods, facilitated by trainers from the Cornell Learning Strategies Center. Senior SGLs will facilitate one weekly study group meeting. Senior SGLs will also help train, observe, and mentor study group leaders. Senior SGLs will also provide office hour tutoring at the Biology Learning Strategies Center, and assist with some administrative functions. Senior SGLs will be evaluated on their participation in weekly training meetings, their mentoring and observations of SGLs, mid-semester and end-of-semester evaluations, and written work, including weekly lesson plans, +–? evaluation sheets, and end-of-semester reports.

When Offered Fall, spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: senior study group leaders must have served at least one semester as a study group leader for the associated biology course.

Course Attribute (CU-CEL)

• Senior study group leaders will: Facilitate discussion among study group members by redirecting questions about course content back to group members, demonstrating how to continue working together when group members disagree or misunderstand information, recognizing and responding to confrontational or disruptive behavior, and managing unequal participation by group members.
• Help their assigned study group leaders create plans for group meetings.
• Employ active listening techniques.
• Provide feedback to their assigned study group leaders, taking into consideration their knowledge of issues such as stereotype threat, mindset, social belonging, etc.
• Mentor their assigned study group leaders by observing them facilitating their study groups, helping them practice collaborative, student-centered, active learning methods, and providing feedback to them about their performance.
• Provide collaborative tutoring at the Biology Learning Strategies Center to students in the associated biology core ecourses.
• Assist the study group coordinator and logistics coordinator(s) in performing administrative tasks.
• Respond to emergencies, interruptions, and unanticipated problems; and receive feedback and use it for reflection and evaluation.

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