RCN-UBE: Advancing CURE Teaching Assistant Professional Development via the CURE TAPESTRy Network

This project aims to serve the national interest by engaging facilitators of biology course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in the creation and evaluation of novel professional development resources and opportunities designed for laboratory coordinators and teaching assistants (TAs) who are, themselves, responsible for leading CUREs. The research-oriented nature of a CURE presents a unique set of instructional challenges for those that teach them, requiring distinct professional development (PD) opportunities.

Given that no community currently exists that focuses on CURE TA PD and the literature on CURE TA PD is limited, this project aims to establish the CURE Teaching Assistant Professional Development to Enhance Scientific Teaching, Research, and Mentoring Capacity (TAPESTRy) network, with the primary goal of advancing CURE TA PD knowledge and best practices.

Specifically, this project will: (1) establish the CURE TAPESTRy network and cultivate growth in the network through recruitment of diverse individuals interested in professional development for laboratory coordinators and TAs PD; (2) characterize the current landscape of PD opportunities for CURE TAs through a literature review and national survey; (3) create, implement, and evaluate an innovative year-long fellowship program for CURE TA PD facilitators, in which fellows will create and assess CURE TA PD resources; (4) generate a curated repository of field-tested CURE TA PD resources, which will be freely available to practitioners and researchers; and (5) develop, launch, and assess an edX “train-the-trainer” massively-open online course (MOOC) for CURE TA PD facilitators. By promoting PD for CURE TAs, the CURE TAPESTRy network will contribute to the professional growth of TAs while simultaneously cultivating the pedagogical knowledge and intellectual capital needed to assist undergraduates in developing their research skills.

This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).This project is also supported by the NSF IUSE:HSI program, which has the goals of enhancing the quality of undergraduate STEM education, and increasing the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.