There has been a growing concern in higher education about our failure to produce scientifically trained workers and scientifically literate citizens. Active-learning and research-oriented activities are posited as ways to give students a deeper understanding of science. We report on an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) experience and suggest that students who participate as a UTA obtain benefits analogous to those who participate as an undergraduate research assistant (URA). We examined the experiences of 24 undergraduates acting as UTAs in a general microbiology course. Self-reported gains by the UTAs were supported by observational data from undergraduates in the course who were mentored by the UTAs and by the graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) with whom the UTAs worked. Specifically, data from the UTAs' journals and self-reported Likert scales and rubrics indicated that our teaching assistants developed professional characteristics such as self-confidence and communication and leadership skills, while they acquired knowledge of microbiology content and laboratory skills. Data from the undergraduate Likert scale as well as the pre-and post-GTA rubrics further confirmed our UTA's data interpretations. These findings are significant because they offer empirical data to support the suggestion that the UTA experience is an effective option for developing skills and knowledge in undergraduates that are essential for careers in science. The UTA experience provides a valuable alternative to the URA experience.

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In this study, we investigated a pedagogical innovation in an undergraduate microbiology course, Microbes and Society, for non-microbiology majors and education majors. The aim was to improve students’ understanding by connecting their science experience to their areas of interest. Based on this idea of teaching, we redesigned the laboratory portion of a microbiology course. We had students in the laboratory component choose their areas of interest and use the areas as a framework for understanding science and how it influences and shapes the world around them. This course was part of a longitudinal project (Project Nexus) which prepares, supports, and sustains upper elementary and middle-level specialist science teachers. We used a battery of data collection instruments. We analyzed all data in several dimensions including using active-learning techniques, forming linkages between science and teaching, and connecting science and society. Our hypothesis was that we could promote science for all by connecting the diverse students’ areas of interest in science to the laboratory’s curriculum. We assessed the success of achieving our goal by using researchers’ observations, the instructors’ perspectives, and students’ feedback. Our findings suggested that this course was appreciated by the students, especially education majors, who recognized the innovations as engaging and worthwhile.

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