Active learning classrooms provide an ideal opportunity to develop key workplace skills such as teamwork, information processing, critical thinking, and problem solving. Although many active learning pedagogies implicitly support student development of these skills, the role of the instructor in explicitly prompting and assessing these skills in the classroom is important. Integrating workplace skills in large-enrollment classrooms can be challenging, even with the support of teaching assistants (TAs). Using formative feedback from both students and TAs, the instructor developed resources and modified classroom facilitation to encourage development of workplace skills in an active learning Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) organic chemistry course. The resources developed include TA training activities, workplace skill rubrics, and course materials. Training activities help TAs understand course content and structure of course materials, facilitate POGIL classrooms, and become familiar with different workplace skills. Rubrics provide instructors a means of identifying and assessing student interactions for evidence of workplace skills. Guided-inquiry course materials highlight the importance of workplace skill objectives in addition to traditional content objectives.
Journal of College Science Teaching, 47 (5), 2018, 29-35