Learning
by teaching FIU creates model for education innovation
According to the President’s Council for Science and Technology, 1 million more STEM graduates than currently expected will be needed in the next decade to maintain our country’s global standing in science and technology. Through groundbreaking research in teaching and learning, FIU is changing the STEM work force landscape and driving innovation in industries both locally and beyond. Help us provide tomorrow’s change-makers with the support they need and develop the programs to help them thrive by contacting us at givetocase@fiu.edu | 305-348-4349.
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Randy Juste
andy Juste was a math Learning Assistant at FIU who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in spring 2016. As a student, between classes and studying, he worked 15 hours a week in the Mastery Math Lab, where students finetune their math skills during weekly booster sessions. It is predominantly staffed by Learning Assistants, like Juste, who are there to help their peers navigate the rigors of math. This approach is an alternative to traditional lecture learning, making classwork more relatable.
A second Mastery Math Lab launched in the fall of 2016 to serve more than 2,000 additional students. Undergraduates taking Finite Math, Social Choice Math and Statistics for Behavioral Science spend two hours a week working on homework, projects, quizzes and other concepts with the help of nearly 30 full-time Learning Assistants. Funded by the university’s tech fee, the new lab is equipped with 128 computers and three teamwork stations for students to collaborate in group projects and consult with faculty on-site.
The implementation of the Learning Assistant program — where students teach other students — has revolutionized how courses in physics, math, chemistry, earth sciences and biological sciences are taught at FIU. During the fall 2016 semester, 155 courses relied on 327 Learning Assistants helping more than 13,000 FIU students, making it the largest Learning Assistant program in the country. Pioneered by faculty in the FIU STEM Transformation Institute, our program serves as a national laboratory of evidence-based models for teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in multicultural, urban communities. Through peer learning and new technology, the College of Arts, Sciences & Education is helping thousands of students who might otherwise struggle to succeed in STEM. As a national model for STEM education reform and one of the top producers of STEM degrees for minorities, FIU is committed to training the next generation of STEM teachers while increasing the number of STEM professionals and teachers locally and nationally.