{"id":18221,"date":"2021-01-12T14:16:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T19:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/?page_id=18221"},"modified":"2021-01-19T16:51:20","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T21:51:20","slug":"resources-for-tas-leading-recitation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/graduate\/current-students\/resources-for-tas-leading-recitation\/","title":{"rendered":"Resources for TAs Leading Recitation"},"content":{"rendered":"

At MIT Biology, recitations are meetings outside of lecture where the class TAs can work more closely with the students and facilitate meaningful learning. Preparing and teaching recitations are the primary responsibilities of a TA. This page details strategies used by undergraduate and graduate TAs who taught a variety of classes from large-lecture classes that are part of the Biology <\/span>General Institute Requirement<\/span><\/a> (GIR) to upper-level biology classes. Thanks to Phoebe Li (7.012), Vidit Bhandarkar (7.012), Joanna Lin (7.06) and Brian Vassilo (7.21\/7.62) for sharing how they prepared for and structured their recitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Biology graduate students are required to participate in departmental <\/span>TA training<\/span><\/a> that emphasizes key aspects of teaching that are critical to the success of TAs. In addition to class-specific preparation, the sessions provide training in stereotype threat, implicit bias and enhancing student engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit the TA Training Website<\/a><\/p>\n

How do TAs prepare to lead recitation?<\/h2>\n

Depending on the class, your preparation for recitation will look slightly different. At its heart, preparing for recitation involves reviewing the past week\u2019s lectures to identify material that you will discuss during recitation. The content in recitation can include reviewing topics covered in lecture, applying class material to new problems or contexts, and working on problem sets.<\/p>\n

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The materials that TAs should discuss during recitation differs between class. Phoebe and Vidit were TAs for the large lecture class 7.012 (Introduction to Biology), in which the instructor provided a handout containing a lecture summary and 2-3 problems. Below, they describe preparing to facilitate discussions regarding the lecture material.<\/p>\n

Phoebe:<\/strong> I like to do a brief lecture recap at the start of recitation. I prepare slides beforehand if there is information that should be written out or included as an image. When there is a lot of material, I ask my students ahead of time which topics they would like me to cover. In case I decide to leave out some material, I prepare slides for the students to look over on their own time.<\/p>\n

Vidit: <\/strong>My goal is to create an environment that encourages student participation such that the recitation is primarily student-led. I begin each recitation with slides about challenging concepts from lectures. These slides include thought-provoking, open-ended questions, as well as true\/false questions and some images to explain ideas.<\/p>\n

TAs for upper-level and smaller classes might not be given handouts to guide recitation. Instead, the TAs choose their own problems (for example, from a question bank) and decide on topics to discuss during recitation. Below, Brian describes the process for the class 7.21 (Microbial Physiology):<\/p>\n

Brian:<\/strong> My preparation for recitation begins by going through the lecture slides from the past week and pulling out topics that are particularly important \u2014 often because the professors identified them as such during the lecture. I then write questions on those topics that are either comprehension- or application-based. My own answer key serves as a guide that I can use when discussing the students’ answers.<\/p>\n

Structuring a recitation<\/h2>\n

Recitation time is limited and planning a structure in advance can help optimize effectiveness. Different strategies may be used to structure the time depending on your goals for the recitation. Recitation in large, undergraduate lecture classes is focused on problem-solving, while upper-level classes might include a reframed discussion of lecture material. In the sections that follow, former TAs describe the strategies they used for different types of classes. Each structure incorporates active learning techniques that enhance student engagement and learning.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat is active learning and why should TAs incorporate it?\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Active learning occurs when students are actively engaged and are learning with their \u201cminds on.\u201d Almost any activity that requires students to recall, think about, apply, and verbalize concepts constitutes active learning. Preferably, activities are cooperative and include timely feedback. As students participate in such activities, they construct new knowledge and build new skills.<\/p>\n

Read About Active Learning Techniques<\/a><\/p>\n

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There are several benefits to incorporating active learning techniques into your teaching practice. In contrast to a passive lecture, active learning techniques allow students to gauge their own understanding. By grappling with ideas, students connect new concepts to prior knowledge in meaningful ways and construct their own interpretations. Collaborating with classmates during recitation (for example, in a “pair-share” activity) promotes community and connection between students, which can enhance their sense of belonging and motivation. Depending on the class, there are different ways to structure recitation to incorporate active learning techniques, which are described in the following sections. In the video below, Janet Rankin, the director of the Teaching + Learning Lab (TLL) at MIT introduces active learning.<\/p>\n

Watch Janet Rankin Introduce Active Learning<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tLarge-lecture classes with a focus on problem solving\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Recitation in large-lecture classes like Introductory Biology (7.01x) is typically a space for problem solving. This format lends itself well to \u201cminds on\u201d thinking. Instructors in large lecture classes typically provide TAs with a handout containing problems for each recitation. Having students work together in small groups creates a low bar to participation by encouraging every student to think and do. Interactive problem solving led by the TA is also a great way to keep students engaged for the duration of recitation. In the following section, Phoebe, Brian, and Vidit discuss how they structure their recitations to encourage problem solving.<\/p>\n

\"Infographic\"<\/p>\n

Phoebe:<\/strong> For the first 10-15 minutes, I do a brief lecture recap framed for problem solving. For the problem solving in the second half, I find that students engage more with questions that require knowledge application. We tackle conceptual questions as a whole recitation by getting answers from volunteers. We then transition to application questions in small groups. At the end of each question set, I reiterate the most important concepts to orient the students for future questions.<\/p>\n

Brian: <\/strong>At the beginning of recitation I make any necessary announcements and ask if the students have questions from the past week\u2019s lecture. My goal is not to rehash lecture material, but to help work through any problem spots. I then distribute a worksheet and randomly break students into groups. I keep groups small (2-3 people maximum) to help students interact with many of their classmates over the semester, and ensure there is room within each group for everyone to contribute. We regroup after the first half of the worksheet has been completed to discuss solutions and any new questions the students have. We repeat the process with new groups working on the second half of the worksheet.<\/p>\n

Vidit:<\/strong> I start each recitation with slides about concepts that seemed challenging from lectures. The introduction takes between 10-20 minutes, and is key to getting students warmed up and willing to participate. For the recitation handout, I read the questions out aloud and encourage students to answer various sub-parts one at a time. Thanks to the introductory slides, the students are usually eager to participate. For the most part, I end recitation 5-10 minutes early and stay to answer any questions.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tUpper-level classes with lecture-style recitation\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Recitations may be used to present key concepts from class a second time in an organized format, or as a discussion session. When you need to deliver a lot of information, consider breaking up lecture time into chunks of 10-15 minutes. Interspersing the lecture with short activities will keep your students engaged throughout. The same list of activities<\/a> can be used to break up a lecture with 3-4 minute activities.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tA hybrid approach: interactive lecture and practice questions\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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For upper-level classes, an alternative to lecture-style recitation requires incorporating a short problem that complements the lecture material. Joanna used this hybrid strategy for 7.06 (Cell Biology) recitations.<\/p>\n

Joanna<\/strong>: I make 5-6 skeletal slides that cover the main topics from class; I aim to use 30 minutes of recitation time on them. To keep the lecture section interactive, I fill out some the slides myself and have the students participate to fill in others. We spend the remaining 15 minutes of recitation on practice questions. Below are two timelines I use.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tEncouraging student participation\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Student engagement and participation are crucial to a successful recitation session. Class participation increases when the students feel comfortable and safe in the classroom. The following strategies to engage students are adapted from the book \u201cTools for Teaching<\/a>\u201d by Barbara Gross Davis.<\/p>\n