STEM - Teaching Community Project

Project Description

In the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teaching Community (STEM-TC) project, faculty from the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics collaborate with undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs) to:

  • improve STEM courses,
  • provide opportunities for the LAs to gain an appreciation and understanding of effective STEM teaching, and
  • make the LAs aware of education-related career options, which might include joining one of the secondary education programs at Towson and choosing high school or middle school teaching as a career.

Through their involvement with STEM-TC, the Learning Assistants develop active-learning instructional skills, practice those skills, and participate in transforming instruction. They do this by engaging in teaching activities, participating in team meetings, and by attending a weekly teaching and learning seminar.

The Learning Assistant teaching activities take different forms, depending on the course(s) and working teams to which the LAs have been assigned. Teaching activities include: leading and facilitating discussions of small groups of students in classes and/or help sessions, providing test review sessions, and tutoring. Typically, the STEM-TC faculty work to transform their introductory classes to encourage more student engagement with the material and with each other. LAs help facilitate this engagement. For a more detailed description of the Learning Assistant's role see the document STEM-TC Learning Assistant Contract

Affiliated Faculty

STEM-TC Faculty Department
Parviz Ghavamian
 Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Phuoc Ha Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Gail Kaplan Mathematics
James Overduin Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Sonali Raje Chemistry
Cody Sandifer Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Jennifer Scott Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Jeff Simpson Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Vera Smolyaninova Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences
Jia-An Yan Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences

The STEM — Teaching Community project is directed by:
Dr. Cody Sandifer
Department of Physics, Astronomy, &Geosciences
Towson University
410-704-4989