Implementing an undergraduate learning assistant model to foster engagement and professional development in microbiology courses.

ABSTRACT: Integrating undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) into high-enrollment science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been shown to enhance student engagement, yet the impact on ULAs themselves remains underexplored. This manuscript presents a field-tested framework for implementing and sustaining a structured ULA program in a General Microbiology course, offering a replicable model for educators seeking to enhance student learning and ULA professional development (PD). Over the past decade, this program has been refined to provide structured mentorship, leadership opportunities, and active involvement in both in-class and out-of-class activities. The ULA program fosters student engagement by incorporating active learning strategies such as iClicker questions, grou

SUBMITTER: Popichak KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12369369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature