STEM — Teaching Community Project (STEM-TC)

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:

1. improve STEM courses,
2. provide opportunities for the LAs to gain an appreciation and understanding of effective STEM teaching, and
3. 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

• Learning Assistant Contract

Affiliated Faculty

The STEM-TC program has been supported by funding from the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics and the University System of Maryland's VIP K-12 grant program.

The Jess and Mildred Fisher
College of Science and Mathematics
Smith Hall, Room 312 (campus map)
Phone: 410-704-2121
Fax: 410-704-2604
E-mail: fcsm@towson.edu