- Jun 3, 2025
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Abstract of 8th-worldcte
Abstract Book of the 8th World Conference on Teaching and Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Leading, Education and Advising Fellows (LEAF) Program: A Transformative Strategy to Increase Classroom Engagement & Student Success
Dr. Phitsamay Uy, Dr. Colleen E Tapley, Shaima Ragab
ABSTRACT:
Learning assistants are undergraduate students hired to assist in a course they have previously taken, and their role is to help faculty members increase student engagement and interaction in the classroom. The presenters will discuss initial findings from the first year of implementing UML’s learning assistant program, LEAF (Leading, Educating, Advising Fellows). Data was collected through pre- and post-surveys, focus groups, and interviews of faculty members and their learning assistants (i.e., LEAF fellows). Initial findings suggest that having LEAF fellows positively impacted LEAF class sections. LEAF fellows gained confidence and professional working skills. At the same time, LEAF faculty were more open to feedback about their instructional choices, and utilizing former students as educational engagement consultants proved beneficial. The LEAF fellows helped faculty members make their courses more student- centered, interactive, and collaborative—factors that have been shown to improve student performance (Patti et al., 2019). We will conclude with best practice recommendations for others interested in increasing retention of marginalized student populations and engagement in classrooms.
Keywords: learning assistants, classroom engagement, marginalized students, first-generation students, faculty pedagogy