A review of an engineering teaching apprenticeship program

Abstract

A teaching apprentice program was implemented for senior-level engineering graduate students at the University of Notre Dame during the spring of 2009. The goal of the program was to offer a mentored teaching experience to graduate students that would soon be taking on roles as faculty members at institutions across the country. Responsibilities included: (1) teaching two sections of the first-year engineering course (as the instructor of record, receiving formal teaching evaluations), (2) helping to develop course materials (with feedback from engineering faculty and the Center for Teaching and Learning), and (3) leading two undergraduate teaching assistants (graders for their class). Finally, regular box lunch meetings were held for purpose of exposure to engineering education research and practice, through discussion of engineering education literature or meeting with outside guests from the engineering educational community. Program participants were required to document their goals at the start of the semester and to follow up with reflections at the end of each semester they participate; excerpts from participant reflections are presented. After completing the First-Year Engineering Teaching Apprentice Program (FYETAP), several participants have accepted post-docs or faculty positions and were able to use this experience in their interview process.