8.0312 Qs (Part 1): HOTS; TA Training (2/61)

Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Thu, 17 Nov 1994 18:34:44 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 8, No. 0312. Thursday, 17 Nov 1994.


(1) Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 09:28:37 -0500 (EST) (24 lines)
From: "Daniel P. Tompkins" <pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Subject: H O T S

(2) Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 04:52:04 -0500 (EST) (37 lines)
From: "Daniel P. Tompkins" <pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Subject: TA training

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 09:28:37 -0500 (EST)
From: "Daniel P. Tompkins" <pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Subject: H O T S

Here is an acronym--for "higher order thinking skills"--that is getting
more and more common. E.g. a Yankelovich survey shows that one reason
business leaders claim to respect liberal arts training is that it helps
inculcate these skills.

I want to learn more about the concept of higher order skills. Is it
linked with any particular contemporary writer, or is there some good
source for information about it?

Another nice demi-acronym that pops up and that I don't need info about:
HUMINT, the term the CIA uses to describe humanly attained
information--e.g. it was recently argued in congress that humint is far
more useful than technologically attained data.

Thanks,

Dan Tompkins
Dept. of Greek and Roman Classics
Temple U.
Pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------56----
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 04:52:04 -0500 (EST)
From: "Daniel P. Tompkins" <pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Subject: TA training

For some institutional research I'm involved in, I would appreciate
information (offlist) about how Teaching Assistants are trained and
supervised at other universities. The particular topics I would like to
learn about are:

1. When in their graduate careers do Teaching Assistants begin teaching
their own classes (i.e. not running sections of a professor's course)?

2. What sorts of training do other departments or universities provide
for Teaching Assistants?

3. How is their teaching monitored?

4. What stipends (per annum) are provided?

5. What is the course load?

6. Can you refer me to an administrator at your institution or
department who's particularly involved with these activities?

7. Can you refer me to any good local or national research on the use of
Teaching Assistants?

I'm involved on a committee reviewing use of TA's at Temple. We've
completed our research here, but I'm interested in learning what I can
about practices elsewhere. So I'd appreciate any information folks can
send me.

Thanks,

Dan Tompkins
Temple University
Pericles@astro.ocis.temple.edu