Center for Teaching Effectiveness

The University of Texas at Austin

Main Building 2200

398T: A Departmental Course in Teaching
for Graduate Teaching Assistants

     About 398T

The primary source of instruction in teaching for graduate students appointed as Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs, also known as TAs and AIs) is the departmental 398T course, a 3-hour graduate course with various specific titles depending on the individual department. The purpose of the 398T course is to provide information and guidance in teaching to those graduate students who are responsible for conducting some portion of the instruction of undergraduate courses. The course is required by the University for any graduate student who will be the instructor of record and have sole responsibility for an undergraduate class. These are generally individuals with master's degrees and some previous experience as GSIs. Some departments extend that requirement to include all graduate students assigned as GSIs who are assisting in teaching a course, prior to or coincident with their first semester in teaching.

The courses are taught by a member of the departmental faculty. Assignment to teach 398T usually rotates through the senior faculty in a department; however, past studies of the course have shown that the most effective versions were those taught by individuals who had taught the course for at least three years. Since most college faculty have not had such a course themselves, they take a few years to get the course content under control. Faculty who have taught the course report learning more about teaching than they ever knew previously.

Format

The format of these courses varies from department to department. The most common format is a weekly 3-hour class meeting of approximately 10-12 students depending on the size of the department. Some of the smaller departments have combined forces to offer a single, combined section for their graduate students. Some larger departments have more than one section, each one associated with a particular undergraduate course (e.g., all first semester Chemistry laboratory assistants).

Content

Course content can take several directions.  Some courses focus on preparing the graduate students to teach a particular course within the department. Others take a more general approach to preparing students to be teaching assistants regardless of their specific assignment. Still others have as an objective to prepare the students to take on faculty positions after graduation. The topics that are included in a given course will depend on which of these missions the department has chosen for it. The University is currently encouraging departments to look at the last of these three possibilities as the most desirable focus for 398T. However, it is up to the departments to tailor the content to the needs of the discipline.

Support from the Center for Teaching Excellence

In order to increase the probability that the faculty teaching 398T will have available to them sufficient information and materials to prepare a first class graduate course, the Center for Teaching Excellence is available to assist departments in the conduct of 398T.  To do this, they offer the following services:

*A Summer Seminar for 398T Instructors As noted above, few faculty have had a course like 398T in their own background, and many are unsure as to what might be included. The Center sponsors a day-long seminar during the summer for prospective and experienced 398T instructors.  During the seminar alternative course plans are reviewed, materials and methods are demonstrated, and experienced 398T instructors are available for consultation. In addition, these instructors get to know a group of other faculty who will be teaching the same course in their own department and to whom they can go for ideas and advice.

*Course materials and the 398T Handbook
To help faculty find materials which are suitable for use in 398T, the Center has compiled a handbook of readings, handouts and ideas for use in teaching 398T. It includes primary sources, bibliographies, and modules on the most typical topics for 398T. The Handbook is currently being revised and updated.

*Special request workshops The Center personnel offer workshops on topics such as learning theory, test design and grading, classroom communication, academic policies, and working with students with disabilities. Each instructor may request two of these workshops per semester.

*Videotaping and critiquing
One of the most popular and valuable services the Center offers 398T instructors is the possibility of having the class members videotaped and critiqued by CTE staff.  Some instructors prefer to do their own taping or their own critiquing, but in general most 398T classes will ask for these services.

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