Training graduate students to teach statistics and data science from a distance

Abstract

Enrollment in undergraduate statistics and data science courses has rapidly increased in just the last decade, resulting in an increased reliance on graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and graduate instructors of record (GRIs). In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching from a distance has become a necessity. Many instructors, including GTAs and GRIs, need to adapt to new technologies and reconsider pedagogical decisions. This paper presents our experiences from a graduate teaching fellowship program created because of the pandemic. The program had two major components: 1) pedagogical workshops attended by teaching fellows from multiple disciplines across the university and 2) one-on-one mentoring by a faculty member from the fellow’s primary discipline. Here, we provide a unique look at graduate training from both the perspective of the mentor and the mentee. We share a sample training curriculum and propose recommendations for those interested in implementing teaching training opportunities for graduate students.