In the Spring of 2016, I was a teaching assistant for Digital Media Studies 104: Design in the Digital Age. The instructor, Robert Kostin, employed a "flipped" classroom style. This approach places the students at the center of the learning process, and emphasizes student learning that takes place outside of the classroom meeting.

The course was almost entirely structured around a group project. The assignment saw groups take on the persona of a design firm tasked with designing a digital product. The semester schedule was structured around the design process, and sought to take the students from early stages to developed design over the course of the semester. Each group member adopted a particular role which aligned with the Cooper model of design described in the chosen text Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services.

In class, groups presented their ideas and got feedback from others. Sometimes certain team members were responsible for presenting when their particular role was most relevant to the current stage in the design process.

My role as a Teaching Assistant was to provide grading support for in-class meetings and the strategize about ways to optimize the class for student learning. Additionally, I gave direct feedback to students about a variety of aspects of their projects and group work.

Skills and Experience:

  • Experience with teaching in a "flipped" classroom.
  • Providing helpful feedback to students working on group projects.
  • Strategizing how best to coordinate student work to attain pedagogical goals.