Title:

Discourse Between Learning Assistants and Calculus Students on Implicit Differentiation

Learning assistants (LAs) are undergraduate near-peer tutors who, having previously been successful in some course, aid in the instruction of that course, typically by interacting with individual students or groups. It has been shown that LAs’ presence in classrooms is associated with positive student outcomes, but there is little understanding of how LAs contribute to such outcomes. This study contributes a subject-specific perspective on LA classroom practice by examining discourse between LAs and students on the topic of implicit differentiation in a Calculus I course. Initial analysis indicates that LAs aid students in learning this topic by coordinating across multiple representations of implicit differentiation and integrating previous calculus content knowledge into these components. The study has the potential to bolster our understanding of student learning on the topic of implicit differentiation and gain insight into LAs’ instructional moves as they interact with students.

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