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this paper, I propose a renewed look at how teaching assistants (TAs) are being prepared to fulfill their duties in higher education. I argue that the apprenticeship model of learning that is currently in use be replaced by the more holistic workplace learning approach. Workplace learning theories take into consideration the complexity of the learning situation of the TA.  \nThe teaching assistant came into my office to talk about the work that she had been assigned. Quite distraught, she relayed how she knew nothing about the course content and did her best to follow the guidelines provided by the course supervisor. Despite seeking teaching support, students in the TA’s lab soon began to lack confidence in her as their teacher. In turn, her confidence was shattered and her ability to perform as a TA quickly diminished.  \nIt is often the case that when I walk across campus, faculty will stop me to tell me his or her story about working with teaching assistants. One day, a professor told me the story about how she had found out, due to poorly graded assignments that the TA, instead of grading the assignments herself, had delegated this to her husband, who was not affiliated with the discipline  \nor university.  \nIn my role as the TA Training Program Manager at the University of Victoria (UVic), I hear many stories about TAs. No matter if the story comes from a teaching assistant (TA) or faculty member, both are seeking the same end result – that TAs do their job well. Too often a TA feelshe or she is not able to fulfill his or her duties sufficiently because of a lack of skills and required knowledge, which leads to a lack of confidence and employing inappropriate methods of approaching his or her work.  \nMy colleagues and I at institutions across North America devise programs and courses that address issues pertaining to TAs’ lack of skills and confidence. I began working in the field of teaching assistant training and graduate student professional development in 2006. At that time, one of the main foci was on programs that prepared graduate students to be faculty members. This focus was influenced by the introduction in the early 2000s of a heavily-funded program in the United States (US), called Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) that favours professional development of future faculty. Despite similar programs already existing, the development of this program helped spawn PFF-type programs at most higher education institutions in North America. UVic, as with many Canadian post-secondary institutions, had such a program put in place in the mid-2000s. The program at UVic changed in 2012 (approved by Senate in January with first intake of students in September, 2012) to become Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LATHE), a six-unit (two 1.5 credit courses, and one 3.0 credit course) graduate certificate program that is listed on the student’s transcript (not just a notation  \nin the comments section) . It is jointly offered by the Learning and Teaching Centre, Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  \nCertificate programs that prepare future faculty are important but I contend that the focus on preparing to teach in higher education should be at the beginning, when a graduate student first steps into an instructional position in post-secondary education. The recent quality movement in higher education brings attention to how undergraduate students are being supported, especially in the first and second years of their degree. If the underlying movement is to make sure we are providing the best quality undergraduate education, then we need to focus closely on the teaching assistant role. Approximately one-third of first-and second-year courses at UVic (similar percentages must exist at other institutions) have a tutorial, discussion, or lab component that have TAs as t","cbCaieS0VZoyMRlj","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieS0VZoyMRlj","pdf",163628,"English","# Abstract\n## Proposed shift from apprenticeship to workplace learning\n## Experiences and challenges in TA roles\n## TA training programs and professional development\n## Apprenticeship model overview\n## Workplace learning fit for the TA role","[{\"question\":\"What change in TA preparation does the paper argue for?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that the apprenticeship model currently used for preparing teaching assistants should be replaced with a more holistic workplace learning approach.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the paper emphasize the complexity of TA learning?\",\"answer\":\"Workplace learning theories consider the complexity of the TA’s learning situation, including the real demands and responsibilities the TA must perform.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the paper connect TA preparation to undergraduate education quality?\",\"answer\":\"It claims that because many first- and second-year courses rely on TAs for tutorial, discussion, or lab instruction, improving how TAs are prepared can help ensure better undergraduate education quality.\"}]","Teaching Assistant (TA) Training to Workplace Learning - Cynthia Korpan, University of Victoria - Abstract | PDF",1792087428]