Northwestern Chemistry introduces education graduate course

Northwestern’s Chemistry Department unveiled a new required course for first-year Ph.D. students Fall Quarter, aiming to fill a gap in education training within the graduate student curriculum. 

The course, titled Chemistry 515: Theory and Practice of University Teaching, includes topics such as crafting presentations and fair grading, which is supported by educational literature, said chemistry Prof. Veronica Berns. 

At the end of the course, students draft a teaching statement, which Berns said outlines their personal teaching philosophy and is commonly used in the application process to become a professor.

In 2016, chemistry Prof. Stephanie Knezz and Berns spearheaded the development of a teaching assistant training program held during September orientation. Knezz and Berns, postdocs at the time, drew on insights from graduate students hoping for more guidance. 

Both professors attended the University of Wisconsin’s Ph.D. program, which they said offered a more extensive TA training.

“TA-ing is part of most Ph.D. training programs, but it’s not emphasized as something that is important to learn,” Knezz said. “It’s more just something you have to do, it’s just part of your job that you have to do and you get through it.”

The decision to switch to a course, Berns said, stems from the department wanting to offer credit for the more than 20 hours students complete during the September training. Plus, Berns said being able to point to a graduate course focused on education is valuable for future career pursuits, including those hoping to become professors.

Knezz said a quarter-long course, concurrent with the students becoming TAs for the first time, opens opportunities to recognize and apply the course methodology hands-on.

“You really don’t know what that feels like until it happens, the uncomfortable feelings, all of the nuance and the stress of it,” Knezz said. “You can’t know what it feels like until it happens.”

Fourth-year chemistry Ph.D. candidate Ezra Marker said he previously completed the September training, but decided to enroll in the course because of his passion for teaching and his future goal of becoming a professor.

Marker said they appreciated that the course could cover topics more in depth, specifically pointing out the class’s discussion of accessibility in the classroom.

“I think chemistry is one of the coolest subjects in the world, but there’s a lot of barriers preventing people from seeing that,” Marker said. “And I think if we can construct a class that is done in an accessible, equitable, inviting, welcoming way, then I can show people how cool chemistry is because to me, chemistry is how the world works.”

Even for those not wanting to stay in academia after graduation, Marker said all students can find value in the course’s content, learning how to effectively communicate with those without the same chemistry background.

Berns said the skill of teaching also enhances the experience of undergraduate students taking these courses. The dynamic of a TA and undergraduate student, Berns said, is unique compared to the student’s connection with a professor, given that TAs were recently in their shoes.

“If we take care of our TAs and make sure that they know the job that they need to do, and they have the tools that they need to do it, they will take care of our students,” Berns said.

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