Anders, A., Walton, A., Cabada, C., Deam, N., Dux Speltz, E., Guskaroska, A., Everett, R., Muhammad, A., Payton, C., Weber, J. (2022, March). Human-centered design for inclusive mentoring of graduate teaching assistants. The Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE). Iowa State University. Virtual.
This presentation will report on a human-centered design process used to redesign a mentoring program for first-year graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the English Department at Iowa State University. This spring semester program serves 20-24 new GTAs each year. It is based on a self-directed approach to personal development and a strengths-based approach to peer coaching. In our annual review, we identified opportunities to further strengthen inclusivity and promote participant engagement.
To further these goals, the program leaders invited previous mentoring program participants and current mentors to participate as co-researchers and co-designers in a review and redesign of program activities. This process was supported by a review of research on inclusive mentoring and faculty development with an emphasis on issues of race and ethnicity. Our team explored relevant research findings and collectively reimagined the mentoring program structure and activities through a design sprint employing human-centered design methods.
This presentation will share the details of our redesigned mentoring program as well as recommendations based on the research literature. It will also feature reflections from peer mentors and project participants on the ways in which inclusive approaches to program design can further the goals articulated in Iowa State’s principles of community.
