What is 388V?
388V is a 4-credit Scholarship in Practice internship in which UTAs are mentored as scholar-practitioners. The seminar is the “Scholarship” part of the course; in it, UTAs learn some foundations of composition pedagogy, learning theory, teaching and learning in higher education, and so forth. UTAs engage with new topics each week through readings, online and in-class discussions, and hands-on activities, all of which enable UTAs to make connections between the scholarship and their classroom experiences. The weekly seminar offers UTAs an opportunity to connect with and learn from each other while practicing lesson plans and experimenting with different teaching and mentoring strategies. At the end of the semester, UTAs will create a final course portfolio featuring the work they have done in and for both the writing classroom and the seminar.
Learning Outcomes
By the conclusion of 388V, students will be able to do the following:
- Select, critically evaluate, and apply relevant areas of composition scholarship and the scholarship of teaching and learning to the teaching of writing;
- Articulate the processes required to bring about a successful outcome in the classroom;
- Demonstrate an ability to collaborate in order to bring about a successful outcome in a composition course;
- Analyze how classroom applications of scholarship can or should account for differences in the gender, class, racial, ethnic, linguistic, and sexual orientation of class members and instructors;
- Produce and deliver lesson plans and teaching artifacts that reflect research relevant to composition and pedagogy
How Does 388V Work?
388V has different structures for first-semester and returning UTAs.
First-semester UTAs take 4 credits of 388V and register for one of the sections that meets weekly for 90 minutes. The syllabus for these sections can be found here.
Returning UTAs take 3 credits of 388V and register for one of the sections that meets online. These sections of 388V have reduced course requirements, as explained here.
Here’s what this looks like in Testudo:
As shown in the image above, the first two sections are scheduled with days, times, and classrooms. Those sections are for first-time UTAs. The bottom two sections that do not have days, times, or classrooms are for returning UTAs only.
Flexible Options
Returning UTAs sometimes choose to take 388V for 1 or 2 credits, usually due to scheduling constraints. In these cases, the UTA Program Coordinator works with the UTA and instructor to design an alternative syllabus that meets everyone’s needs without exceeding the maximum hourly workload.
Translation of credit hours to weekly workload
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- 4 credits = 10-12 hours/ week
- 3 credits = 8-10 hours/ week
- 2 credits = 5-7 hours/ week
- 1 credit = 3-4 hours/ week
Please consult the Credit Hour Breakdown page for more details
Image by Jonathan Simcoe
