Interested in having Learning Assistants in Your Course?
LAs support large-enrollment courses, which typically include one large section or two to three sections, each accommodating 80-150 students and taught by two to three instructors.
- LAs help facilitate active learning and collaborative instruction in discussions, labs, and/or lectures.
- LAs must have early access to all necessary materials, allowing them time to review and familiarize themselves with assignments and content at least a week before the enrolled students.
- To facilitate this, each LA is enrolled in the Canvas course section: LA Program.
- Instructors who have LAs will also join a LA Program Catcourse site for resources.
LAs contributions
- Integrate LAs into the teaching process and involve them in the development of course materials. Rather than serving solely as graders, LAs become essential instructional support, benefiting both students and instructors by actively enhancing the learning experience.
- LAs work with the students in the classroom, fostering student engagement and community during lectures, flipped classes, and activities, as well as group work.
- Students and LAs are asked to provide anonymous feedback at the end of the semester, supporting the benefits of the program for both students and LAs.
Resources for Faculty
The following resources provide detailed information for LA implementation:
- Step to Get Started [here]
- Weekly Pedagogical Meeting with Instructors, TAs, and LAs [here]
- Letter sample to recruit LAs for courses [here]
- Active Learning Materials [here]
