Creating interactive experiences in large classes requires a lot of planning. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) can play a crucial role by managing group activities, supporting active learning, and boosting student participation, all of which enhance the overall student experience. The key is to make sure UTAs receive proper training.
Undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) are students who are currently working on their Bachelor's degree and are hired to provide instructional support. UTAs are often students who have excelled in a particular course or subject area and are selected to help instructors in a variety of teaching-related tasks. However, unlike a graduate student instructor (GSI), they are not usually assigned a teaching or grading role in the course. UTAs are particularly valuable in assisting with active learning due to their successful experience with the subject matter and the fact that they are peers with students in the class.
UTAs perform tasks such as managing lecture slides and video clips, taking attendance, administering paperwork, answering student questions, and assisting with group work. However, research shows it is possible to improve student outcomes when UTAs are used during active learning “lecture” in large enrollment courses. Because UTAs may have little to no experience facilitating active learning experiences, it is critical they have some pedagogical and classroom management training.
One research study at Virginia Commonwealth University of a large enrollment organic chemistry class studied the effectiveness of UTAs during active learning lecture periods. The research showed that when UTAs were used to facilitate group work, the students' grades improved as did the overall positive experience for students taking the class. The study highlighted that weekly content review sessions and facilitation training were critical. They facilitated active learning, where students were asked questions and guided to question the content and discover new connections. It was crucial UTAs spent time discussing different ways to ask guiding questions so students would construct their own knowledge. At first, the tendency was for UTAs to explain the answer right away. They needed to work on developing inquiry based questions so students could discover the answers themselves. UTAS were assigned to a set group, which became their own small classrooms. To better prepare UTAs, they received comprehensive training in subject matter expertise and pedagogical skills. The program included homework assignments, reflection journals and a final project.
Additional research from Dominican University highlights the value of peer led workshops to improve students' sense of belonging and emotional support in challenging classes. Anxiety can lead to avoidance, but UTAs can help students feel more comfortable participating in in-class activities by helping to normalize the need to seek help. In the study, students were more likely to report a stronger willingness to ask for help when they held more adaptive beliefs and fewer help-avoidance attitudes. Stronger perceptions of “social fit,” the feeling of being a part of the classroom community of peers, faculty, and UTAs, further improved students’ help seeking intentions possibly because as “theorized,” it provided a sense that attending workshops was a normal part of being a student in these courses.
Hiring a UTA can be a wonderful asset in an active learning classroom as long as they are knowledgeable about the course content and learn the skills to facilitate group work.
References:
Driver, Persis ; Caldwell, Tracy L. ; Grunert, Lance. (2023). Exploring UTA Effectiveness: Leveraging Undergraduate Teaching Assistants for Student Learning and Help-Seeking. Teaching of psychology. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publication
Ruder, Suzanne M ; Stanford, Courtney. (2018). Strategies for Training Undergraduate Teaching Assistants To Facilitate Large Active-Learning Classrooms. Journal of chemical education. Easton: American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
