Online learning is not a new concept; in fact, educational institutions have long been offering online classes, with 17.6 percent of higher education students exclusively taking distance learning courses and a further 19.7 percent were taking some of their courses online before the pandemic in 2019.
But when educational institutions had to pivot in 2020, virtually every student, not just in the U.S. but in the world, were enrolled in online instead of face-to-face classes.
With this sudden change and the complications, one group of people has been invaluable to keeping everything flowing smoothly—teaching assistants.
The Role Of Teaching Assistants
Teaching assistants, teacher’s aides, or simply TAs provide support for teachers in a class. Their duties vary widely, from administrative support for professors to academic support for students.
But in recent years, the roles of teaching assistants have increased, making them pivotal in keeping schools operating. We outline the important responsibilities teaching assistants have taken up recently below.
1. Teaching Assistants Have Offered Targeted Support For Students
Professors already have a challenging job. They couldn’t have possibly monitored and provided support to individual students all by themselves, given the limited interaction they get to have.
In this regard, teaching assistants have provided the support students need. Teaching assistants have provided instructional support to the faculty – such as grading assignments per the rubrics and directions of the faculty, monitoring discussion threads, and answering emails.
2. Teaching Assistants Monitored Students On Discussion Boards
As mentioned above, it’s difficult for instructors to monitor all these. Teaching assistants have been responsible for monitoring interactions and answering students’ questions in these spaces.
4. Teaching Assistants Ensured Online Assignments Are Graded Properly
One of teaching assistants’ core tasks even before the pandemic was to help instructors grade assignments. Within an online course, assignments are within the LMS course modules and the assignments are submitted through the LMS.
This helped keep things running smoothly and allowed instructors to test students’ understanding of the subject, which is essential in a remote learning setting.
Enjoy The Benefits Of Professional Teaching Assistants
With all that said, it’s clear how valuable teaching assistants are, whether classes are held online, in-person, or in some hybrid environment.
Make sure you can provide quality teaching through your online education programs with the help of teaching assistants from Instructional Connections. Our team of online academic coaches offers unparalleled support for instructors and their students.
Learn more about our services today.
