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How Virtual Teaching Assistants Can Help Your Distance Learning

Virtual Teaching Assistants Helping Distance Learning

The pandemic sparked an online learning boom out of necessity, but it addressed and highlighted the benefits of virtual teaching and distance learning. In some countries, distance learning is even touted as a solution to gain more interest in specific subjects, such as STEM.

Instructional Connections has always been at the front of online learning with our virtual teaching assistants for our University partners. But as virtual and online learning is changing and advancing rapidly, creating a more popular learning system that goes beyond a simple online platform, our virtual teaching assistants can assist even more in this changing climate.

Here are just a few ways our virtual teaching assistants can help in an online learning environment:

Email Communication with Students

Our virtual teaching assistants will answer emails within 24 hours, even if it’s simply to say, “I will research that.” or “I will get further information from the Professor.”

Many courses span holidays, and our 24-hour expectation is applied with common sense, as some course-related correspondence may be briefly delayed on high holidays such as Christmas day or Yom Kippur, while Thanksgiving holiday (which is a traditionally high-volume day in distance learning) correspondence will still be answered promptly.

Our virtual teaching assistants may scale back some aspects of their course assistance on the day of a national holiday, but will still check their emails at least once for time-sensitive questions. If they will be unavailable for 24 hours, they will always let the professor know in advance, though this is a rare occurrence.

Answering Course Content Questions

Your virtual teaching assistant can answer content questions from students as their specialty or professional experience will match with course content or subjects.

Additionally, in a weekly meeting between your virtual teaching assistant and the faculty of record, answers can be approved in advance or additional material provided to help the flow of information be expedited while keeping accuracy. On the same weekly calls, grading expectations for upcoming assignments can be discussed to ensure that the grading standards are met.

Answering Technology Questions

Your virtual teaching assistant will quickly become familiar with the LMS to be able to guide your students through common technology issues. Your virtual teaching assistant will thoroughly read online manuals and resources available for your LMS.

Further, your virtual teaching assistant will easily assist students in submitting documents, locating online readings, and other routine technology needs. They will provide the first level of technical support, saving hours and frustration for the faculty of record and the student.

Reporting Technology Glitches or Student Problems According to University Guidelines

Your virtual teaching assistant will report any glitches or issues seen over a course duration. All glitches are recorded and addressed, whether strictly technical or a typo in the information provided. Problems within the LMS used are rare but can be calmly responded to as the class or student waits for a repair.

Errors are also reported in order to check on the same issue in other sections or future courses. Your virtual teaching assistant contributes to the goal of continuous improvement of all courses – which means their input, the faculty of record, and student input is valued.

Additionally, if a problem emerges with a student or from a student, your virtual teaching assistant can turn to their chain of command and the faculty of record. A timely acknowledgment will be provided to the student, even while further guidance is oncoming from the supervisor or faculty of record.

Grading & Assignment Feedback

Your virtual teaching assistants are also able to respond and grade student submissions within 72 hours so that students may benefit from feedback before their next assignment is due.

Our virtual teaching assistants begin grading early submissions as soon as they arrive, which ensures grades are promptly returned. All teaching assistants also familiarize themselves with rubrics ahead of time to assure more accurate grading.

Grading is assigned by the faculty of record. This means that grading is not simply following a rubric, but also through additional directions provided by faculty. This includes completing inter-rater reliability activities with the faculty to ensure that all grading with be consistent with the faculty’s expectations.

Our Virtual Teaching Assistants Are Here for Universities & the Future of Higher Education Distance Learning

Instructional Connections believes in bolstering the advancement of virtual learning through communication, knowledge, and teamwork. Our company provides University students with talented virtual teaching assistants who can adapt to educational needs and employ different resources to foster better distance learning results and success.

Contact us today to learn about our virtual teaching assistant services, and discover more about the high level of teaching assistance we offer our University partners.

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The Responsibilities of Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants in Online Learning

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.

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How to Maximize Your Virtual TAs for Distance Learning

Virtual TAs for Distance Learning

Just like everything else, teaching has been seriously affected over the past couple of years. Classes were mostly done online, and we’re just starting to go back to the traditional setting—but on a limited scale. Learning institutions are left with a new set of challenges to conquer.

One of the ways you can manage your online classroom better is by involving a virtual Teaching Assistant (TA). Doing so will lessen the stress of your teaching duties. Here are some tips on how you can make the most of a virtual TA for distance learning.

Class Preparation

Before the semester or quarter starts, get on the same page with your TA. Take the time to sit down virtually and discuss everything you need to discuss. This may include the following:

  • Setting goals
  • Delegating responsibilities
  • Establishing your working relationship
  • Discussing and learning digital tools and platforms that will be used
  • Setting class standards, deadlines, and rules

It would also be wise to meet now and then throughout the semester, as well as debrief after the course ends. During these sessions, share feedback in both directions and review the goals you set at the beginning.

Class Management

Handling a class pre-pandemic was already difficult, but it can become even more complicated when everything is online. Some professors, understandably, had a hard time learning video calling platforms, like Zoom and Google Meet, and many still do not fully understand how to utilize the features to their highest levels.

This is just one area in which a virtual teaching assistant can be very helpful. They can help with moderating classes by handling things like:

  • Discussion threads
  • Online grading and submission questions
  • Replying to emails or in-platform messages, regardless of which platform your University uses

Communicating with Students

Focus on lesson planning and other teaching duties by having your virtual TA in charge of announcements, email communication, and discussion thread moderation. Making sure your students are up to date may seem like a small detail, but leaving the responsibility to your virtual TA will make things significantly easier for you and smoother for everyone in the class.

Instead of sending individual emails and messages yourself, have your virtual TA do a group chat or a message board, as well as take over individual questions and email submissions.

Class Discussions

Often, there are times when the class discussion board is stagnant. Keep discussion boards active and engaging by adding your virtual TA’s trained voice into the discourse. They can add value to the conversation by:

  •  Asking questions to expand on the lesson
  • Sharing opinions, resources, and anecdotes
  • Challenging opinions
  • Encouraging civil discourse

At the same time, teaching assistants can evaluate and grade student work, which will be helpful if you have a large class or require a quick turnaround time. Find your professional and reliable virtual TA with the help of Instructional Connections.

We assign teaching assistants based on your instructional needs so they can support you correctly throughout the semester in exactly the way you require.

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How Online Academic Coaches Help Nursing Students

Online Academic Coaches Helping Nursing Students

According to the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing), nursing is among the occupations experiencing the most job growth in the U.S, yet it is still predicted that there will be a shortage of registered nurses.

One of the ways this can be addressed is through online academic coaching specific to nursing programs!

Benefits of Online Academic Coaching for Nursing Students

An online academic coach understands the needs of colleges or universities and their students. They are highly qualified and experienced professionals. In addition, they have experience with online learning and know-how to enhance student success in distance learning and online programs.

Differences Between Academic Coaches and Mentors

Currently, one of the ways a nurse can gain experience and knowledge is through mentorship. A mentorship is when a more experienced nurse mentors another and acts as a teacher or supervisor to help the less experienced nurse achieve their goals.

Coaching seems similar, however, our online academic coaching model takes a more facilitative approach and promotes autonomy within students while they are in online courses for their degree.

A study was done on a coaching training course that was delivered to 148 healthcare professionals. Evaluations from the attendees suggested that coaching would create more learning opportunities and prompt students to become independent learners – two things that are greatly needed for online education and distance learning.

The Nursing Shortage

It is projected that there will be more registered nurse jobs available than any other job in the U.S. by 2022. Despite the rapidly growing number of registered nurses, there is a nursing shortage due to the aging population, the chronic conditions that come with age, and high turnover rates.

Causes

Advancements in medical science and quality of life have helped Americans live longer. However, this does not mean that they are healthier during old age. The baby boomer generation is entering old age, meaning they will need more health services as they age. And older persons are typically diagnosed with more than one comorbidity.

The workforce is also aging, and a third could be at retirement age in the next decade or so. This includes nurse faculty, meaning fewer nurses will train new ones, leading to enrollment limitations and fewer nurses generated by schools.

The difficulty of the profession also contributes to turnovers. Nurses work in an inherently stressful environment compounded by the threat of physical and emotional hurdles.

The Effect on Patient Care

An inadequate number of nurses will have a negative impact on patient care. It will lead to more uneven patient-to-nurse ratios, more fatigue and stress for nurses, higher chances of medication errors, lower patient care quality, and higher patient mortality rates.

How Online Academic Coaches Can Help

One study looks into how the shortage of nursing faculty and the increase of students is being addressed by using academic coaches in online programs.

Online academic coaches would be able to help nursing schools by providing the needed manpower for assisting students. They work to be assets for both the faculty and the students by managing discussion threads, assisting with grading, and various other tasks. This frees up nurse faculty to focus on engagement and teaching.

Help Your Staff and Your Students Succeed

Instructional Connections has been providing high-quality online academic coach support services to colleges and universities offering online courses since 2010. Improve your student success in online programs with our virtual teaching assistant services.
Call us at +1 888-221-2418 or submit an inquiry.
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The Role of a Virtual Teaching Assistant in Online Learning

Role of a Virtual Teaching Assistant in Online Learning

More and more people are finally taking notice of online learning’s many benefits, with some finally accepting that many students perform better in this learning environment. However, there’s no denying how hard the shift to online learning is for some students and teachers.

This is an excellent opportunity for virtual teaching assistants to showcase how much their profession can contribute to this new way of learning in university and college courses.

But what exactly is a virtual teaching assistant’s role in online learning? This article discusses some of the essential roles virtual teaching assistants play in the online learning environment. 

Dealing with Online Course Documents

Online documentations have become a crucial part of online teaching. Whether that’s reports, assessments, records, and learning materials, all of these have moved into the digital space. Despite the shift to digital copies, these documents are still just as important as ever.

For virtual teaching assistants, one of their roles is to familiarize themselves with all the different types of digital files needed for their online learning course. These could be documents, spreadsheets, presentations, or PDF files.

Teaching assistants must know how online documentation works to help teachers troubleshoot issues, store documents to the Cloud, and do other tasks related to digital paperwork. They also maintain all compliance with federal and state laws regarding confidentiality and the security of protected information.

Fostering Student-to-Student Discussion & Interaction

One of the first possible casualties of online learning is student-to-student interaction. During an online course, most students are limited to interacting with the teacher only. Meanwhile, the teacher may be preoccupied with creating and delivering lessons.

Virtual teaching assistants are in the perfect position to lessen the teacher’s tasks and foster student discussion and interaction. Teaching assistants may help the teacher conduct student-to-student dialogue during the course.

Teaching assistants may help the teacher provide instructions for when, where, and how students can participate in virtual discussions.

It could be done by dedicating time from lesson delivery to activities like group discussions or turning a classroom session into an open forum. These activities may prove too much for teachers; teaching assistants can help in these activities.

Maintaining Clear Lines of Communication

Communication is an integral part of classroom education, even more so in the digital space. Students may have questions, clarifications, and feedback, but these can often be neglected due to a teacher’s hectic schedule.

Virtual teaching assistants can help maintain student-teacher communication by acting as the person in the middle. Teaching assistants can answer students’ questions, take note of feedback, report at-risk students or other issues for the teacher to address.

Teaching assistants can also monitor online class forums and message boards for any messages or posts. They can be the go-to person for students requiring clarification regarding projects and activities, which frees the teacher from extra tasks while providing students with someone they can reach out to.

Virtual teaching assistants are essential in modern education, especially since the world is quickly becoming digital. It’s more important than ever for teachers and educational institutions to invest in the many benefits teaching assistants can provide

.Instructional Connections is a leading provider of high-quality instructional support services to colleges and universities. If you’re interested in our virtual teaching assistants, contact us today, and our team will answer all your inquiries!
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Five Major Trends in Online Education

student working in an Online Education class

Education technology has experienced steady growth and adoption even before the pandemic, with edtech investments reaching $18.66 billion in 2019. However, the COVID-19 crisis has affected around 1.6 billion students, most of whom migrated to online platforms to continue their education.

More than a year into the pandemic, online learning has seen enormous changes. And despite the crisis slowly receding, experts believe online education will continue to grow. 

Here are five major online education trends that will shape the learning landscape globally.

Nano-Learning

Nano-learning is a learning modality where the student receives condensed, bite-sized information across a shorter time frame. It provides learners with quick and entertaining content that holds on to their notoriously shortening attention span. 

Examples of nano-learning include short soundbites or one-minute videos seen on platforms like TikTok and Twitter. 

Researchers argue that nano-learning is effective because it follows the Pareto principle: 80% of learning outcomes result from applying 20% of effort learning. In addition, nano-learning supports different learning styles, including visual and auditory learning.

Micro-Credentials Powered by MOOCs

Massive open online classes or MOOCs saw exponential growth during the pandemic. Coursera, for instance, recorded 640% more enrollments from mid-March to mid-April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, Udemy also recorded a 400% enrollment surge between February and March.

MOOCs continue to gain traction among employees, who use online learning platforms to earn micro-credentials and nano-degrees — both qualifications that demonstrate mastery in specialized skills. 

MOOCs are a powerful tool for professional advancement that brand giants like Amazon and Google partner with Udacity, a popular MOOC provider, to give their employees an avenue to earn marketable skills. 

Gamification

Gamification is a strong contender in the future of online education. It’s the use of game-based elements like point scoring and competition to improve learning outcomes. And it has been enjoying steady growth. In 2015, the gamification industry was valued at $2 billion, but experts predict that that figure will increase to $11.42 billion by the end of 2021.

The factor that makes gamification effective is that it increases engagement. In a 2018 survey, 89% of participants said that if their task is gamified, they feel motivated to complete it. In fact, it gets them into a competitive mood!

Students also perform better when learning is gamified. A 2020 study showed that challenge-based gamification enhanced student performance by up to 89.45% compared to only attending lectures.

Open Education Resources (OER) 

Open Educational Resources or OERs are learning and research materials stored in the public domain or released under an open license. These can be used and distributed by learners at no cost and with no or limited restrictions. 

More and more higher education instructors are aware of OERs. And faculty awareness of OER increased by 5 percentage points from 2019 to 2020. These faculty also expressed a stronger belief in the quality of OERs.

With students paying an average of $1240 on books and supplies every year, OERs are expected to be an enduring online learning trend in higher education distance learning courses. And because OERs are free, students don’t have to deal with the effects of high textbook costs, like taking fewer courses or getting lower grades due to working more hours.

Artificial Intelligence

eLearning Industries predict that over 47% of learning management tools will be enriched with AI capabilities within the next three years. AI, after all, delivers a significant impact on online education.

  • 24/7 Access to Learning. One advantage of online education is that it lets students learn at their own pace. With AI, the student can revisit their learning materials without waiting for an educator.
  • Personalization. AI could make up for the decreased level of personalization when education shifted from face-to-face to online platforms. 
  • Quick Responses. AI allows students to receive a quick response to their questions. They don’t have to wait for their educators.

With these powerful trends in online education, it can be difficult for institutions to keep up.

To help you stay ahead of the curve, get high-quality online teaching assistants from Instructional Connections. We provide online TAs who are trained in the online education landscape and always in the specific industry or program needed. Inquire today!

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Teaching Assistants: What’s Their Role in Distance Learning?

Teaching Assistants working on Distance Learning

Teaching during a pandemic presents many challenges, not the least of which is the sudden and mostly unprepared-for shift to online learning. However, not only teachers were affected by this change. Teacher’s aides, or teaching assistants, used to working face-to-face with students were left wondering what their role now was in the virtual classroom. 

TAs are having to find new ways to help students achieve their academic goals and provide support to course instructors virtually. Taking the challenge of distance learning head-on requires TAs to take on new responsibilities that take into account the online classroom environment. 

Here are some ways virtual TAs can adapt to virtual education and continue providing value to students and instructors while learning new skills that will help further their careers in education. 

Moderating Asynchronous Distance Learning

Our TAs take an active supportive role in your virtual classes. They assist with forum discussions and instructions, communicating class criteria to the students, even organizing activities and projects for the class. 

Virtual teaching assistants can monitor discussion threads and emails for questions from students, and address minor technical concerns to minimize interruptions. They are also able to answer student questions themselves or bring student concerns to the attention of the instructor if needed.

Virtual TAs collect unanswered questions from all avenues, such as threads, message boards, forums, emails, and calls, and respond to them via email or messaging boards. Additionally, they can moderate chat boards and forums on the virtual learning platforms they use too.

For example, many TAs at Vanderbilt University assist with monitoring and responding to student posts on discussion boards and external tools like Perusall and virtual learning platforms like Brightspace. 

Designing Assessments 

In a face-to-face classroom setting, a teacher or a TA can find many clues on how students are progressing with their learning and whether or not they’re engaged. Taking notes, confused looks, and affirmatory nods are just a few examples. In virtual classrooms, however, it’s more difficult to get a sense of where students are at learning-wise. 

Together with the instructor, a virtual TA can design and implement short, informal assessments such as quizzes, online polls, and virtual activities that provide more insight on students’ progress, challenges, comprehension, and areas for improvement. Instructors can use information gleaned from these assessments to make changes to the course for better outcomes. 

Developing & Curating Learning Materials 

Educational videos and interactive online learning materials can help keep students engaged outside of the virtual classroom. TAs can support instructors by creating content that is engaging, challenging, and aligned with the objectives of the course. 

This responsibility requires knowledge of video editing software and other tools. TAs who have familiarity with these and other content creation software can develop videos, presentations, slideshows, and other visual aids for students. They can also assist instructors with editing content and converting it into different formats if needed.

In addition, TAs can curate existing educational content and modify them as needed, depending on the needs of the instructor and the students. 

Teaching Assistants – A Necessity for Quality Online Education

TAs provide much-needed instructional support to teachers of online learning programs and distance learning courses. Virtual TAs perform day-to-day and supplemental tasks so that faculties can focus on education delivery and student outcomes. At the same time, they help students with their educational and social development. 

Even as the world transitions back to in-person classes, virtual TAs remain a key source of support for universities and other institutes of learning that want to provide better instruction. Plus, virtual TAs can help schools save on instructional delivery costs.

To learn more about the value a virtual teaching assistant brings to a college or university’s distance learning courses, contact Instructional Connections!

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Online Learning: Is It The Future of Higher Education?

Online Learning Is the Future of Higher Ed

The advancement of technology and the internet freed education from the confines of a physical classroom. Today, students from every level have access to quality education whenever and wherever they want. 

When the COVID-19 outbreak closed down schools and affected over 1.2 billion students worldwide, online learning became more than just an option. It became a central factor in people’s lives.

As the world gradually recovers from the pandemic and universities start opening, will online learning remain the future of higher education? This article will provide several good reasons online education will still matter in the future.

It Offers Convenience & Flexibility  

Online learning courses are designed to adapt to a student’s schedule. It allows learners to pursue their desired course or subject at their preferred time and pace. Traditional classroom learning does not always offer this kind of convenience and flexibility.

More importantly, online education offers accessibility. It enables students to study from anywhere in the world. The virtual classroom is always available if there’s an internet connection. 

Web-Based Learning Is (Still) On the Rise

Due to the pandemic, the Massive Open Online Course Market (MOOC), which includes many online learning platforms, is expected to grow by $16 billion from 2021 to 2025. This is likely due to the popularity of convenient modes of online learning like live streaming, video-on-demand, and webinars.

Regardless of what modes are chosen by students, the convenience, flexibility, and accessibility that online learning provides will make it even more popular in the coming years.

For online learning institutions, web-based learning enables more students to enroll in their courses. Classes that are dependent on pre-recorded videos and assessments can have an unlimited number of students enrolled.

It Has Improved the Quality of Learning

Studies show that retention rates are higher in online learning than in traditional classroom courses. The Boston Consulting Group, in partnership with Arizona State University, found that students who take more online classes tend to graduate sooner. 

This is likely due to the decrease in pressures that are usually present in traditional school systems. One of the primary benefits of online learning is that it allows students to learn at their own pace. 

Many online courses have learning materials available anytime, giving students the chance to rewatch lectures and review materials. Supplemental reading recommendations, study guides, and other learning materials are also provided to help keep students engaged. 

It’s Cost-Effective

The average cost of college for one student in the United States is around $35,720 per year. It doesn’t always include accommodation, textbooks, equipment, transportation, and other expenses. 

Online learning is usually priced lower than most traditional university courses. According to a story by U.S. News and World Report, an online college program (in-state) can cost $11,040 to $20,956.  

Many online courses offer a wide range of payment options that let students pay in installments or for each class. It allows for better budget management. Students can also save money from the commute and other expenses stated above. 

When it comes to learning online, the monetary investment can be significantly less—which means that more students will potentially have access to a college education. 

There’s no denying that online learning is the future of higher education. While it may not completely replace traditional classroom learning, it remains a beneficial option to those who prefer to study online.

High-Quality Support Services for Colleges & Universities 

Instructional Connections (IC) is a leading provider of high-quality instructional support services for colleges and universities.

Visit our website to find out how our company helps universities scale their educational programs at substantially lower costs.

You can also contact us today to know more about our online solutions.

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Online Teaching Assistants: What They Do & Why

Professional Online Teaching Assistants
Online teaching assistants from Instructional Connections can be hugely helpful for your online courses – and we’ve been doing this long before COVID-19 moved many University courses online.

Instructional Connections built a model of flexibility and customization by providing support for the online course and curriculum needs of our University partners through the use of our online teaching assistants.

Our online teaching assistants give your faculty more time to focus on student success! Through our innovative model, we are able to provide the highest flexibility for your faculty, as our online teaching assistants perform varied duties depending on your distance course needs.

But our high levels of customization often lead to questions about our services, such as what an online teaching assistant can do, what their duties are, how they can help transform an online course, and how our online teaching assistants can best help remote learning environments and student success.

What is an Online Teaching Assistant?

An online teaching assistant is meant to aid the faculty member of record, or professor, that is teaching an online course. This gives your faculty the time to focus on student success, engagement, and course delivery.

Additional responsibilities include any course issues as defined by your faculty or any needs that relate to online and distance learning. Our online teaching assistants are flexible – so your faculty member simply needs to provide us with instructions on their needs and expectations for the course, and our online teaching assistants deliver.

What Our Online Teaching Assistants Do: Duties, Roles, & Responsibilities

  1. Our online teaching assistants will complete any inter-rater reliability activities that are prescribed by your faculty. This ensures that that the TAs grade to the faculty’s standards and expectations.
  2. Our online teaching assistants are able to grade assignments per a detailed rubric and faculty direction. Our TAs grade materials with substantial feedback and return them within 72 hours of the due date. This means no more waiting for grades and no rushed grading for your faculty or missed deadlines for online submissions of graded assignments.
  3. Our online teaching assistants may monitor and participate in asynchronous discussion threads per the discretion and direction of your faculty. They will facilitate conversations, answer questions, and help the students discuss deeper into the subject matter. For many online courses that are largely writing and discussion-based, our online teaching assistants are invaluable! Our TAs save your faculty time while helping students understand the material.
  4. Our online teaching assistants will answer and respond to all inquiries, emails, messages, and calls within 24 hours, seven days a week! Even if their answer is to simply let the student know that they will have to perform their own research or consult with the faculty. No correspondence will be left unanswered for more than 24 hours, even on weekends.
  5. Our online teaching assistants actively participate in weekly faculty and online teaching assistant conference calls. That way, they may review the faculty’s expectations, grading, rubrics, failing or at-risk students. This also allows for discussing any issues in the class, scheduling, or upcoming needs and assignments.
  6. Finally, our online teaching assistants maintain compliance with all university policies and regulations, including FERPA.

Our Online TAs Are Tremendous Resources to Students in Their Related Field…

Under the leadership and direction of your faculty, our online teaching assistants may assist with grading, management of discussion threads, approved announcements, and day-to-day tasks. Additional responsibilities may include course issues related to distance learning, as well.

Plus, each of our online teaching assistants is a highly qualified, experienced professional in the appropriate academic discipline. Each and every one has earned at least a Master’s degree. Each teaching assistant also, has 14 years of industry experience in their field of instruction.

This means our online teaching assistants possess the academic credentials and the experience to become an immediate asset to your faculty and students.

Instructional Connections has been evaluated by regional accreditors during partner University site visits and is consistently found to be both innovative and effective for distance learning and student success!
Contact Instructional Connections for More Information on Our Online Teaching Assistants Today!
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Instructional Connections: History & Partners

Instructional Connections online course notes

Instructional Connections began in 2010 with the sole goal of facilitating better instructional support services for online courses of Universities and Colleges through our online teaching assistants or academic coaches.

No other North American company works how Instructional Connections does – even before Covid-19 and the shift to online education and distance learning. While many online support companies are solutions looking for a problem, we build our services around the missions of Colleges and Universities and provide support exactly where it is needed.

Our online teaching assistants and services are flexible enough to match each College and University we work with. Our partner Colleges and Universities are often asking for additional ways we can support them and expand our services! This means we aren’t a cookie-cutter option, but we see a need or gap and curate a specific and custom solution for each of our partners’ situations.

[H2] Our Partner Universities & Colleges

  • Arkansas State University – Jonesboro
  • Austin Peay State University
  • Boise State University
  • Bowling Green State University
  • Central Michigan University
  • Columbus State University
  • Eastern Washington University
  • Emporia State University
  • Florida A&M University
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Florida International University
  • Lamar University
  • Louisiana State University – Alexandria
  • Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge
  • Louisiana State University – Shreveport
  • Montclair State University
  • Nevada State College
  • Northern Kentucky University
  • Northwest Missouri State University
  • Ohio University
  • Pacific Oaks College
  • Pittsburg State University
  • Purdue University – Northwest
  • Simmons University
  • Southeastern Oklahoma State University
  • Southern Oregon University
  • Southern Utah University
  • Texas A&M International University
  • Texas Wesleyan University
  • University of Alabama – Huntsville
  • University of Arkansas System – eVersity
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Houston – Victoria
  • University of Louisiana – Lafayette
  • University of Maine System
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of North Carolina – Pembroke
  • University of North Carolina – Wilmington
  • University of North Florida
  • University of North Texas
  • University of Northern Colorado
  • University of Rhode Island
  • University of Southern Indiana
  • University of Vermont
  • University of West Florida
  • University of Texas – Arlington
  • University of Texas – El Paso
  • University of Texas – Permian Basin
  • University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley
  • University of Texas – Tyler
  • University of Wyoming
  • Youngstown State University

[H2] How Our Online Teaching Assistant Model Works

1. We Understand Your Needs

Our first step is always the same – to understand what each College or University needs relative to their online instructional support and programs. We strive to understand the missions that each school desires through in-depth meetings and close communication.

2. We Recruit Impressive Online Teaching Assistants

We recruit, screen, pre-qualify, and present online teaching assistant candidates that have been vetted and have extensive experience in the desired field, depending on the specific program and course. All of our online teaching assistants have a minimum of a Master’s or greater in their field.

3. We Train & Assign Your Online TAs

We assign university approved online teaching assistants and other support staff to your courses and programs. This is based on University, College, or even course-specific needs for your distance learning service needs.

We understand the hurdles and benefits of online programs and distance learning, which is why we work hard to help you manage your distance learning courses for optimal student success by training all candidates on learning management systems used by your University. This ensures they are oriented for courses and your specific distance learning programs.

4. We Organize Your Online Teaching Assistants

We independently contract, manage, and pay the online teaching assistants supporting your courses. We handle all organizations of staffing provided to fulfill the service needs on behalf of university partners. This eliminates universities from adding additional human resources and payroll overhead.

5. We Provide Accountability & Support Throughout the Year

To ensure accountability, we have supportive leadership staff who work directly with your University’s administration and faculty. This ensures that the faculty member’s expectations, rubric, and goals are fully met.

In addition, we provide continual support to each distance learning course where our online teaching assistants are requested and used. From start to finish – we are there throughout the semester for our university partners.

We strive to meet expectations through our services and our online teaching assistants. Contact Instructional Connections for More Information on Our Online Teaching Assistants!

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P.O. Box 223696,
Dallas, Texas 75222-3696

Phone: +1 888-221-2418
Fax: +1 877-663-3439
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