March 20-23, 2023, Texas Digital Learning Association‘s Annual Conference (in person) in Galveston, TX.
Instructional Connections is a sponsor of this conference. Additionally, we are presenters.
An Academic Coach’s primary purpose is to provide instructional support to a faculty member in their online courses, thus adding another layer of support for students. While the Academic Coach is not an academic advisor, tutor, or personal mentor; they may perform a variety of tasks approved by the faculty of record for their assigned course.
Though this blog will break down some effective ways to deploy our virtual teaching assistants to assist in managing student demands within an online course. However, it’s important to note that each faculty member will assign tasks based on their needs.
Read on to learn more about a teaching assistant’s role in a college course and how professors can effectively incorporate them into their classroom!
Knowing the place and responsibility of all class participants is essential. The professor is in charge and has the final say of what happens within the course, and they must maintain a presence within the online course. But where does the teaching assistant come into play?
Virtual teaching assistants are there to assist the professor with their students, not replace them entirely or allow for the professor to go on vacation. Professors are the ones who should be in charge of all the learning outcomes, curriculum, and policy decisions; while their TAs may assist with facilitation and grading as assigned.
The professor will drive all activities assigned to their virtual teaching assistants. This is reviewed in a pre-course conference call with all TAs before the course starts. Additionally, periodic conference calls should continue to take place throughout the duration of the course to make sure the professor and TAs are aligned and consistent with expectations.
Apart from establishing the teaching assistant’s role in your system, it’s important to make sure to have defined perimeters and routine communications.
It is vital that the online course is ready for implementing virtual teaching assistants. This would include making sure that each assignment has robust rubrics. This is important for the student to understand the expectations and allow to allow the TA to grade an assignment in a consistent manner that aligns with the faculty’s expectations. It would also be suggested that inter-rater reliability activities be performed to ensure the grading standards are met.
Academic Coaches should always acknowledge any student inquiries in a timely manner, even if the TA is not able to provide an answer. The TA may need to ask follow-up questions to gather information to present to the faculty for a decision or follow-up. The TA should be a liaison between the students and the faculty. The faculty may provide standard approved answers to common questions that may be expected from the students. Some questions may be outside of the scope of the TA and require the student to be directed to another department such as Technical Support or the Registrar.
We are proud to be the only company in America that provides this kind of high-quality virtual instructional support to universities. Our academic coaches currently help over 50 online college programs and 50,000 students in need — all at the instruction and supervision of your professors.
If enrollment demands are extending your professors and they need assistance with the scaling of your online programs and courses, contact the Instructional Connections team today!
According to data from UNESCO, more than 1.2 billion students globally had stopped having face-to-face classes by mid-May 2020. When the majority of students worldwide switched from face-to-face to remote schooling, the faculty’s workload increased. Syllabi had to be replanned because the learning methods were changing to meet online realities and needs.
But virtual teaching has been around for quite some time and requires a special skill set. This article will discuss what makes a good Academic Coach.
Whether you’re an online or offline teaching assistant, the role requires you to possess certain skills and characteristics.
Compassion is crucial feedback that affects the overall learning progress of a student. Therefore, it’s an important skill for an Academic Coach to have. Understanding the students’ struggles and the faculty’s needs is essential for successful collaboration.
Academic Coaches must be able to adjust to changes. Sometimes during online requirements, students will face various challenges beyond their control, like technical issues or additional questions. Academic Coaches must adapt to the student’s and faculty’s needs efficiently. That’s why flexibility is the second most important skill for Academic Coaches.
Academic Coaches are there for support during online courses. The successful collaboration between the faculty and the Academic Coach depends on good organization, effective time management, and planning. Therefore, the third imperative for this role is proper time management and overall organization.
Academic Coaches are the bridge between students and professors. Keeping a steady and efficient communication flow is vital for achieving the best results. It’s also essential to actively listen and connect with the students and faculty members.
We’ve gone over some skills that make an excellent Academic Coach. Now let’s go over the best ways to master the role!
All Academic Coaches must have a good level of subject knowledge. Academic Coaches aren’t only there to provide instructional support to students but to help them with any issues that may follow. Also, as Academic Coaches aren’t only communicating with students and professors, it’s crucial to learn more about professors’ teaching ideologies, habits, and the communication methods they use.
Some people have it naturally, while others have to work on it – either way, it’s paramount. The role of the Academic Coach makes even the calmest person work on their patience. You must anticipate various difficulties, problems, and last-minute changes. But, in all cases, you must respond professionally.
Our team at Instructional Connections is dedicated to improving online teaching by assisting faculty and universities. Our services help educational institutions face the challenges and demands of online degrees and courses. We are known for our high-quality instructional support services for both colleges and universities.
If you are interested in becoming an Academic Coach with Instructional Connections, please apply HERE.
If your institution is interested to learn more about implementing our Academic Coaches for the online course offerings at your university or college, please contact us.
It’s quickly becoming clear that online learning courses are not just a popular fad, they are here to stay. Virtual teaching assistants have become an integral part of the educational process for Instructional Connection’s partner universities to meet the demand for these courses and ensure the best outcome for students.
While the specific responsibilities of your assistants vary depending on the institution and department, they all share a common goal: to help the faculty of record succeed in their teaching goals.
In this article, we’ll explore how virtual teaching assistants contribute and work with your curriculum and how they help the faculty of record succeed.
Virtual teaching assistants, also known as academic coaches, are experienced and highly qualified practitioners in their field of study. They have earned at least a graduate degree or higher from an accredited university. In some cases, they may also have years of experience working as a professor or teaching assistant at the collegiate level.
These individuals generally possess strong instructional, leadership, and educational backgrounds that contribute greatly to the overall student learning experience.
With the rise of distance learning, many teaching assistants can now work remotely at colleges that offer online learning programs. This setup enables many professors to get the support they need without being physically present in the same location.
The specific duties of your virtual teaching assistant will vary depending on the institution and department they are working within. However, there are some common responsibilities that our teaching assistants typically have.
A main responsibility of our virtual teaching assistants is to monitor student progress. This includes tracking attendance, grades, and participation in class discussions.
Virtual teaching assistants enable faculty of record to focus on delivering their course curriculums and outcomes. Teaching assistants also allow many institutions to scale their courses to meet student enrollment demands.
Virtual teaching assistants generally focus on enhancing student retention and success, but they also have other specific responsibilities.
Virtual teaching assistants can also serve as a point of primary interaction with their respective professors. Depending on the number of students and virtual teaching assistants in a course, one may be asked to be the coordinator.
This coordinating teaching assistant may take on special responsibilities such as:
These coordinating teaching assistants may serve as “working managers” who directly interact with academic leadership and faculty members.
As technology advances, more and more teaching assistants take on virtual assistant roles to support faculty members and their curricula. These individuals provide support to professors and students alike.
Their benefits are numerous, but perhaps the most important is that they enable faculty members to focus only on delivering their curriculum. This allows students to receive a high-quality education regardless of their location.
Instructional Connections assists academic institutions to improve their online education courses by providing competent virtual assistants for numerous degree fields. If you’re interested in learning more about our virtual teaching assistants, we encourage you to contact us. Our team of experts is standing by and ready to answer any questions you may have!
Tracia Forman and Jessica Sanchez, UTRGV
Presentation given at the Texas Digital Learning Annual Association Conference 2022, Galveston, TX
Increased online enrollment has results in the use of supplementary instructional support to enhance effective course delivery. Use of an instructional team approach plays an invaluable role in student success.
UTRGV-TxDLA-Presentation-3.23.22[78]
Academic Coaches and Student Success in Higher Education.
Published in the Journal for Distance Education. May 31, 2023.
(2023) Academic Coaches and Student Success in Higher Education, American Journal of Distance Education, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2023.2210491
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08923647.2023.2210491
Our Academic Coaching Model adds a human touch to your distance learning environment, encouraging students to learn and persist with the demands of online and distance coursework. Students view their Virtual Teaching Assistants as a peer and respect the fact that their Coach has experience in the same field they desire to join.
The first thing our virtual teaching assistant model always includes is learning about our university partners’ needs. We understand that what each college or university needs is relative to their specific instructional support level, courses, and goals. We strive to understand all missions that each school desires through initial in-depth meetings, and we continue that communication throughout our relationship.
Each faculty member of record that teaches an online course provides clear expectations to their approved and assigned Virtual TA. Every area of support from a Teaching Assistant can be decided by the faculty and may vary from course to course depending on the faculty’s expectations.
This level of flexibility allows faculty to be in complete control of online program management. Many faculty members love the support they receive from their Virtual Teaching Assistants, and most faculty continually think of new and better methods to help educate students in distance learning programs.
We recruit, screen, pre-qualify and present Academic Coach candidates to our university partners. Rest assured that each potential candidate has been vetted and is available in our pool for approval by university partners.
Each institution identifies the academic credentials or experience required for its program and courses. Based on this information, Instructional Connections employs a variety of recruitment strategies, reviewing each applicant thoroughly for a match to the qualifications for each program. We then invite every Virtual TA potential match applicant to participate in our pre-employment screening process.
During our pre-employment screening process, the Academic Coach applicant commits to a 4-6 hour online pre-employment screening session. This covers topics like the roles and expectations of a virtual teaching assistant, basic principles, and best practices of effective distance learning, and working with a variety of Learning Management Systems.
After our advanced screening process, we perform a standard criminal background check on all potential candidates. Once a candidate successfully passes these steps, they are contracted and added to our pool of Virtual TAs ready and available for an assignment at one of our partner universities.
Next, we work with programs and faculty to assign approved Virtual Teaching Assistant, or Academic Coaches to your courses and programs. We understand and listen to university, college, and even course-specific needs for distance learning. We understand the hurdles and benefits of online programs and distance learning.
Your Virtual TA is meant to aid the faculty member of record, or professor, that is teaching the online course. A Virtual Teaching Assistant can grade assignments, monitor and facilitate discussion boards, reply to emails, post announcements, and assist in additional day-to-day needs.
This gives your faculty the time to focus on student success, engagement, and course delivery. Plus, our Virtual TAs are flexible – your faculty member simply needs to provide them with instructions on their needs and expectations for the course, and our Teaching Assistants will deliver.
After the approval of a candidate and the assignment to a course, your Virtual TA will then need to meet with the faculty of record for the course prior to the course going live and throughout the course cycle in order to maintain communication and understand expectations. We independently contract, manage, and pay our Virtual TAs, handling all organization of staff matters. This eliminates the need for universities to add additional human resources and payroll overhead or hassles.
Additionally, Instructional Connections provides continual support to each distance learning course where our Virtual TAs are requested and used. We are there throughout the course term for our university partners – from start to finish.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
P.O. Box 223696,
Dallas, Texas 75222-3696