Learning Assistant Program Information

The Learning Assistant program gives successful students opportunities to be independent, pro-active professionals who work with both experts (course instructors) and novices (enrolled students). LA’s serve as learning coaches and mentors for students, while fulfilling responsibilities as instructional assistants for instructors. LA’s work closely with course instructors to provide challenging and meaningful learning experiences for enrolled students.

Who to contact regarding specific questions:
Your Scheduled Assignment (# hours, designation of credit for compensation)	Sharon Lazarow
Registration for IST/SRA/DS/CYAOP  296 Independent Study	Advising Office
Your LA work and/or IST/SRA/DS/CYAOP  296	Instructor for whom you work as an LA

Expectations for IST/SRA/DS/CYAOP 296 Course Credit

• Attend all classes and/or meetings designated by the instructor.
• Prepare each week for your work as an LA, so that you can be a good class resource to both the instructor and students.
• Set up a good communication plan with your instructor (and other members of your teaching team).
• Take additional initiative to help, beyond what you are asked to do.
• Make sure you are added to course management systems (e.g., Canvas) with rights that give you access to what you need.

Evaluation

You will be given a grade at the end of the semester based on your attendance in class and/or meetings, your professionalism, the quality of your work, your performance engaging with students, and other tasks outlined in your LA-instructor work. In addition to the grade, you should receive mid-semester feedback and an end-of-semester evaluation to help provide specific feedback to you on your performance.

1. Attendance Policy

Attending class is MANDATORY, unless otherwise specified by your instructor.
Attending meetings set up with your instructor is MANDATORY.
If you know you will be absent from class and/or meetings, you must notify, by email, your professor and all other class LA’s in advance.

2. Professionalism: Taking Initiative to Help Improve Learning in the Course

You are expected to demonstrate professional behavior such as being on time, treating people courteously, and taking initiative. LA’s who take initiative lend a helping hand where they see the need. This may include, but is not limited to, providing feedback to the instructor on course assignments, holding review sessions, setting up an electronic medium for course discussions, sending out class review/recap materials, collecting data on whether students are understanding concepts as they are taught, etc. Although you will determine with the course instructor at the beginning of the semester what is expected, the LA Program strives to hire students who are willing to go the extra mile. As the semester unfolds, look for additional ways to improve the student experience or more efficient ways to assist the instructor.

3. Quality of Work

You are expected to perform your regular duties with an excellent quality of work. This means seeing tasks through to completion, paying attention to detail, organizing information in a way that is easy for people to understand, providing thoughtful and insightful responses, etc.

4. Effective Coaching with Students

Being a good coach means that when you interact with students, you ask them questions to reveal their thinking, diagnose their problems and misunderstandings with them, and provide them with good and useful feedback that will help them with their learning. A good coach focuses on helping students do the learning. (Note: Think of a soccer coach who is teaching players. The team members have to play the game—the coach can’t do that for them.) You are expected to engage with many students. This means you need to be present to students—looking for questions, carefully listening to groups as they work (in the classroom or in online group meeting spaces), and/or monitor work in other ways, depending on the activity.

Grading Rubric for IST/SRA/DS/CYAOP 296

The first part of your grade will be based on the grading rubric below.

Points per cell	Professionalism & Initiative	Quality of Work	Effective Engagement with Students
3	LA demonstrated professional behavior, and consistently demonstrated timeliness, courteousness, and initiative on course-related tasks.	LA performed all work of exceptional quality and effort. Tasks were consistently completed with attention to detail, and contributions were thoughtful and insightful.	LA was constantly engaged with students, listening intently, checking in with groups, responding to questions. LA knew when to intervene with troubled teams or individuals and knew how to coach students who were stuck.
2	LA was usually prepared for class, and usually demonstrated timeliness, courteousness, and initiative on course-related tasks.	LA completed most tasks at a high level of quality. Tasks were often completed with attention to detail, and contributions were thoughtful.	LA engaged with students and often did a good job coaching students, but there were a few inconsistencies.
1	LA lacked preparation for the course, and showed only minimal evidence of professional behaviors such as timeliness, courteousness, and initiative.	LA completed a few tasks at a high level of quality. Tasks were sometimes completed with attention to detail and sometimes completed thoughtfully.	LA sometimes engaged with students and only sometimes coached students well.
0	LA did not conduct him/herself in a professional manner.	LA provided a very poor quality of work.	LA didn’t engage with students and/or didn’t coach students effectively.

Your total score is converted to your “base grade” with the following scale:

9 Points	8 Points	7 Points	6 Points	5 Points	4 Points	3 Points	2 Points	1 Points	0 Points
A	A –	B +	B	B –	C +	C	C –	D	F

To your base grade, the instructor will add an attendance factor:

• Two excused absences (approved by the instructor) are acceptable and will not affect your grade.
• For every absence after the second, your grade for IST/SRA/DS/CYAOP 296 will automatically drop by one +/- grade, unless your instructor determines otherwise.
  • For example, if you earn an A for your base grade, the following would apply for your adjusted grade
    • 3 total absences = A-
    • 4 total absences = B+
    • 5 total absences = B
    • 6 total absences = B-
    • etc.