ERIC Number: EJ1428720
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1931-4744
Available Date: N/A
Building a Grassroots Learning Assistant Program
Katie V. Johnson; Lindsay A. Singh; Laura J. Frost
International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, v18 n1 Article 6 2024
Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduates who work in active-learning classrooms with students facilitating discussions and encouraging deeper thinking, while also receiving pedagogical training. We describe how we built an LA program at a regional comprehensive university starting as a grassroots STEM initiative to recruit teachers, and expanding into a campus-wide multi-disciplinary program focusing on student success in a variety of general education courses. Additionally, in the 2020-2021 academic year, we conducted a formative assessment to further understand the program's impact. Our findings revealed strong alignment among students, faculty, and LAs regarding the LA's role in student learning. Qualitative themes from student surveys and faculty expectations resonated with LAs' weekly field note reflections. One surprising discovery was the consensus that LAs provided substantial support beyond the classroom. This suggests that LAs play a multifaceted role in enhancing student success, extending their influence beyond facilitating in-class discussions.
Descriptors: Teaching Assistants, Undergraduate Students, College Faculty, Academic Achievement, Student Personnel Services, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Program Effectiveness
Centers for Teaching & Technology at Georgia Southern University. IJ-SoTL, Georgia Southern University, Henderson Library 1301, Statesboro, GA 30460. e-mail: sotlij@georgiasouthern.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ij-sotl/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1540824
Author Affiliations: N/A

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