Guide To Undergraduate Instructional Assistants

Version 2024.1

Undergraduate instructional assistants are undergraduate students who serve as

Instructional Support Staff

Staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who support the teaching of courses by serving as teaching assistants, learning assistants, undergraduate instructional assistants, course or laboratory coordinators, and other roles. This term does not include instructional staff who serve as instructors of record for courses.

in classrooms, out-of-class study groups, help centers, and other instructional environments to support and coach individual students and groups of students. They may also be referred to as student assistants or undergraduate teaching assistants or, if incorporated into a formal program such as a

Learning Assistant Program

A program based on the University of Colorado Boulder Learning Assistant model in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy and encouraged to become K-12 teachers. Learning Assistant Alliance

,

Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL)

A nationally recognized model of teaching and learning in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained as “peer-leaders” to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy. PLTL originated in chemistry courses and has expanded to all STEM disciplines. Peer-Led Team Learning International Society

program, or

Supplemental Instruction

A non-remedial approach to learning that supports students toward academic success by integrating ‘what to learn’ with ‘how to learn.’ SI consists of regularly scheduled, voluntary, out-of-class group study sessions driven by students’ needs. Sessions are facilitated by trained peer leaders who utilize collaborative activities to ensure peer-to-peer interaction in small groups. SI is implemented in high-risk courses in consultation with academic staff and is supported and evaluated by a trained supervisor.” Definition from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction.

program, as learning assistants, PLTL leaders, or SI leaders. Undergraduate instructional assistants may or may not be physics majors. This section provides guidance on how physics departments and programs can effectively recruit and train undergraduate instructional assistants to support student learners both in class and out of class, to become partners and change agents for instructional reform, and to create a student-centered learning community. This section focuses on how physics departments can partner with undergraduate instructional assistants to support learning activities, rather than to grade or perform administrative tasks. Your particular institution might restrict what roles undergraduates can play. While this section focuses on undergraduate instructional assistants, many of the included practices are applicable to graduate teaching assistants. For more details on the variety of research-based instructional practices that undergraduate instructional assistants can support, see the section on Implementing Research-Based Instructional Practices. Often, programs for undergraduate instructional assistants are also used to support high school physics teacher preparation programs. For more details on designing these programs, see the section on High School Physics Teacher Preparation.

Benefits

Partnering with undergraduate instructional assistants is a low-cost, high-yield way to secure more instructional support for the classroom and improve student learning. Undergraduate instructional assistants can support student learning in your department by facilitating the use of research-based instructional practices and peer learning and by helping

Instructional Staff

Faculty, instructors, adjuncts, teaching staff, and others who serve as instructors of record for courses. This term does not include instructional support staff who support the teaching of courses.

acquire real-time feedback on student understanding. Having near peers as

Instructional Support Staff

Staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who support the teaching of courses by serving as teaching assistants, learning assistants, undergraduate instructional assistants, course or laboratory coordinators, and other roles. This term does not include instructional staff who serve as instructors of record for courses.

in the classroom benefits students, who are likely to connect more easily with peers and feel more comfortable asking questions that they might be hesitant to ask their instructor, or even a graduate student. Undergraduate instructional assistants can increase the diversity of instructional teams if attention is paid to diversity elements while recruiting. Studies have shown that engaging undergraduate instructional assistants can increase retention and decrease

DFW Rates

The percentage of students enrolled in a course who received a grade of D, F, or W (withdrew from the course). This is often used as an inverse measure of how well the course supports student success.

in introductory courses. Engaging undergraduate instructional assistants can also help your department to recruit physics majors, as well as to recruit and prepare high school physics teachers. Serving as undergraduate instructional assistants provides many benefits to students, including opportunities for leadership, experiential learning, professional development, personal growth, developing a physics identity, and improving their own knowledge and skills around physics and pedagogy.

The Cycle of Reflection and Action

Effective Practices

Effective Practices

  1. Strategically design how your department will integrate undergraduate instructional assistants into your curriculum

  2. Integrate instructional assistants into your courses

  3. Integrate instructional assistants into student support activities outside of class

  4. Promote and recruit undergraduate instructional assistants

  5. Train and support instructional assistants

Programmatic Assessments

Programmatic Assessments

National organizations that support the development of undergraduate instructional assistant programs:

  • Learning Assistant Alliance: A national organization that supports departments and institutions in developing

    Learning Assistant Program

    A program based on the University of Colorado Boulder Learning Assistant model in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy and encouraged to become K-12 teachers. Learning Assistant Alliance

    through an International LA Conference, regional LA workshops, virtual workshops, institutional workshops, site visits, and the LA Campus software for managing Learning Assistant programs.
  • Periscope: A free collection of video lessons for use in the training of undergraduate instructional assistants, as well as other

    Instructional Support Staff

    Staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who support the teaching of courses by serving as teaching assistants, learning assistants, undergraduate instructional assistants, course or laboratory coordinators, and other roles. This term does not include instructional staff who serve as instructors of record for courses.

    and

    Instructional Staff

    Faculty, instructors, adjuncts, teaching staff, and others who serve as instructors of record for courses. This term does not include instructional support staff who support the teaching of courses.

    , in which participants watch and discuss videos of physics classrooms that use effective practices, apply lessons learned to actual teaching situations, practice interpreting student behavior, and become more effective teachers. Periscope includes a collection of lessons aligned with the Learning Assistant Alliance’s exemplary Learning Assistant Pedagogy course.
  • Peer-Led Team Learning International Society: Resources for implementing

    Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL)

    A nationally recognized model of teaching and learning in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained as “peer-leaders” to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy. PLTL originated in chemistry courses and has expanded to all STEM disciplines. Peer-Led Team Learning International Society

    , including an international conference, a Short Guide to the Practice of Peer-Led Team Learning, and training resources for peer leaders.
  • International Center for Supplemental Instruction: Training and resources for implementing

    Supplemental Instruction

    A non-remedial approach to learning that supports students toward academic success by integrating ‘what to learn’ with ‘how to learn.’ SI consists of regularly scheduled, voluntary, out-of-class group study sessions driven by students’ needs. Sessions are facilitated by trained peer leaders who utilize collaborative activities to ensure peer-to-peer interaction in small groups. SI is implemented in high-risk courses in consultation with academic staff and is supported and evaluated by a trained supervisor.” Definition from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction.

    , including accreditation, leader training, program consultations, and materials for training undergraduate instructional assistants.

See Resources in the section on High School Physics Teacher Preparation for programs that include resources for pedagogy courses to future high school teachers, which could also be used in training for undergraduate instructional assistants.

See Resources and Evidence in the section on Implementing Research-Based Instructional Practices for resources for learning about research-based instructional practices that can be used in training activities designed for undergraduate instructional assistants.

See Resources and Evidence in the section on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for resources for learning about equity, diversity, and inclusion that can be used in training for undergraduate instructional assistants.

There is substantial evidence for the impact of

Learning Assistant Program

A program based on the University of Colorado Boulder Learning Assistant model in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy and encouraged to become K-12 teachers. Learning Assistant Alliance

[1],

Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL)

A nationally recognized model of teaching and learning in which undergraduate students are recruited and trained as “peer-leaders” to support other students in small group work in courses using research-based pedagogy. PLTL originated in chemistry courses and has expanded to all STEM disciplines. Peer-Led Team Learning International Society

[2],

Supplemental Instruction

A non-remedial approach to learning that supports students toward academic success by integrating ‘what to learn’ with ‘how to learn.’ SI consists of regularly scheduled, voluntary, out-of-class group study sessions driven by students’ needs. Sessions are facilitated by trained peer leaders who utilize collaborative activities to ensure peer-to-peer interaction in small groups. SI is implemented in high-risk courses in consultation with academic staff and is supported and evaluated by a trained supervisor.” Definition from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction.

[3], and help centers [4] on a variety of measures of student success.

  1. J. L. Alzen, L. S. Langdon, and V. K. Otero, “A logistic regression investigation of the relationship between the Learning Assistant model and failure rates in introductory STEM courses,” International Journal of STEM Education 5, 56 (2018).
  2. D. K. Gosser, Peer-led Team Learning: Origins, Research, and Practice, Linus Learning (2015).
  3. P. Dawson, J. van der Meer, J. Skalicky, and K. Cowley, “On the Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction: A Systematic Review of Supplemental Instruction and Peer-Assisted Study Sessions Literature Between 2001 and 2010,” Review of Educational Research 84(4), 609-639 (2014).
  4. D. Worsham, C. Hoffner, and S. Shaked, “Creating a STEM Collaborative Learning Center: A Case Study,” Journal of Learning Spaces 10(1), 43-50 (2021).
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1738311, 1747563, and 1821372. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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