TA duties in Fall

[UndergradDad]

Has anyone who has accepted an offer found out yet what they will be doing in the Fall as a TA if it goes virtual? Probably early to ask that question but wanted to throw it out there in case anyone has any info.

[SmugSnugInARug]

At Duquesne the TAs largely sit in on the virtual classes, hold office hours via zoom (either by appointment or by a set time), occasionally cover a class, and do the grading. Fortunately it’s been relatively straightforward.

[UndergradDad]

Good to hear-was concerned they might think TAs were more dispensable if everything is online. Thanks!

[TheFormOfTheGood]

On 4/16/2020 at 12:53 PM, UndergradDad said:

Good to hear-was concerned they might think TAs were more dispensable if everything is online. Thanks!

Actually you may be more important than ever. If you have large class sizes and multiple discussion sections then you are much more likely to see students online through Zoom or BBCollab or whatever program your school uses. This is because the small sections are easier to manage in these high enrollment classes through the online programs, which can be glitchy and chaotic.

Additionally, it will be much harder for professors to keep an eye on all the student class contributions. So you may need to pay even closer attention to students because it is easier for them to fall through the cracks online without ever being noticed. Also, many professors have adjusted by increasing the number of online prompts. Most, if not all, of which the TA will need to read and grade.

[UndergradDad]

That makes sense-thanks.