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Tips and resources for assisting instructors, helping students, and conducting research this semester.

For Teaching and Research Assistants

Assisting Instructors

Many instructors have commented that TAs have been crucial to helping their class’s COVID-19 transition. Here are some things you can discuss with your instructor as you prepare to be a TA this semester:

Instruction mode
Become familiar with your class’s instruction mode. Ask your instructor about your duties as a TA, given these instruction delivery changes.

Technology
Understand how your instructor wants to use technology in the classroom. Get to know the teaching platforms and software
you’ll be using. Consider rehearsing parts of a class period with your instructor so that you both know what to expect using the technology for
your course. Your instructor can give you specific tasks to help with class.

Here are some things TAs have done in the past that instructors found useful in the transition to online learning:

  • Monitor Zoom’s in-meeting chat and alert your instructor about any unanswered student questions.
  • Keep an eye on Zoom’s manage participants feature and look for raised hands or other reactions.
  • Set up breakout rooms and polls beforehand, so they’re ready for spontaneous class activities.
  • Help foster social distancing practices. If your class has an in-person component, help your instructor clarify expectations and remind students about social distancing guidelines.
  • Help organize class materials on Learning Suite or Canvas so that they are easy to access and use.

Make a COVID-19 plan
Plan with your instructor for the chance that you, the instructor, or a student becomes ill with the virus. Be sure to plan for the possibility that the sick person may be too ill to work or study remotely.

Helping Students

More students will need TA guidance this semester as they navigate class changes and social distancing. Showing care for students and their learning will be a major focus of the university during this transition. Here are some ideas for how you can help:

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Explain how the course will proceed

Explain how the course will proceed given its instruction mode. Help students understand expectations for engagement and attendance. If your class has an in-person component, remind students frequently about social distancing and mask guidelines, especially as they apply to your unique classroom situation.
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Clarify expectations

Clarify expectations for those who experience symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. Communicate frequently with sick students and remind them to follow the CDC guidelines if they experience symptoms. Encourage students to self-report to BYU if they are tested for COVID-19.
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Be flexible with students, but set boundaries

Be flexible with students, but set boundaries.
It may be helpful to announce that you will answer emails at a particular time each day. You can also create a Google doc for frequently asked questions or set office hours at several different times to better accommodate all of your students’ schedules.

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Contact students regularly

Reach out regularly through email or Learning Suite. Send out links to Zoom sessions prior to class. Also consider sending out a weekly email with assigned readings and the course schedule attached. Providing these resources will help those who have limited internet access. You can even create a class wiki to decrease all of those redundant emails.

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Let students know what kind of technology they need

May 26, 2021 01:42 PM
Help students with technology by letting students know what kind of technology they’ll need to use for class. Be aware of differences in access to technology and be prepared with alternative access solutions. Consider sending out a survey at the beginning of class to get a sense of your students’ access to technology. Check out UCLA’s sample survey for ideas.

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Get feedback from students

Open communication between you and your students will be essential this semester. You can help your instructor gather information from students, whether this means sending out surveys or merely asking questions during class time about how the course is going. Check out one of the first studies on student feedback during the initial switch to online learning.
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Hold virtual TA review sessions and office hours

Virtual time with a TA is more important now than ever because students will spend less time in study groups and in-person classes. Depending on the class and your schedule, consider holding more review sessions than you would in a typical semester. You can also organize virtual spaces where students can meet to study together, such as Zoom breakout rooms or chat together on Discord.