Implementing an undergraduate Learning Assistant program tailored for remote instruction

Abstract

The inclusion of undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) on the teaching team of a course is a high-impact practice that benefits the teaching team, students, and LAs themselves. LAs are undergraduate students who have taken the course previously and support student learning through facilitated discussion and problem-solving. Unfortunately, in the quick pivot to emergency remote instruction, and lacking an online model for LA programs, some instructors temporarily discontinued or scaled down their LA programs. This report describes the recruitment, training, and roles of LAs who were engaged to support a high-enrollment, interactive lecture course delivered by emergency remote instruction. This case study can serve as a model to inform the implementation of a robust online Learning Assistant program.