ERIC Number: EJ1411076
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4898
Undergraduate Learning Assistants Foster Students' Resilience during Transition to Online Learning in a Large Microbiology Classroom
Kathleen Hefferon; Esther Angert
Journal of College Science Teaching, v52 n7 p56-63 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a series of emergency transitions to online learning for academic institutions around the world. Previous studies have shown that undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs) improve student engagement in classroom activities and learning outcomes. In this article, we describe the design and implementation of an LA program to support students in a large microbiology course during the transition to remote learning. We demonstrate that students were more likely to engage with LAs and participate in LA-led classroom activities. LAs promoted more help-seeking behavior from the students and, as a result, contributed to improvements in learning gains. Incorporating LAs into the classroom can thus foster students' resilience in the face of the current and possible future pandemics.
Descriptors: Teaching Assistants, Resilience (Psychology), Electronic Learning, Undergraduate Students, Microbiology, STEM Education, Learner Engagement, Program Implementation, Program Design, Relationship
National Science Teaching Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: https://www.nsta.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A