MSUM is seeking more faculty participation in the Learning Assistant (LA) Program
Faculty Information | Learning Assistant Request Form
The MSUM Learning Assistant Program encourages all academic departments to hire Learning Assistants (LAs) for their courses. LAs are students who have taken a course before and attend class again as peer-instructors to help current students succeed. LAs do not teach courses, but they can assist instructors with preparation and grading. The LA model has been implemented at over 1000 campuses worldwide and has been shown to have a positive impact on both student learning and the LAs themselves, improve graduation and retention rates, and decrease DFW rates.
“If you’re a professor unsure of how LAs can help in your course, think about what you could do during class with an extra you. Working with LAs allows me to do more kinds of activities with a class, get to know the students better, and provide students with additional support.”
– Dr. Sara Anderson, Associate Professor, Biosciences
The LA Model is incredibly advantageous for students, especially in larger sized classrooms and courses with more challenging content.
“It benefits both students and Learning Assistants, as LAs not only better comprehend the content but often make connections between the content of various courses while assisting students.”
– Dr. Adam Stocker, Associate Professor, Biosciences
“I am grateful to have Learning Assistants in my classroom. They help me connect with my students and can address individual learning needs in a way that I alone cannot. Because Learning Assistants are student peers, students often feel comfortable reaching out to the LAs for help before reaching out to me.”
– Dr. Sumali Pandey, Associate Professor, Biosciences
All new LAs are required to take the Learning Assistant Training Seminar (BIOL 389 or XXX equivalent), which teaches them about evidence-based pedagogical practices such as metacognition, learning styles, and equitable treatment of fellow students. To give the seminar more visibility, departments interested in hiring LAs for their courses should cross list XXX 389 with their own departmental code for Fall 2024. This fall, the seminar is offered Fridays 1:00-1:50 p.m. in Hagen 404 and will be cotaught by Sara Anderson and Adam Stocker.
Faculty interested in recruiting LAs should fill out the LA request form in addition to personally reaching out to students who may make good LA candidates. Faculty wishing to use LAs for the fall should conduct an interview with prospective LAs by the end of the spring semester.
Please consider getting your department involved in the LA Program! Learn more at Learning Assistant Program Information for Faculty (mnstate.edu). If you have questions, contact the Learning Assistant Program Coordinator, Jon Bell-Clement, at jonathan.bell-clement@mnstate.edu.