Online TA’s: How Are They Different in Online Schools
October 22, 2010 by michaelm
Filed under Online College, Online Education
Four Ways that Online TA’s Differ From Those at a Traditional College:
1. Online teaching assistants must communicate with their students much differently that traditional TA’s. Because online students do not see their TA’s in person and cannot communicate face to face, TA’s are forced to communicate through discussion boards, videos, and e-mail. While this type of communication is more effective for some students, it can be difficult for some students to adapt to. Therefore, online teaching assistants are constantly searching for the most effective ways to communicate with their students.
2. Online TA’s may have more students than their traditional counterparts. Because online classes can be much larger than regular classes, a TA may have more students. This means that students will need to make an additional effort to teach out to their TA if they are struggling with a subject.
3. Online TA’s may have a lot more work that regular TA’s. While a TA at a traditional college may be able to answer a student’s question face to face in less than a minute, an online TA will need to take the time to write an e-mail or other response. Online teaching as a whole is a lot more work than traditional teaching. Therefore, students should again be encouraged to reach other to their TA if they have a question or concern.
4. Online TA’s really do appreciate student feedback. Because online TA’s do not see their students in person, it may be difficult to gauge their reaction to their teaching methods. Letting a TA know what works and what may need improvement is a great way to not only help yourself, but your TA as well.
