Is a few hours training enough to teach university students?

By Spencer Graham. When it comes to face-to-face time in the classroom, the vast majority of undergraduates have much more interaction with their teaching assistants (TAs) than they do with their professors. The role of the TA varies for each course: While some TAs only mark essays and tests, many TAs take active roles in leading tutorials or laboratory sessions. And although the amount of face-to-face time with instructors is important, undergraduate students also highly value the relationships they build with their teaching assistants (as mentor, helper, and role model). More...