Learning Assistants are a huge help in my First-Year Engineering Lab classes. Engineering is such a broad field, and LAs always are able to speak to what they are currently working on in their discipline and skill set. They really help students grasp the realities of college in a way that I cannot. LAs understand the context of being an undergraduate student because they are students themselves.
LAs are essential for any type of group work that happens in my classes. They are great at distilling the main points of the project and helping to break things down. My classes emphasize a lot of collaboration, so LAs are encouraged to share any ideas or feedback they may have and that can really help a group that is stuck and looking for some helpful feedback. LAs are also great at reporting back things that are going on in the classroom that might be hard for me to see or understand without their perspective. LAs are great at picking up on what needs to be explained better or reviewed.
I joined the LA program because I’m working on making the classes I teach more active learning environments and LAs are taught about those principles and know how to foster an environment that promotes active learning. I also teach a lot of first-year students who are really looking for the perspective of a more advanced undergraduate and LAs provide that for them. The LAs, and the program in general, continues to impress me and help me achieve my classroom goals. I get to work on and troubleshoot ideas during our CAT LA meetings and it always helps to hear what others are doing. I’m also continually impressed with how willing and able LAs are at engaging students with where they are.