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Effective Use of Undergraduate Learning Assistants
Best Practices in Course Redesign
July 9, 2012
Dr. Megan E. Bradley,
Professor of Psychology @ Frostburg State University
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What is a ULA?
• Undergraduate-level student assistant• Learning not teaching• Answer questions
• All email
• Tutor• Some or all grading
• Need recruitment requirements• Need
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What is a ULA?
• Need recruitment requirements• Need training and continued monitoring• Need some sort of “payment”
• But can be done for free
• Need continued enticement so good ULAs will repeat experience
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Your turn
• What are the issues you see in using ULAs?
• What recruitment criteria do you think is important?
• How much training/monitoring is needed before and during?
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• Psyc150: General Psychology• Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland• Annual enrollment: About 900• Mostly traditional students and 1st year students
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ULA Recruitment
• Obtain list of Psychology majors with top GPAs• Submission of names to Department for feedback
and approval
• Contact students via email for initial interest• Individual or small group meetings• Done before registration
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ULA Responsibilities
• Assigned 2 small groups (N = 12) of Psyc150 students for all online work
• Grade Psyc150 student assignments based on rubrics
• Online discussions: Moderate & grade using rubric
• Answer student emails
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ULA Course
• Psyc394: Learning Mentor in Psychology• Purpose
• Field experience - Training• Review current research on peer learning &
leadership/mentorship• Experience as peer mentor
• Taught by Psyc150 instructor (adjunct)
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ULA Certificate Program
1. 6 crs: Pre-requisites
2. 3 cr: Psychology “Leadership” Courses
3. 3 cr: Psyc394 – Must earn a C
4. 6 cr: Electives: Step 2 or 3
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ULA internship & paid positions
• Can work as intern for our department• ULA + research assistant
• Become Supplemental Instructor • Trained by another office• Run 1-3 study sessions/week
• Become Tutor• Trained by tutoring office