In a traditional, brick and mortar setting, teaching assistants have been widely used to help a lead instructor with responsibilities such as grading, teaching, tutoring, preparing course materials, and providing feedback to students. While this instructional practice is common at large institutions and in courses that include lab sections, the practice is also utilized at small-to-medium sized institutions. As higher education experiences a “new normal” in both its student population and delivery modalities, the teaching assistant model may prove to be useful in online learning environments as well. In this session, we will examine how an online teaching assistant model helped a private university deliver its online courses more efficiently. The session will also present ways in which the model enabled lead instructors to focus on their roles as subject matter experts while leading and mentoring a team of teaching assistants. Session participants will also review the benefits of the teaching assistant model for faculty training and development purposes.
Dr. Robert Shields is the Director of Curriculum Development for the Division of Online and Professional Studies at California Baptist University. Robert also serves as an Associate Professor of Computer Information Technology. Dr. Shields earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fullerton in 2017.
Dr. Dirk Davis is the Associate Vice President for the division of Online and Professional Studies at California Baptist University, who provides innovative, market-driven, entrepreneurial-based leadership in the conservation and development of all academic offerings that serve non-traditional students in onsite, offsite, and online venues. While he assists in the development and implementation of a multi-year strategic plan to drive enrollment growth, he directly oversees the development and implementation of standards for online courses and services, including course components, formats, and technical support.
Elisa Shepard, Ph.D. is the Director of Academic Administration for the Division of Online and Professional Studies at California Baptist University. Elisa also serves as the Director of Clinical Training and an Associate Professor in the MS Counseling Psychology program. Elisa holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, and a B.A. in Psychology from Biola University.