8
Friday. October 24.1975
University Daily Kansan
TAs. AIs aid despite drawbacks
Virtually every undergraduate student at the University of Kansas has been taught by a teaching assistant (TA) or an assistant instructor (AI) at some time in his college career. But how profitable they considered that experience remains a controversial
Tas and Als differ from full-time faculty members in that they are normally master's or doctoral candidates, June 2015. Ms. Cook is counselor for academic affairs, said recently.
An AF has his own class, usually an introductory course, which he conducts and for which he signs grade sheets, she said. A TA doesn't have a class under his own courses or tests, he does, she says, he is an assistant to the primary teacher of a class.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences uses the most TAS and ALs of any school in
Mary Huddleston Staff Writer
the University, Michal said, because of the large number of freshmen taking in the university courses in freshman year.
Phil McKnight, director of the Office of Instructional Resources, said that it would be physically impossible to have senior faculty members teach every course offered at KU, even though it would be desirable.
In introductory courses, he said, there is a 'hierarchy of knowledge'. The basic terms and concepts can be taught as well by a graduate student as by a professor, without the value of the graduate student's knowledge being diminished, he said.
Each level of teaching experience has its own contribution to make to students, but it's also important to close in age to students can sometimes empathize better with them, he said, but a senior faculty member may have a better understanding of the complexities and issues in his field.
Inadequate training and teaching backgrounds, the primary criticism is that students are not taught English and Arabic.
McKnight he thought inadequate training was a fair criticism of the TA-AI program. Although the University is trying to do more for students, it has not been a training program for them.
He said TAs and AIs should learn about evaluation techniques, audio-visual aids and learn how to adapt what they learned in seminars to their own classes. Being able to see themselves teach on videotape would be helpful, he said.
Robert Cobb, de of the college, said that many TAs and Als were quite experienced as teachers. Some of them have more than 50 years of Ph.D. membership. Ph.D. members of the faculty, he said.
The department of English has what director James Gowen, associate professor, calls an elaborate training program for its Als. Each of the department's 88 Als
teaches an average of two sections of freshman English, he said.
The program begins with a four- or five-day orientation program at the beginning of the semester, Gowen said, and includes class visitations by faculty members, videoatote reviews, a form of student response and weekly meetings.
Gwen said reports from TAs showed that the program was extremely helpful. All AIs, even those with prior teaching experience, are required to complete it. he said.
More than half of the 4A1s aired by the english department this year have had an international appearance.
Approximately half of the 45 AIs in the department of mathematics have had previous teaching experience, according to Russell Bradt, chairman of the department.
The University's base rate of pay for both TAs and AIs is $3,400 a semester, although the figure may vary between departments. Cobb said that KU's rate of pay was generally low in comparison to other universities.
Faculty members and TAs agreed that although the rate pay hadn't substantially hurt the quality of graduate applicants, it could do so in the future.
McKnight said that one way to improve the quality of TA and AI applicants was through stipepients. He said TAs and AIs either should receive higher salaries or should not have to pay tuition. Now they are coming to KU out of dedication and in response to the reputation of the graduate faculty, he said.
Thomas Russell, assistant instructor of English, said that the low rate of pay could hurt KU in the long run, but that it wasn't hurting now.
"The school that goes out of its way for
their children will get the best
qualified," be said.
in spite of low pay rates, competition for in instructionals in fairly keen in several decades.
in the department of Western Civilization, more than 100 applied for six positions this summer. Ms. Becker, director to James Seaver, director of the program. Donaldson attributed the large number of applicants partly to the fact that graduate programs in the region would apply to be AIs in Western Civilization.
"I'd hesitate to say we could get better people by naving more." Donaldson said.
of paying more," Donaldson said. The department of health had 64 applicants last month and 72 now, the department said. The department receives more and better applications now than ever before, he said.
The department of mathematics had 70 applicants for graduate school, Gradt said, and 10 AIs were hired. He said this figure was lower than in past years, following a general decrease of interest in mathematics and the physical sciences.
Tolfson said that in the School of Business, 32 AIs and TAs were hired from 45 to 50 applicants. The school isn't terribly crowded, but there are areas almost everyone who applies is hired.
McKnight cited the AI program in
"When I had AIs as teachers, it was early in college. I felt I should have had professors, but when I got professors I realized the AIs I had were competent."
Bradt said that TAs and Als in mathematics came to KU because of a particular faculty member or because of a reputation and its midwestern location.
"We don't buy any of them away from anvulace else," he said.
John Tollefson, associate dean of the School of Business, said that graduate students in business were typically attracted to KU by the opportunity to do graduate study here, not by the offer of a teaching position.
"The rate of pay makes it hard to attract some students who would be pretty well educated."
Andrew Lazi, assistant instructor in the School of Business, said he came to KU because of a particular professor he wanted to work under. He said he thought the reason most students came to KU was because of the faculty or the location.
Pay could definitely hurt the quality of KU's TA-AI program, Lazi said. He said he knew of students who were now pursuing a degree in computer science elsewhere because the pay was higher.
Western Civilization as being of high importance to the committee to interview applicants.
"I was impressed with the applicants," he said. "I be pleased as a student to have seen them."
Donaldson said the good reputation of AIs in Donaldson civilization was due to the fact that the department had so many qualified applicants to choose from. The hiring committee spends a great deal of time in interviewing and screening applicants, he said.
"In Western Civilization we don't see it as the instructor's job to give his views," Donaldson said. "The instructor should give the student the opportunity to come to his own views, which can be achieved through a good discussion."
don't sound like native Kanaas speakers.
A foreign TEA in matte, who asked not to be identified said she had spent two years teaching at a master's degree before coming to KU.
Brad said he didn't consider the hiring standard or the department of mathematics necessarily necessary.
The department hires foreign students, he said, but most of them have been in the US.
None of the foreign Als are in comprehensible, he said, although they
She said that language was sometimes a barrier for her, but that in teaching mathematics it wasn't often necessary to understand than simple sentences to explain problems.
In the School of Business, Tollefon said, the use of AIs and TAs is much higher than it should be. In beginning accounting courses, 82 per cent of the teaching is done by the school and received 200 to 498, 88 per cent of the semester course are handled by AIs, he said.
The sections taught by Als are quite large, Tolelson said. The average class in the two beginning accounting courses is 48, he said.
"Most of the TAs are quite inexperienced, he said. Learning how to do it is hard."
See TAs, AIs page nine
Go Jayhawks
Beat
Oklahoma State
Pick up a Big Blue Hat
only $8.95
$2 will be contributed to
the athletic scholarship program
(Williams Educational Fund)
842-840
Saddle & Bridle Sho
842-8413
Raasch Saddle & Bridle Shop
SUNFLOWER SURPLUS 804 MASS. 843.5000 INC.
OUR PRODUCTS FUNCTION The Trailwise Mountain Parka
University Shop
- Double layers of 65/35 cloth (Dacron/Cotton)
- Highly water repellent
- A perfect complement for down coats and jackets in incloment weather
Available in Coral Blue, Light Olive and Rust. S-M-L-XL Sizes $25.20
A fine selection of outdoor clothing & equipment from Trailwise, Woolrich, Snow Lion-Danner Amana woolen mills一clothing of natural fibers and down our specialty. Please visit us.
- Trailwise tailoring and quality control guarantees a well-fitting, beautifully finished garment.
- Multi seasonal use
- Lightweight
- Wind proof