Collaborators in teaching and learning: Undergraduate teaching assistants in the classroom

Critics of traditional approaches to college education call for a greater e mphasis on student learning in the classroom and for giving students a more active role in their own learning. Advocates of the learning paradigm offe r many general suggestions about how to reform college instruction. One pra ctice, not previously studied sociologically or pedagogically, that can pro mote these goals is the use of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs). We conducted in-depth and written interviews of UTAs and faculty members/inst ructors who work with UTAs and administered questionnaires to students in c lasses utilizing UTAs. We find benefits for all three groups consistent wit h the goals of the Learning Paradigm. We believe that UTAs can be used to p romote active learning by students and instructors in the classroom and off er specific recommendations toward this end.