Undergraduate course assistants received well

Students interviewed for this article were course assistants for COS 126: General Computer Science, COS 217: Introduction to Programming Systems, COS 226: Algorithms and Data Structures or PHY 104: General Physics II. Seven undergraduate course assistants are employed through the physics department, and 16 work in the computer science department.

In the case of the COS department, the initiative is a response to increased student enrollment in computer science courses, according to computer science lecturer and co-lead preceptor for COS 126 Maia Ginsburg. While the physics department has not seen the same kind of drastic increase in enrollment — the number of COS majors almost doubled from 2009 to 2011 — physics professor and course assistant program coordinator Christopher Tully said that the department hired student graders to allow professors to devote more time to their teaching.

Tully said that course assistants are required to grade one handwritten homework assignment per week for every student in the precept in which they are assigned, which usually averages around 40 students. Edvin Memet ’12, a course assistant for PHY 104, noted in an email that this task generally takes around two hours. However, depending on the length and difficulty of the assignments to be graded, course assistants may be required to work for six hours or longer on certain weeks, Ginsburg said.

In general, course assistants for higher-level courses worked for more hours per week than students who graded for introductory courses such as COS 126 or PHY 104. Syed Shamim ’13, a course assistant for COS 226, said in an email that he consistently works six hours a week. Two of those hours are spent meeting with the professor, preceptors and other undergraduate graders at the beginning of each week to review how the grading will proceed for that week’s assignment.

Several course assistants commented on the thoroughness and relative objectivity of the grading process, which generally takes place with all of the preceptors for the course. Dana Hoffman ’12, a grader for COS 126, explained that a detailed rubric is made for each assignment, which clearly determines the point value of possible infractions. If additional mistakes are found, she said, the preceptors and undergraduate graders agree on a penalty together.

“We also do a consistency check at the beginning of each grading session, where we each have to grade the same program, which usually has several bugs, and check that we get the same answer,” Hoffman said. “I think that we’re just as accurate as the actual preceptors.”

Similarly, Shamim observed that a grading system involving undergraduate graders is not significantly different from the typical situation in an introductory course, in which preceptors split up the grading.

“In both scenarios, a lot of care is taken to be consistent in the grading,” he said, adding that preceptors or professors review any assignments that a student grader has completed before assigning a final grade.

Emily Lancaster ’12, a grader for COS 217, said in an email that this system generally eliminates most of the inaccuracies and subjective judgments that might arise in the grading process. “Also, the quantitative nature of computer science lends well to less subjectivity in grading,” she said.

Though most course assistants are given weekly assignments or programs written by students to grade, Ginsburg noted that some students also grade exams. Hoffman said that she helped grade the midterm for COS 126, and Lancaster said that she helped grade the midterm and final for COS 217 in addition to the seven programming assignments throughout the course.

The selection process for course assistants differed significantly between departments. Tully explained that the physics department hired students by simply circulating the opening to physics majors, all of whom have taken first-year courses.

“Within three hours, all seven positions were promptly filled,” Tully said.

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In contrast, the computer science department used an online application to solicit potential course assistants. Applicants were asked about their grades in the courses with available spots, their academic records and whether they had worked as undergraduate lab TAs before. They were also required to provide one or two COS instructors or preceptors who could serve as references, Hoffman said.

The pay rate for course assistants also differed slightly between departments. Tully said that student graders in the physics department are paid approximately $11.75 per hour, while Shamim noted that course assistants in the computer science department, like undergraduate lab TAs, are paid $14.60 per hour.

Overall, the pilot program has proven to be beneficial for both professors and course assistants, Tully said. He noted that the new arrangement has helped free up time for professors as intended, allowing them to spend more time interacting with students in classes, going over homework and lessons and preparing their course materials instead of grading. Meanwhile, student graders “have an opportunity to interact with professors as scholars and educators,” he said.

Memet agreed that working as a course assistant allowed him to develop closer bonds with faculty members in the physics department. Similarly, Hoffman said that the job “helps us as programmers by exposing us to so much code, much of which has bugs we need to find.”

Ginsburg added that the increased number of graders has also made it easier to have assignments graded in time for students to use as feedback on future assignments.

Though Tully said that the department has not yet solicited feedback from enrolled students, he noted that students were made aware of the program and the names of the graders at the start of their courses and will be asked for feedback in the end-of-course survey.

According to Ginsburg and Tully, the success of the pilot programs in both departments has made it likely for the system to continue next year. Hoffman suggested that the program should expand to have more long-lasting effects.

“I hope that the success of this and the undergraduate lab TA program would inspire the department to consider allowing undergraduates to teach precepts, the same way they do at many other universities,” Hoffman said.