The Learning Assistant Program provides additional support to students through the integration of Learning Assistants into classrooms. Learning Assistants are undergraduate students who, with training and support, help facilitate activities during class sessions to increase active collaboration to improve student learning.
Why be a Learning Assistant?
Develop skills in effectively facilitating collaborative learning environments.
Solidify foundational knowledge in course content.
Earn up to 3 semester hours of elective credit.
For applicants who are honors students, serving as a Learning Assistant (LA) is an experience for which you are eligible to earn up to three (3) honors experiential learning credits in addition to the semester-hour course credits you can earn by serving as a Learning Assistant.
- More information about the Honors experiential learning credit process can be found here: https://honors.uiowa.edu/experientiallearning. After landing on this page, scroll down to the "Teaching Assistantship/Learning Assistantship" tab.
- Questions regarding Honors experiential learning credit should be directed to the Honors at Iowa Program at honors-program@uiowa.edu.
Applicants applying to serve as an LA for Health and Human Physiology courses are eligible to earn up to three (3) credits through HHP:4700 Hlth/Human Physiology Teaching Intrnship
What our current LAs are saying:
"Being an LA has increased my confidence in sharing the knowledge I have. I can instantly
reconstruct course content to support student understanding."
"The LA role inspired confidence in my public speaking skills and gave me the opportunity
to work on my leadership skills to eventually put on graduate school applications."
Meet Our Undergraduate Coordinator!
My name is Sydney and I am a senior majoring in Interdepartmental Studies. This is my first semester as the Undergraduate Coordinator, but I spent the past four semesters involved in the program as a Learning Assistant. I have a passion for helping others and supporting student learning. I hope to attend a Master's program post-graduation to become a higher education professional. In my free time I like to watch lots of TV, cheer on the Iowa Hawkeyes, drink Dr. Pepper, and try my best at cooking.
Learning Assistant Pedagogy Course
Learning Assistants enroll in a three-credit, once-a-week, 75-minute course for on-going facilitation training. The course is LS:1014 “Learning Assistants Training - Pedagogy: Creating Collaborative Learning Environments” and covers topics such as metacognition, helping skills, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in classrooms. Learning Assistants will integrate their facilitation experiences and the pedagogy content through class discussions and reflection assignments.
Contact Us
For questions regarding the Learning Assistant Program, please email Margaret Kaus at margaret-kaus@uiowa.edu.