UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa — As Penn State continues to adjust to this period of remote teaching, new information is continually uncovered regarding how to best support faculty. In response to some of that information, a new service called Tech TAs has been unveiled.
Tech TAs will help enable faculty to focus exclusively on delivering their lessons and teaching their courses via Zoom, and not the technology itself.
Penn State students will serve as Tech TAs and be the technology gurus during the synchronous portion of a class. Their work can include: muting/unmuting students, offering support to students with issues like not being able to see video or hear audio, moderating the chat, polling, setting up and monitoring breakout rooms, and sharing whiteboards.
Additionally, the Tech TAs can help configure Zoom so that students cannot enter a “room” unless the host is present. This will prevent faculty from receiving emails anytime someone enters their Zoom room, and it will help eliminate excessively long recordings.
Faculty can request the help of a Tech TA by completing this Tech TA faculty request form. Upon submission, an email will be sent that introduces the instructor and the Tech TA. After the intro email, the TA will follow up directly to assess specific needs and determine the next steps.