TA-help.me | Home EDU systems

INTRODUCTION

TA-Help.me is a digital platform designed to enhance the efficiency of sessions in educational settings. Allowing students to submit questions digitally, it eliminates the need for hand-raising, enabling students to continue their work uninterrupted while awaiting assistance.

WHY TA-HELP.ME

TA-help.me optimizes the process of assisting students in (online) tutorials (werkcolleges):

Students register their questions inside the tool, to avoid keeping their hand up, and to be helped in the right order
Teaching assistants (TA’s) might be in different rooms, but by having questions registered, the right TA can help the right question.
Sign-off procedure of students is automated

KEY FEATURES

Digital Question Queue: Students can submit questions into a digital queue, ensuring orderly assistance and allowing them to focus on their work without waiting idly.
Encouragement of Quality Questions: The platform promotes the formulation of well-prepared questions, enabling teaching staff to provide quicker and more effective responses.
Integration with Learning Management Systems: TA-Help.me offers seamless integration with Canvas, facilitating easy adoption without additional software installations.
Advanced Course Insights: By collecting data on questions and usage, the tool provides insights into course performance, aiding in staff allocation and identifying areas for improvement in study materials

HOW TO USE TA-HELP.ME

No software is required to use TA-help.me; TA-help.me is generally available as a Canvas plugin. TA-Help.me needs to be enabled in your Canvas course. First, navigate to your Canvas course and go to the page Settings. Under the Navigation tab you can see that TA-Help.me is currently disabled for you course. You can enable it by clicking ‘+ Enable’ under the options. After doing so a new button will be visible in your course navigation. By clicking on this button, you will get into the setup process.

(Detailed information about how to enable a Navigation Link can be found in the Canvas documentation.)

If you want to know more about using TA-help.me, you can go to the help-page on the TA-help.me website for more information.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR USING TA-HELP.ME

To get the most out of TA-Help.me, explore these helpful tips and strategies for common functionalities and scenarios:

Make the Most of the Announcement Functionality
- Provide Clear Guidance: Use announcements to communicate important updates, such as changes to session timings, instructions for common questions, or reminders about upcoming deadlines.
- Reduce Repetition: Address frequently asked questions in announcements to save time and ensure consistency.
- Engage Students: Share motivational messages or tips for completing tasks efficiently to keep students focused and encouraged.
Coping with Sign-Off Pressure
For instructors and teaching assistants, managing student sign-offs can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here’s how to handle it:
- Prioritize Urgent Questions: Use the question queue to identify time-sensitive issues and address them first.
- Set Realistic Expectations: Let students know the estimated waiting time via announcements, so they can continue working while they wait.
- Delegate When Possible: In group tutorials, share the workload among multiple TAs or teaching staff to keep the sign-off process moving smoothly.
- Use Patterns in Questions: Spot common challenges and address them in a group announcement or mini-lecture.
Sharing a Question You Have Raised (for Students)
If you're a student using TA-Help.me, sometimes sharing your question with peers can help others who may have similar issues. Here's how to do it:
- Copy & Share the Question Link: Once your question is submitted, you can share it with classmates or team members to foster collaboration.
- Enhance Learning: Use shared questions as discussion points to deepen understanding and brainstorm solutions collectively.
- Respect the Queue: Even when sharing questions, wait for the instructor's response before acting to avoid confusion.

By incorporating these tips, both students and instructors can maximize the efficiency and impact of TA-Help.me, creating a smoother and more productive learning environment. For further support, visit the TA-Help.me support Page.

CONTACT

Teaching staff who want to know more about TA-help.me can visit the website or contact us by sending an email to teachingtools-ces@utwente.nl.