Undergraduate Course Assistants

Overview

There are strong reasons to believe an undergraduate course assistant (CA) program can be an effective way to enhance student learning. One-on-one tutoring has well-documented benefits, CAs can serve as relatable role models, and programs can scale by employing many CAs at once. Prior studies across disciplines also suggest positive effects. At the same time, much remains unknown, since CA programs differ widely in the responsibilities assigned, the training provided, and the ratio of CAs to students.

In Fall 2024, the Cornell Economics Department launched a CA program in its introductory economics courses. CAs facilitate in-class activities and staff a support center open most of the day, every weekday. CAs also complete a semester-long training course during their first term serving as a CA. Since implementation, we have gathered extensive data on both student and CA outcomes, which we are now comparing with pre-program data to estimate the program’s impact.