Online Class Supporters Program

What is a Class Supporter

Class supporters are students who support the teachers who conduct online lecture, helping with the online class.

Purpose and goal of the program

  • Class supporters are not meant to have as heavy workloads as regular TAs.
  • The purpose of Class Supporters is to quickly help teachers start work.
  • We also aim to be able to connect assistance across departments.
  • Even if you have not assigned a TA to the department or major, you can have one class supporter in each of your lectures, under the school budget.
  • Class supporters are often unnecessary (redundant) if the department or major already has TA for online class support (that does not mean that class supporters will not be provided for these cases).

What the class supporters can do (examples of specific tasks)

  • Conducting a trial online lecture with the professor using the Web conference system outside of class time. Examples of tasks:
    • Checking the sound quality
    • Checking the image quality of the camera
    • Checking how things appear when using the functions of the conference system
  • Intervene in response to basic problems that occur during class, such as:
    • When students cannot hear the professor’s voice; “Professor, we cannot hear (see) you.”
    • When the professor thinks he has shared his screen but has not; “Professor, the screen sharing is not turned on.”
    • Check chat questions (depending on class type).
    • In short, this is to help prevent worst accidents (e.g., talking for 30 minutes straight without knowing your sound is not on).
    • Being familiar with the Web conferencing system and troubleshooting as much as possible.
  • Collecting and sharing relevant information such as:
    • Information on Zoom updates
    • New information shared on utelecon
  • Note: Support during the class is assumed to be possible while taking classes.

Work contents that are NOT expected of Class Supporters

  • The class supporter will NOT adjust the web conference settings every time so that the teacher does not need to know the web conference system at all.
  • The Class Supporter will NOT do camera work for the teacher.
  • The class supporter will NOT give individual support for students who cannot enter the class, who do not speak when entering the class, every time the student fails to attend class for over a specific amount of times (the level that hinders attendance) , etc. (Nor do we anticipate that teachers in class to do it)
  • The class supporter will NOT conduct work that requires going to the campus physically.

Technically, the class supporters are meant to “Help professors prepare for online classes, help with the trials before the start of classes, notify the professor when/If there are trouble during the lecture that the professor may not notice. (e.g. sound muted)”. If you need further assistance, consult with your department and the student him/her-self, or hire a TA separately.

(For academic staff) Flow of using the program

  • If you CAN find a class supporter on your own:

    • 13,000 yen per class.
    • Ask for a maximum of 10 hours of work (including 2 hours of training).
    • Notify that the payment will be made after August when consulting with the class supporter. For example, if you have students in the laboratory, major students, students in the class, etc., this is recommended. If the student agrees, the student or teacher should fill in the class supporter activity start report.

  • If you CANNOT find a class supporter on your own:

Note:

  • The work content of class supporters partially overlaps with the TA’s, but the workload should not be as heavy.
  • Class supporters receive training for 2 hours and understand the general support contents, but advanced IT skills are not required. The requirements are that he or she wants to help the teacher’s class, and are able to attend online classes.
  • Maximum of 1 person per class, 10 hours max. (including 2 hours of training; due to the budget for the time being) .
  • For more information on what you can do in 8 (10-2) hours, please discuss with your class supporter. 8 hours includes pre-class preparation and any help you may need during the actual lesson. It is assumed that you will be able to help while you are taking the lecture, so you do not need to count all your lecture hours.
  • We will issue a completion report after the end of lectures, so please make a record of the time and content of the work requested to the class supporter.
  • Class supporters will be paid from the headquarters budget (13,000 yen per lesson).
  • Due to administrative procedures, the payment will be made after August, after the end of the S semester.
  • International students’ working hours are limited to maximum 28 hours a week including other jobs (within or outside of the university), so please make sure it does not exceed that amount of time.

When you become a class supporter

  • You are not expected to be proficient in IT. You are expected to be able to participate in online classes, have a desire to help the teacher’s classes, and have a willingness to learn as needed.
  • If the teacher in your class or the teacher in your laboratory asks you, please undertake as much as your will and time allow.
  • Other than that, if you want to use your spare time as a class supporter in a class that you have not taken, or in a class other than the teacher personally asked you:
  • Teachers should also inform their students of the existence of this system and encourage students to apply for classes other than yours.
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