Teaching Assistant

Teaching assistants (TAs) are undergoing a transformation driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs). Research focuses on developing AI-powered virtual TAs (VTAs) to augment or replace human TAs, improving efficiency and scalability through personalized question answering, automated grading, and adaptive learning pathways. These VTAs leverage techniques like retrieval-augmented generation, knowledge distillation, and various fine-tuning methods to enhance their effectiveness and address challenges such as imperfect teacher models and data scarcity. The resulting improvements in accessibility and efficiency have significant implications for education, particularly in addressing large class sizes and resource-constrained environments.