IDSS Teaching Assistant in Probability

Limited Opportunity: Register for a dedicated MIT IDSS Teaching Assistant (TA) Support in Probability

Register for a dedicated TA to support you through Probability – The Science and Uncertainty of Data, one of the courses in the MITx IDSS MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science (SDS). TAs offer weekly practice sessions with structured exercises and provide tailored feedback and answers to learner questions.

HOW IT WORKS

Enroll in Probability on the edX platform as a verified learner
Follow the steps in adMITone to sign up for an MIT Teaching Assistant for the course
Receive confirmation of admittance in a group no larger than 50 students

ABOUT MIT IDSS TEACHING ASSISTANT SUPPORT

TAs provide live support in the Probability course. They are typically graduate students in the IDSS doctoral program in Social and Engineering Systems or other MIT departments. The synchronous support is in the form of weekly recitation sessions, where learners will solve problems and implement algorithms with direct immediate feedback from the MIT TA. TAs will also provide tailored feedback for questions related to but not directly covered in the courses, such as applications relevant to your work.

The goal is to have 100% of learners complete the course and receive a certificate. IDSS has found that the dedicated support from an MIT TA contributes to a 20% average increase in completion rate of the courses, and also generally improves the learner’s performance in the courses. Many continue with the full sequence of offerings in order to complete the IDSS MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science and receive a credential. Alumni of the MM SDS can leverage their experience with graduate credit from MIT, or advance in the workplace with a deeper knowledge of data science.

Cost
The cost for TA support is $750 per person, per Probability class. This does not include registration in the MITx course (an additional $300; bundled rates available for multiple classes).

Dates and Deadlines
Registration for Probability is open, and the IDSS Teaching Assistant in ML sign-up will close on September 30, 2022 or after 50 people have signed up, whichever comes first. Learners can continue to register for the class, but will not have the option of additional TA support.

Schedule:

Structure of Recitation and Office Hours:

Weekly Office hours:

Tuesdays – 6:00-7:30pm EDT (Boston) // 23:30pm – 1:30am UTC (moves with winter time change)

First Office Hour: Tuesday, September 6th

Last Office Hour: Tuesday, December 13th

Office hours are unstructured sessions in which you can ask your teaching assistant questions on course material. You are expected to bring questions and be ready to engage and keep learning.

Weekly Recitations:

Thursdays – 6:30pm-7:00pm EDT (Boston) // 23:30pm – 1:30am UTC (moves with winter time change.

First Recitation – Thursday, September 8th

Last Recitation – Thursday, December 15th

Note: No Recitation on Thanksgiving – MIT Holiday: Thursday, November 24th

Recitations are structured sessions with instruction and exercises supplementing course material. You will be expected to work and collaborate with peers on these exercises with guidance from your TA, and to ask as many questions and engage as much as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I reach out to the TA directly as needed?
No, TA correspondence is limited to set recitations and office hours. Please direct all written questions on the course to the course discussion forum monitored by course staff.

How is this TA support different from the support on the edX course?
MIT TAs offer live, synchronous weekly online recitations and office hours.

How many learners are signed up for one recitation?
There will be a maximum of 50 learners in each recitation session and office hours.

What is in the recitation/office hours?
Recitations are structured. You will be guided to work on conceptual and coding exercises that supplement lectures, homework, and course projects. You will work alone or in groups, and are encouraged to interact with a recitation instructor and collaborate with other learners throughout the recitation.

Office hours are not structured. Come with questions on the course or recitation material and plan to work with other learners and hear explanations from the teaching assistant.

Is my participation with these sessions graded?
No, these sessions are not graded and you will be graded within the Probability course.

Is there additional certification provided for these sessions?
No, there will be no additional certificate provided. MIT TAs can help you earn the certificate through edX upon successful completion of the course.

Who are the Teaching Assistants?
Teaching Assistants will be graduate students in the IDSS doctoral program in Social and Engineering Systems or other MIT departments.

Enrollment/Schedule FAQ
Can audit learners sign up for IDSS MM TA Support offering?
No, this summer pilot offering is available to verified learners only.

Can I cancel my sign up and request a refund?
There are no refunds on ticket purchases unless an event is canceled (this includes dropping the course halfway or any other reasons for course withdrawal).

What is the schedule?
Please see above (click here).

Is there flexibility in scheduling? Can the sessions be rescheduled?
Sessions are set to the specific schedule provided above and cannot be changed. Please make sure the provided schedule works for you prior to committing. We regret being unable to accommodate all time zones during this initial pilot run.

When is the enrollment deadline? Can it be extended?
The enrollment deadline is September 30th. No extension is possible.

Learn More
Discover the value of expanding your education in the area of data science and its impact on society.

Contact Us
For further inquiries, please contact idss-sds-enroll@mit.edu.

At a Glance

Cost: $750 per person

Limited to 50 spots

Course registration is open