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From: David EldrEdge <Dave.EldrEdge**At_Symbol_Here**NALTIC.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Optimal Number of Students per TA/Instructor in General Chemistry Labs
Date: Aug 28, 2025 17:43 UTC
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: <CAFCR6uaRX5vNbk56azy+B+22e+4jKi1C6h-_isFi+sCfoOaOew**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <51521310-FB92-4C63-A8DB-C424F4FEEF67**At_Symbol_Here**catalystedu.com>
Has anyone here had experience with Stemble.com for lab courses?
Our department is exploring it as a way to reduce the grading burden on instructors since we do not have the budget for TAs to handle grading. From what I understand, the platform can guide students through their reports, math, and concepts, and it can even interpret handwritten work surprisingly well. If the system cannot read a student’s handwriting, chances are that no one but the student could.
The promise is that with AI, it can both coach students and handle grading. At our community college we are looking into it, but building out the backend has proven to be heavy lifting, and support from their team so far seems somewhat limited.
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.orgHi Patricia,I am sorry to hear about your predicament. UT Dallas currently partners with my company, Catalyst Education, to provide a teaching and learning platform for your lab courses. We have helped a number of institutions who have dealt with issues such yours. I’d be happy to discuss with you some creative options that have worked for other institutions that would allow you to return to a safe TA/instructor:student ratio.Feel free to call, text, or email. Or just schedule a meeting with the link in my signature.Sincerely,Jamie=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
James Caras, PhD
CEO
Catalyst Education
jamie**At_Symbol_Here**catalystedu.com
512.585.3281Schedule a meeting with me here
On Aug 25, 2025, at 12:00 PM, Leach, Patricia <Patricia.Leach**At_Symbol_Here**utdallas.edu> wrote:--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.orgHello all,We have had an explosion in the number of freshmen who are taking general chemistry this term, but funding has limited the number of TAs and instructors we have per lab room. The way the department has had to deal with this is to increase the number of students from 30 to 38 per section (limited by the Fire Marshall’s maximum occupancy of the rooms). They work in groups of 3 (not ideal at all). We have adjoining labs, so our shortage of instructors has been solved by having an instructor supervise two sections being held concurrently in a set of those labs. There is one TA per section.In the past we have had 30 students (10 groups) supervised by a dedicated instructor (not working concurrent sections) and a TA, so about 15 students per person supervising. Now we can have as many as 38 students (13 groups) being supervised by one person at times, as the instructor moves between sections. I feel this is not safe.What do people think is a safe ratio of supervising people to students (or student groups)?Thanks,Patricia LeachLab ManagerDepartment of Chemistry & BiochemistrySLC 3.513Office: 972-883-6583Cell: 469-891-6426