PrairieLearn Assessment Support Assistant (Student Wage)

University of Virginia; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 19,320 - 27,517; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Federal Work-Study students encouraged to apply

Job summary

The University of Virginia Physicians Group is seeking a student to assist with building and testing PrairieLearn assessments. The role involves programming with Python and requires attention to detail.

Pay is $17 per hour for less than 20 hours per week. This is a valuable opportunity for University of Virginia students, especially those pursuing STEM coursework.

Qualifications

• Ability to read, understand, and troubleshoot code written by others.
• Ability to follow clearly defined specifications and work under supervision.
• Experience supporting or proctoring exams.
• Familiarity with structured text formats.

Responsibilities

• Assist with building and testing PrairieLearn questions.
• Implement question logic in Python based on specifications.
• Test questions for correctness and robustness.
• Convert existing assessments into PrairieLearn-compatible formats.
• Review questions for clarity and technical issues.

Skills

Programming experience, especially Python

Strong attention to detail

Professional communication skills

Education

Current University of Virginia student (undergraduate or graduate)

Tools

PrairieLearn

Markdown

LaTeX

HTML

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with building and testing PrairieLearn questions, including parameterized and randomized question types.
• Implement question logic (primarily in Python) based on provided specifications.
• Test questions for correctness, robustness, and edge cases (boundary values, formatting, unintended behavior).
• Assist in converting existing faculty assessments (e.g., PDFs, Word documents) into PrairieLearn-compatible formats.
• Review questions from a student perspective to identify clarity, usability, or technical issues.
• Flag potential assessment or implementation concerns for supervisor review.
• Help maintain example questions and lightweight documentation for faculty use.
• Participate in the Assessment Redesign Workshop (May 12–13) as part of onboarding and training.

Required Qualifications

• Current University of Virginia student (undergraduate or graduate).
• Programming experience, especially Python.
• Ability to read, understand, and troubleshoot code written by others.
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to test technical systems thoroughly.
• Ability to follow clearly defined specifications and work under supervision.
• Professional communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PrairieLearn, PrairieTest, or similar assessment platforms.
• STEM coursework or experience with quantitative problem‑solving.
• Familiarity with Markdown, LaTeX, HTML, or structured text formats.
• Prior experience as a TA, tutor, grader, or exam support staff.
• Experience supporting or proctoring exams (e.g., CBTF or similar environments).
• Students with experience supporting CBTF exam proctoring are encouraged to apply; however, the position is not limited to those students.

Compensation and Work Hours

Undergrad student wage position for less than 20 hours per week.

Federal Work-Study students encouraged to apply.

Compensation: $17 per hour.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.