presented by: stefanie anderson, math services coordinator michael ruwe, learning services...
TRANSCRIPT
Presented by: Stefanie Anderson,Math Services Coordinator
MichaelRuwe,Learning Services Coordinator
University of North Carolina Wilmington
STUDY SESSIONS: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO
GROUP TUTORING
Public InstitutionLocated on the shores of southeast North
CarolinaStudent Enrollment: 14,500 undergrads and
graduate studentsFaculty: 625 full-time, 271 part-time facultyOffers 55 bachelor’s degrees, and 42 master
degree programs, 2 doctoral degrees
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON
DePaolo Hall1003 – Writing Center & Supplemental
Instruction
1056 - Learning Services & Math Services
Four Services1. Learning Services: individual tutoring for
most University Studies courses2. Math Services: a drop-in Math Lab and select
individual appointments3. Supplemental Instruction: a series of peer-
facilitated group review sessions designed to help students succeed in historically diffi cult courses
4. Writing Services: individual appointments and a drop-in Writing Lab for students to receive response to drafts of their papers while they work on improving their writing skills
UNIVERSITY LEARNING CENTER (ULC)
During the 2014-2015 academic year: the ULC provided academic support for more than 35% of UNCW’s students
60 tutors were CRLA certified
ULC NUMBERS
Problem: Fall 2010 – Statistics (STT) 215High demand for statistics tutoringVery few students interested in tutoring statisticsGrowing student body with a stagnant budget
Solution #1: Spring 2011 – Pilot of Supplemental Instruction (SI) for STT 215
Low attendance during first 1/3 of the semesterSolution #2: Study Sessions
Mid-semester the sessions were opened to all STT 215 students
Program now supports 3 courses: Physics, Spanish, & Statistics
THE START OF STUDY SESSIONS
Study Sessions are NOTOne-on-one content tutoringPeer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) Structured Learning Assistance (SLA)
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
STUDY SESSION: DEFINED
Study Sessions are: Peer-Assisted Group TutoringPeer
Student leader who is CRLA certified or in training
Assisted Guide, counselor, translator, mentor, coach, resource
Group TutoringSometimes 2 students, sometimes 20 or more students
“…people from similar social groupings who are not professional teachers helping each other to learn and learning themselves by teaching” (Topping, 322).
STUDY SESSION: DEFINED
Ideal Study Session Leader Veteran tutor who has already achieved Regular
certification Graduate student Teaching Assistant
Recommendation of Faculty Current tutors Academic Advisor
Search Academic Departments Student Clubs Advisees
PEER: RECRUITMENT OF STUDY SESSIONS
LEADERS
ULC is certified through the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA)ULC offers Regular, Advanced, Master level CRLA certification
All ULC tutors/leaders/mentors are required to achieve Regular certification
Advanced & Master levels are optional
PEER:TRAINING STUDY SESSIONS
LEADERS
Study Session Leader Handbook:Study Session Definition Job DescriptionApproachesChallengesRewards
Weekly & Bi-Monthly Meetings with CoordinatorIndividual weekly meetingsStaff bi-monthly meetings
PEER:TRAINING STUDY SESSIONS
LEADERS
Guide: Position students in a way that their efforts are meaningful.
Counselor: Be aware of psychological and motivational components of learning.
Translator: Help students interpret instructor’s jargon and prompts.
Mentor: Share knowledge of subject content & learning strategies.
Coach: Encourage, challenge, and support students.
Resource: Refer students to the proper resources.
ASSISTED: ROLES OF THE STUDY SESSION
LEADER
Advantages of Group Tutoring Students learn content info & study strategiesStudents develop collaborative skillsStudents gain an understanding of diverse intellectual approaches, personal backgrounds, and educational viewpoints
Leaders develop leadership and organizational skills
Cost effective program“…learning may be viewed as being first developed
in small group settings that are precursors to the…individual processes” (Wertch qtd. in Jones & Brader-Araje).
GROUP TUTORING
For any one course supported by Study Sessions:Number of sessions per week: 2 or 3Duration of sessions: 1, 1.5, or 2 hoursAttendance status: drop-in; attendance not
mandatoryMission statement: an opportunity for students
to ask questions and learn with peers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PHY 101
Tues 6:00pm-7:30pm in Deloach 213; Thur 2:30pm-4:00pm in Deloach 212 STT 215
Mon 6:00pm-7:00pm in Cameron 210; Tues 12:30pm-1:30pm in Cameron 210 Thur 5:00pm-6:00pm in Cameron 211
SPN 201 Tues 5:00pm-6:30pm in DePaolo 2017; Thur 4:30pm-6:00pm in DePaolo 2017
UNCW STUDY SESSIONS:FALL 2015 PRACTICAL OVERVIEW
ChallengesFaculty do not always cover the same material Possibility of different books being usedFaculty members cover material at different paces
SolutionsDepends on the number of students in the study session
If many – group according to instructor If 2-3 – work the room as if it is a drop-in lab
PHYSICS & STATISTICS CHALLENGES
ChallengesSPN 201 “Intermediate SPN I = for students who have previous experience with SPN; are designated this class through a placement test
Fall 2015: 24 sections of SPN 201 offered; 24 students per section = approximately 576 students
SolutionUnlike PHY 101 & STT 215, SPN 201 students are permitted to receive individual tutoring
SPANISH CHALLENGES
First assessment – Fall 2013: Student Assessment of Study Sessions (PHY 101, ARH 201, SPN 120, & STT 215)Low response rate but valuable information:
71% heard about the service from their instructor
83% indicated “To study for a test” as the reason for attending the study session
50% disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement, “The leader helped me develop study strategies”
58% agreed/strongly agreed with the statement, “I would attend study sessions in the future”
FALL 2013 ASSESSMENT NUMBERS
Fall 2014: Student Evaluation of Study Sessions – a separate assessment for each subjectLow response rate again!What we learned:
PHY 101 – 83% felt they were prepared and that the leader made them think critically
STT 215 – half did not come prepared, 0 students felt the leader helped them develop study strategies, 75% disagreed that the leader was encouraging
SPN 201 – all students felt they were prepared, 88% felt their confidence with the course material improved
FALL 2014 ASSESSMENT
Spring 2015 – Student Evaluation of Study Sessions – a separate assessment for each subjectPartnered with EDL 553 – Evaluation and Assessment in Higher Education
SPRING 2015 ASSESSMENT
Highlights – SPN 201Students chose to attend for test preparationThe Leader designed the study session based on students’ expressed needs and wants
Students who attended sessions felt more comfortable with the skills addressed during sessions
Students felt more prepared for tests, quizzes, and assignments
RecommendationsContinue assessment each semesterMore weekly sessionsMarketing
SPN ASSESSMENT – SPRING 2015
Highlights - STT 21561% of students heard about the service from the weekly emails
Chose to attend for test preparationOnly attending 1-2 sessionsLeader helped them develop study strategies that would benefit them in class
“I was able to work in groups with other students in the study sessions” - 73%
RecommendationsEarlier session timesEmphasize group work in Study Session leader training
Marketing
STT ASSESSMENT – SPRING 2015
Highlights – PHY 102Heard about the service from the instructorDisagreed that the leader helped them develop study strategies
Agreed that the leader made them think critically
Students would attend in the future
RecommendationsEmphasize incorporating study strategies during training
Marketing
PHY ASSESSMENT - SPRING 2015
CREATING A STUDY SESSION PROGRAM
SHARE - Discuss as a large group
PAIR – With a partner, share your ideas from the worksheet
THINK - Answer the Questions to Consider before Implementing a Study Session Program
Questions?
References Alcorn, M. W. (2001). “Ideological death and grief in the classroom: Mourning as a prerequisite to learning.” Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Society and Culture. 6(2), 172-180. Dunlosky, J. (2013). Strengthening the student toolbox: Study strategies to boost learning. American Educator. 37(3), 12-21. Fullmer, P. (2012). Assessment of tutoring laboratories in a learning assistance center. Journal of College Reading and Learning. 42(2), 67-89. Jones, G. , & Brader-Araje, L. (2002). The impact of constructivism on education: Language, discourse, and meaning. American Communication Journal. 5(3). Retrieved from http://ac-journal.org/journal/vol5/iss3/special/jones.htm
Paulson, E. C. (2012). A discourse mismatch theory of college learning. In K. Agee & R. Hodges (Eds.), Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors (pp. 7-10). Mason, OH: Cengage. Topping, K.J. (1996). The effectiveness of peer tutoring in further and higher education: A typology and review of the literature. Higher Education. 32(3). 321-345. Wong, W. (2006). Essential Study Skills. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton.