Two Directors Meet at the Crossroads of

Peer Tutors and Student Success

Dr. Tacy HollidayScience Learning Center Director

Germantown CampusMontgomery College

Dr. Lisa D’Adamo-Weinstein

Director of Academic Support

Northeast Center

SUNY Empire State College

IntroductionsTwo Roads

• Overview of our CentersThe Crossroads -“Best Practices”

• Service Delivery• Responsibility & Ownership• Professional Standards • Tailoring Training• Feedback & Evaluation• On-going Professional

Development & Sharing

AGENDA

Tacy

Holl

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About me:

Member of the mellennial generation.

"Grew up" in a college learning center.

Director and tutor of the Science Learning Center at Montgomery College.

Ph.D in IO Psychology, (Leadership and Management Studies) from Walden University.

Member of NCLCA and Learning Center Leadership Certification Committee. Certified at Level 3.

Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/learningcentertech

Learning Center Wikiwww.sciencelearningcenter.pbworks.com

About me:A 40-something member of "Generation X", a soccer mom, and a digital immigrant who is totally addicted to my iPod Touch., DroidX & iPad2.

Director of Academic Support at Empire State College's, Northeast Center, delivering face-to-face, online, and blended academic support services and resources.

Ph.D in Language Education (2001) from Indiana University, focusing on the narratives of first-generation female college students and their identity and college success.

Member of NCLCA and CRLA. Past-President of NCLCA.

Follow me on:Twitter - @LisaDAWhttp://twitter.com/LisaDAW

SlideShare -http://www.slideshare.net/LisaDWEmpire

Wordpress -http://techeducator.wordpress.com/

Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/learningcentertech

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Brief Overview of Lisa’s “Center”SUNY Empire State College’s Northeast Center (NEC) Office of Academic Support (OAS)

is one of 9 such offices at the college with a Director of Academic Support (DAS) at each location.

There are 7 branch regional, 1 program specific, and 1 online offices.

There are approximately 20,000 undergraduate students at the college.

At the Northeast Center (NEC), we offer our services to approximately 1,500 students directly affiliated with the center.

OAS offers workshops; individual appointments with learning & peer coaches; academic skills development and study strategies courses; we have print and online resources; and we offer online content area tutoring as well as onsite and online peer tutors.

Study space and a computer lab available for individual and/or group work on assignments , individual appointments, workshops, assessments, and/or using online resources.

Brief Overview of NEC Peer Coaching

Peer coaches assist students by focusing on enhancing general study skills, tutoring in specific content areas, navigating through college resources, and developing study strategies within their Areas of Study.

Peer coaches work in both face-to-face and virtual environments. They are trained by the staff of the NEC Office of Academic Support following internationally recognized certification standards set forth by the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) for peer tutors. Peer Coaches work as volunteers, work-study, or practicum students.

The online student was able to see and hear the entire workshop and Peer Coach panel as he joined us from a café using a wifi network in New Orleans as he was traveling for business…

Peer Tutoring and Student Success

• For the Peer Coaches

– Practicum

– Volunteer

– Workstudy

• Benefits to peers being tutored

Brief Overview of Tacy’s Center

The Science Learning Center is a student-centered learning environment dedicated to supporting students in science coursework by offering quality tutoring and educational resources, incorporating technology into learning, and fostering a friendly and informal learning environment.

The SLC has about 18,000 student visits per year.

The SLC serves a diverse student population.

At the Crossroads...

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The Crossroads -- “Best Practices”Converging & Diverging

• Service Delivery• Responsibility & Ownership• Professional Standards • Tailoring Training• Feedback & Evaluation• On-going Professional

Development & Sharing

Service Delivery• How Students Access a Tutor/Peer Coach

– Self-referral

– Faculty-referral

• Where Students Can Get Assistance

– Onsite & Online• Resources

• Study aids

• Presentations

• What Help Can Students Get?

– Content Tutoring

– General Study Skills

– Critical Thinking

– Navigating College Resources

– Computer/Information Literacy

• Peer coaches (rather than tutors)

• No group

• Individual

• Workshop presentations (student panel)

• Appointment (evenings, work schedule, 1 hr-ish)– Form triage (low-pc, mid, high-Lisa)

• Smarthinking for content

• Elluminate for at a distance

• Workshops

• Drop-in

• Hybrid (homework lab, individual tutor, group tutor).

– “On the spot” customization.

• Course-based help.

• Center triage (match available resources with students).

– Front desk/tutors do this.

Responsibility & Ownership

• Encouraging peers to take initiative, ask questions, and help.– Working yourself out of that job.– “Teachers are those who use themselves as bridges,

over which they invite their students to cross; then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.” –Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek writer and philosopher (author of Zorba the Greek & The Last Temptation).

• Delegation– Raise your kids well, then trust.

Professional Standards

www.myatp.org/cert.htm

• Level 1 (learning coaches/ Level 2-3)

• Break-up training (2x a month, full day, evening sessions)

• Adult learning theory to meet adult/returning students

• Refresher/skills ready to enter upper level classes.

• Level 1 & 2.

• Joint training with the other campus learning centers, additional training in specific content areas.

• Cross-cultural training (diverse student population).

You Meet at the CrossroadsKey Topics for Tutor Training

In pairs, develop a list of 7 to 10 topics that

should be a part of every

tutor training program.

Tailoring Training

• Don’t reinvent the wheel, but paint it a color you like.

– Standards like: ATP training, CRLA, others.

– Additional resources: online, journals, videos, etc.

• Addressing student/institutional needs and resources.

Join the Conversation

Consider our list and determine just one way you would need to tailor these “Top Ten” training

topics to meet your needs and resources.

Feedback & Evaluation

• Different levels (student, supervisor, self-reflection).

• Quantitative/Qualitative.

• Observation session

• Feedback forms

• Recording online sessions

• Coach the coaches

• Repeat visits

• Tutor effectiveness

• Student surveys

• Observations

You Meet at the CrossroadsFeedback & Evaluation of Tutors

In pairs, develop a list of 3 ways to gather feedback and 3 ways to evaluate

your tutors.

Ongoing Professional Development

• Think “Professional Development” Not “Training.”

• More Than Just a Class or Event.

• Feedback/Evaluation Spiral of Growth

• Broader Approach/Two Birds With One Stone

– (peer coaches, presentation skills, resume, job skills)

• Other Certifications (NCLCA LCLC)

Join the Conversation

What kinds of ongoing professional development do you offer your

staff/tutors/coaches?

At the Crossroads: Your Direction

Take 5 minutes to jot down the ideas

you have for enhancing your tutor program.

Join the Conversation

With a partner, share your ideas…

Continue the Conversation Online…

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