Online Tutoring Challenges

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Online Tutoring Challenges

• 2007 TxDLA Conference
• Dr. Luz Romay
• University of the
• Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX
• March 26-28, 2007

"A tool for academic success"
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INTRODUCTION

• UIW has offered an Adult Degree Completion
  Program (ADCaP) and Online courses for full-time
  working adults since 1994.
• Many of these students are under confident about
  their aptitudes for academic studies.
• Sometimes their performance reflects lack of
  literacy skills.

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Instill students confidence in their own
  academic abilities
• Enhance their literacy skills
• Support learning in Core courses such as
  Composition I II
• Promote exchange among faculty members, students,
  and tutors.

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PROGRAM STRUCTURE

• Identify academic needs
• Offer a writing workshop per semester
• Instructors recommend students to use the Online
  Writing Center (OWC)
• Students send their requests
• Tutors answer them within 24 hrs.
• Follow-up by instructors and tutors
• Periodical reports and tutors training

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM

• Review applications and academic records to
  determine who may need this type of instructional
  support
• Select and train tutors
• Schedule and advertise the workshop
• Supervise the tutoring sessions
• Evaluate program results each term.

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SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM

• So far, the OWC only serves students taking core
  courses such as
• Composition I II
• World Literature
• Religion and Philosophy
• We intend to meet the needs of our
• non-traditional students

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PURPOSE OF TUTORING

• To facilitate and assist in learning processes,
  improving the students writing skills.
• To provide feedback on their papers, based on
  peer relationships and supervised by one faculty
  member.

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TUTORING GUIDELINES

• Students should post their questions/drafts by
  email and provide information on their
  assignments
• Each session will be scheduled on a first come,
  first served basis
• A record of each session will be kept and the
  coordinator of the program will have a file for
  each tutee.
• Tutoring at UIW could be done either in person or
  online. This decision will be made in agreement
  with the students needs and preference.
• Tutors and tutees will respect the dignity of
  each person and acknowledge individual
  differences, maintaining always positive
  attitudes.

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Writing Center Instructions

• In order to receive help from a member of the
  Writing Center staff, please follow these
  instructions carefully!1. Click on the Add New
  Thread link to the right top of the Discussion
  area2. In the Subject Box put your name3. In
  the body of the note please tell us what kind of
  help you need and most importantly...YOUR EMAIL
  ADDRESSAll of these are very important, so do
  not miss a step! Once you have completed and
  submitted your thread, a staff member will
  contact you within 24 hours.
• ATTENTION - This forum is for the Writing
  Center.  DO NOT post other types of questions in
  this area.  Direct non-writing questions to
  virtual_at_uiwtx.edu 
• Writing Center Discussion Board  Add New
  Thread

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ADVANTAGES

• Students learn at their own pace and time
• Encourage peer mentoring
• It is a way of improving academic performance
• Promote collaboration among faculty
• It does not require additional staff or
  resources.
• IT IS A FREE AND OPEN INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
  SERVICE!

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DIFFICULTIES

• Some students have unrealistic expectations
  (Tutors do not proofread or edit papers)
• Often students post their drafts late (Tutoring
  may help students with any stage of the writing
  process)
• Tutoring requires dedication and time
• Those students who are more in need of tutoring
  sometimes are reluctant to use this service
• Limited time and high turn over of tutors
• It only works if instructors encourage the use
  this service
• Lack of training and experience of some tutors.
• Some technological challenges.

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MAIN RESULTS

• Fall, 05 7 requests
• Spring, 06 31
• Summer, 06 44
• Fall I, 06 51
• Fall II, 06 49
• Spring I, 06 105
• TOTAL 291

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TEACHING MATERIALS

• Handouts
• Library and electronic sources
• Information at the Learning Assistance Center
  (LAC)
• Writing Handbooks

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Content of the Writing Workshop

• Reading exercises.
• Analyzing the writing process.
• Focusing and organizing academic papers.
• Overcoming the writers block.
• Drafting, revising and formatting.
• Editing and proofreading.
• Using diverse writing styles.
• Grammar and syntax common errors and
  misconceptions.
• How to avoid plagiarism.
• How to use MLA or APA formats.

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EXAMPLES OF HANDOUTS

• 1.1 How to choose a topic
• 1.2 Gathering and organizing ideas
• 1.3 Identify the purpose and audience for your
  writing
• 1.4. The reading-writing connection
• 1.5. How to summarize
• 2.1. Strategies to begin an essay
• 2.2. Organization of a first draft
• 2.3. What is a Thesis Statement?
• 2.4. Effective writing (coherence clarity)
• 2.5. Evaluating the organization of your first
  draft
• 3.1. Sentences structure and paragraphing
• 3.2. Subject/Verb agreement pronoun reference
• 3.3. Parallelism
• 3.4 Transition words
• 3.5. Abbreviation and underlying

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WHEN DO WE USE PASSIVE VOICE?(Handout Sample)

• Passive voice is when the subject of a sentence
  is receiving the action of the sentence. For
  instance, The ball was thrown. The subject of
  the sentence, the ball, is not performing any
  action. Rather, it is receiving the action.
• Passive voice is not always wrong. It can be
  used to put emphasis on a subject. For instance,
  In India, many marriages are often arranged.
  This puts the emphasis on the marriages
  themselves. If the sentence read, Parents in
  India often arrange marriages for their
  children, the emphasis is put on the parents.
• Passive voice is weaker than active voice. It
  is often easier and more straightforward to use
  active voice.
• Passive voice is more complex than active voice,
  and should often be avoided. Only use it if
  changing to active voice will change the meaning
  of the sentence from what you want to say.
• Active voice is when the subject performs the
  main action of the sentence. To change a sentence
  from passive to active voice, change the subject
  into an object, and create a new subject, or find
  one in the sentence. The ball was thrown by
  Scott becomes Scott threw the ball.
• Reference Long, Elizabeth C. Resources for
  Writers. New York Pearson/Longman.

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MOST COMMON ERRORS

• Unclear focus or thesis
• Sentence fragments
• Lack of punctuation
• Faulty parallelism
• Incorrect use of verb tenses
• Lack of familiarity with APA/MLA format

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WHAT STUDENTS NEED

• Learn effective ways of communication
• Accept that everyone makes mistakes
• Constant practice
• Better time management skills
• Apply critical thinking and reasoning
• Be flexible and keep discipline

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BENEFITS TO STUDENTS

• Improves their self confidence
• Improves attitude towards the subject matter
• Encourages persistence in completing tasks
• Provides the opportunity for questions in an
  individualized instruction
• Facilitates the use of appropriate learning
  strategies

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BENEFITS TO TUTORS

• Improves their general knowledge
• Develops communication skills
• Provides experiences that may help with their
  career goals
• Builds self-esteem and sense of responsibility
• Develops empathy for others and higher level of
  thinking.

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GOALS FOR THE FUTURE

• Encourage more one-to-one interaction
• Take advantage of teaching moments
• Respond to the wide variety of the students
  needs
• Give easier access to the OWC
• Remove barriers of time and space

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Rewards grow when students develop their skills
to make their written communication more
effective!
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