Using Peer Tutors to Improve College Students

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Using Peer Tutors to Improve College Students
Academic Success

• Johanna Dvorak, PhD
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Innovative Educators Webinar

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Introduction

• This webinar will assist tutoring coordinators
  and professionals in improving their programs and
  practice of tutoring at the post-secondary level.
  
• As many programs face shrinking budgets, we can
  maximize services and reduce costs by using
  student/ peer tutors.

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Overview

• This webinar will discuss three aspects of
  organizing a peer tutoring program to improve
  student learning and retention.
• I. Organizing peer tutoring services
• II. Staffing and evaluating peer tutors
• III. Conducting tutor training

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What will participants learn?

• Objectives
• Participants will be able to improve tutoring
  program practices in the following areas
• I. Choosing the most effective peer tutoring
  program service components for your campus.
• II. Interviewing and evaluation guidelines to
  improve the quality of peer tutor performance
• III. Learn various models of tutor training and
  modes of delivery.

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Attendees

• Post-secondary Tutoring Program or Learning
  Center Managers Colleges and Universities,
  Community Colleges, and Technical Colleges
• Post-secondary Learning Center Professionals with
  an interest in online tutoring
• New professionals in the field of college
  learning assistance who aspire to become program
  managers

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Speaker Johanna Dvorak

• Director of Educational Support Services at
  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Tutoring Management Experience 25 years
• Leadership roles in NCLCA and NADE
• Frequent presenter
• Qualitative Researcher

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Organizing Peer Educator Services

• What types of peer educator services can you
  choose?
• Peer Tutoring Program
• Online Tutoring Services
• Supplemental Instruction
• Structured Learning Assistance
• Peer-led Study Groups
• Mentoring
• Academic Counseling

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What tutoring services will you offer?

• Types of Tutoring
• Individual
• Group
• Online Tutoring
• Walk in
• Scheduled weekly
• By appointment
• In Class

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Steps to Organizing a Tutoring Center

• Where and when to provide tutoring
• Selecting courses to be tutored
• Selecting tutors
• Promoting the program
• Monitor the progress of the program
• Evaluating the service

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Resources for Managing a Tutoring Program

• Bingham, R., Daniels, J. (1998). Developing
  student support groups A tutors guide
  Brookfield, VT Gower.
• Dvorak, J. Managing tutoring aspects of the
  learning assistance Center, Research for
  Education Reform, (9) 4, December 2004, pp.
  39-51.
• Dvorak, J. The college tutoring experience, The
  Learning Assistance Review, (6)2, Fall 2001, pp.
  33-46.
• Falchikov, N. (2001). Learning together Peer
  tutoring in higher education. New York, NY
  Routledge

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More Resources for Peer Educators

• Gottesman, B. L. (2009). Peer coaching in higher
  education. Lanham, MD Rowman Littlefield.
• Newton, F. B. (2000). Students helping students
  A guide for peer educators on college campuses.
  San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass.
• Wisker, G., Exley, K., Antoniou, M., Ridley, P.
  (2007). Working one-to-one with students
  Supervising, coaching, mentoring, and personal
  tutoring. New York, NY Routledge.

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Activity

• Planning your peer tutoring services
• List all the services in your center
• What works well?
• What is most attended?
• What changes are you seeing?
• What services would you like to add or develop?

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II. Staffing Evaluating Peer Tutors

• Management Functions
• Recruiting
• Hiring
• Orientation
• Training
• Evaluating

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Activity Should you use peer tutors?Discuss and
post on one of these

• I. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  using peer tutors in a college setting?
• or
• II. Problem Brainstorm how community college
  programs can use peer tutors effectively when
  many students leave after two years.

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Staffing

• Can you use peer educators?
• Pros budget savings, students are in class and
  know exact content, work study students,
  technology expertise, developing leaders
• Cons continuity and expertise of staff, turnover
  of students which increases the need for training
  supervisory staff

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Selecting Peer Tutors

• What functions will they perform?
• Do you need content experts?
• Undergraduates or graduate students?
• Tutoring function examples
• Tutor
• Supplemental Instruction leader
• Mentor
• Academic Coach
• Program assistant to help other tutors

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QualificationsSupplemental Instruction Leaders

• SI leaders are model students who have usually
  taken the class
• Some are graduate students
• May be referred by professor or have been
  excellent tutors
• SI leaders attend course lectures hold 3-4
  review sessions per week
• SI leaders integrate course content with
  learning/study strategies

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SI Leaders vs. Tutors

• Tutor meets faculty once
• Role determined by tutor coordinator
• Tutor training 10 hours per semester
• Tutor earns 9 per hour
• Cost for tutor coordinator

• SI leader meets w/ faculty often
• Role determined by program
• SI training, coaching
• SI leader earns about 10 per hr.
• Costs for SI staff

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The Interview Process

• Interviewing guidelines to improve the of
  selection peer tutors
• Determining qualifications
• Posting the opening
• Screening applicants
• Broadening the applicant pool
• The interview
• Checking references
• Who make the best tutors?

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III. Why Tutor Training?

• Research Shows Better Retention
• Tutor Training higher student retention
• Tutor Certification Guidelines
• Clark-Thayer, S. Putnam Cole, L (2ndEd).
  (2009). NADE self-evaluation guides Best
  practices in academic support programs.
  Clearwater, FLA HH Publishing.
• Self- Assessment Guides Learning Assistance
  (2007). Washington, DC Council for the
  Advancement of Standards in Higher Education.

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Tutoring Certification Guidelines

• Tutor Program Certification CRLA
• Individual Tutor Certification ATP
• Learning Center Management Certification NCLCA
• Program Certification NADE
• Developmental Education Courses
• Tutoring
• Course-Based Learning Assistance

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Training Tutors

• Training Formats
• Hold training prior to the semester
• Pay student workers to attend meetings throughout
  the semester
• Tutor Training Course
• Example The Master Tutor (Cambridge)
• Use a Course Management System
• Online Tutor Training
• Peer Educator Conference

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Cost Efficient Training

• Follow CRLA standards for tutor training
• - 10 hours of tutoring per semester
• What type of training format costs less?
• Analyze what type of training would be most
  efficient
• Example Offering a tutor training course where
  tutors pay for credits for training rather than
  us paying them to get trained

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Activity Tutor Training

• Tutor Training
• What formats for tutor training do you use?
• Which models of tutor training are or would be
  most effective for you?
• What would you like to improve or try?
• Develop an plan for peer tutor training for your
  campus.

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IV. Tutor Evaluation

• Evaluate your tutors
• Students evaluate tutors
• Staff visits tutors sessions
• Staff evaluates tutors overall performance
• Program is evaluated by
• Tutors
• Students

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Use Research to Evaluate Tutoring Practice

• Research I conducted showed that the best tutors
  displayed the following characteristics
• Caring about students
• Showing sensitivity
• Building rapport
• Demonstrating flexibility
• Serving as role models
• Dvorak, J. The college tutoring experience, The
  Learning Assistance Review, (6)2, Fall 2001, pp.
  33-46.

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Best Tutoring Practices

• Motivated students
• Set expectations
• Built self-confidence
• Developed rapport
• Made a connection to campus
• Provided mentoring
• (Dvorak, 2001)

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Top Tutoring Techniques

• Explained college study strategies
• Aided in reading college textbooks
• Encouraged active learning
• Used excellent communication skills
• Used visual aids and examples
• Adapted tutoring techniques
• Incorporated teaching and coaching styles
• (Dvorak, 2001)

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Benefits to Tutors

• Empathized with struggling students
• Gained the satisfaction of helping other students
  succeed
• Solidified their own knowledge
• Developed leadership skills
• Improved communication skills
• Increased multicultural awareness
• Became more prepared for future careers
• (Dvorak, 2001)

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Activity Choose one

• IV. How would you evaluate your tutors?
• or
• What peer opportunities are on your campus for
  student leadership? How could your program
  collaborate to provide cross training for peer
  leaders? Develop a collaboration plan.

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Contact Information

• Dr. Johanna Dvorak, Director
• Panther Academic Support Services
• PASS/Bolton 180
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• P.O.Box 413
• Milwaukee, WI 53201
• jdvorak_at_uwm.edu
• 414-229-5672