Technology Enhancement in Peer Tutoring

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TechnologyEnhancement inPeer Tutoring

• Dr Roger Ng
• ITC
• 4 Nov 2003

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Acknowledgement

• The author would like to thank the Hong Kong
  University Grant Council for the financial
  support of the Peer Tutoring project.
• The author would also like to thank Dr Patrick
  Lai, for his leadership and assistant.

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Enhancing Credibility of Tutor
• Discovery Venture Learning (dVL)
• Manual Mode Vs Hi-Tech Mode
• Sample dVL Case
• Technology
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Questions and Discussion

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Objectives

• Develop best practice of peer tutoring program.
• Execute the peer tutoring workshops.
• Verify the claims of benefits of peer tutoring in
  U level.

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Foreseeable Problem

• What if the tutor fails to deliver the service?
• wrong information?
• no answer?
• How to improve on communication?

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Enhancing the Credibility of Tutors
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Enhancing Credibility of Tutor

• As a quality assurance process!
• For Tutor
• Increase self-confidence!
• Gain insight into teaching as a career!
• For Tutee
• Feel more comfortable!
• Build up trust in the tutor!

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Training of Tutor

• Dr Patrick Lai trained the tutors on how to
  conduct tutorial sessions.
• Subject Lecturer (Dr Roger Ng) trained the tutors
  on the context of the workshop.

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Expectation

• Nevertheless, the above training is insufficient
  to ensure the tutors smooth response to the
  tutees questions, since there are so many
  possible questions!
• Therefore, the Subject Lecturer (Dr Roger Ng)
  should prepare the content of the workshop in a
  way to achieve strict confidence in executing
  tutorial by tutor!

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Introducing The Discovery Venture Learning

• Self-learning Software Design Methodology

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Discovery Venture Learning (dVL)

• What is dVL?
• Discovery Venture Learning (dVL) is a
  pedagogical and curriculum development system,
  motivating students to develop a self-learning
  ability to observe the world, to discover new
  phenomena, to access, to analyze, and to achieve.

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Aims of dVL

• This inherently self-initiative and independent
  learning process addresses the importance of
  education in promoting self-learning, critical
  thinking and problem solving capabilities.

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In Another Words

• Discovery Venture Learning is a learning journey
  of discovery, in which students can find their
  routes of achievements.

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Format of dVL

• Through a case study, students experience a
  venture, which involves the first four or more of
  these phases
• (1) motivating the students,
• (2) examining the phenomena,
• (3) discovering the similarities and differences,

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Format . Continued

• (4) summarizing the observation,
• (5) postulating possible explanation/strategy,
• (6) matching postulations with existing knowledge
  for verification,

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Format .. Continued

• (7) if not successful, reexamining the phenomena,
  
• (8) refining postulations/ strategies,
• (9) verifying the new postulations/ strategies,

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Format Continued

• (10) solving a problem/ executing the postulates/
  creating a new idea,
• (11) deriving a new theory/ achieving a goal,
• (12) searching for other possible applications of
  the theory.

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Tools in dVL

• The case studies are designed according to the
  following criteria
• 1. a venture starts with an achievable goal that
  is of interest to the students,
• 2. the role of a tutor is to motivate the
  students interests and facilitate the other
  phases with
• guided road maps - check points for ensuring
  the students are proceeding in the right
  direction,
• life saver hints for helping the students to
  raise the right question and to break through
  their thinking.

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Manual Vs High Tech Mode

• Manual Mode
• Life Peer Tutors helping the students in
  presence.
• Tried for two semesters.
• High Tech Mode
• Life Peer Tutors sitting behind the video
  conferencing equipment.
• Will try next semester.

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Developing dVL CaseCAD/CAM Class
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Objective of Venture One

• Build a web-enabled virtual fashion show using
  existing library and the functionality of the
  Poser (Software by CuriousLabs).

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Subgoals

• Knowing how Poser works.
• Retrieving the dummy from the library and put
  clothing on the dummy.
• Creating a walk path.
• Selecting the walk style.
• Exporting to web-enabled virtual fashion show.

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Motivating Tutees

• Tutors can show the sample web-enabled virtual
  fashion show.
• Let them know the expectation of the venture.
• Ask them to find the way of achieving the venture
  themselves with minimal help from the tutors!

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Designing Content

• Some questions to be addressed
• (1) How to help the tutees to focus on the useful
  icons and concepts?
• (2) How the tutees may make the wrong attempt?
• (3) How to help the tutees to return to the right
  track?
• (4) What kinds of hints and what level of hints
  should be used to guide the tutees?
• (5) Where should the check point be set?

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Venture One

• Virtual Catwalk

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Peer Tutoring Workshop

• Cat Walk with Poser

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Introduction of Workshop

• Road Map
• Stage 1 Put the cloth on the mannequin.
• Stage 2 Choose the walking path and walking
  style.
• Stage 3 Export the virtual catwalk!

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What to do?

• I shall show you all the steps now, and you need
  to work out the hints.
• You should also practice yourself first and gain
  enough experience.
• Observe the operational sequence.
• Observe the appropriate command.

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Start Poser
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Open Library
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Select Figure - Women
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Change Figure

• Select the Naked Woman

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Select Clothing Women
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Click the Check to load the shirt
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Oppps!

• How to put it on?

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Ok! Get the pants too!
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Ready to select the path
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Now I am looking from the top camera

• I can insert the walk path

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The path is now straight
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How to walk?

• Select Poses Animation Set from the library

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Press the Play key

• It walks on the same place?!

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The Walk Designer Set can ensure the cat walk is
along the path
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Move the frame triangle to the last frame

• Ready to add more action!

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Read to export to Web

• Use Viewpoint Technology!

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You can now view the animation using the IE or
Netscape

• You have just completed your first web-ready cat
  walk!

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Impact

• Students have built up good relationships between
  tutors and tutees!
• Tutees have built up trust in tutors!
• The venture helps students to build up their
  confidence, both tutor and tutee!
• Tutees are motivated. Both tutors and tutees
  learn the concept, and able to solve the
  problems.
• The use of dVL has positive impact on Peer
  Tutoring!

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Form of Communication

• Manual Form
• Direct face-to-face discussion
• Hand on demonstration
• High Tech Form
• Still face-to-face discussion via video
  conference.
• Hand on demonstration via VNC software.

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Technology
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Video Conferencing
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Single User Version

• Resolution up to
• 800 x 600.
• Single version
• similar to
• Net Meeting

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Conference Version

• Resolution up to 800 x 600.
• Voice tracking
• Zoom lenses
• Rotating camera

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VNC Software
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Download Location

• http//www.realvnc.com/

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Future Work

• The dVL with manual communication mode has been
  tested and successfully completed. We shall
  measure how much difference can dVL make with
  high tech mode!?

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Additional Skills Needed

• Tutors need further training on
• Video conferencing
• VNC
• Tutees need further training on
• Video conferencing

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Proposed Advantages

• No physical presence of tutor is required.
• Allow cross-regional peer tutoring.
• Force tutees to be more independent.
• With dVL format, it is possible to automate and
  simulate the response of the tutors, and turn the
  peer tutoring into a virtual tutoring session.
  Just a thought!

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Anticipated Disadvantages

• Tutoring session may take longer time.
• Tutee may feel remote.

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Questions and Discussion