Writing, Searching, Thinking, Learning

1. Julia Glassman, UCLA Library Christine Holten, UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center Doug Worsham, UCLA Library Writing, Searching, Thinking, Learning Cross-Training Peer Research and Writing Tutors to Maximize Student Success LOEX 2014

2. What Assumptions Do You Have about Your Writing Center? How much do the tutors know about research? What kind of training do they receive? What Do You Know about Your Writing Center? What services do they offer? Who are the tutors? Who do they partner with? What opportunities do you see? What is their role vis-a-vis library services?

3. Known • They’re awesome! • Written, visual, and oral • They’re new and in the library • Peer tutoring at undergrad and grad level, support faculty • Highly trained • Satellite location in library Assumed • More students use it than library • Super popular • Veer into research instruction • Underutilized • Writing help is remedial • Students need writing help even without writing center

4. Fall 2012 Powell Reference Desk

5. Fall 2012 Powell Reference Desk

6. Fall 2012 Powell Reference Desk

7. Fall 2012 Writing Center & Reference Desk

8. Winter 2013 Writing Center in Powell!

9. The Training Program Phase one: Train writing tutors in research methods

10. Training for Writing Tutors • Open satellite writing center at the library • Train cohort of 6 writing tutors to provide research assistance • Total training time: 6-7 hours

11. Our Assumptions (a partial list) • Writing tutors are research experts. This will all be review to them. • They know exactly how Google works. • They use LibGuides regularly. • If I move too slowly, they’ll be insulted.

12. Location, Location, Location Research questions happen in the library, right?

13. Location, Location, Location Research questions happen EVERYWHERE! (Bonus: viral training!)

14. Writing Tutor Training • Revised approach: the “seeding” method • Train ALL writing tutors in research skills • Trade off: more tutors trained, less training each • Total training time: 3-4 hours

15. Reflection: How can the library help? • What value can librarians add to your campus writing center? How can librarians help with the student writing process? • If you were to train writing tutors in the research process, what learning outcomes would you set? What topics would you cover? • What are some possible next steps for collaboration with the writing center on your campus?

16. Reflection: How can the library help? • Learning outcomes: • locate course and subject guides • find subject librarian for any subject • develop a keyword search • refer well across various library services • communicate library services based on student needs • Visit the writing center! • Think about the integration of the research & writing process • Questions: • Process vs product?

17. Writing Center: Secrets of Success?

18. Secrets of Success Peer-to-peer learning Space designed for conversation Drop-in + Scheduled consultations Active marketing Exceptionally well trained student staff! High value service Writing Center

19. Summer 2013 InqSpace

20. Service “Soft-Launch” Fall 2013 InqSpace: Research Consultations

21. Training InqSpecs in Composition Tutoring • Don’t address every problem in a paper • Writing is a skill and is, thus, best learned incrementally • Writers can only focus on one or two issues at a time • Shorter, focused consultations accomplish both of these goals

22. InqSpec Training: Comp. Basics • Understanding & Meeting Assignment Expectations • Thesis Statements • Essay Structure/Organization • Use of and Incorporation of Sources • Grammar

23. Composition Consultation Decision Process

24. Results so far...

25. Soft Launch Conversations about Research+Writing > 10 mins. +

26. Questions?

27. Assessment: Writing Tutor Responses How helpful did you find the training? How often do you help students with research?

28. Assessment: Writing Tutor Responses