DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF A PEER-TUTORING PROGRAM FOR BASIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

1. DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF A PEER-TUTORING PROGRAM FOR BASIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT February 19, 2010

2. Here’s a sample of the problem: % of students who erroneously identified concepts essential to critical thinking in Geography • Methodology of spatial analysis52% • Relationship of Geography to other sciences 50% • Composition of Earth’s crust60% • Location of the International Date Line59% • Longitude of the Prime Meridian 55% data from early quiz results, fall 2009

3. Instructor Interview and sel. of candidates Geography Tutors (PATH) Hired tutors incentives tutoring activiity tutoring methods Learning Connection (PATH) criteria problematic concepts Potential tutoring group Tutoring participants Recruit tutoring participant Eval. of interested students concept questions Tutored student outcomes candidate tutors enrolled participant Tutored responses Compilation of initial results Initial eval. of essential concepts findings Instructor Final eval. of essential concepts evaluation data evaluation data Compilation of final results criteria Essential concepts student responses concept assessment concept assessment Eval. of interested students Current geography students findings untutored responses Untutored Student outcomes Concepts assessment formatting Untutored student group Interested students repeated problematic concepts Quizzes/exercises Midterm/final exams Successful geography students assessment methods assessment methods PROCESS DIAGRAM: PEER TUTORING - GEOGRAPHY

4. METHODS Recruit peer tutors for introductory physical geography from population of recently successful students Identify essential concepts with high frequencies of misunderstanding early in the course Assess understanding of basic concepts before and after tutoring, for each student and for the two populations: tutored and untutored student groups

5. STRATEGIES Evaluate early assessment results to identify basic concepts not easily grasped in early stages of the course Begin tutoring sessions only after 4-5 weeks of assessment by the instructor and by the students themselves Encourage participation through stories offered by the tutors, and through extra credit points

6. Advantages of peer tutoring Students less inhibited to ask questions and admit deficiencies in study skills Adds regularly scheduled periods to focus on the textbook and/or other learning resources Peer tutors have recent empathy for students’ particular problems interfacing with the instructor Encourages active learning

7. Advantages of peer tutoring ??

8. Problems encountered • Recruitment & motivation • Voluntary process  some mismatch between those in need and participants • Communication among instructors and tutors • Regular meetings for feedback & strategies would be helpful: scheduling issues • Different tactics among instructors and tutors toward improving students’ study skills • PATH Center restricted hours & student schedules • Persistence of all involved

9. STRATEGIES ??