DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF A PEER-TUTORING PROGRAM FOR

BASIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENTFebruary 19, 2010

Here’s a sample of the problem: % of students who erroneously identified

concepts essential to critical thinking in Geography

• Methodology of spatial analysis 52%• Relationship of Geography to other sciences 50%• Composition of Earth’s crust

60%• Location of the International Date Line

59%• Longitude of the Prime Meridian 55%

data from early quiz results, fall 2009

Learning Connection

(PATH)

Instructor

Successful geography students

Tutored student

outcomes

UntutoredStudent

outcomes

Tutoringparticipants

Untutoredstudent group

Final eval.of essential

concepts

Initial eval.of essential

concepts

Compilation of initial results

Eval. of interested students

Eval. of interested students

criteria

criteria

Inte

rest

ed

stud

ents

Concepts assessment formatting

Quizzes/exercises

assessment methods

Essentialconcepts

Midterm/final

exams

assessment methods

conc

ept a

sses

smen

t

Current geography students

student responses

evaluationdata

Potential tutoring

group

GeographyTutors(PATH)

Interview and sel. of candidates

Hired tutors

Recruit tutoring

participant

Instructorincentives

enrolled participant

Compilation of final results

evaluationdata

Tutoredresponses

conc

ept a

sses

smen

t

untutored responses

problematic concepts

findi

ngs

findings

tutoring activiity

tutoring methods

concept questions

repeated problematic concepts

PROCESS DIAGRAM:PEER TUTORING - GEOGRAPHY

cand

idat

e tu

tors

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

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

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

Advantages of peer tutoring

??

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

STRATEGIES ??