Presented by: Stefanie Anderson, Math Services Coordinator Michael Ruwe, Learning Services Coordinator University of North Carolina Wilmington STUDY SESSIONS: AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO GROUP TUTORING

 Public Institution  Located on the shores of southeast North Carolina  Student Enrollment: 14,500 undergrads and graduate students  Faculty: 625 full-time, 271 part-time faculty  Offers 55 bachelor’s degrees, and 42 master degree programs, 2 doctoral degrees UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON

Four Services 1.Learning Services: individual tutoring for most University Studies courses 2.Math Services: a drop-in Math Lab and select individual appointments 3.Supplemental Instruction: a series of peer- facilitated group review sessions designed to help students succeed in historically difficult courses 4.Writing Services: individual appointments and a drop-in Writing Lab for students to receive response to drafts of their papers while they work on improving their writing skills UNIVERSITY LEARNING CENTER (ULC)

 During the academic year:  the ULC provided academic support for more than 35% of UNCW’s students  60 tutors were CRLA certified ULC NUMBERS

 Problem: Fall 2010 – Statistics (STT) 215  High demand for statistics tutoring  Very few students interested in tutoring statistics  Growing student body with a stagnant budget  Solution #1: Spring 2011 – Pilot of Supplemental Instruction (SI) for STT 215  Low attendance during first 1/3 of the semester  Solution #2: Study Sessions  Mid-semester the sessions were opened to all STT 215 students  Program now supports 3 courses: Physics, Spanish, & Statistics THE START OF STUDY SESSIONS

 Study Sessions are NOT  One-on-one content tutoring  Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL)  Structured Learning Assistance (SLA)  Supplemental Instruction (SI) STUDY SESSION: DEFINED

 Study Sessions are: Peer-Assisted Group Tutoring  Peer  Student leader who is CRLA certified or in training  Assisted  Guide, counselor, translator, mentor, coach, resource  Group Tutoring  Sometimes 2 students, sometimes 20 or more students  “…people from similar social groupings who are not professional teachers helping each other to learn and learning themselves by teaching” (Topping, 322). STUDY SESSION: DEFINED

Ideal Study Session Leader  Veteran tutor who has already achieved Regular certification  Graduate student  Teaching Assistant Recommendation of  Faculty  Current tutors  Academic Advisor Search  Academic Departments  Student Clubs  Advisees PEER: RECRUITMENT OF STUDY SESSIONS LEADERS

 ULC is certified through the College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA)  ULC offers Regular, Advanced, Master level CRLA certification  All ULC tutors/leaders/mentors are required to achieve Regular certification  Advanced & Master levels are optional PEER: TRAINING STUDY SESSIONS LEADERS

Study Session Leader Handbook:  Study Session Definition  Job Description  Approaches  Challenges  Rewards Weekly & Bi-Monthly Meetings with Coordinator  Individual weekly meetings  Staff bi-monthly meetings PEER: TRAINING STUDY SESSIONS LEADERS

 Guide: Position students in a way that their efforts are meaningful.  Counselor: Be aware of psychological and motivational components of learning.  Translator: Help students interpret instructor’s jargon and prompt s.  Mentor: Share knowledge of subject content & learning strategies.  Coach: Encourage, challenge, and support students.  Resource: Refer students to the proper resources. ASSISTED: ROLES OF THE STUDY SESSION LEADER

 Advantages of Group Tutoring  Students learn content info & study strategies  Students develop collaborative skills  Students gain an understanding of diverse intellectual approaches, personal backgrounds, and educational viewpoints  Leaders develop leadership and organizational skills  Cost effective program  “…learning may be viewed as being first developed in small group settings that are precursors to the…individual processes” (Wertch qtd. in Jones & Brader-Araje). GROUP TUTORING

For any one course supported by Study Sessions:  Number of sessions per week: 2 or 3  Duration of sessions: 1, 1.5, or 2 hours  Attendance status: drop-in; attendance not mandatory  Mission statement: an opportunity for students to ask questions and learn with peers  PHY 101  Tues 6:00pm-7:30pm in Deloach 213; Thur 2:30pm-4:00pm in Deloach 212  STT 215  Mon 6:00pm-7:00pm in Cameron 210; Tues 12:30pm-1:30pm in Cameron 210  Thur 5:00pm-6:00pm in Cameron 211  SPN 201  Tues 5:00pm-6:30pm in DePaolo 2017; Thur 4:30pm-6:00pm in DePaolo 2017 UNCW STUDY SESSIONS: FALL 2015 PRACTICAL OVERVIEW

 Challenges  Faculty do not always cover the same material  Possibility of different books being used  Faculty members cover material at different paces  Solutions  Depends on the number of students in the study session  If many – group according to instructor  If 2-3 – work the room as if it is a drop-in lab PHYSICS & STATISTICS CHALLENGES

 Challenges  SPN 201 “Intermediate SPN I = for students who have previous experience with SPN; are designated this class through a placement test  Fall 2015: 24 sections of SPN 201 offered; 24 students per section = approximately 576 students  Solution  Unlike PHY 101 & STT 215, SPN 201 students are permitted to receive individual tutoring SPANISH CHALLENGES

 First assessment – Fall 2013: Student Assessment of Study Sessions (PHY 101, ARH 201, SPN 120, & STT 215)  Low response rate but valuable information:  71% heard about the service from their instructor  83% indicated “To study for a test” as the reason for attending the study session  50% disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement, “The leader helped me develop study strategies”  58% agreed/strongly agreed with the statement, “I would attend study sessions in the future” FALL 2013 ASSESSMENT NUMBERS

 Fall 2014: Student Evaluation of Study Sessions – a separate assessment for each subject  Low response rate again!  What we learned:  PHY 101 – 83% felt they were prepared and that the leader made them think critically  STT 215 – half did not come prepared, 0 students felt the leader helped them develop study strategies, 75% disagreed that the leader was encouraging  SPN 201 – all students felt they were prepared, 88% felt their confidence with the course material improved FALL 2014 ASSESSMENT

 Spring 2015 – Student Evaluation of Study Sessions – a separate assessment for each subject  Partnered with EDL 553 – Evaluation and Assessment in Higher Education SPRING 2015 ASSESSMENT

 Highlights – SPN 201  Students chose to attend for test preparation  The Leader designed the study session based on students’ expressed needs and wants  Students who attended sessions felt more comfortable with the skills addressed during sessions  Students felt more prepared for tests, quizzes, and assignments  Recommendations  Continue assessment each semester  More weekly sessions  Marketing SPN ASSESSMENT – SPRING 2015

 Highlights - STT 215  61% of students heard about the service from the weekly s  Chose to attend for test preparation  Only attending 1-2 sessions  Leader helped them develop study strategies that would benefit them in class  “I was able to work in groups with other students in the study sessions” - 73%  Recommendations  Earlier session times  Emphasize group work in Study Session leader training  Marketing STT ASSESSMENT – SPRING 2015

 Highlights – PHY 102  Heard about the service from the instructor  Disagreed that the leader helped them develop study strategies  Agreed that the leader made them think critically  Students would attend in the future  Recommendations  Emphasize incorporating study strategies during training  Marketing PHY ASSESSMENT - SPRING 2015

CREATING A STUDY SESSION PROGRAM SHARE - Discuss as a large group PAIR – With a partner, share your ideas from the worksheet THINK - Answer the Questions to Consider before Implementing a Study Session Program

Questions? References Alcorn, M. W. (2001). “Ideological death and grief in the classroom: Mourning as a prerequisite to learning.” Journal for the Psychoanalysis of Society and Culture. 6(2), Dunlosky, J. (2013). Strengthening the student toolbox: Study strategies to boost learning. American Educator. 37(3), Fullmer, P. (2012). Assessment of tutoring laboratories in a learning assistance center. Journal of College Reading and Learning. 42(2), Jones, G., & Brader-Araje, L. (2002). The impact of constructivism on education: Language, discourse, and meaning. American Communication Journal. 5(3). Retrieved from Paulson, E. C. (2012). A discourse mismatch theory of college learning. In K. Agee & R. Hodges (Eds.), Handbook for Training Peer Tutors and Mentors (pp. 7-10). Mason, OH: Cengage. Topping, K.J. (1996). The effectiveness of peer tutoring in further and higher education: A typology and review of the literature. Higher Education. 32(3) Wong, W. (2006). Essential Study Skills. 5 th ed. Boston: Houghton.