DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT OF A
PEER-TUTORING PROGRAM FOR
BASIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
February 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
• Relationship of Geography to other sciences
• Composition of Earth’s crust
• Location of the International Date Line
• Longitude of the Prime Meridian
52%
50%
60%
59%
55%
data from early quiz results, fall 2009
candidate tutors
Eval. of
interested
students
Initial eval.
of essential
concepts
assessment methods
Recruit
tutoring
participant
Compilation
of initial
results
Current
geography
students
repeated problematic concepts
Quizzes/
exercises
tutoring methods
problematic concepts
student responses
concept assessment
Interested
students
Eval. of
interested
students
evaluation
data
Instructor
Tutoring
participants
enrolled participant
Final eval.
of essential
concepts
untutored responses
Untutored
student group
Midterm
/final
exams
assessment methods
PROCESS DIAGRAM:
PEER TUTORING - GEOGRAPHY
tutoring
activiity
concept questions
Tutored
student
outcomes
evaluation
data
Compilation
of final
results
Untutored
Student
outcomes
findings
Essential
concepts
criteria
Successful
geography
students
Potential
tutoring
group
incentives
Tutored
responses
Instructor
Concepts
assessment
formatting
criteria
Geography
Tutors
(PATH)
concept assessment
Learning
Connection
(PATH)
Hired tutors
findings
Interview
and sel. of
candidates
 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
 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
 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
 ??
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
 ??