Danny Pittaway
Student Success Coordinator,
Coastline Community College
Learning Assistance Project, 3CSN
10/12/2015
Student Success Department
 Provides learning assistance to all students to enhance
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student achievement
Annual budget of $400,000 (general funds + grants)
Serves 2,000+ students annually across five campuses
(LJC, NBC, GGC, CC, and ECHS), in specific course
sections, and online
1 full-time faculty member; 1.5 permanent assistants, 3
hourly assistants
60+ tutors who are hourly employees
The Tutors
 Many tutors are current Coastline students.
 Many are students at local 4-year or graduate-level
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institutions (e.g., CSUF, UCI, CSULB).
Tutors are at-will hourly employees who earn $15.43 per
hour.
Tutors complete tutor training (EDUC C101) typically in the
first term of employment.
A typical tutor assignment is 12 hours per week to work in a
Success Center while supporting one or two online courses
as an embedded tutor.
Other tutors split time between onsite course embedded
support and presence in the Success Center for drop-in
tutoring.
EDUC C101: Tutor TRAINING
• Online Course, half unit, 8 weeks
• Discussion Forum and final paper
• DOLPHIN
• Introduction to current andragogy:
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Reading Apprenticeship
Habits of Mind
Growth Mindset
Grit
Tutors as professional educators
A look back, a look forward
 In fall 2011, there was one Student Success Center (LJC)
that served a few hundred students annually
 The center at that time focused on basic skills English
and math.
 Today, we serve all students across all disciplines, and
tutors are trained through EDUC C101: Tutor Training
 Tutors specialize in writing, math, science, or
accounting, but can assist any student with basic study
skills and how to approach any class for success
Reading Activity
1.
Please read the article. (10 minutes)
2. Highlight one or two “golden lines” that resonate
with you as you read.
3. Share with a partner.
4. Share with the group.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Principles
Tutors are educational professionals.
Training should be rigorous, practical, and
sustainable.
Instructors and tutors have different yet
equitable roles.
Tutoring is about student empowerment.
Tutoring contributes to student success.
1. Tutors are educational professionals.
 Learning Assistance Domain
 Zone of Proximal Development
 Middle ground between novice and expert
Novice
Domain
Learning
Assistance
Domain
Expert
Domain
3. Instructors and tutors have different yet
equitable roles.
 Both occupy the instructional domain
 Tutors can focus on study skills and learning strategies
 Together, teachers and tutors have a powerful impact
 A teacher may be like the team coach; a tutor may be like a
personal trainer.
4. Tutoring is about student empowerment.
 Growth mindset
 GRIT
 Successful Habits of Mind
 DOLPHIN (Dream, Organize, Learn, Persist,
Have a plan, Innovate, Never give up)
 All students can benefit from tutoring
Course-Embedded Tutoring
Effective Practices
 The instructor is like the coach of the team
(class), and the tutor is like a personal trainer for
each player (student) on the team.
 The tutor is not a teaching assistant; tutors assist
students in learning
 Tutors may never grade anything or have access to
grades
 Instructor and tutor should communicate often to
establish a working rhythm
Course-Embedded Tutoring Versus
Supplemental Instruction
Course-Embedded Tutoring
Supplemental Instruction
•Tutor has a presence in the class
and attends, whether onsite or
online
•SI Leader has a presence in the
class and attends, whether onsite
or online
•Tutor likely also works in the
local Success Center on campus
for drop-in tutoring
•SI Leader prepares and
conducts a regular review
session and invites students to
attend (not mandatory)
•Most common in English and
math
•Most common in the biological
sciences
Master/Apprentice
 As an instructor, consider yourself a
master. A tutor embedded in your course is
like an apprentice.
 Many of us (instructors) started our
careers as tutors.
 Tutors develop empathy, communication
and problem-solving skills that will assist
them in their development as educators.
Faculty Expectations
 Assist in the promotion of instructor and student
surveys and encouraging students to give feedback
about the service
 Establish good working relationship with tutor based
on clear communication
 Respond or request in a timely fashion to assist our
department in setting things up
 Participate in regular training sessions and other
opportunities for professional learning related to
tutoring / learning assistance
How/What Mapping
 On a piece of paper, respond to the following questions:
 Think about a class you teach.
 What assignments or procedures do students struggle with?
 Do your students prepare well for your assignments?
 Do students turn things in on time?
 Do you believe that your students do not apply effective study
strategies/habits?
 What spaces exist that could be filled by a tutor?
 In thinking about yourself as the content expert and the tutor
as a learning assistance specialist, in what ways can you
position a tutor to help your students?
Next Steps
 Look for email sent on behalf of the Student Success
Department (usually Nicky Rehnberg or me) on
requesting an embedded tutor. We have a form for
requests.
 Contact nrehnberg@coastline.edu or
dpittaway@coastline.edu if you would like to work
with a course-embedded tutor in a future term.
Student Success Coordinator
 Daniel S. Pittaway, M.S. Ed.
 dpittaway@coastline.edu
 My primary office is at Le-Jao (Westminster).
 714-241-6184 x17419
 Email is the best way to reach me.