Using Peer Leaders & Peer Tutors
To Improve College Students’
Academic Success
Johanna Dvorak, PhD.
Educational Program Director
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Higher education has increasingly turned to
student leaders to help their peers adjust to
college and to succeed academically.
Johanna Dvorak, Director of Educational Support
Services at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
has used peer leaders for over 25 years to ensure
academic success.
Who is attending?
• Post-secondary Learning Center Managers:
Colleges and Universities, Community Colleges,
and Technical Colleges
• Post-secondary Learning Center Professionals
with an interest in management
• New professionals in the field of college learning
assistance who aspire to become program
managers
Overview: Peer-led Programs
This webinar will focus on four aspects of organizing
a peer-tutoring program to improve student
learning and retention, and is applicable to other
peer leader programs.
Participants will be able to improve tutoring
program practices in the following areas:
Overview: Peer-led Programs
• Choosing the most effective peer tutoring
program service components for your campus
• Interviewing strategies to find the
best peer tutors
• Evaluating and improving the
quality of peer tutor performance
• Understanding various models of
tutor training and modes of delivery
Define your Program within your
Institution
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What is your Mission Statement?
What are your college’s mandates?
What is your/their vision?
Set goals and objectives
What are your resources to accomplish your
mission/goals?
Example: UWM PASS Mission
• The goal of PASS is to help students achieve
academic success
• We work with programs, departments,
schools and colleges across campus to
build partnerships and collaborations
• We target students who are taking 100- and 200level courses (and some 300-level)
• We serve all students taking these courses but
especially freshmen and sophomores
Strategic Planning Framework*
• Structural Frame:
Formal Division of Responsibilities
• Human Resources Frame:
Needs of Staff and Students
• Political Frame:
Political Interests and Coalitions
• Symbolic Frame:
Organizational Culture
*Bolman and Deal, Reframing Organizations, 4th Ed. (2008)
Structuring your Center:
Formal Responsibilities
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Organizing/Planning
Budgeting
Promoting
Staffing
Evaluating
Structure:
Staffing with Peer Tutors/Leaders
Terms and responsibilities for peer leaders vary
depending on title and role (peer tutors, peer
educators, Supplemental Instruction leaders,
mentors or academic coaches).
For any of these roles, peer leaders can be a
valuable and cost-efficient way
to improve student academic
success.
Staffing with Peer Tutors/Leaders
Pros
• Cost Effective
• Providing Leadership
Opportunities
• Students relate well to
their peers
• Peers are “in tune” with
students’ questions
• Develops culture of
success
Cons
• High Turnover
• Recruitment: Can be
harder to find peers
• Quality can vary
• Continual training
needed
• Staff motivation can
wane with constant
rehiring
» Some Interview questions
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Tell me about yourself and briefly describe your school/work experience.
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How did you find out about the tutoring position?
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Why do you feel qualified to be a tutor/SI leader for this course?
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Please describe any previous tutoring experiences, either formal or informal,
that you have had.
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Give an example of a study tip/study strategy that you would encourage a
student to employ in your subject area.
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What do you feel is one of your strongest abilities as a student/worker? What
is something you continue to work on?
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Describe your experience with online classes or other instruction; tell me
about your ability with computer technology.
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Please choose a short topic and demonstrate a tutoring session, with me as
your student.
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What questions do you have for me?
Your Turn
• What are your
interviewing strategies
to hire peer tutors or
peer leaders?
• What interview
questions have you
found to be effective?
• What is your staffing
process? When and
how do you staff?
Choosing the Most Effective Peer
Tutoring Service Components
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Peer Tutoring Program
Online Tutoring Services
Supplemental Instruction
Mentoring
Other Learning Assistance Models
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Peer Led Team Learning
Structured Learning Assistance
Teaching Teams
Study Groups
Panther Academic Support Services
(PASS) Services
• Weekly tutoring available
individually or in groups
• Supplemental Instruction
sessions: group reviews
offered four times a week for
large lecture courses
• Walk-in assistance available
at the help desks
• Online tutoring: weekly,
exam review sessions,
blended review sessions
Organizing a Tutoring Program
• Types of Tutoring
– Scheduled
• Weekly or by appointment
– Individual or Group Tutoring
– Online Tutoring
– Walk-in Tutoring
– In-Class Tutoring
– Residence Hall Tutoring
Organizing Online Tutoring
Overview of UWM’s Online and
Blended Tutoring Service
• Our center has conducted online tutoring in our center
for 15 years in various formats.
• We use a synchronous online web-conferencing system
to allow for real- time online sessions using a
whiteboard, documents and the Internet.
• Our peer tutors are trained to use web conferencing and
Smartboard technology and to conduct active learning
strategies
• Tutors and students were surveyed to assess the impact
of the service
Types of Online Tutoring Services
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Weekly Tutoring Sessions
Tutoring for Online Courses
Exam and Finals Review Sessions
Archives available for review
Evening/Weekend Tutoring provided by
NetTutor
• Online Academic Support on the PASS D2L
sites
The Newest Service: Blended Tutoring
• The online environment is becoming a preferred means of
communication, especially for Generation Y
• Students taking online courses at a distance cannot come in
person to sessions
• Most on-campus students prefer to see a tutor or SI leader
in person
• Students take online, on-campus and blended courses
• Both types of students can use either mode or a blended
format
Factors We Considered for an
Online and Blended Tutoring Service
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Cost: Received an Educational Tech Grant
Staffing: Tutors are already hired for F2F
Training: Grant funded a grad student
Online courses: Campus commitment to growing number
of online course conversions
• Student population: 2000+ online-only students
• Technology: UW-System pilot project ( 2010-11): using a
webconferencing system; Year 2: funded
• Time: Staff time, grad student 20 hours per week, work
study student support, tutor training
Training Program
• Tutors attend 4 one-hour
training sessions
conducted by our
graduate student
program assistant
• Tutors have to complete
30 training objectives
• Incentives
• New Tutors had to
conduct one session
• 2-hour online exam
reviews are the most
popular
• Sessions are archived for
review
• Key concepts were
captured for future
semesters
Your Turn
• Do you offer online
tutoring?
• Do you use your own
tutors or a tutoring
service?
• How can you use peer
tutors in an online
tutoring program?
Supplemental Instruction and
other Peer-led Support
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
• SI, a national program, which began in 1972 at University of
Missouri Kansas City, has demonstrated a significant
difference in student retention nationally
• Courses are selected in which freshman enrollment is 25% or
more
• We select difficult courses, often large lecture classes or core
courses with 20%+ DFW rates
• SI leaders attend course lectures & hold four review sessions
per week plus desk hours
• SI leaders support professors
• SI leaders also focus on study strategies
PASS
SupplementaI Instruction Program
• Began in 1995 with four courses
• Has now expanded to 50 courses because it has been
shown to enhance achievement
• UWM’s Access to Success
initiative lists SI as one of the most
effective interventions for first year
students
• Both grade in class and retention are improved
Other Services
Use peer leaders for:
• Class visits
• Academic coaching
• Share academic
resources
• Lead study groups
How else can you use
peer leaders in your
program?
Training and Evaluation
Training
• Develop a credit course
• Pay tutors for meetings
throughout the semester
• Provide an orientation at
the beginning of the
semester
• Develop a course training
site
• Develop online and print
resources
Evaluation
• Use a survey feature like
Survey Monkey
• Use a paper survey to
distribute at various points
of the semester at tutoring
tables
• Use email surveys after
sessions
• Have tutors/SI leaders
evaluate the program
Thank You!
Johanna Dvorak, PhD
Educational Program Director
PASS/Bolton 180
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
PO Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201