FAQ’s and More Information about Tutors, Groups, and Study Tables:

Who are the Subject-Area tutors?

The Learning Co-op strongly believes in a peer-tutoring model.  All tutors are UVM students who have met a certain grade requirement (B+ or better) and received a written recommendation from their professor for each course that they wish to tutor.  Additionally, all tutors complete mandatory training prior to beginning work in the Learning Co-op.

What does a Subject-Area tutor do?

The Subject-Area tutors in the Learning Co-op work in a number of ways to provide FREE academic support for UVM students. 

Individual tutors meet with students one-on-one to answer questions, clarify content, and suggest ways to approach mastering the material in a particular class.  Tutors will NOT re-lecture, do a student’s homework, check answers or correct graded homework (tutors are never to work on graded assignments with students), or otherwise undermine a professor.  Tutoring is a supplement to class time and a student’s individual study, not a replacement for either.  Tutoring sessions are not a substitute for missed classes. Instead, students who have missed a class are encouraged to see their instructor. Tutors strive to prevent students from becoming dependent upon them, but rather work to help students become independent learners.

Group Tutors hold set hours each week during which students may drop-in without having to make an appointment to work with a tutor.  Drop-In group sessions are held throughout the week for a number of different subjects, including Math 19, BCOR 11/12, and CHEM 31, to name a few.  Group tutors provide the same sort of support as individual tutors, while also fostering a supportive learning environment and promoting group interaction, so students have the benefit of learning from their peers and the ability to consult a tutor for further clarification.  Studies show active learning, and learning collectively with peers, is the best way to improve retention of new material, and the Group Tutoring offered in the Learning Co-op is based on this model.  Tutors are trained to facilitate collaborative learning in this manner.

How do students make an appointment with a tutor?

To meet with a tutor, students need only drop by the Learning Co-op in Living/Learning Commons, Room 244, during daytime hours any weekday (Call the Learning Co-op at 802-656-4075 for the exact schedule) to fill out some paperwork and to meet with an intake counselor. All the necessary policies & procedures are explained during intake, which takes just about 15 minutes, and the student will then be given information about how to contact a tutor.

 

How can you encourage students to utilize tutoring in the Learning Co-op?

The best way to encourage your students to use the Learning Co-op is simply to help raise awareness of the services the Learning Co-op offers.  Inform your students that the Learning Co-op offers free tutoring; you may even consider including this information in your syllabus.  Here is a sample passage you may feel free to use:

The Learning Cooperative in Living & Learning Commons Room 244 has peer tutors available for this course. Tutoring is FREE for all students and appointments can be arranged at a wide variety of days and times, even after hours and on weekends. 

If you are unsure whether or not the Learning Co-op currently has a tutor for your course on staff, you may call the Learning Co-op (802-656-4075) or contact Rachel Conrad, Tutor Program Coordinator (802-656-7841/ rconrad@uvm.edu) for the most recent listing.

If there are no tutors currently on staff for your course, the Learning Co-op would love to receive your recommendations for tutors.  For more information on how to recommend a student to work in the Learning Co-op, please follow this link: <Link should bring you to the same page as the “Recommend Tutors for your Course(s)” link under the subject area tutoring heading>

When interacting with your students, mention that free tutoring is available through the Learning Co-op in several courses. If you think that your students' academic difficulties are not so much content specific but relate more to such factors as time management, test anxiety, note-taking, etc., inform your students that the Co-op's free Learning Skills Program can assist them in building those skills.  For more information on Learning Skills tutoring, please follow this link: http://www.uvm.edu/learnco/?Page=coopprogs/ls.html&SM=coopprogs/coopprogsSubmenu.html
 
To allow them to make the most of our services, remind students about the Learning Co-op before and after graded criteria are due (e.g., quizzes, exams, projects, lab reports, papers).

When providing feedback to students about their academic performance (e.g., on quiz & exam papers, mid-semester grade reports), suggest that they go to the Learning Co-op to get help improving their academic performance.

How can you help the Learning Co-op’s Subject-Area Tutoring Program?

The Co-op is always looking to hire qualified tutors, and we appreciate your input in the process.  Please feel free to talk with your best students about the opportunity to work as a tutor in the Learning Co-op, and recommend those students you think would best fill this role.  Your feedback is invaluable as we seek to employ the most talented and engaged students on campus.  Of particular interest are students who:

• Will be at UVM for at least two more semesters
• Are academically strong in one or more high-demand areas: (Sciences, Math & Statistics, Business & Economics)
• Have well-developed oral communication skills
• Have an aptitude for comfortably relating to other people

The recommendation can be completed on-line by following the link embedded below.  Clicking the link will open a new window and will require you to enter your UVm netID and password.  Once completed, the recommendation will be sent to our office directly.  Please be sure to include the name of the student you are recommending and each of the courses for which you are recommending them.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the recommendation process or tutoring program in general, please feel free to contact Rachel Conrad, Tutor Program Coordinator (656-7841/rconrad@uvm.edu).

http://www.uvm.edu/~learnco/fac/facrec/

Last modified April 15 2011 11:35 AM