November 3, 2010 OnLine Tutoring On a Shoe String Budget Our
Online Tutors Tutor David Taylor also Works in Academic Support
Online tutoring continues to grow, especially in the area of
English and writing. Math and science tutoring online is rather
sporadic with fewer students using the service for those subjects.
We are marketing the service by e-mailing both students and
instructors at the beginning of and then again near the mid-term of
the semester. We have posters around campus that advertise both on
campus and online tutoring services. Instructors announce the
services in class and/or through Bb. When students come into
Academic Support we are emphasizing the fact that tutoring extends
beyond these walls. Much of the business is word of mouth as
students become familiar with online tutoring, they are telling
their friends and classmates. We still offer biology and A&P
tutoring online. David Taylor is tutoring those subjects as well as
helping Brooks Pace with math tutoring. Since David is working for
us both on campus and online, he is the bridge between the two
services. We would like to offer more official chemistry tutoring
online, although Lisa Bass our on-campus chemistry tutor has been
working with students through e-mail. Both Lisa and David are
working with students both on-campus and online and use their time
for both. In order for the online tutoring to be completely on par
with the on- campus services, we would need more resources -
another tutor to help out with chemistry and some equipment such as
a writing tablet for math and science. The English and writing
assistance is much needed, so we hired someone to help out
particularly with proof reading literature essays. Many schools are
using outside platforms and tutoring services, but we have kept our
homegrown approach as it keeps the community connected. Although
slow to develop, CCC s online tutoring service is providing
meaningful assistance to students in a variety or courses, from
math and algebra to English, psychology and sociology and science
courses. Here is a comment from a distance learning student this
semester who was having difficulty accessing a computer CD that
accompanied her textbook: I am amazed at how wonderful you and Mr.
Brooks Pace are to us. Thank you for being here for us at anytime
we need help. It can be stressful here at home sometimes by
ourselves when we need help. You guys are our release thanks! One
of the best things about the service is that students who have been
helped one semester are returning for help with their other course
work, and they are referring other students. A few instructors are
also directing their students to the Online Tutoring Service for
assistance which serves both the students and instructors. Whether
responding to e-mails or Blackboard Discussion Board postings, we
try to be prompt in our responses and to provide meaningful
feedback to enhance the students understanding of the material they
are learning, and that seems to be working as evidenced by this
students comment: I just wanted to thank you again for your help
with my essay. I got a 97! I learned a lot from your tips too, so
thank you again. We as online tutors want to facilitate learning,
not do their work for them. We also make ourselves available by
phone, if necessary, and have even met with a few students face-to-
face. In addition to the tutoring, the Blackboard site offers
resources and links that help some students self-serve. When
necessary we will e-mail instructors to be sure we are clear on
what their expectations are for their classes or a particular
assignment. We would like to have even more collaboration with CCC
faculty, whether it be to help their students fine-tune their work
or spend some extra time with those who need some remedial help. We
all know that many CCC students are juggling, school work and
families, so online learning is the best option for their
education. It does, however, limit their face-to-face access to
instructors during their office hours or to campus academic
support. As more and more classes are being offered online and more
and more students are taking online courses, the benefits and use
of online tutoring is likely to grow. Were blazing into a new realm
of student support here at Carteret Community College. The power of
distance learning at our College is dramatic, and undeniable. As
our DL program turns 12 this semester, we have reached some
dramatic milestones: * 169 online (web-based, hybrid, and full)
courses are being taught this semester;* 72% of students enrolled
this semester are taking at least one online course;* 47% of
courses offered are being taught online. With this backdrop, it is
critical to understand that we MUST provide all of our support
services online. We currently have advising online and we have
recently implemented an online tutoring service. After reviewing
the field of proprietary online tutoring services, we determined
that, at this time, it may be more cost-effective (and more
effective overall) to develop our own in-house tutoring service.
Our Timeline---------- Smart Thinking Considered (Aug 07) Decision
to do it in-house (Oct 07) Write proposal for Pilot Program (Oct
07) Determine high needs courses (Dec 07) Math, English, &
Science (Bio / A&P) Timeline cont. Design the program (Nov -
Dec 07) Recruit and train tutors (Dec - Jan 07) Promote the program
(early March 08) Roll out tutoring (mid-March 08) Fall 08: Market
and Offer Services on BB Fall 09: Academic Support Takes Over
Discussion Board for Connecting and Communicating