Tutorials Center

by Lori Chavez, Coordinator

The Tutorials Center provides free, academic support in a comfortable and focused environment utilizing peer tutors. Peer tutors are enrolled Cabrillo College students who provide support to approximately 300 students each semester. By the end of the 3rd day of this semester we already had 85 students scheduled!

Tutoring sessions are by appointment and are specific to a class and instructor. Since our tutors are also students, sessions are arranged around their availability while taking into account the class schedules. With everyone being so ‘calendared’ these days (home, school, work etc.) it can be very difficult to find times to accommodate all the varying schedules; however, we do our very best.

The bulk of our tutoring sessions are for Career Technical Education programs as we receive a VTEA allocation to meet that need. Those majors include Accounting, Allied Health, Computer Science, Culinary Arts, Digital Media to name a few.

The intake process is simple and must be done in person (2nd floor of the library). Students give us some basic demographics and sign a Scheduling Agreement which outlines the expectations of both the tutor and the tutee. Participating in Tutorials requires a weekly commitment all semester and 24-hour notice if cancelling. We also have educational materials students can check out to help them study i.e. skeletal bones, flashcards, molecular models.

A common myth is that students who utilize tutors are struggling or need to be struggling. Not so! Tutoring is for anyone who wants to deepen her knowledge and understanding and increase his confidence. You can see by how busy we were the first few days of the semester that many of our students are proactive and set up appointments right away. If you do identify a student who is struggling, please refer him/her to us for support in time to recover. Also, we are happy to receive your syllabi or instructional materials so tutors may familiarize themselves with your class content. small group tutor

Based on program needs, tutors are hired as: Student Assistants, Student Volunteers or Student Externs volunteering for work experience credit. Tutors work with 1-8 students per session; sessions vary from 1-2 hours. Peer tutors are required to enroll in the Tutoring Methods class (LIBR 203) at Cabrillo and are required to submit a Faculty Recommendation Form for the subjects they wish to tutor.

The Tutorials Center is accredited by the College Reading & Learning Association. Peer tutors have the opportunity to earn an International Tutor Training Program Certificate which is a great addition to a resume or a college application.

Research indicates peer tutoring improves confidence, study skills, personal responsibility and academic success. Often, rapport can be more easily established when working with someone of a similar role/status or at a similar age level. This allows students to better relate and to bridge learning gaps with less pressure.

Tutorials is open Mon.-Thurs. 9-5 and Fri. 9-1 (limited tutoring), and we're located upstairs behind the Library in the LRC, room 1080A.

Some Reflections on Tutoring in Small Groups

by John T. Wood (Chemistry tutor since 2012)

Tutoring in small groups rather than working one-on-one provides distinct advantages to the average student. A small group structure provides personalized interaction and help, while at the same time harnessing the power of diverse minds and viewpoints focused on a common problem. With multiple participants in a tutoring session asking questions, a more rounded discussion of the topic emerges that allows the students not just to understand the subject, but also how others perceive the subject and their struggles with it. Group tutoring teaches students to work together to solve problems through discourse and structured debate rather than going it alone. In doing so, students learn to work in a competitive but also cooperative manner. These interactions nurture confidence in students as they help others to master an idea that they themselves have just recently mastered. Small group interactions bring about an appreciation and respect for the diverse and varied approaches that others might take on the same issue while reinforcing each student’s sense of achievement and contribution.

Group tutoring offers students the opportunity to use the language skills that are required for the class with others who are familiar with the discipline (or need to be). By engaging their peers in conversation in situations where they have to use the jargon, as well as hearing it from proficient users of the language (i.e. instructors and tutors), these skills are nurtured. In group tutorials, tutors can monitor and provide constructive feedback on the proper usage of terminology.

Group tutoring facilitates the development of goal-oriented, peer-support networks within students’ areas of interest (allowing them to participate more fully in their programs) and facilitates academic and professional collaboration with others now and in the future. The relationships that students form with their fellow group members are often sustained throughout the remainder of their academic journey–and may persist beyond into their professional careers. Often, this kind of peer-support networking provides the incentive to continue onward even when times get rough.

Integrated Learning Center / Tutorials Center / Reading Center / Writing Center / Math Learning Center