Integrating Academic Support and Tutoring into the Curriculum

Research shows one of the best ways to encourage students to utilize academic support resources early in their college career is to integrate it into the curriculum

  • Assignments can provide a feedback loop to faculty, where the assignment requires students to submit a reflection on support recommendations or an updated draft of submitted work
  • Higher order learning skills like metacognition or study strategies can be encouraged through review of a past quiz or exam with a tutor - with a follow up assignment of areas of challenge and strategies to improve

 Integration of Academic Supports for 1000 level courses

  • Recommended that faculty integrate with assignment by the end of the 4th week of classes and connect to early formative assessments or term-based or draft based assignments
  • Direct types of tutorial sessions to specific courses as appropriate or types of students as appropriate – by individualizing the assignment and offering choice, students can maximize impact based on their level in the class
  • Recommend using content from the chart below to identify which assignments are most appropriate for course types and student situations. Faculty can use these materials to  direct students appropriately

Assignment Type

Purpose

Center

Measure / Assessment

Review a quiz or exam with a tutor to address strategies and content understanding – could be initial formative assessment or four week assessment assignment

·       Best for courses where content builds on prior understanding

·       Also useful for courses whose assessment methods differ greatly from high school for example A&P or History

ASC,  SEC or Tutor.com

·       Compare students development on next exam or quiz – post intervention

·       Ask students to produce brief strategy assignment – how they will change their process

·       Student produces correct answers through study and review of content

Prepare a draft, source list, outline or other formative document for term-based written assignment – could be connected with an initial four week assessment

·       Best for courses with a term paper or term research project

·       Can be useful for draft based writing course

ASC, Writing Center, Tutor.com

·       Student includes formative documents with term paper or project

·       Assess level of writing and use of drafts following initial assignment

Assignment Type

Purpose

Center

Measure / Assessment

Prepare for an exam with a study session – focus on strategy or content understanding as needed

·       Useful for all courses

·       Best where first exam includes multiple chapters or is a midterm

·       Best directed to a student who had challenges with an initial assignment

ASC, SEC Tutor.com

·       Student develops personal study guide

·       Assess performance on following exams and strategy use

Review challenging material; engage in scaffolded practice with tutor.

·       Useful for all courses; particularly those without an equivalent course in high school - philosophy

·       Scaffolded practice is best for courses developing procedural skills – mathematics, science, writing, research etc.

ASC, SEC, Tutor.com

·       Submit additional practice work or annotated notes on challenging material

·       Assess pre and post understanding of content