Tutoring
The School of Economics (SOE) Tutoring Programme 2008
Overview
In 2007 the Tutoring Programme within the SOE has gone through a
“restructuring” process. This process started by identifying those areas that
were key to the success and efficient running of the tutoring system, while at
the same time ensuring that the standard of tutoring was improved; before
discussing the measures and structures that were put in place it would be
beneficial to briefly outline context of tutoring in the SOE. Each semester the
SOE employs between 90 and 130 tutors that conduct hourly tutorials each week
for students studying economics 1, 2 or 3. In almost all cases tutorial are
compulsory and due to the sheer class sizes i.e. ECO1010f 1300, ECO2003f 1200
etc, it is often the only time that students able to clarify person issue of
understanding. Tutorials within the SOE are thus a vital part of the students
learning and understanding process.
New Structures and Processes
Most tutoring programmes focus mainly on tutoring training omitting key areas
such as recruitment as well as growth and development of the tutors’
professional capacity; however within the SOE we have widened the lens of our
focus. The three key areas of our tutoring system are:
- Recruitment and Selection (Getting the best people for the job)
- Training & Assessment (Ensuring that the “best people” have the adequate
tools)
- Growth and Development
Recruitment & Selection
This process begins by individuals wanting to tutor filling in an online
application form. Using this information the perspective tutors are then invited
to a Recruitment and Selection programme. This programme happens over two days
before the start of the semester. The first day is focused on areas such as
initial tutor training, assessing potential problems that tutors will face etc.
Here experts from CHED are involved. On the second day each perspective tutor
must go through a simulated tutorial experience. Here the tutor presents to a
class of between 5 and 10 individuals, 3 to 4 on the individuals in the class
are the top tutors or junior lecturers within in the SOE. Given the individuals
performance over the two day programme, they are then offered a tutoring
position.
Training
Each week there are weekly tutoring meetings that the tutors must attend.
Beginning in the second semester there will also be a 1 – 1˝hr session where
tutors will present part of the next week’s tutorial to their peers and experts
form CHED. This process is aimed at identifying the strengths and weakness of
the tutor and helping the tutor with problems that they may be facing. 5 – 6
Weeks into the semester a full tutor evaluation using VULA is conducted. Each
tutor is scored and those that are underperforming are then required to attend
the 1 – 1˝hr training session each week. In this way the SOE is able to keep the
standard of tutoring as high as possible.
2008 Tutoring
Currently all positions for tutoring in 1st semester 2008 have been filled.
This has been primarily due to the large number of tutors that have decided to
stay on. Note however late in February there will be an application that will go
out for tutoring in the second semester of 2008. The interviews for this will be
straight after the 1st semester mid-term break (Early April). When inviting
individuals to the interviews a combination of their academic progress and their
past experience is taken into account.
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