Traditional Tutoring Research Articles

A Literature Review on Coaching Methods for Tutoring Students in Undergraduate Education

Recently, the integration of coaching methodologies within educational environments has garnered significant attention due to their potential to enhance student learning outcomes and overall academic performance. While the literature extensively examines the effectiveness of coaching in a plethora of scenarios (e.g., sports, business, and entrepreneurship), there remains a notable research gap regarding its application within undergraduate educational environments, where coachees have unique characteristics in terms of background, age/maturity, resources availability, and population size. This literature review aims to address this gap by synthesizing existing research on the implementation of coaching strategies in educational settings and how they can cope with a large number of students. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study elucidates the current state of knowledge, identifies prevailing methodologies, and evaluates the outcomes associated with employing coaching techniques in group contexts. Moreover, this work explores the potential benefits and challenges of utilizing coaching strategies in group sessions, offering insights into their scalability and applicability within diverse educational settings. The findings of this review underscore the importance of further research in this domain to advance our understanding of how coaching methodologies can be effectively adapted to facilitate collaborative learning experiences and promote student success on a broader scale. Ultimately, this study advocates for the integration of group coaching approaches as a promising avenue for enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of traditional tutoring and mentoring practices in education.

Investigating undergraduate students ability in solving calculus problems using microsoft maths solver application

This research work investigated the ability of 100 level undergraduate students in Novena University Ogume, Delta State. Two hundred (200) students from four departments were selected using the stratified random sampling techniques. Frequency counts and percentages were used to obtain a total picture of student ability towards calculus. Also, a student’s t-test was used to check whether there was a significant difference between the means. The observed difference between the mean is significant at the .01 level. Results of the research showed that the use of Microsoft Math Solver aided learners in understanding basic concepts in calculus, as compared with the traditional tutorial approach.

Academic Self-Efficacy of Upper Grade Students: The Impact of Tutoring

This quantitative comparative study aims to examine the differences in academic self-efficacy among upper grade students in elementary schools in Sidoarjo, specifically in relation to tutoring. The research population consisted of fourth and fifth-grade students from Larangan State Elementary School and Muhammadiyah 2 Kedungbanteng Elementary School, with a total of 185 subjects. The Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, comprising 27 items, was used to measure self-perceived abilities. Data analysis involved the two independent sample t-test technique. The results indicated no significant difference (p > 0.5) in academic self-efficacy between students who received tutoring and those who did not. The Cronbach's Alpha test demonstrated high reliability (0.890) for the academic self-efficacy scale. This study highlights that tutoring did not have a significant impact on the academic self-efficacy of upper grade students. These findings provide implications for educators and parents in considering alternative strategies to enhance students' academic self-efficacy beyond traditional tutoring approaches. Highlight: No significant difference: The study reveals that there is no significant difference in academic self-efficacy between students who receive tutoring and those who do not. Reliable scale: The academic self-efficacy scale used in the study demonstrates high reliability, with a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.890. Implications for practice: The findings suggest that tutoring may not be the sole determinant of academic self-efficacy in upper grade students, prompting educators and parents to consider alternative strategies to enhance students' belief in their abilities. Keyword: Academic Self-Efficacy, Tutoring, Upper Grade Students, Quantitative Comparison, Elementary School

Comparison of Traditional Non-Interactive Tutorial and Interactive Small Group Discussion (SGD) in Pharmacology

Introduction: With the increasing changes in teaching trends, students prefer to learn with interactive teaching instead of traditional one-way teaching lectures and tutorials.
 Objectives: investigate the comparative role of traditional tutorial and small group discussion on student’s learning.
 Methods:This is a cross sectional questionnaire-based study, conducted in Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics of Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College for a period of 1 week. Ninety students of pharmacology department were selected for this study. For tutorial 3 batches of 30 students were taught for 2 hours, whereas for SGD each batch was further subdivided into three batches of 10 students per group. A validated questionnaire was given to students after each teaching strategy. All the students who were present and willing to participate in this study were included.
 Results: In our study > 70% students found SGD to be interactive, had better learning, relevant to the topic, improved their confidence level and they were better able to solve the problems.
 Conclusions: SGD is better way of conducting a tutorial as compared to traditional way, in which no of students per group is much bigger. Students find it more interactive, therefore staff should be trained to conduct SGD on regular basis.

A Review of Multimedia Usage in Embryology Education

Embryology, which is a part of anatomy curriculum, is well known to be most difficult to teach. Applied embryology is important in medical practice especially in obstetrics and gynecology. To support teaching embryology, a few multimedia methods have been introduced for the past twenty years, such as animations, two-dimensional illustrations, three-dimensional illustrations, movies, and video. Innovative anatomy teaching and learning technology, particularly in the embryology syllabus, dramatically boosts students’ understanding and interest while also indirectly simplifies anatomists’ job. Students are excited to be able to visualize the embryo changes at any gestational age from fertilization to fetus development. Students’ motivation is increased, and their comprehension and memorization are improved. In this review, we elaborate on the details of multimedia methods used for embryology teaching and learning as an alternative to traditional lectures and tutorials. The variety of approaches aids in reducing boredom and maintaining high levels of concentration. As a result, the multimedia usage is useful for long-term memorization.

379. Virtual reality learning: a randomised control trial assessing medical student knowledge of fetal development

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that offers an immersive experience to promote discovery and exploration of personal knowledge, and an opportunity to learn by doing, develop creativity, and increase understanding of invisible concepts. Aim: We aimed to investigate whether a VRLE enhanced student understanding and retention of knowledge compared with a traditional tutorial. Methods: This randomised controlled trial involved medical students from the University College Dublin, Ireland.

A Parametrized Comparative Analysis of Performance Between Proposed Adaptive and Personalized Tutoring System “Seis Tutor” With Existing Online Tutoring System

Face-to-face tutoring offers a learning environment that best suits the learner’s preferences (learning styles) and grasping levels (learning levels). This cognitive intelligence has been blended in our proposed intelligent tutoring system christened as “Seis Tutor”. In this paper, we have detailed the architecture of Seis Tutor system and compared it with other existing traditional tutoring systems. Further, the performance of Seis Tutor has been evaluated in terms of personalization and adaptation through a comparison with some existing tutoring systems, i.e., My Moodle, Course-Builder, and Teachable.

Agents of Change: African American Contributions to Writing Centers

African Americans and their contributions to our field’s first pedagogical models and operational structures are absent from writing center histories. This archival research invokes their presence by recounting the stories of five African American innovators—Bess Bolden “B. B.” Walcott, Coragreene Johnstone, Anne Cooke, Hugh Gloster, and Percival Bertrand “Bert” Phillips—spanning four decades at three historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Their stories invite an expansive understanding of writing center work, moving beyond a focus on traditional tutoring and strictly alphabetic literacies and into “strategic literacies”—the survival skills needed to stand up for oneself and one’s community in the face of dangerous times and violently racist places. The writing center leaders described here saw writing as a tool to be used in concert with embodied performances for expression and survival to advance struggles for labor equity, legal justice, and civil rights. This conception of writing center work springs from sites of research such as HBCU archives and popular Black press archives that are less often examined by dominant disciplinary histories. From those sites, a timeline of African American writing center administrators emerges that spurs further research of these under-studied figures, who together constitute a remarkable legacy.

The effect of microteaching technique of Iraqi EFL student teachers on their teaching performance and attitudes

Microteaching is a significant strategy in teacher education programs for giving student teachers opportunities to practice their teaching techniques.This study aims at investigating how using microteaching affects the teaching performance and attitude of Iraqi EFL student teachers. For this purpose, 30 Iraqi EFL student teachers were selected and then randomly assigned to two groups:control and experimental, 15 in each. To collect the data of the study, two instruments were used. The first one is a checklist used to measure student teachers' teaching performance; while the other is a questionnaire used to measure their attitudes toward microteaching. The study hypotheses state that the learners' mean scores in the post-administration of teaching performance checklist and microteaching attitude questionnaire for the two groups were not significantly different. The findings revealed that performance of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group and that using the microteaching method was more rewarding than the traditional tutoring. Furthermore, microteaching as a training method was also viewed favorably by the participants in the experimental group.

Web-Based Learning Under Tacit Mining of Various Data Sources

Nowadays, many platforms provide open educational resources to learners. So, they must browse and explore several suggested contents to better assimilate their courses. To facilitate the selecting task of these resources, the present paper proposes an intelligent tutoring system that can access teaching contents available on the web automatically and offers them to learners as additional information sources. In doing so, the authors highlight the description logic approach and its knowledge representation strength that underwrites the modulization, inference, and querying about a web ontology language, and enhanced traditional tutoring systems architecture using ontologies and description logic to enable them to access various data sources on the web. Finally, this article concludes that the combination of machine learning with the semantic web has provided a supportive study environment and enhanced the schooling conditions within open and distance learning.

The Impact of Gender and Years of Teaching Experience on College Teachers’ Digital Competence: An Empirical Study on Teachers in Gansu Agricultural University

With the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the emergence of the Corona virus (COVID-19,) our way of life and even our education have been affected. The education approach has changed from traditional tutorials to online education. As a result, it has been a necessary for not only students but also teachers to improve their digital competence. The aim of this study was to describe in-service teachers’ self-perceptions of digital competence in the context of higher education and analyze the impact of gender and years of teaching experience on college teachers’ digital competence. For this purpose, a quantitative methodology has been used. A sample of 536 in-service teachers from Gansu Agricultural University, China, completed a questionnaire on digital competence. The data were collected in the academic year of 2019–2020. The results show that the sample considered themselves positively in information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, security and problem solving, while they self-evaluated their digital content creation negatively. Regarding the variables studied, significant differences were found in favor of male college teachers in the perception of digital competence. In relation to the teaching experience, teachers with less teaching experience thought themselves better in the areas of communication and collaboration, digital content creation, security and problem solving.

Effectiveness of the game-based learning over traditional teaching-learning strategy to instruct pharmacology for Phase II medical students.

BACKGROUND:Game-based education is fast becoming an innovative teaching approach in the field of medical education. Traditional review sessions (tutorials) are mainly focused on instructor-based learning and they help to review concepts previously taught in the lecture class. The primary objective was to evaluate the cognitive learning of students in game based learning (GBL) as compared to the conventional review sessions. The secondary objectives were to assess the perception and feedback of students regarding GBL and conventional review sessions.MATERIALS AND METHODS:An interventional GBL study was designed for 2nd year MBBS students. The enrolled students were randomly assigned to either tutorial (Group A) or GBL (Group B), and informed consent was obtained. Group B students were further divided into smaller groups, and for Group A, the traditional tutorial method was followed. For both the groups, a multiple choice question (MCQ) pre-test and post-test was conducted on the selected topics. A total of 15 MCQs with gradually increasing difficulty were used in the GBL. For each group of students, one student would be on hot seat by answering the questions and then continued the game. Lifelines were provided.RESULTS:From the pretest and posttest scores, students performed better in Group B (39.53%) than Group A (18.43%) with respect to the knowledge score, and the difference was statistically significant. Students’ perception and feedback regarding GBL were very enthusiastic and promising than the tutorial group. Largely, students commented that GBL was unique, active participation, fun, and novel learning style.CONCLUSIONS:GBL is a student-centered learning and showed more effective than the traditional tutorials in understanding the topic and was more enjoyable by students.

Twelve Tips for Re-imagining Problem-based Learning in Medical Education for the COVID-19 Era and Beyond.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an almost overnight adoption of online learning across medical schools worldwide. The initial experience proved jarring and challenging for students and medical educators alike, with neither side familiar with the new tools thrusted upon them. Over time, it became apparent that the adaptations made catalysed a long overdue systemic re-examination of the way medical education has been, and should be, delivered. So far, COVID-19 has served as a strong impetus for education institutes to incorporate commercially available and widely accessible communication platforms, including Zoom, to effectively deliver didactic lectures and interactive tutorials in the digital space. At our institution, the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed), one such example is the problem-based learning (PBL) tutorial, the format of which has largely remained unchanged since its introduction two decades ago. By closely examining our offline-to-online transition, we have been able to identify certain pitfalls when attempting to translate traditional tutorials to the digital space; key considerations concerning the online facilitator-learner experience, and enhancements for more effective learning. In this article, we present twelve tips rooted in our experience as learners and teachers that should make PBL sessions more fruitful for everyone involved.

Perception of Students and Faculties towards Implementation of Concept Mapping in Pharmacology: A Cross-sectional Interventional Study

Introduction: Medical Council of India (MCI) in the current competency based on the undergraduate curriculum for the Indian medical graduate has focussed on the development of critical thinking, reasoning and communicating abilities of the undergraduate students. This would enable them to apply their knowledge effectively and provide better patient care. In this context, concept mapping has proved to be a simple yet powerful tool. Aim: To assess the feasibility of implementing concept mapping module and perception of the students and faculty about use of concept mapping as complementary teaching aid in pharmacology using peer validated questionnaires and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional interventional study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology of a tertiary hospital in Eastern India. Study duration was six months, from September 2019 to February 2020. After obtaining permission from Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), 64 consenting students of 2nd professional MBBS, Dean of student affairs, Medical Education Unit (MEU) Co-ordinator and 10 faculties of the Department of Pharmacology were sensitised about the concept mapping. A module for implementation and assessment rubric was decided. Participating students were randomly divided into eight groups (Group A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H), each group comprising eight students. Each group had to prepare one concept map on an allotted topic from General Pharmacology. They had to submit the maps within seven days. Students could use pen and paper or they could utilise computer software to prepare the maps. After submission, faculties other than the researcher assessed and gave feedback to the students. After one month, the second set of assignments was allotted on topics from autonomic nervous system. As before, submission had to be done in seven days. This set was also assessed and feedback given. At the end of second submission, perception of the students and faculties about implementation of the module was assessed through peer validated open as well as closed ended questionnaires. A FGD was also held among participating faculties. Open ended questions were analysed using verbatim and closed ended questions were analysed as percentage using Microsoft Excel. FGD was analysed using content analysis method. Results: Among the 64 participating students, 63 (98.43%) preferred concept mapping as complementary teaching tool in addition to traditional tutorial format and 62 (96.9%) students enjoyed making the concept maps. On analysis of students’ feedback, 56 (87.5%) students opined that this module could be included in Pharmacology curriculum. Out of 12 faculties, 7 (58.33%) graded feasibility of the module as 4 out of a maximum of 5. Conclusion: This study concludes that with proper selection of topics, concept mapping may be included as complementary teaching learning tool in Pharmacology curriculum for undergraduate students.

Refuting misconceptions: Computer tutors for fraction arithmetic

Fractions, known to be difficult for both children and adults, are especially prone to misconceptions and erroneous strategy selection. The present study investigated whether a computer tutor improves fraction arithmetic performance in adults and if supplementing problem solving with erroneous examples is more beneficial than problem solving alone. Seventy-five undergraduates solved fraction arithmetic problems using a computer tutoring system we designed. In a between-subjects design, 39 participants worked with a problem-solving tutor that was supplemented with erroneous examples and 36 participants worked with a traditional problem-solving tutor. Both tutors provided hints and feedback. Overall, participants improved after the tutoring interventions, but there were no significant differences in gains made by the two conditions. For students with low prior knowledge about fraction arithmetic, the numerical gains were higher in the erroneous-example group than the problem-solving group, but this effect was not significant. Thus, computer tutors are useful tools for improving fraction knowledge. While erroneous examples may be particularly beneficial for students with low prior knowledge who may hold more misconceptions, more research is needed to make this conclusion.

The impact of using virtual patients in preclinical pharmacology teaching.

To reduce medication errors, medical educators must nurture the early development of rational and safe prescribing. Teaching pharmacology is challenging because it requires knowledge integration across disciplines, including physiology and pathology. Traditionally, pharmacology has been taught using lecture-based learning, which conveys consistent information but may promote passive learning. Virtual patients (VPs) have been used more recently to promote active learning, mainly in clinical years. Conversely, the use of VPs in preclinical disciplines, including pharmacology, is not well described. The objective was to investigate the potential benefits of combining traditional teaching with VPs in preclinical pharmacology teaching. All year 3 medical students (2 cohorts), enrolled in the Systematic Pharmacology I course (lectures: 3 h weekly; tutorial: 1 h weekly), were invited to participate in this naturalistic, prospective study. During tutorials, students were taught using case-based discussion and single-best-answer questions (control) in four tutorials and VPs (experimental) in the remaining six tutorials. The impact of VPs was assessed by 1) performance in written examinations, and 2) student satisfaction/perceptions, using a validated, modified questionnaire. Examination performance related to teaching in VP-based tutorials was significantly improved, compared with traditional tutorials. The level of difficulty of control and experimental assessment items was comparable, as determined by the Angoff method. Facilitation of learning was higher in VP tutorials, while a no-harm effect was noted on knowledge acquisition/maintenance, authenticity of learning, and disadvantages of learning. VPs may be effectively integrated in preclinical pharmacology teaching, with benefits on pharmacological knowledge and facilitation of learning.

Achieving educational goals in microscopy education by adopting virtual reality labs on top of face-to-face tutorials

ABSTRACT Background An increasing number of educational institutions are incorporating virtual reality (VR) applications in the instruction methodology for their laboratory science courses. However, there is debate about the use of the physical vs. the virtual lab as according to research the former offers a positive research-training environment, whereas the latter offers safe and repeated practice in combination with an engaging experience. Purpose This study explores whether virtualization applied to practically oriented education can: a) fulfill specific educational goals which correspond to the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, b) raise students’ confidence about their knowledge and c) help students learn how to use an optical microscope in a physical biology lab. Sample Fifteen graduates of the Athens University Department of Primary Education in Greece attending postgraduate studies in Science Education. Methods The sample was separated into two cognitively balanced groups to be educated on microscopy by two educational methods: a) the traditional tutorial and demonstration method, and b) our proposed tutorial and simulation method with a VR biology lab, Onlabs. Participants completed both a Pre- and a Post-test to assess the acquired knowledge, and a worksheet to assess their ability to operate a real optical microscope. Results Participants in the experimental group obtained higher Post-test scores and were better educated to correctly answer different types of questions corresponding to Bloom’s Taxonomy than were members of the control group. Moreover, when working in the physical lab after having used Onlabs, the experimental group was more knowledgeable about the required experimentation skills compared to the control group. Conclusion Our findings provided evidence in favor of using simulations. They pointed out that including simulations as a supplementary tool to the traditional face-to-face tutorials is a very promising prospective for grasping the details of laboratory knowledge, in a postgraduate program in Science Education.

Comparative Study of Student-Led Objective Tutorials versus Traditional Tutorials in Undergraduate Pharmacology Teaching in an Indian Medical School

Abstract Introduction The drawback of conventional tutorials (CTs) stresses the need for a tutorial with more active participation from students. Student-led objective tutorial provides an opportunity for active learning and makes student responsible. Hence, the effectiveness of student-led objective tutorial (SLOT) with CT in teaching pharmacology for II MBBS students was evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods In this study, 157 students were divided into three groups and further allocated to SLOT and CT subgroup equally. The effectiveness of the tutorial was evaluated objectively by comparing pretest and posttest scores as well as mean scores. Results Pretest and posttest scores in SLOT were 3.343 ± 1.347 versus 4.8750 ± 1.750 and in CT were 3.2500 ± 1.690 versus 4.5781 ± 1.883, both type of the tutorials have shown the statistically significant improvement in the scores. The mean score in the SLOT group was 13.6711 ± 3.47712 compared with 12.1842 ± 3.50128 in the CT group showing statistically significantly (U = 2171.50, p = 0.008) higher score in SLOT. Feedback regarding the type of tutorial indicating SLOT was better and preferred among the students compared with CT. It is more interesting, helps in active learning of the subject, and encourages student to participate actively in learning process. Conclusion SLOT and CT both improve the learning pharmacology in II MBBS students; however, SLOT being an innovative method will help in active participation of students and increases the focus of the student on particular topic in teaching.

Various Interactive and Self-Learning Focused Tutorial Activities in the Power Electronic Course

Contribution: This paper introduces the real-world limitations and non-technical aspects of power electronics (PEs) projects to students through innovative tutorial activities. Background: Many electrical engineering curricula offer a PE courses (PECs) for third- or fourth-year undergraduate students. Prior research on PEs education mainly focused on improving students’ experimental skills through developing practical experiments, laboratory activities, and problem/project-based learning. An instructional approach that instead employs real-world knowledge and skills is worth evaluating. Intended Outcomes: Students should be able to consider real-world technical and non-technical limitations when applying theory to design PE circuits and converters, and be able to select and carry out appropriate tests to troubleshoot circuits. Application Design: Prior research on engineering education emphasized the importance of introducing real-world limitations to the students as part of their curriculum. This paper suggests that the tutorial activities presented in a PEC can help students acquire skills in designing and troubleshooting a circuit or system according to desired technical aspects, real-world limitations, and available data. Findings: Evidence of the validity of this approach in a PEC at two Australian universities, over four academic years, is provided. Students receiving the new tutorial activities had percentage scores some 10–15 points higher than those who had traditional tutorials. Another evaluation reveals the students’ vibrant participation in the activities during the new tutorial sessions.

Tutor system in educational practice in Great Britain

Introduction: an Important task of national pedagogy is related to the understanding and analysis of the experience of educational systems of other countries that have a centuries-old pedagogical. The aim is to evaluate and use the most successful and effective developments of domestic pedagogy. The experience of the UK is leading in relation to the development of individualization of education. This experience is elite, as the traditional tutor training system has been developed and implemented for decades, it has proved its effectiveness in the course of interaction with many national pedagogical systems. Materials and methods: theoretical methods are fundamental for this study: the method of analogy of the concepts of mentoring, tutoring, support, maintenance; method of comparison, consisting in the consideration of the practice of tutoring from the Middle Ages to the present day and the experience of tutoring at different educational levels in the UK method of analyzing the experience of tutoring activities in educational practice in the UK and the experience of using the tutoring system in our days. Results: One of the most important elements of the educational system of great Britain is a method of tutor student interaction and student in teaching and education, the occurrence of which relates to the period of the middle Ages. Technology tutor support involves thoughtful and well-organized psychological and educational support, namely assistance to students in identifying and solving abilities to reconcile their desires with real possibilities in identifying opportunities for growth and advancement in personal development, in orientation in a rapidly changing world. During the entire period of study, the student needs guidance and support, including effective response to emerging issues, ensuring the implementation of needs as they arise. In the analysis of the tutor system of education as a means of improving the quality of education, we can not agree with the conclusion of many scientists, based on statistics from leading universities in England, that the improvement of academic achievements of students of both higher education institutions and schools is directly related to the tutor system of education. Discussion and conclusions: foreign experience, in our case English education, containing a constructive practice of improving the quality of the educational process, becomes relevant for modern Russian education. Studying and analyzing the experience of the organization of tutor support in England, we can determine the incentive for a wider awareness of pedagogical reality, more clearly see the problems and solutions and identify areas for further development of Russian education in this area.