Tutoring Skills Research Articles

The value of peers and support from scaffolding: Applying constructivist principles to the teaching of psychology

The legacy and sustainability of a university education requires student independence and ownership of learning. Adopting a student–centred constructivist approach to teaching and learning allows students to develop a web of self–constructed, interconnected understanding, and supports their development into lifelong learners. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated with a case study relating to a series of academic skills tutorials for first–year psychology students. The tutorial materials, activities and teaching techniques were rated as more useful by students when delivered using constructivist principles. The use of constructivist techniques also enabled students to make larger gains in their essay grades over the course of the academic year. The implications of using such teaching methods in higher education are discussed.

Student experiences and views of two different blended learning models within a part-time post-graduate programme

Blended learning is an ambiguous concept that has been subject to criticism for its lack of conceptual clarity and pedagogic purpose (Oliver and Trigwell, 2005). Yet, higher education institutions all around the globe are increasingly embracing forms of blended learning (Orton-Johnson, 2008). Initial research into blended learning has been generally positive (Arbaught, 2008) but has not always been substantiated by evaluations of the students’ experiences (Orton-Johnson, 2008; 2009). This article evaluates two different blended learning models on modules within a part-time postgraduate programme, which reflect the popular use of blended learning modes at postgraduate level (Paton and McCarthy, 2008) as well as the open-ended nature of blended modes of teaching and the extent to which the final format is an outcome of tutor skills and preferences (Moule et al., 2010) rather than pedagogic reasoning. The evaluation of these two blended learning models involves quantitative and qualitative data to explore the experiences and views of 20 mature, postgraduate students on such forms of blended learning, offering timely reflection on blended learning models that are practically rather than pedagogically driven and therefore adds to existing research on student preferences and use or non-use of online tools in blended learning models.

Does the inclusion of 'professional development' teaching improve medical students' communication skills?

BackgroundThis study investigated whether the introduction of professional development teaching in the first two years of a medical course improved students' observed communication skills with simulated patients. Students' observed communication skills were related to patient-centred attitudes, confidence in communicating with patients and performance in later clinical examinations.MethodsEighty-two medical students from two consecutive cohorts at a UK medical school completed two videoed consultations with a simulated patient: one at the beginning of year 1 and one at the end of year 2. Group 1 (n = 35) received a traditional pre-clinical curriculum. Group 2 (n = 47) received a curriculum that included communication skills training integrated into a 'professional development' vertical module. Videoed consultations were rated using the Evans Interview Rating Scale by communication skills tutors. A subset of 27% were double-coded. Inter-rater reliability is reported.ResultsStudents who had received the professional development teaching achieved higher ratings for use of silence, not interrupting the patient, and keeping the discussion relevant compared to students receiving the traditional curriculum. Patient-centred attitudes were not related to observed communication. Students who were less nervous and felt they knew how to listen were rated as better communicators. Students receiving the traditional curriculum and who had been rated as better communicators when they entered medical school performed less well in the final year clinical examination.ConclusionsStudents receiving the professional development training showed significant improvements in certain communication skills, but students in both cohorts improved over time. The lack of a relationship between observed communication skills and patient-centred attitudes may be a reflection of students' inexperience in working with patients, resulting in 'patient-centredness' being an abstract concept. Students in the early years of their medical course may benefit from further opportunities to practise basic communication skills on a one-to-one basis with patients.

An exploration of perceptions of tutor evaluation in problem-based learning tutorials

Within problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials, the relationship between student and tutor is predicated on the tutor adopting the role of mentor and metacognitive coach. This rapport differs considerably from the traditional teacher-student relationship and is likely to impact on the process and outcomes of tutor evaluations. Such evaluations are a ubiquitous means of providing feedback to tutors from students about the quality of their facilitation. Although critiqued in the literature as 'popularity contests', tutor evaluations are commonly used in tertiary institutions for purposes of recruitment, re-employment and promotion. This study seeks to provide insight into students' and tutors' perceptions of evaluations of teaching within PBL tutorials. As a unique teaching and learning environment, the PBL tutorial requires sophisticated facilitation skills of tutors and considerable autonomy from students. Qualitative data were gathered from three focus group discussions and one in-depth interview with first- and second-year medical students and their PBL tutors. Thematic analysis identified four major themes, including: defining the 'ideal' tutor; making unthinking or deliberately false evaluations; promoting a consumer mentality, and providing support for tutors. An underlying suspicion of the purpose of the evaluation process was apparent among tutors and students. Findings suggest that, within the PBL tutorial environment at least, regularly evaluating tutors creates mistrust and confusion among the medical school, the tutor and the student on several levels. Suggestions for further research are proposed.

Creating learning communities: three social software tools

Use of the web today, particularly amongst young people, is now more social and participative. Collectively known as Web 2.0, freely available tools have emerged that facilitate communication, user-generated content and social connectivity. Facebook and MySpace have become the most popular forms of this kind of online activity and networks are formed around all kind of interest and issues whether they are political, educational, professional or hobbies. In a recent survey of 500 students, 80% claimed that they regularly use social networking tools to communicate with peers (JISC, 2008). This pervasive use of Web 2.0 technology for everyday interaction has yet to see its potential fully recognised and integrated into Higher Education pedagogy. Despite 73% of students using such tools to 'discuss coursework' and 75% of these students recognising their value for enhancing learning, only 25% were encouraged to use such social software by academic staff (JISC, 2008). This raises the question as to whether Web 2.0 technology can promote social learning within educational contexts and how this might be realised in practice. In a bid to harness this creativity, energy and sociability, the Academic Skills Tutors (ASTs) at the University of Huddersfield have been exploring Web 2.0 technologies to investigate how such tools might enhance teaching and learning. This paper introduces practical examples of social software tools; how these are currently used to foster learning communities and promote academic development. Three distinct social software tools are discussed (del.icio.us, PBwiki - now PBworks - and Ning), illustrating current use of these with students and their initial evaluation.

Effects of Peer Tutoring With Audio Prompting on Vocabulary Acquisition for Struggling Readers

Reciprocal peer tutoring can be an effective supplement to teacher-led instruction, but students need to have the tutoring skills necessary to teach their peers successfully. Previous studies have addressed the challenge of providing essential information to a naïve tutor, allowing for correct modeling and feedback. The present study compared incidental learning of vocabulary words through classroom reading instruction to a combination of incidental learning supplemented with peer tutoring. Eight fourth-grade students were trained to tutor each other using a digital recording and playback device that provides audio prompts to naïve tutors. Results indicated that students made modest gains from incidental learning and much stronger gains from peer tutoring with audio prompting. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Dynamic management of tutors' roles in an online learning system

In online learning environments, the tutor's role is essential. The tutor has several roles and consequently has several functions according to the context and the target community. In existing learning systems, these roles are fixed once and for all and sometimes are not explicitly defined. This makes pedagogical tasks very difficult as well as the tutor's social support for learners. To overcome these problems, an online system for learning and tutoring called LETline is implemented. In this system, the tutor's roles and tasks are dynamic and depend on tutor's skills. Learners' assistance requests can be easily expressed through semi-structured interfaces made for this purpose. They are related to each tutor's role as well as to the task or the corresponding function. Moreover, the tutor's interventions traces, as well as those of learners, are saved in order to be visualised thereafter.

Look back to go forward

As the year draws to a close people tend to ponder over the past. Reflecting on the past is an opportunity to learn from mistakes, or what my communication skills tutor would say, what I “could do better.” In the clinical setting the official term for a mistake is an “adverse event,” which is when medical intervention causes harm to a patient or the safety margin was reduced (also known as a “near miss”). Sometimes whispered on wards around the world, the start of the academic year is dubbed a hazardous time of year to be an inpatient. The assumption was that …

University of Gloucestershire: impact of a WebCT-based information skills tutorial

The online information skills tutorial was originally developed in 2002/03 and had subsequently undergone several minor revisions following feedback from students. However, it had not been formally reviewed. The IMPACT project therefore provided an excellent vehicle with which to review the tutorial. We sought to promote its use within information skills sessions to both academic and Learning Centre staff, by raising awareness and disseminating good practice. Our Senior Information Advisers have utilised the tutorial in different ways within information skills training, and we therefore wanted to document these different approaches and assess the impact on our first year students’ information skills.

EACH (European Association for Communication in Healthcare) International Conference 2008, 2-5 September 2008, Oslo, Norway.

This biannual conference is themed around education, research and policy issues related to healthcare communication. I mainly attend research conferences and by the end my mind is usually overloaded and exhausted with trying to concentrate on the detail of research methodology and findings and trying to consider links and applications to my own teaching and research. The balance of this conference was different in that the programme included a good mix of research presentations, symposia and workshops. The main topics covered were: teaching communication skills, shared decision making, analysing clinical communication behaviour, disclosure of medical errors to patients, emotion and non-verbal communication skills, communication in cancer care, communication in different clinical settings, family issues and communication with children, and cultural perspectives. Regarding research, the best talk I went to was by Tanya Stivers who spoke about her research on communication between doctors, children and parents in a public clinic in the USA. She conducted detailed qualitative analysis of the talk between the participants in a large sample of consultations and combined this with detailed demographic data. Her analysis produced some interesting findings, notably for me, that there were marked inequalities observed in communication styles between different social groups. Although Stivers’ primary interest is in communication rather than health inequalities, she raised the question at the end as to whether patient-centred interviewing with its emphasis on patients being actively engaged in the interview may disadvantage some social groups. As a medical sociologist with teaching and research interests in health inequalities on a macro-level and communication on a micro-level, I was impressed by the thoroughness of this analysis and the important questions it raises that are clearly linked to clinical care. There were many talks, symposia and workshops on teaching communication skills. Jonathan Silverman, co-developer of the ‘Calgary-Cambridge Guide’, gave an excellent plenary talk on communication skills teaching, ending with an update on the ‘UK consensus statement on the content of communication curricula in undergraduate medical education’. On a more hands-on level, I attended a great workshop by two theatre academics from the USA (David Leong and Aaron Anderson) who have developed a communication skills programme with a physician. In their workshop they focused on ‘active listening’. Now this is something I thought I was good at. I was trained in it when I did my ‘experiential’ psychiatric nursing course many years ago. I teach it in my role as a communication skills tutor. I therefore know I am good at active listening. I was somewhat shaken out of my complacency when they demonstrated how in professional situations when listening to people talking about issues they are concerned about how often we jump straight to problem-solving. I had to acknowledge that I'm guilty of this. Maybe I was a great active listener 20 years ago and maybe I am OK at teaching it (I'll need to check) but I clearly have to rethink things. I am left wondering whether my urge to problem solve has been adversely affected by CSI and House on TV in recent years. The workshop made me realise that being reflexive about practice (my own as a teacher and researcher) is an ongoing process and I need to beware of assuming that once you have learnt a skill that it remains in place for ever. Although the conference was aimed at communication issues across healthcare, it primarily focused on doctors and medical education, with GPs being the largest group of clinicians in attendance. The feeling seemed to be that it would be good to attract a wider group of healthcare professionals in the future. The next conference is in 2010 and I would recommend this to clinicians with an interest in communication from a practice, research or teaching perspective. I left the conference feeling surprisingly refreshed. I had received a good update on what is happening in the academic world of healthcare communication (beyond my own teaching), I had been involved in workshops and discussions, and I had listened to some excellent research presentations. As we know communication is about more than words but on how they are used. Hearing people talk about issues and share perspectives is something that you cannot get from merely reading journal papers. In this sense I think that this conference was very good value. Right, I'm off to my GP to see if they've got any ideas about cures for CSI addiction. We'll come to a shared decision of course.

Course‐specific learning in Peer Assisted Learning schemes: a case study of creative media production courses

The purpose of this paper is to consider the specific role of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) in creative media production courses. We present a review of the pedagogical approaches that inform our ‘generic’ understanding of PAL. We then consider both quantitative and qualitative data from students, leaders and tutors to gain insights into PAL. Overall, the findings suggest a need to address the disparity between a generic PAL approach and the specific needs of creative production students, including the tensions leaders experience negotiating their role. Recommendations for future practice are provided as, when planned correctly, it seems that PAL may complement tutor skills by providing an important authentic space for the development of confidence and core skills in media production.

'It gives you an understanding you can't get from any book.' The relationship between medical students' and doctors' personal illness experiences and their performance: a qualitative and quantitative study.

BackgroundAnecdotes abound about doctors' personal illness experiences and the effect they have on their empathy and care of patients. We formally investigated the relationship between doctors' and medical students' personal illness experiences, their examination results, preparedness for clinical practice, learning and professional attitudes and behaviour towards patients.MethodsNewly-qualified UK doctors in 2005 (n = 2062/4784), and two cohorts of students at one London medical school (n = 640/749) participated in the quantitative arm of the study. 37 Consultants, 1 Specialist Registrar, 2 Clinical Skills Tutors and 25 newly-qualified doctors participated in the qualitative arm. Newly-qualified doctors and medical students reported their personal illness experiences in a questionnaire. Doctors' experiences were correlated with self-reported preparedness for their new clinical jobs. Students' experiences were correlated with their examination results, and self-reported anxiety and depression. Interviews with clinical teachers, newly-qualified doctors and senior doctors qualitatively investigated how personal illness experiences affect learning, professional attitudes, and behaviour.Results85.5% of newly-qualified doctors and 54.4% of medical students reported personal illness experiences. Newly-qualified doctors who had been ill felt less prepared for starting work (p < 0.001), but those who had only experienced illness in a relative or friend felt more prepared (p = 0.02). Clinical medical students who had been ill were more anxious (p = 0.01) and had lower examination scores (p = 0.006). Doctors felt their personal illness experiences helped them empathise and communicate with patients. Medical students with more life experience were perceived as more mature, empathetic, and better learners; but illness at medical school was recognised to impede learning.ConclusionThe majority of the medical students and newly qualified doctors we studied reported personal illness experiences, and these experiences were associated with lower undergraduate examination results, higher anxiety, and lower preparedness. However reflection on such experiences may have improved professional attitudes such as empathy and compassion for patients. Future research is warranted in this area.

Designing for metacognition—applying cognitive tutor principles to the tutoring of help seeking

Intelligent Tutoring Systems have been shown to be very effective in supporting learning in domains such as mathematics, physics, computer programming, etc. However, they are yet to achieve similar success in tutoring metacognition. While an increasing number of educational technology systems support productive metacognitive behavior within the scope of the system, few attempt to teach skills students need to become better future learners. To that end, we offer a set of empirically-based design principles for metacognitive tutoring. Our starting point is a set of design principles put forward by Anderson et al. (Journal of the Learning Sciences, 4:167–207, 1995) regarding Cognitive Tutors, a family of Intelligent Tutoring Systems. We evaluate the relevance of these principles to the tutoring of help-seeking skills, based on our ongoing empirical work with the Help Tutor. This auxiliary tutor agent is designed to help students learn to make effective use of the help facilities offered by a Cognitive Tutor. While most of Anderson’s principles are relevant to the tutoring of help seeking, a number of differences emerge as a result of the nature of metacognitive knowledge and of the need to combine metacognitive and domain-level tutoring. We compare our approach to other metacognitive tutoring systems, and, where appropriate, propose new guidelines to promote the discussion regarding the nature and design of metacognitive tutoring within scaffolded problem-solving environments.

The effects of implementing a classwide peer tutoring model on social approvals and disapprovals emitted during unstructured free time.

Abstract This study tested a classwide peer tutoring model using rule-governed responding to teach tutors to accurately present learn units during social studies instruction using a multiple baseline across participants with pre and post intervention probes. Three students, aged 8 to 10, in a self-contained 3rd/4th grade CABAS[R] classroom participated in this study to test the effects of peer tutoring on the social interactions of the students during unstructured free time and accurate implementation of learn units during tutoring. The results showed an increase in social approvals and accurate learn unit presentations and a decrease in social after the introduction of rule-governed peer tutoring. Additionally, the results showed a classwide (and individual participant) increase in social approvals and a decrease in social during unstructured free time. Keywords: Classwide peer tutoring, Learn units, Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy (TPRA). *********** Classwide peer tutoring is an instructional tactic where peers function as each others teachers to teach academic and social behaviors. Each student in a tutor-tutee pair gets an opportunity to function as tutor and tutee. Peer tutoring is easy to implement and permits the efficient application of the teacher's and peer tutor's skills in the process of individualizing instruction and managing students' classroom (Kohler & Greenwood, 1990, p.307). Classwide peer tutoring uses peer-mediated and teacher feedback to increase opportunities to respond by allowing peers to teach each other (Delquadri, Greenwood, Whorton, Carta & Hall, 1986). Tutors are trained to accurately present learn units. Learn units are the foundation of learning and are the initial tactic for most teaching. The learn unit consists of interlocking three-term between teacher and student (Greer, 2002). During peer tutoring learn units consist of at least two three-term for the tutor and one potential three-term contingency for the tutee. The student's potential three-term contingency consists of an antecedent, a behavior and a consequence. The tutor is taught to appropriately present antecedents, record correct and incorrect responses and deliver appropriate consequences. These consequences involve delivering verbal approvals for tutees correct responses and participating in a correction for tutees incorrect responses. No are given for incorrect responses, because disapprovals function as attention for undesirable behavior and interfere with the development of positive classroom practices (Singer-Dudek & Keohane, in press). One method to teach tutors accurate peer tutoring is using rule-governed responding. Rule-governed behavior is behavior that is controlled by verbal rather than nonverbal (Greer, 2002). A term that expands on Skinner's (1957) rule-governed behavior is verbal mediation. Verbal behavior that governs or guides nonverbal behavior in lieu of the natural is an incidence of behavior under the control of verbal mediation ... Individuals performing a series of operations under verbal mediation can perform those operations without having ever experienced the direct contingencies (Greer, 2002, p.353). Studies have shown that rule governed responding increases correct responding (Marsico, 1998; Singer, 2000; Taylor & O'Reilly, 1997). Marsico (1998) implemented rule governed responding with 6 students by giving them scripts that contained the steps to correctly solve long division and multiplication problems. The results showed an increase in the amount of time the student spent working independently without seeking help or stopping for all 6 students. The rates of correct responses also increased across all participants during the intervention phase. To insure accuracy of rule-governed responding, an observer records the tutor's behavior using the Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy (TPRA) data sheet (Ingham & Greer, 1992). …

Remote Presence Support and Tutoring of Surgical Skills

Remote Presence Support and Tutoring of Surgical Skills

BLENDED LEARNING IN ACTION: THE INFOSKILLS PROGRAMME AT MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY'S LIBRARY SERVICE

This paper describes the development of online information skills tutorials, using WebCT, within Manchester Metropolitan University's Infoskills Programme.

Remote Presence Support and Tutoring of Surgical Skills

Remote Presence Support and Tutoring of Surgical Skills

Gender-Related Differences in Learning in Student-Led PBL Tutorials

Male and female students behave differently in problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials. However, these differences could be partly attributed to faculty tutor behavior in male and female tutorials. This study aims to examine the gender differences in learning outcomes between medical students when peer tutors facilitate PBL tutorials. A questionnaire-based study conducted in single-gender student-led (SLT) and faculty-led (FLT) tutorials. The study involved third year medical students (n = 91) divided into ten groups (five groups each). The SLT groups consisted of 16 male and 28 female students, while the FLT group consisted of 20 male and 27 female students. Students evaluated their individual and group performance in tutorials and also skills of tutors. Student performance in end-unit examinations and their perceptions about peer tutoring were also analyzed. A total of 290 questionnaires (response rate = 63.7%) were collected over the five-week period of the study. Although individual performance in tutorials and achievement in examinations were comparable in both groups, there was significantly higher group performance in female compared with male student-led tutorials (p < 0.01). This difference between male and female groups was not attributed to improvement in the performance of female groups, but rather to a decline in performance of the male SLT groups. In addition, both male and female students expressed facing difficulties in discussion and analysis of the problem in the first tutorial session. Understanding the gender differences in the group behavior in student-led tutorials is important for PBL programs adopting this approach.

Elements of active learning in the online tutorials of ARL members

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of the use of active learning in the online tutorials of members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and to compare these results with those found in a similar study done in 1999 by Nancy Dewald, and also to determine what major types of active learning these sites offer.Design/methodology/approachThe focus of the study in this paper was on “stand‐alone” library skills tutorials, as opposed to those tutorials that need to be used in conjunction with an in‐person course in order to be effective. After defining what counts as a “tutorial” and “active learning”, ARL sites were reviewed to determine whether they employ elements of active learning.FindingsThis study found that the percentage of ARL tutorials that employ active learning is significantly greater than the percentage of such tutorials in Dewald's study. Also, some categories of the methods of active learning employed in these tutorials are determined and examples for each category are provided.Research limitations/implicationsBecause web page content is fluid and open to frequent changes, the findings of this study may not be accurate by the time of publication.Originality/valueThis paper updates and expands on (by focusing on ARL members) the findings of Dewald's original study of online tutorials. Also, the categories of active learning discussed and the examples of these provided can offer some aid to libraries that wish to add to or expand the use of active learning in their online tutorials.

Medical Students' Perception of Good PBL Tutors in Taiwan

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) approach for medical education has been in use in Western countries for more than 30 years, but its use in Asian countries is quite recent. Because of cultural differences, the perception of a good tutor from the perspectives of students may be different.Description: Students from a PBL curriculum medical school at Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taiwan, were asked to provide a narrative evaluation of tutor performance from tutorial learning. Twenty-nine tutors and their 49 undergraduate students participated in the study from September 2002 to June 2003.Evaluation: Qualitative methods were used to identify and code the tutors' behaviors. Students preferred tutors who (a) had knowledge in both basic and clinical science areas, (b) had appropriate facilitative tutorial skills, and (c) had positive personality traits.Conclusion: The results showed that students valued personality aspects of a tutor, an area that had been neglected in previous studies.