Peer Tutoring

A. Purpose

There are several reasons to become active in peer tutoring -- reasons for both the tutor and the tutee.   Here are a few of the most helpful aspects peer tutoring can offer:

• In American culture, as well as several others, there is a "natural tendency to learn from the same age-group." (Capossela, 1998, pg. 3)   Many people feel more comfortable working with and asking questions of others in their same peer group because there is less of a power dynamic; the distinction between teacher and student is less pronounced.  
• Peer tutoring allows both the tutor and the tutee to better understand information.   As the tutor and tutee work through assignments & practice the concepts, both individuals gain a broader & deeper understanding of the material.
• "...if students converse constructively with peers about their own and other people's writing, they will internalize the language of that conversation.   They will then be able to carry on the same conversation with themselves about their own writing internally when they are working alone.   Learning to talk constructively about writing enables students to think constructively about it."

    - Kenneth A. Bruffee

• The tutor learns not only how to ask useful questions, but also develops social listening skills that are a sought-after ability in the professional world.

B. Goals and Objectives

The main goal of this module is to introduce learners to essential peer tutoring techniques. Upon completion of this module the learner will have met the following objectives:

• The student will identify good environments for holding peer tutoring sessions.
• The student will identify elements necessary to build a good raport with a tutee.
• The student will identify important elements of the role of a tutor.
• The student will demonstrate understanding of basic listening skills a tutor should use in any peer tutoring situation.
• The student will demonstrate understanding of basic questioning skills a tutor should use in any peer tutoring situation.
• The student will demonstrate understanding of basic feedback techniques a tutor should use in any peer tutoring situation.

C . Planning Your Learning

Read the Peer Tutoring information.

Peer Tutoring Role Play

Now that you have read through the information and Tip Sheets about Peer Tutoring and completed the activities, you should be ready to try this short role playing game.

During this activity, you will view short video clips of a tutee who has dropped by the Writing Center for help with writing a paper for his English class. After viewing the video clip, read each of the three possible actions you could take and choose the one that will best help to build rapport, show that you are actively listening to the tutee, help you to gather information about the tutee and his assignment, and will provide the most useful feedback to the tutee. You will know if you have been successful if your choices result in the student being able to complete his writing assignment.

Begin role play activity.

 

D. References

E. Summary

F. Evaluation Survey (ANGEL Survey)

The materials for the iStudy for Success modules were originally developed at the Jack P. Royer Center for Learning and Academic Technologies.

Additional materials were developed and assistance was provided by the University Learning Centers (ULC), University Park.

The ANGEL version of the modules is being administered by TLT. For more information about iStudy for Success modules, please contact tlt@psu.edu.

The Pennsylvania State University ©2004 All rights reserved. Please read the entire license agreement before distributing the modules, and before modifying and sharing the content of the modules. This statement MUST accompany this module and all derivative works.

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