Warren #7

For the past two or so years, asynchronous tutoring has taken up 95% of my tutoring, so I've had a lot of time to think about its pros and cons. One pro of asynchronous tutoring is the flexibility of time. At the Writing Resource, as long as I complete my work within 24-48 hours of the student's submission, it is fine. This means I can wait to do the work until I'm ready and my head is clear; this isn't possible for synchronous tutoring - you just have to do it! Progressing through the work is also an advantage, as I can work at my own pace, uninterrupted. I ask a lot of questions in the margins, but because the student isn't there to answer them, I can move along quickly.

But this is also a drawback.There are times I want questions answered because the same question comes up again and again (e.g. What does this mean? I notice you use this word a lot...) and all I can do is address it. Similarly, with synchronous tutoring, because I can ask for clarification, I can stay on track (or get back on track), but with asynchronous tutoring, I run the risk of being off the mark. Finally, there is no closure at the end of a session. Because the student is not "there," I can't get a feel for how the tutoring session went for them, nor can I ask. Therefore, I feel I have to approach the text from many angles, trying to infer what the writer's intended meaning is.

Comments

  1. WarrenOctober 9, 2018 at 12:20 PM

    Hi Jen,

    I like the idea of a template, but templates can get quite wordy. The one we use now in the Writing Resource, for instance, is a bit long-winded, in my opinion. My guess is that students simply skip to the individualized comments. That said, I think a template is good to help standardize - I wouldn't want tutors to come from totally different directions when they provide feedback.

    As for the focus-group research, let's talk in person. I'm always interested in research ideas.

    Warren

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  2. UnknownOctober 9, 2018 at 3:53 PM

    That asynchronous set up sounds wonderful. Especially the aspect of being able to wait until you have a clear head. Sometimes when I’m tutoring, I have trouble keeping focused and I worry I’m not giving feedback that’s as helpful as it could be. I can see how it would be frustrating not to be able to have questions answered though. However, it probably helps the student understand that they won’t be able to answer those questions for every reader and need to be clearer.

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