The world of education has experienced a seismic shift in recent years, with the rise of remote learning and the necessity of adapting to new methods of teaching and support during unprecedented times. Amid these changes, educators and institutions have had to come up with innovative ways to ensure the success of their students. One such innovation is embedded tutoring, a concept that has been around for a while but gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interested in learning about how embedded tutoring is implemented in other colleges and universities, College of Western Idaho (CWI) Assistant Director of Tutoring Services, Valerie Lee, along with several other higher education professionals from institutions around the country, surveyed and researched data about best practices and program effectiveness. Lee and her colleagues wrote an article based on their data and findings entitled, An Embedded Tutoring Model, which was recently published in the National College Learning Center’s Learning Assistance Review Vol. 28, # 2.
Lee began her research in July 2022. She conducted a survey through the University of Florida’s Learning Center’s listserv. The mailing list connected her to thousands of learning center professionals around the United States to gather insights and information on embedded tutoring.
The survey identified five colleges, including CWI, that had embedded tutoring in more than 25 courses per semester. Intrigued by this data, Lee initiated a working group involving four other college professionals to delve deeper into the subject. The working group included Lee; Learning Center Manager at Pima Community College in Arizona, Seana Chaves; Learning Center Writing Content Specialist at Pima Community College, Sarah Morris; Director of Library and Academic Support at Chesapeake College in Maryland, Ann Reinecke; and Integrated Tutoring Coordinator at Harrisburg Area Community College in Arizona, Austin Tome.
Lee and the collaborative group decided to share their knowledge with a wider audience. They began by conducting a free webinar for the listserv, which attracted a significant number of participants. They were then contacted by Innovative Educators, an organization that specializes in educational webinars. and invited to present a paid webinar.
For Lee, the intention of the publication is to serve as a resource and training manual for new tutoring professionals. She believes it guides readers on starting and managing a tutoring program, offering insights on recruitment, training, and program development.
“My favorite part of this process is how much I’ve been able to learn from these other schools,” Lee said. “I feel like I have a more solid understanding of what emerging tutoring practices are and the innovation happening at other schools.”
For more information on CWI’s Tutoring Center, please visit their webpage or contact tutoring@cwi.edu.
