IN THIS ISSUE OF ONESIXTYEIGHT
TUTORING
ACADEMIC
SKILLS TUTORING
INSTRUCTOR
TESTIMONIALS
SUCCESS SUPPLEMENTAL
INSTRUCTION
STUDENT
TESTIMONIALS Content Editor:Chris Hamel-Brown Online Editor: Victor Mercado Layout: Steve Ecker, David Hagen Photography: Steve Ecker, David Hagen On the cover: THINK TANK, Park Student Union Location
ONESIXTYEIGHT is an online publication of the THINK TANK Copyright © 2015 Arizona Board of Regents The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
FROM THE
EDITOR
CONTENT EDITOR
One-sixty-eight. It’s on our cover. What’s so
to make the best of those 168 hours. It gives you the
important that the THINK TANK, the University of Ari-
facts you need to make informed decisions about what
zona’s student learning center, would use that as the
support services will be most useful to you as you
name of our Ultimate College Survival Guide?
build your plan for meeting your college goals.
One-sixty-eight is how many hours we all have to
Each of our four major sections -- Tutoring,
get done what we need to each week: sleep, exercise,
Academic Skills Tutoring, Schedule for Success, and
connect with people, build something, watch our favor-
Supplemental Instruction -- describes what the service
ite TV show, and, most importantly, to learn.
is and how it works, then lets you meet some of the
One-sixty-eight hours sounds like a lot, but we all know how fast weeks can go by. And when you
people who do all the work. You’ll get a “Here’s How” box with links to each part of our website so you can quickly access the services you choose to use. And
you need to get all those math problems, studying,
you can always just head to our intro page and navi-
reading, and writing done and done well -- all while still
gate from there: THINKTANK.ARIZONA.EDU.
having time to unwind with friends, hit the gym, get a good night’s sleep, or catch up on Facebook.
Onesixtyeight is our guide to help you plan how
Welcome to the UA. And weclome to the THINK TANK, your support and guide as you take control of your learning and create your pathway to success!
TUTO R IN G BEAR DOWN GYM | CORONADO | MANZANITA-MOHAVE | ONLINE | PARK STUDENT UNION | REC CENTER
43% of students who enrolled last year used THINK TANK services at least once while at UA. WE ARE YOUR GUIDE TO INDEPENDENT LEARNING Why does my tutor ask me so many questions? What’s up with all the examples? Our style of tutoring may not be what you expect, but since we won’t be there for your test, and we can’t be with you the entire time you’re writing that big essay, our aim is to prepare you to work independently. Your tutor is trained to ask questions to help you realize what you already know, to think about your work in a new light, and then guide you to solve the problem on your own. We help you get a handle on the concepts you’ve learned in class so that you can write that essay and solve those problems on your own at home, in class, or on the test!
BE THAT WELL ROUNDED STUDENT Time management, note taking, a schedule – all these are good habits for becoming a successful student. But, how can math skills help you in your chemistry course? Why would honing a thesis be valuable for a business or biology major? A skill you pick up in one course can actually help you in many other areas of student life. Your tutors can help you sharpen and apply your skills to new subjects.
COMMUNICATE BETTER THINK TANK tutors will ask you questions and engage in a conversation with you. You’ll be asked to talk about the ideas you are trying to express in your writing, or asked to explain your will not only help you with the current topic but you’ll also be on your way to becoming a stronger communicator. And that’s valuable in any area of your life!
Our students come in at different places in their academic careers. From Math 100 to Calculus 2 and at any point in the writing process, our tutors are ready to help you get through that rough patch because they’ve been there, too. They work with lots of students every day and often see the same questions many times, which means they have lots of practice explaining the same concept in different ways. Whatever you bring to the tutors, they are prepared to meet you where you’re at. WANT TO MEET WITH A TUTOR?
HERE’S HOW:
Tutoring is available for a variety of subjects at four locations and ONLINE, so be sure to check our schedule and courses we support. CLICK HERE to visit the Tutoring page on our website!
TH E
WR ITIN G C E NTE R
“
THE WRITING CIRCLE GAVE ME REAL DEADLINES FOR CREATING DRAFTS OF MY WORK. WITHOUT THIS GROUP, I WOULD NOT HAVE MET MY WRITING GOALS FOR THE SEMESTER.” MEGHAN H. PH.D. CANDIDATE, SOCIOLOGY
GRADUATE STUDENTS COLLABORATE AT THE WRITING CENTER
MAKE THE WRITING CENTER
A PART OF YOUR WRITING PROCESS No matter if you are a graduate student or a freshman, or what your area of study is, you will write. A lot. And developing as a writer is something that happens over a lifetime and requires time for dialogue and revision. Even experienced writers recognize the importance of talking through their writing with someone to improve organization or to generate new ideas. The Writing Center is a space for these conversations. Whether you want to brainstorm ideas, are in your third draft of your magnum opus, or somewhere in between, we can be part of your writing process. The peer tutors at the Writing successful writer you want to be. We offer three types of sessions. Our 15-minute drop-ins are great for getting feedback on one key concept or to brainstorm ideas. To get feedback on several aspects of your work or to go more in-depth, a 30-minute appointment might be up your alley. We also offer 1-hour fee-based appointments if you want to spend more time focusing on a paper. A typical session starts with establishing your goals for the session and the context for the writing project, so it’s a good idea to bring your assignment sheet and some ideas for what you want to accomplish. Next, you and your tutor will look together at your writing. Depending on what your goals are, your tutor will work to help you identify areas that might need reorganizing or where your ideas might need development, clarsentence structure, style and formatting, or grammatical issues and teach you how to recognize and resolve them.
In addition to the goals you have for the session, we also have some goals for you. We want you to be able to take what you worked on at the Writing Center and apply these concepts to other parts of your paper and to future writing projects. This out a revision plan which recaps what you accomplished and outlines a plan for revising your paper. At the Writing Center, we are always challenging ourselves to think of new ways we can support Wildcats with their writing. We have multiple locations and long hours to meet your needs, and we offer dropEVEN EXPERIENCED in writing tutoring online WRITERS RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF for those times you can’t TALKING THROUGH get to campus. We’ve also THEIR WRITING developed graduate writing support, including Graduate Writing Circles, which are dedicated peer writing groups that meet throughout the school year to help support graduate writing projects. Whether you need help brainstorming ideas anything in between, plan to make the Writing Center a part of your writing process.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015 WRITING TUTORING:
6,700+
VISITS
2,800+
STUDENTS
SEAN HARLEY
WRITING CENTER TUTOR WHY ARE TUTORS CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? As a tutor, I strive to complement classroom instruction by providing a supportive and student-centered learning environment that stimulates independent thinking and active learning. Students inevitably become more aware of both how they learn and their strengths and weaknesses, thereby enhancing and promoting both their personal and academic success. Working with students in a variety of different capacities, I address concepts and skills that are necessary in order to become successful lifelong learners. I aim to help students establish a solid understanding of their coursework, develop resources. I believe that it is imperative to solidify these skills while in school for they are highly adaptive and useful in everyday life.
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL TUTORING SESSION. that students have trouble grasping certain concepts in writing, particularly that of analysis. I once I worked with a student who was confused regarding the difference between summary and analysis in formal essay writing (a misunderstanding we see quite often as writing tutors). I noticed he was wearing a shirt with Jesse Pinkman on it, one of the main characters of the successful TV series Breaking Bad. I asked him to tell me why he thinks it is an excellent show – to explain what aspects of the production contribute to its brilliance. He recounted the unique plot, intelligent script, and intriguing characters, but at no point did he give me a summary of a particular episode, or of the entirety of the series. I pointed out that he had given me a brief analysis of the series. I explained how I could not turn around and tell someone what happens in the show as he had not given me a summary of the plot line, but that I could give an analysis of what makes the show so popular and why. By moving away from his direct coursework to a topic of personal intrigue, the student became more engaged in the session and thus the writing process. By illustrating how the concept of analysis is used in everyday life, the material became far more tangible and relatable to the student, instead of foreign and abstract. Due to this customized explanation of analysis, the student retained an excellent understanding of
OUR IMPACT ON WRITING
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA:
SUPPORT FOR WRITERS OF ALL LEVELS: GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES the material. I know this to be true, for this particular student came in a month later with his most recent assignment, rid of summary but packed with well-articulated analysis!
WHY IS THE TANK TUTORING EFFECTIVE? With an informal (though appropriate) dress code and peer-tutors as opposed to professors and TAs, students generally feel a greater sense of ease coming in for help than they would otherwise. By leading question-based sessions, students are encouraged to use and develop their critical thinking skills to work through their problem areas, instead of being directly told what to do. The THINK TANK maintains a student-centered learning environment in which both the tutors and tutees are able to grow and learn.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS A TUTOR? I feel tremendous satisfaction knowing that by helping my fellow peers become independent writers, they begin to better understand their own capability to achieve. Seeing wonderful feeling.
FIRST YEAR WRITING GRADUATE SCHOOL DISSERTATION UNITS
IN OVER
119
MAJORS
600
COURSES SERVED I N FA L L 2 0 1 4 & SPRING 2015
“THROUGH TUTORING YOU’LL REALIZE YOU HAVE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, AND KNOWING WHICH ARE WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU TO IMPROVE YOUR WEAKNESSES AND
UNLEASH YOUR STRENGTHS!”
MATH AND SCIENCE TUTORING less if you have recently taken a math course or if it has been years since your last one, the THINK TANK can help you succeed in your math and science courses. At the THINK TANK we understand that making a mistake is a very important (and common!) part of learning. This means that when you go back and realize you missed a problem because you put the wrong sign or multiplied two numbers incorrectly, you’re demonstrating part of your learning process, and that’s a good thing. Our tutors help you identify mistakes and when you are most likely to make them, and then show you how to avoid them so you can go into your next exam feeling What does this mean to you? Improved test scores potentially, but most importantly, better understanding of the material. A tutor will help you understand the “why” of a formula,
not just the “how” so you can answer questions like “why do you use the quadratic formula instead of factoring?” Once you know the “why,” the “how” becomes much easier and memorizing is replaced by understanding. Learning math and science is not new to you, but learning them at a university level is. A university-level math or science course will be at a faster pace and it will probably require you to invest additional time in homework, reviewing, and working with your peers. Falling behind, even if it’s for one lecture, can have a huge impact in your grade and in your future math courses! The THINK TANK is a must-use resource for you in the following important situations: When you need help understanding a tough topic in lecture or homework. You can work with a tutor, explain what you the importance of each concept.
FREE
THINK TANK SERVICES: THE WRITING CENTER SPANISH & FRENCH TUTORING SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION WEEKLY COURSE REVIEWS ACADEMIC SKILLS TUTORING
THINK TANK SERVICES: PRIVATE TUTORING GROUP TUTORING LEARNING SPECIALIST SUPPORT EXAM PREP GRE, GMAT, & LSAT TEST PREP
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015 MATH & SCIENCE DROP-IN TUTORING:
VISITS
Billed to your Bursar’s Account, our services and courses can be purchased individually, or in bundled packages. CLICK HERE to review our rates.
STUDENTS
When reviewing lecture slides and notes after class. If you get stuck when reviewing your lecture slides, a tutor can give you practice problems or explain the concept. When you are reviewing and preparing for an exam. Pull out your notes, slides, and previous homework. Tutors can clarify anything that is still murky and will be covered on your next exam! When you receive your graded exam. Let tutors help you identify exactly what you did right and wrong. Looking at your previous exam and learning what went well and what needs work will help you improve your future test scores. Tutoring will engage your mind and help you become more aware of your math abilities. You will realize you have strengths and weaknesses, and knowing which is which will enable you to improve your weaknesses and unleash your strengths!
9,400 STUDENTS VISITED
THINK TANK
60,600 TIMES IN THE 2014-2015 ACADEMIC YEAR
ASHLEY JEFFS MATH TUTOR
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL TUTORING SESSION. One of my favorite moments was when I was helping this pair of girls for their Pre-Calculus class. They were really struggling with rational functions and how to because I thought they probably just wanted some quick answers, but they really appreciated the discussion and at the end were super excited about rational functions! I asked them if they had any further questions or if any particular part was especially confusing and they both just said, “No!!! We’ve got it now!!”
HOW DID THIS MOMENT HELP THE STUDENTS GROW AND CHANGE? It was really cool to show the students that math is understandable if you break it down. The biggest complaint that they had was that their teacher would sometimes skip steps and make assumptions and conclusions that they didn’t quite understand. We were able to show them...that math actually is accessible and that understanding it doesn’t require you to know any secret math-teacher language. Plus, we had a lot of fun together and so hopefully that helps improve their attitude about math.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS A THINK TANK TUTOR? I love working with other students! I think that a lot of students come into the tutoring room thinking that they are “not good at math” and are there to consult some math-geniuses, so my favorite thing is when students ask me about my own math experiences. I get to tell them how much I cried and agonized over my math problems when I was in the class and then get to give them some tricks to understanding all of it and doing well in the class. We have this thing in our student culture where we think that there are “smart kids” and “not-smart kids” and that’s just frankly not true. Exposing that myth and helping my classmates to feel like the smart kids they are is my absolute favorite part of the job.
Sometimes you simply have to have someone to talk to who has been where you are right now. Academic Skills Tutoring is a peer mentoring service where trained undergraduate students work with students like you to overcome the potential challenges of adjusting to university and college-level classwork and life. You can talk with an Academic Skills Tutor (AST) about anything that’s going on—from time management to test anxiety to general advice on the college experience.
WANT TO MEET WITH AN AST?
HERE’S HOW:
Drop-in or make an appointment—Academic Skills Tutors are available to meet with students at Bear Down Gym and at select residence halls. CLICK HERE to visit the AST page on our website!
As students themselves, ASTs understand what you may face as you go through your college career—that’s why their solutions are realistic to your experience. Their focus is on building solutions with you rather than just providing answers. As a result, you’re able to take charge of your own academic experience. You’re in college now -- why wouldn’t you want to feel in control of your own learning? ASTs teach you to take the initiative, be a proactive learner, and not be afraid to ask for help. Through workshops and individual meetings, our ASTs become mentors and role models to students. They too are students who have found their way at the UA; thus, they can help you do the same, often going beyond strictly academic support to see you as a whole person with a full life that creates unique demands on you.
ASTs are critical because they encourage you to go beyond course material and think about how you learn. They understand that even students who are putting in a lot of effort may not be successful if they aren’t using methods that are effective and appropriate for them. Everyone has different ways of learning, so ASTs focus on what works best for you as an individual so you can get the most out of your study time. We want you to know you aren’t alone during your college experience. You can talk with someone either one-on-one or in a group setting and know you are supported at the UA. Even after your time with an AST is up or one of our workshops ends, you can always come back and follow up with us to keep that successful connection going throughout the semester.
“WE ARE HERE
TO TRAIN STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE
THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.”
MAX WINETRAUB
ACADEMIC SKILLS TUTOR CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? I like to think of myself as a mentor for students who are making the transition into college. Part of that role is demonstrating the types of behaviors that translate to academic success in college—for me, it’s mostly the open-minded attitude towards learning and taking pride in the work that I do. I help students become self-motivated and self-directed. If a student comes and talks with an AST enough times, eventually it will get to the point where our services are no longer required because the student has learned enough about his or her personal strengths and learning styles to succeed individually. One of the cool things about being an AST is that we that we teach can be applied to any class; a lot of them can be applied to your professional life. We give students the tools to adapt their own learning styles to any situation they may encounter so that they can continue to be lifelong learners. As an AST, we are here to train students on those skills so that they can achieve their full potential.
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL AST MOMENT. I think the most validating moment for me was when I was giving a workshop and a professor was sitting in on the presentation. I was explaining to the students how professors tend to write their tests and some of the strategies they could use to prepare for that. The professor chimed in and to his test-writing method. The students came away from that moment much more assured in their ability knowing that they had a direct line to the people who actually create the test material, and that the test wasn’t meant to punish them. They began to see their professors in a much more approachable manner. And the test was no longer an abstract concept to them— instead it became a document pieced together by an individual concerned about their academic success. Not something meant to hurt them, but to demonstrate what they learned and as an opportunity. They approached the exam
WHY ARE THESE SERVICES EFFECTIVE? We don’t try to peg every student into a single model. We adjust our approach to each student’s individual learning style or different academic goals. We also don’t exist to give students all of the answers. In our workshop setting, we get students with different backgrounds in a single room and they become the resources other members of the group will learn from, with the facilitation of an AST. The one-on-one model allows for personal attention and relationship building that encourages students to become more aware of their unique skill set. In each instance, we empower the students to be in charge, which encourages them to follow through on the material we discuss, and build better academic behaviors.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS AN AST?
The best thing for me has been the people I’ve worked with. One of the best aspects of working with a group of nice, talented, funny, and driven individuals on a regular basis is that I have grown immensely from an academic and professional perspective. Everyone’s skill-sets are so diverse that I always have the opportunity to get the help I need from my co-workers. I would highly recommend working at the THINK TANK for anyone interested in working in an environment that translates professional development into academic success.
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015 ACADEMIC SKILLS TUTORING:
1,300+ VISITS 1,100+ STUDENTS
WHY ARE ACADEMIC SKILLS TUTORS (ASTs) CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? As you enter into college, it’s important to have someone who wants to help you through the everyday struggles of keeping up in a new environment and creating new habits for academic success. This is why ASTs are critical to student success! We will always be here to help and truly want the best for you (and your grades)!
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL AST MOMENT. One of my most successful AST moments was fairly recent. A couple months ago I had the privilege of working with a graduate student on her study habits and time management! We were both very happy to find out that on the following test she received an excellent grade after using some of the tools I gave her and she was able to create some new ideas and tools for herself based on our one-on-one meetings! The best feelings are improvement and accomplishment in the AST world, and this girl did it! There’s always more room for improvement, but whether big or small, any effort towards bettering yourself and your habits is good effort. I was so glad I got to be part of her good experience.
WHY ARE THESE SERVICES EFFECTIVE? These services are effective because we cater to the learner and we actively care. We help you to help yourself! We are motivated by the fact that you are seeking out help, and gladly provide as much as we can, because whether you realize it or not, we are on the journey with you. We pride ourselves on the training we receive for academic success, overall student success and campus resources. Throughout the year, we add trainings and continue our learning. Our services are effective not only because we relate to our students as peers and understand the common struggles, but also because we love helping students, and strive to learn with everyone we assist.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS AN AST? The most rewarding part of working as an AST is seeing the smiles on people’s faces when their hard work and determination pays off. Everyone has the potential to improve and grow, no matter where you start off. Therefore, when I interact with students and they find their motivation to do better, I get excited because I know they are going to achieve their goals!
ACADEMIC SKILLS TUTOR
LORENE FISHER
“I LOVE TUTORING SPANISH AT
THINK TANK BECAUSE I AM ABLE TO
WORK WITH STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS, LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES,
ENCOURAGE THEM WHERE THEY ARE, AND IN THE END I BECOME A STRONGER EDUCATOR
WHILE THEY BECOME
STRONGER STUDENTS.”
UA SPANISH INSTRUCTOR
DR. ANGEL PIMENTEL
UA LECTURER, MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY One of the challenges that students face in my “Bioethics” course is understanding that writing is not an activity to take lightly, but is rather a process that requires careful consideration of how to express deep abstract thoughts. I collaborated with the THINK TANK to develop a strategy to support students in my course. My students now regularly visit the Writing Center as they research and write their papers. As a result, the class average on this assignment increased from 70-75% to around 90%. Students that make use of the Writing Center will have the tools to accept the challenges of expressing their ideas in writing. I encourage UA students to make the Writing Center part of their college experience; this will be one of your best investments in your college education.
“Writing I encourage UA students to make the Center part of their college experience.”
SCHEDULE FOR SUCCESS
“
““
I THINK THE MOST BENEFICIAL PART WAS HAVING A LEARNING SPECIALIST WHO WAS ALWAYS THERE...IT'S A CASUAL ENVIRONMENT; WHATEVER YOU GIVE, YOU GET BACK... ACADEMICALLY AND PERSONALLY. I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THE S4S PROGRAM.”
ARIN HOLLIS
COMING UP... LEARNING SPECIAL BROKE EV ERYTHING DOWN FOR ME AND PULLED LINKS OF RESOURCES. SHE WENT OUT OF HER WAY!”
95%
UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR ACADEMIC STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AS A RESULT OF MEETING WITH THEIR LEARNING SPECIALIST.
Schedule for Success (S4S), offered to students by invitation, is an innovative program designed to help you through your freshman year. Math courses can be challenging; you are transitioning and your own unique high school experience. By offering individualized learning support, customized opportunities, S4S gives students the tools to make the transition from high school to college a little bit easier.
SCHEDULE FOR SUCCESS As part of the S4S program, you will take SAS 100AX (“Math Success Strategies”) in your you as you brush up on math concepts through ALEKS, an online math concepts learning system. The second goal is to provide you with individualized math success strategies to become a more involved, successful, and independent math learner. Each class even has an assigned THINK TANK tutor whose main goal is to assist more successful if you take advantage of this free service! The free assistance continues as you progress to a more traditional, lecture-based math course in the spring semester. Your former SAS 100AX instructor will communicate with you weekly, and provide you with free test review sessions. And with over 50 hours per week available for office hour appointments, many students will sign up for two or more sessions a week to make sure of their continued math success.
PLAN FOR SUCCESS students in S4S get exclusive access to a professional Learning Specialist at the THINK TANK. Learning Specialists listen to your needs, adjust, and challenge you to make positive change. These individualized sessions will help you become familiar with your academic habits. Learning Specialists help you develop your study strategies, building upon ones you already utilize effectively
meeting, you will take a Student Self-Awareness Inventory to identify your strengths and weaknesses (academic and otherwise). You will then work to identify the tools and resources you need to set Your Learning Specialist will support you throughout your freshman year in reaching your academic and personal goals. What might this kind of support look like? Well, if, like many students, you feel like you do not have enough time to study for your classes, your Learning Specialist may use a weekly planner as a tool to help you mange your time more effectively. You will be guided to make the schedule as detailed as possible by writing down everything -- from what time you get up and go to sleep, to the times that you usually talk to family and friends on the phone or Skype, to when you go to the gym or play Frisbee with your roommate, to when you watch TV, surf the Web, and play video games. Students are often surprised how much of their time is spent on activities that are not related to their academics, and this new awareness allows you to make adjustments to your schedule to allow more time for the studying you need to do in order to succeed in your classes.
“I LOVED OUR MEETINGS. THEY WERE ALWAYS MORE THAN HELPFUL AND ALWAYS MADE ME MORE CONFIDENT IN MYSELF AND SCHOOL WORK.”
LARRY KULL
My official title is “lead instructor” for SAS 100AX. I hire, train, and supervise the five Graduate Teaching Assistants who are responsible for teaching the SAS 100AX classes, and I also design and refine the learning outcomes, objectives and curriculum for the class. I keep morale high by sharing Larry life stories.
WHY IS YOUR ROLE CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? Many of our students lack the confidence and skills that are necessary to be successful in college math course. Our goal is to motivate and inspire these students to be successful independent learners.
MOMENT. The first semester of SAS 100AX, I worked with a pre-nursing student who tested at a junior-high level in math. She had always struggled in math courses, and her strategy up to this point was to avoid taking them -but she needed to pass College Algebra to be admitted into the nursing program. She came into class with very little confidence, and didn’t have any idea how she was going to be able to test into College Algebra by taking an online math course. She enjoyed and took advantage of the one-on-one tutoring with me and the THINK TANK tutor, often working upwards of ten to fifteen hours a week in order to bring her math skills up. She tested into Math 100 in just six weeks, and took Math 112 in the spring.
HOW DID THIS MOMENT HELP THE STU DENT GROW AND CHANGE? She realized that her success relied less on how “math smart” she was, and more on how smart her approach to her math courses was. Confidence, discipline, and organization were the tools she learned in SAS 100AX that enabled her to become successful.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SUPPORT STU DENTS TO HELP THEM BECOME SUCCESS Many of the skills, strategies, and self assurance that we instill in our students that help them to become successful in Math 100 are the same set of skills that help them to transform into successful lifelong learners.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR WORK? Watching students grow, becoming more confident, and taking more responsibility for their own successes.
With more than 14,600 visits this academic year, Supplemental Instruction (SI) has clearly become a popular part of many Wildcats’ study plans. Why? Because SI works. Students who participate in SI develop effective study skills, learn how to manage their time and to process the complexities of the content of their courses, and, for many, end up with better grades as a result. SI is a free, student-facilitated study group that supports historically challenging classes. If you have a course that is supported by SI, you will have 9-12 study sessions at various times and locations to help you review material and develop your study habits. Why does SI work? According to the SI leaders – UA students just like you – it works because it is built on four pillars that come together to create a positive study environment for students. These four pillars – the Retention Plan, SI Strategies and Techniques, Theory and Literature, and SI Community – inlearning needs.
The Retention Plan is just what it sounds like: it’s how we help you retain what is taught in your courses. It is the “master plan” that allows our SI leaders to meet you where you are at within the class and to take you to a higher level of easy. This master plan then translates into specific SI Strategies and Techniques. SI leaders share various strategies and techniques that have been proven to enhance your group, study, and learning skills, which will come in handy in other subjects beyond your SI supported class. Contrary to many lectures and discussion sections, SI strategies and techniques integrate your past experiences and existing knowledge with the course content in ways that make you an expert. Good sessions do not just happen. SI leaders study hard in order to develop the most effective ways to guide you to learn your class material. Thus, “Theory and Literature” is another crucial pillar in building SI success, giving the facilitators the knowledge and skills to create the best environment
SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION
ABC RATES 80%
66%
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015 SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION:
14,600+
VISITS
2,100+
possible for your learning. Everything SI leaders do is based on the best research available on student-led study groups and on effective student learning so you know you are getting expert support in every session. The SI Community is perhaps the most complex of all four pillars. istrative staff, faculty, SI leaders, partners such as Residence Life, and, most importantly, students just like you. Our SI program views each community member as a valuable particiincluding our location and the schedule of sessions. We are here to work for you! Therefore, you are a critical part of how SI works and continues to improve, helping more and more Wildcats become successful students. SI sessions are led by experts with the extensive training and knowledge needed to take you to the next level in your learning. Knowing that, and with outcomes that lead to better grades and study skills not only in your SI-supported class but all your courses, the question is, why not use SI?
STUDENTS
COU R
SE G
RAD
E AB
C
SI USERS NON -SI USERS 80% OF ALL SI USERS RECEIVED A GRADE OF A, B, OR C IN THEIR COURSE COMPARED TO 66% OF NONUSERS IN THE FOLLOWING COURSES: CHEM 101, GER 160D1, MCB 170, MCB 181, PHYS 241, PSIO 201, PSIO 202, REL 160D3, AND MIC 205.
“ THE MOST REWARDING PART OF SI IS BEING ABLE TO HELP OTHERS.
I ENJOY BEING ABLE TO FACILITATE THE GROWTH OF STUDENTS IN SUBJECT AREAS I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT, WHILE STILL DEVELOPING SKILLS PERTINENT TO MY GROWTH AS AN INDIVIDUAL.”
RYAN FARHAT SI LEADER WHY ARE SI LEADERS CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? SI leaders are able to provide an optimal learning environment for student-student interaction. It’s amazing how much of an impact SI leaders can have on student success by doing so little. Students are interacting; students are explaining concepts to their classmates; and students are ultimately applying what they learned in class into different activities. What makes SI leaders so effective is that we facilitate student learning during these sessions. This means we are able to create a session that maximizes student learning and understanding by making the activities not only unique, but in a way that students can retain what they learned in the session. That way, we can guide the students towards their desired level of understanding, but it is ultimately the students working through every activity that helps improve or enhance their own understanding of the material.
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL SI MOMENT. An SI session is most successful when the SI leader minimizes his/her participation during the session. Last semester, I had a student who had a very high level of understanding of the material, but she still came to my SI sessions every Sunday. As the semester progressed, I realized that she had a better understanding of the topics than other students in the sessions. Therefore, rather than students looking at me when they were confused about a definition or process, I would have the students direct the questions to her. As SI leaders, we want students to continue coming to our sessions. In this particular case, students remained very engaged in the activities and seemed to benefit from working through activities in groups. For students such as Vanessa, being put in the facilitative role was essential to her growth as a student. To keep her engaged, she helped facilitate discussions to help guide students in the right direction and essentially took the role of the SI leader! This opened up a new perspective for her and allowed her to benefit from sessions even when she had a thorough understanding of the material. Learning the material is one thing, but figuring out the best way to portray it to students is another. She was able to obtain both sides of the spectrum and benefited tremendously from SI.
WHY IS SI EFFECTIVE?
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS AN SI LEADER?
Students are able to attend SI sessions on their own time, whenever is most convenient for them, and gain an alternative perspective to material covered in lecture. There is only so much insight a student can gain by going to the library and reading notes over and over again. SI enforces student-student interaction in hopes that each student can ultimately gain a better understanding of the topic. In order to do that, students are provided with different resources, such as play-dough, white boards, note cards, or string in order to create their own understanding of the topic. For example, play-dough can be used to diagram the problems associated with type two diabetes. Sure, students can read about diabetes, but to actually diagram and figure out the reason by themselves takes their understanding to a whole new level. All of these resources when used properly can help students visualize certain processes, which will improve their understanding of the topic.
Being involved in the SI program has definitely been advantageous to my growth as a student and as an individual. I was fortunate enough to develop better communication and leadership skills thanks to the SI program. On top of that, I learned about different techniques/resources I can use to facilitate student learning and as a student; I adopted them into my own study habits. However, the most rewarding part of SI is being able to help others. I enjoy being able to facilitate the growth of students in subject areas I am passionate about, while still developing skills pertinent to my growth as an individual. It was amazing to see how much higher tests scores were for students who attended SI versus those who didn’t attend last semester. This not only encouraged students to attend our sessions, but also encouraged us to continue to challenge the students with unique activities and keep them engaged. The SI program is essential to student success and I am very glad to be a part of it.
DANIELLE RENYER
SI LEADER
WHY ARE SI LEADERS CRITICAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS? SI leaders are critical to a student’s success because of what they don’t do. After extensive training, we lay the groundwork for students, give them the tools and resources, but they do all the learning for themselves. With the activities they do during SI sessions, they use all their brain power, the knowledge of their peers, notes, textbooks, and anything else they may need. This allows students to advocate for their own success and help them in the future when SI is not a resource to them. Oftentimes, traditional study services will give students the right answer and not worry about explaining to them why they got there. While this may be effective for some students, this won’t be effective for them in the long run. When students come to SI sessions they are able to determine the why and the how and not just the what. This will help students use their knowledge not just now but in future classes and later in life.
TELL US ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL SI MOMENT. Being a freshman is a new experience and with that comes added stress. SI gives them the opportunity to take charge of their educational journey right away. I had a student who was particularly discouraged because the new material was challenging. She began regularly attending SI sessions and even became instrumental in the learning of her peers. She put in a lot of effort and because of that she was able to see marked success in her grades. She came to me, proud of herself, because she received an “A” on her exam. From this moment on will see.
WHY IS SI EFFECTIVE?
SI sessions allow students to be instrumental in their own learning. They are able to learn the way that works best for them and use these tools in the future. SI allows students to be proactive in their success. When they attribute their success to something they did and not external forces, this gives them the
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF WORKING AS AN SI LEADER?
One of the most rewarding parts of being an SI leader is watching students become advocates for their own learning and watching this turn into success. When they have those “light bulb” moments or get the good grade they’ve been working hard for, you realize that all the effort you put into your sessions is worth it.
WANT TO ATTEND AN SI SESSION?
HERE’S HOW: SI is offered in only certain courses, so be sure to check our schedule to see which courses we will be supporting each semester. CLICK HERE to visit the SI page on our website!
“I GO THERE EVERY WEEK LOCATION IS GREAT. THE TUTORS HAVE SUCH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, AND THEY’RE ALWAYS WILL ING TO HELP...THEY DON’T JUST GIVE YOU THE MACKENZIE F.
“I WAS REALLY HAPPY “I FOUND MY PATH TO HIGHER SUCCESS AT UA WITH THINK TANK GUIDANCE
ING AND ACADEMIC SKILLS WORK SHOPS. MY LEARNING SPECIAL IST HELPED ME IDENTIFY MY PERSONAL STRENGTHS AND DESIGN MY OWN STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS.” GENERAL STUDIES, SENIOR
REVIEW SESSION. I TOOK ADVANTAGE AS SOON AS I GOT IT. I DIDN’T HAVE TO GO HUNTING FOR HELP, THE HELP FOUND ME.” FAMILY STUDIES AND HUMAN DEVELOP MENT, FRESHMAN
“EXTREMELY HELPFUL
HELPED ME ASSESS MY ESSAY AND PINPOINT THE THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO WORK ON. I WILL BE BACK FOR FUTURE ESSAYS.” SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS, FRESHMAN
“THE UA GRADUATE STUDENT WRITING CIRCLE HAS BEEN THE
“WORKING WITH
DEFINITELY HELPED ME TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE. NOT ONLY DID SHE
ENCOURAGE ME TO GET INVOLVED WITH CAMPUS ACTIVITIES BUT SHE ALSO SUPPORTED ME THROUGHOUT MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE.”
MOST COLLEGIAL YET RIGOROUS WRITING WORKSHOPS I HAVE EXPERIENCED. THINK TANK
FACILITATORS MODELED THE PROCESS AND STRATEGIES FOR US...THE GROUP INTRODUCED ME TO PEOPLE I HOPE
KICKED MY THINKING/WRITING UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF COHERENCE AND RIGOR. WISH I HAD FOUND THIS RESOURCE SOONER.” DOCTORAL CANDIDATE, TEACHING, LEARNING AND SOCIOCULTURAL STUDIES
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