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TUTOR HANDBOOK Learning is a treasure That will follow its owner everywhere -Chinese Proverb Revised 1/2010 TUTOR HANDBOOK
TUTOR HANDBOOK
Learning is a treasure That will follow its owner everywhere
-Chinese Proverb
Revised 1/2010
TUTOR HANDBOOK
June 10, 2009
Dear Tutor:
Congratulations on your decision to tutor Davenport students. You are providing an integral service that will benefit students.
Davenport University provides an intellectually stimulating environment dedicated to helping students become independent, successful learners. Providing tutoring to all students is a necessary component of student success. As a tutor, you are a critical element in this process. Your work complements that of faculty. By helping students who have significant difficulties, need brush-up of information, need a question answered or lack the basic study skills necessary for success, you enhance student learning. As an active participant in the learning process, you provide an important service to Davenport students.
Thank you for your commitment to Davenport University students.
Sincerely,
David W. FlemingProvost
ContentsPURPOSE AND PROCEDURES .......................................................................................... 2
TUTORING PURPOSE STATEMENT .................................................................................... 3 DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY: JOB DESCRIPTION ................................................................... 4 DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY TUTOR CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT .................................. 7 TUTOR CONTACT REPORT FOR INSTRUCTORS ............................................................... 10 TUTOR CODE OF ETHICS ................................................................................................. 12 THE GOALS OF TUTORING .............................................................................................. 14 COMPUTER RESOURCE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY .......................................................... 16
TUTOR ASSISTANCE ...................................................................................................... 18
TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE TUTORIAL ................................................................................. 19 USING QUESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS ........................................................... 21 A PLAN FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING AND NOTE-TAKING ................................................. 24 CORNELL NOTE-TAKING SYSTEM .................................................................................... 27 CORNELL NOTE-TAKING EXAMPLE ................................................................................. 28 TUTORING THE NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT ............................................................... 29 TUTORING INATTENTIVE STUDENTS .............................................................................. 32 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY POLICY .................................. 34 WHAT IF MY STUDENT FEELS: ........................................................................................ 36 GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING STUDENT PAPERS .......................................................... 38 TUTORING WRITING: THE ROUGH DRAFT ...................................................................... 40 TUTORING WRITING: THE FINAL DRAFT ......................................................................... 42
STUDENT ASSISTANCE .................................................................................................. 44
THESE MATERIALS MAY BE REPRODUCED FOR STUDENT USE. ...................................... 44
TIME MANAGEMENT: TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING ............................................................. 46 UNDERSTANDING TEST ANXIETY .................................................................................... 50 DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY POLICY: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY .............................................. 52 APA DOCUMENTATION STYLE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW ....................................................... 53
Documentation ........................................................................................................... 53 Quoting material ......................................................................................................... 56
FOR EXAMPLE, LET’S SAY YOU WANT TO QUOTE FROM THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE IN AN ESSAY CALLED “UNITED SHAREHOLDERS OF AMERICA,” BY JACOB WEISBERG: .......................................................................... 56
Paraphrasing .............................................................................................................. 60 Citing In-text Parenthetical References ...................................................................... 62 Reference Page ........................................................................................................... 65
STUDENT GUIDE FOR PREVENTING PLAGIARISM ........................................................... 71 What is plagiarism? .................................................................................................... 71 Types of plagiarism ..................................................................................................... 73
FORMATTING A PAPER ................................................................................................... 75 Creating a Title Page Using Word 2007 ...................................................................... 77 Reference Page Format ............................................................................................... 80
HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR TUTORS AND STUDENTS ......................................................... 86 English ......................................................................................................................... 86 Math ............................................................................................................................ 89 Science ......................................................................................................................... 89 Health .......................................................................................................................... 91
TUTOR SIGN-OFF .......................................................................................................... 94
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TUTOR SIGN-OFF .......................................................................................................... 95
PURPOSE AND PROCEDURES
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TUTORING PURPOSE STATEMENT
The Tutorial Program in the Library Information Commons at Davenport
University is dedicated to assisting students to achieve personal, academic
and career goals by enabling them to gain self-confidence and quality in
their academic work.
The Library Information Commons will provide ALL Davenport students
with drop-in tutoring or assistance by appointment, especially in
accounting, biology, business law, economics, database management
systems, English, finance, mathematics, medical terminology, Microsoft
Office, networking, nursing, physics, programming, security, statistics, and
other courses as necessary.
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DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY: JOB DESCRIPTION
Title of Position: Professional Tutor
Classification: Support Staff
Status: Part-time, Non-exempt
Pay Range:
Department: Library Information Commons
Location:
Reports To: Academic Dean or designee
Summary:
The professional tutor performs one-on-one and small group instruction to
assist students and aid student success.
Responsibilities:
1. Apply knowledge of discipline to provide one-on-one and small group instruction to students, as needed.
2. Assist students with course work. 3. Provide guidance and instruction, as needed, with peer tutors.4. Maintain records, as required.5. Provide excellent customer service, anticipating and exceeding the
needs of our customers.6. Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred.• Demonstrated knowledge in the appropriate disciplines.• Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision and to initiate
work on projects independently.• Strong customer service commitment.• Demonstrated ability to set and accomplish goals, work under pressure,
and meet deadlines.• Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office products.
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• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and promote a positive working environment, spirit of cooperation and positive reactions to change and conflict resolution.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, both written and oral which transcend diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and relate well to students, faculty, staff, and others while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Demonstrated motivational and problem solving capabilities with a high degree of integrity, ethics, and dedication to the mission of the University.
• Must be able to work an irregular schedule, evenings or weekends, as needed.
Environmental factors:
Business office/Computer Lab environment. Prolonged sitting and standing.
Use of personal computer and telephone (eye and hand strain). Moderate
lifting requirements (up to 50 lbs.)
I agree to perform the above listed responsibilities:
_______________________________________Print Name
_______________________________________Signature
_____/_____/_____Date
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DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY TUTOR CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
As an employee of the Davenport University Tutor Program, I understand
that I may have access to confidential information about the students I am
tutoring. I am aware that I may receive verbal or written communication
from my supervisor, a faculty member or students concerning course
grades, personal issues, etc. which should be kept confidential. I also
understand that employment with the Davenport University Tutor Program
means that I must take responsibility to preserve the confidentiality of this
information and that failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in the
termination of my employment.
I have read the above employee confidentiality statement and understand
and accept the responsibility to preserve the confidentiality of privileged
information.
___________________________ ________________ Employee Signature Date
________________________________ ___________________Employer Signature Date
This document must be signed by all Davenport University tutors and returned to the tutoring center director.
Adapted with permission from Manual for Tutors, Hazard Community & Technical College.
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TUTORING PROCEDURES
1. Walk-in tutoring is available at all LInC locations. Hours vary by semester; be sure to check the LInC website for Tutoring schedules for your LInC.
2. Each student must sign in at the TutorTrac kiosk as he/she enters the tutoring center. Students may also sign in from a faculty member’s computer if that is where the tutoring session will take place. It is essential that all students sign in and out when seeking assistance in the tutoring center since center budgets are based on headcount. If they cannot sign in, the tutor can enter the session later.
3. All tutoring will be done in the Library Information Commons or in faculty offices unless arranged otherwise by the Library Information Commons Director or Coordinator.
4. At the end of the tutoring session, each student must sign out at the TutorTrac kiosk.
5. The information collected through TutorTrac will be used to assess tutoring services based on services offered and used, and student satisfaction.
6. At the end of each semester, the Library Information Commons Director/Coordinator, academic dean or other designated person will complete an evaluation of tutoring services form for his/her campus and forward it to the Director of Libraries.
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TUTOR CONTACT REPORT FOR INSTRUCTORS
(Optional - by student request only)
TO: _________________________________________________________(Course Instructor)
FROM: _________________________________________________________(Tutor site)
DATE: _________________________________________________________(Current Date)
SUBJECT: _________________________________________________________(Student’s Name)
_________________________________________________________(Course #/Title)
On ____________________, the above student attended a tutoring session(s) for:
Review of Chapter _______ content
Assistance with exercise(s):
________________________________________
Computer work:
_________________________________________________
Research assistance:
______________________________________________
Paper review--circle appropriate item(s): content / grammar / APA
formatting
Test review and preparation
Other (specify other areas of assistance and any other general comments)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________
__________________
____________________________________________________________
______
REQUIRED Student Signature:
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TUTOR CODE OF ETHICS
1. I understand that my role as a tutor is not to do my students’ work.
2. I will give honest feedback to the students I serve and will not insult
them with false hope or empty flattery; I will always demonstrate
faith in my students’ learning abilities.
3. I understand that my relationship to my students is professional not
personal.
4. I will show respect for my students’ cultural backgrounds and
personal value systems.
5. I recognize that I may not have all the answers to student questions.
In this event, I will seek assistance in finding answers to students’
questions and/or direct them to an appropriate source for the
information.
6. I will maintain accurate records of tutoring sessions as expected and
required.
7. I will respect my students’ personal dignity at all times.
8. I will be on time for tutoring appointments, not only out of courtesy
but to be a good example for my students to follow
9. I will keep all information about my students confidential.
10. I understand that my ultimate goal is to assist my students in
learning and to help them develop the skills to do their best.
11. I will share any concerns I have with my supervisor.
12. I expect to learn along with my students.
13. I will keep current in both my subject area(s) and learning
methodologies.
14. I will remain flexible to my approach to student learning, respectful
of the various learning styles.
15. I will share techniques for improved study skills with my students.
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Adapted with permission from Tutor Code of Ethics, National Tutoring Association. Return to TOC
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THE GOALS OF TUTORING
An effective tutor will . . .
1. Help beginning students who are having difficulty with course
material by providing one-to-one or small group learning
opportunities.
2. Facilitate students’ adaptation to the college environment and to the
pace and difficulty of college work.
3. Support Davenport University’s faculty in their effort to provide a
relevant, quality education to a diverse college population.
4. Increase students’ interest and involvement in their course work.
5. Increase students’ ability to successfully complete coursework and
thus increase the likelihood of their retention to graduation.
6. Provide role models who demonstrate positive attitudes toward
education, concern for student welfare, and a sincere desire to help
them be successful.
7. Assist all Davenport University students enthusiastically, in an
accepting manner including those physically handicapped, learning
disabled, educationally under-prepared and culturally disadvantaged.
8. Encourage student independence and competence and thus help
ensure future success.
9. Improve students’ educational environment and level of
achievement.
10. Improve students’ self-confidence by encouraging them and
providing the guidance necessary for them to be successful.
An effective tutor will not . . .
1. Serve as a copy editor for students.2. Rewrite sentences in students’ papers.3. Introduce their own ideas into students’ papers.4. Do students’ work for them5. Predict students’ grades on assignments
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6. Allow students to access solution manuals without assistance.
Reprinted with permission from Tutor Handbook, Wright State University.
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COMPUTER RESOURCE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
The Davenport University Library Information Commons provide
computers and computerized research tools including the online catalog,
online databases and Internet access. The primary purpose of these tools is
educational. Users are responsible for their own actions and are expected to
use these tools in a responsible, ethical, and lawful manner.
The following guidelines apply to the use of library computer resources:
1. Davenport students have priority over other users. Be prepared to
show a valid DU student ID card.
2. Course related assignments and research needs have priority over all
other applications. Use of computer resources in support of personal
commercial ventures is prohibited.
3. Communication which constitutes harassment or discrimination
based upon race, sex, age, national origin, religion, handicap, or
other protected class is not permitted. It is not acceptable to use
library computers to send, receive, or display text or graphics which
may reasonably be construed as obscene.
4. Users of library computers are expected to respect legal protection
provided by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or
distribution of copyrighted materials, except as governed by fair use
guidelines, license, or other contractual agreement, is prohibited.
5. Library computers may not be used to copy or access the computer
files of others without prior written authorization. Use of computer
services to introduce viruses to the files of others is strictly
prohibited.
6. Only authorized personnel are allowed to change the setup of any
computer workstation. This includes the downloading of files to the
hard drive and/or changing the desktop settings.
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7. Davenport University does not filter Internet access. Patrons should
bear in mind that 1) there are materials that users may find
controversial, inappropriate, and/or offensive, and 2) not all sources
on the Internet provide accurate, complete, or current information.
Patrons are responsible for critically evaluating information.
Failure to comply with these guidelines or the principles outlined in this
policy may result in the suspension of library computer use privileges and
disciplinary action up to and including discharge from employment and/or
expulsion from the university. Return to TOC
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TUTOR ASSISTANCE
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TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE TUTORIALThe first and second tutoring sessions set the tone for the entire
semester. The following tips will help you set up an effective
tutoring session that will benefit your student.
1. Get started and be on task right away – While it is
important to have good rapport with your student, don't let this
take up too much time. Spend a few minutes greeting each other
and then get down to business. You want to set the expectation
that the hour has been set aside for tutoring and that you intend to
give the student the full hour of your time helping him or her.
2. Set goals for the session – Try starting out each session
with a list of things to accomplish. For example, "Today we'll take
a look at your homework and see if you had any problems. Then
we'll look ahead to the next section of your book. If we have any
time left, we'll go back and review the problems you had trouble
with last week." The student now has an idea of what to expect in
the session and is prepared to stay the entire hour.
3. The Tutor should guide the session, but the student
should do most of the talking and writing - Sometimes it is
difficult for tutors to accept the idea that they aren't doing a good
job unless they spend the entire hour explaining and demonstrating
problems on the board. The fact is that students learn so much
more when they are the ones doing the explaining and working out
problems. The tutor should ask guiding questions that prompt the
student. This is as simple as saying things such as, "What do you
do next? Why?" "What happens after that?" "Show me on the
board".
4. Gently redirect the student who tends to get off the
subject - Some students will attempt to get the tutor off subject as
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a way of avoiding working on the material. It is a good practice to
keep redirecting the student back to the material. An example of
how to do this might be, "Yes, I did see that movie and I really
enjoyed it. Well, I guess we'd better get back to math since we
only have 20 more minutes." If you consistently redirect the
student, often the behavior will diminish significantly.
5. Correct the student's mistakes in a positive manner -
At times you will have to correct a student's mistakes, but this can
be done in a way that will not be discouraging. Always find
something positive to say first and follow it up with a suggestion
for correction. For example: "You did the first three steps of the
problem perfectly, but I'd like you to take another look at step
four. Do you see what you need to do differently?" If the student is
unable to detect the mistake, the tutor needs to ask guided
questions to help the student see what to do. When the student
arrives at the correct answer, the tutor should give genuine praise
such as, "Yes, that's right. I knew you'd figure it out!"
6. Use extra time constructively - At times you may cover
all problems the student has and still have time left over in the
tutoring session. If you have set goals for the session, the student
will not expect to leave early. Tutoring sessions are one hour long
and the student should expect to spend the whole hour working.
Use the extra time to review previously learned concepts, do more
challenging problems related to the material, or look ahead to get a
start on new material.
7. Bring closure to the session - You need to briefly review
what has taken place in the session. Close with something like,
"Today we really worked hard on factoring, and I think you are
understanding it!"
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8. Set goals for the next session - Tutors need to let the
student know what to expect for the next session and what he or
she needs to do in the time before the next tutoring session. For
example: "Next week we'll work on using commas correctly.
Before next week, be sure and do the practice exercises in your
book and bring them with you to tutoring." This helps the student
understand that he or she is responsible for learning the material
outside of the tutoring session, as well as in the session.
Adapted with permission from Tutoring Manual, College of Rhode Island.
Return to TOCUSING QUESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE QUESTIONS
Asking questions is an important part of being a good listener, but it is
important to remember that there are several different types of questions
and different kinds of questions should be asked in different situations. By
using varied question tactics you can incite participation and model
different question techniques for your student. The following are some
types of questions you might use when tutoring.
Engaging questions demonstrate respect for your student’s thinking.
• “Why do you think…?”• “What do you mean by…?”
Clarifying questions require students to make their thoughts and meaning
explicit. Ask for clarification and explanation.
• “How should I write that?”• “What was there?”
Shared questions encourage students to safely enter the conversation and
discuss a variety
of unique ideas.
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• “What is a different example…?”
Focusing questions help students identify the characteristics and definitions
of the “big ideas,” focus on naming and describing what they know, identify
concrete examples, and categorize information.
• “What are some of the things that happen when…?”• “Remembering the reasons why we put together these items, what
title or label would you give this group?”• “What are some of the things that happen when…?”
Organizing questions help students to determine outcomes, sequences,
similarities, differences, causes, and effects.
• “Suppose…what would you expect to happen next?”• “What do you think is similar between…and…?”
Contextualizing questions help students to examine their understandings,
identify the conditions under which they exist, determine cultural factors
that affect their meaning, and cite the assumptions upon which they are
based.
• “What would have to happen in order for…to happen?”• “Why is that okay?”• “How is that valued?”
Extending questions require students to draw conclusions, make
generalizations and
Provide reasoning for what they believe or know to be true.
• “What do you think is the most important?”• “Rewrite that statement so that it makes sense and is true for you.”• “Why do you think…?”
When discussing a specific reading assignment, you can ask factual
questions (which require repeating facts stated in the text) or inference
questions (which require your student to use the information from the text
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to draw specific conclusions) depending on your student’s familiarity with
the topic. Try to draw connections between your student’s background
knowledge and the subject at hand. It is also important to realize that open-
ended questions that inquire about personal feelings support the flow of
conversations more than simple, closed informational questions. Open-
ended questions allow the speaker to give more expanded answers and
personal/feeling questions allow the speaker to give his/her unique opinion
on the topic. For example, the question “what did you enjoy most about
your field-trip” provides more opportunity for response and conversation
than does “how many years have you played trumpet?”
How to Handle Silence
• Let the student know it is all right to try even if he/she is unsure of the answer.
• Calmly ask the question again, give a hint, or ask another question that might elicit the same answer. Be encouraging.
• Sound pleased when you get an answer, praise the student’s effort to engage.
• Do not make an issue of the resistance (if needed, ask open ended questions to get to the root of the problem).
• Once the student has discovered the right answer, review the question and answer.
• Be sure to help the student through any misunderstanding, but do not do the work for him/her.
Adapted with permission from Tutor Manual, Carleton College.
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A PLAN FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING AND NOTE-TAKING
Did you know you can think about four times faster than a lecturer can
speak? That means that in order to learn effectively from lectures, you have
to listen and take notes effectively. This is an active process; it doesn’t
happen automatically. Try the strategies below and see how they work for
you.
Before class
• Test yourself over the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to begin.
• Skim relevant reading assignments to acquaint yourself with main ideas, new technical terms, etc.
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• Enhance your physical and mental alertness: eat a snack before class, sit in the front and/or center of the room, and focus your attention on the speaker.
During class
• Listen for the structure of the lecture.• Resist distractions, emotional reactions, or boredom.• Pay attention to verbal, postural, and visual clues as to what's
important.• When possible, translate the lecture into your own words.• Be consistent in your use of form, abbreviation, etc.• Ask questions.• Instead of closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave,
listen carefully to information given toward the end of class; summary statements may be of particular value in highlight main points; there may be possible quiz questions, etc.
After class
• Clear up any questions raised by the lecture by asking either the teacher or classmates.
• Fill in missing points or misunderstood terms from text or other sources.
• Edit your notes, labeling main points, adding recall clues and questions to be answered. Key points in the notes can be highlighted with various colors.
Periodically
• Review your notes: glance at your recall clues and see how much you can remember before re-reading.
• Look for the emergence of themes, main concepts, methods of presentation over the course of several lectures.
• Make up and answer possible test questions.
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•Adapted with permission from A Plan for Effective Listening and Note-Taking, University of Texas Learning Center.
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CORNELL NOTE-TAKING SYSTEM
Divide the page into 3 areas as shown:
1. Note-taking (during lecture)2. Key Words and Questions for Self-Test (after lecture)3. Summary (after lecture)
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2 1/2”
Key Words and Questions for Self-Test 2. After the lecture: As soon after class as possible, identify key words and formulate questions based on the information in the note-taking column. This will help to clarify meanings, reveal relationships, establish continuity, and strengthen memory. The key words and questions also serve as a basis for self-testing.
IMPORTANT:Note any gaps in your notes, and fill them in on the facing page.
6”
Note-taking Area
1. During the lecture: Use the note-taking column to record the lecture usingBrief and concise telegraphic sentences.
Summary Area
3. Summarize and Connect: Reflect on the information presented during lecture. Ask yourself questions such as: What information is most important? What is the significance of these facts? How are they connected to one another? How can I apply them? How do they fit in with what I already know? Then write a paragraph summarizing and connecting the information from the note-taking column and any information you filled in.
2”
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CORNELL NOTE-TAKING EXAMPLE
Key Words and Questions:
OrganismOrganTissuesCellsOrganellesMoleculeAtom
What are the seven properties of life?
What directs the pattern of growth and development of organisms?
Homeostasis
What interaction drives evolutionary adaptation?
Lecture: Intro to the Study of Life
Hierarchy of Bio Origin: Organism: unit of life Organ: specific arrang. Of diff tissues Tissues: grps of sim cells forming a functional unit Cells: basic units of struc & func - lowest level of struc capable Of performing all activ of life Organelles: specialized bodies of molecules in cell Molecule: 2 + atoms held togeth by covalent bonds Atom: chem building blocks of all matter
Properties of Life:1. Order: all other characteristics of life emerge from orgnsm’s complex orgnz’n
2. Reproduction: orgnsms reproduce own kind -- life from life
3. Growth and development: heritable programs (DNA) direct pattern of growth and development, producing orgnsm characteristic of species
4. Energy utilization: orgnsms take in nrg and transform it
5. Response to environment: orgnsms rspnd to chng in the extern enviro
6. Homeostasis: regulatory mechanisms maintain orgnsm’s intern enviro w/in tolerable limits, but extern enviro may fluctuate.
7. Evolutionary adaptation: Life evolves as a result of interac’n orgnsm enviro
Summary
Life is organized by levels of biological structure. These levels increase in complexity from the lowest (the atom, the chemical building blocks of all matter) to the most complex (the organism, the unit of life). Some properties are common to all life. These properties include order, reproduction, growth and development (directed by DNA), energy utilization, response to the environment, homeostasis, and evolutionary adaptation.
Reprinted with permission from Cornell Note-Taking System. University of Texas Learning Center.
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Return to TOC TUTORING THE NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT
The student population of many universities is steadily becoming older
because of the increased demand for degrees and higher education in the
workforce. Davenport University is no exception. Former students who
could not continue their educational goals earlier due to financial or family
obligations are returning to school while working full-time. Many who have
been subsisting on sub-standard salaries and dead-end jobs are increasingly
making the decision to improve their life situations by earning a college
degree.
With the influx of older students comes an increased need for tutors.
Non-traditional students have been away from education for many years,
causing them to often need developmental education and tutoring to refresh
or refine their skills in order to keep pace with the demands of the
curriculum. Working with older students can require a different approach
than working with the traditional student.
1. Developmental courses do not imply lack of ability. Older students may be especially hesitant about taking basic courses because they must deal with the fact that some basic knowledge has been forgotten over the years. As their tutor, you must emphasize that this course is essential for continued success down the road. Discuss what will be expected of your students in future courses. Older students may excel in many other areas because of their real-life experience, but that does not necessarily translate into an automatic advancement in weaker subject areas. Keep older students focused on passing the class at hand, not on the unfairness of the situation.
2. Older students are often more studious and realize that success lies in effective study yet they lack the knowledge of basic study skills. Review basic study techniques with your students and help them apply them to their coursework. Make certain that they have a DU planner and know how to use it. Make sure that your learning environment is conducive to learning. If the library information commons becomes too crowded and distracting, older students tend
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to become very annoyed. Move to a quieter location if possible. Older students respond very well to a two-way communication style. Ask them what they have learned or what their concerns are, rather than lecturing to them.
3. While many older students are studious and business-like in their approach to college experiences, you may encounter some who are completely overwhelmed by the academic atmosphere. Returning students who have been away from the educational environment for a long time sometimes develop anxieties and mental blocks. They become convinced that college life is much too difficult and that their chances for success are minimal. The opinion is based on the first classes they take. They exhibit high anxiety and extreme nervousness, especially before a major test. Most of your conversations lean toward reassurance that they are not going to fail. Any new concept is greeted with a smokescreen of protest and resignation. What you must do as a tutor in this situation is to ignore outward reactions and try to reach inward abilities. If students become frustrated and agitated at a more difficult exercise or assignment, wait until they have calmed down and then explain the procedure again. Give plenty of examples and break the assignment into logical steps. Reassure them at every step that they have the knowledge to complete the assignment or successfully take the test; they just need self confidence. With each new success, you should see an improvement in demeanor and confidence. The main trick for a tutor is not to give in to their protests too early. If possible, volunteer to help them with higher level courses as well, giving them a much needed sense of continuity of their academic career.
The following tips should make working with the non-traditional student for
effective learning:
• Use appropriate reinforcement• Show a genuine interest• Respect their past experience, but do not allow this to be an excuse
for poor performance• Model time management skills• Be empathetic• Relate information to students’ know experiences
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• Use tutoring time wisely. Remember, their time is usually valuable
Take the time to teach them how to develop the skills and habits that will
prepare them to learn. Ask how much time they are spending on their
classes, talk about their study habits, look over their notes, and see what
kinds of test taking strategies they use. Many students’ problems are the
result of poor learning skills. Helping them to develop these skills will
result in academic success.
To help develop higher level thinking skills, encourage your
students to be self-reflective and strategic when they are learning.
Adapted with permission from Older College Student Tutoring, Essortment.
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TUTORING INATTENTIVE STUDENTS
The great majority of students that you tutor are cooperative, conscientious
and eager to succeed. These students are easily motivated during the
tutoring session. However, sometimes students may come to the tutoring
center unfocused and difficult to motivate. You may recognize some of the
following types: the disengaged student constantly looks around the room
and has no eye contact with you; the unfocused student bounces from one
topic to another; the blamer never takes responsibility for his/her own
learning and is quick to blame someone else for his situation; the “yes, but”
student is helpless to attempt any task. Students like these have background
reasons for their behavior. You cannot know the pressures they face in their
lives. It is essential that you remain friendly, calm and focused on their
success as you communicate with them. Empathize with them but approach
their tutoring needs in a logical, factual manner.
Tutors can usually regain the focus of their tutees. Try the following:
• Be clear about your role; tell the student exactly what you can and cannot do for him or her.
• Ask, “What would you like me to do?” Or “How can I help?” If the student understands that you want to help, he/she will start to open up and pay closer attention to your ideas.
• Focus on behavior, not attitude. Talk with the student. Establish rapport with the student by showing that you care about his/her problem.
• Give positive feedback often. No one likes criticism. Positive feedback will keep the student interested in what you are saying.
• Keep repeating you know that the student understands what you are saying. Communicate your message in a variety of ways.
• Remember that it is not your fault; you are not the one who waited until the day before a project is due to ask for help. Try to empathize with the student’s situation. We all know the pressures of college, job, and family.
• Stay calm with your responses. “I’m sorry that you feel that way.”
p. 33
Reprinted with permission from Alton L. Wilmer Writing Center Online Guide, Lynchberg College.
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p. 34
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY POLICY
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
It is the policy of Davenport University to comply with all the relevant and
applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Davenport University will not discriminate against any otherwise qualified
student or applicant with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of a
student’s admission, educational program, or activity because of a
disability.
Information for Students with Disabilities
Students may request reasonable accommodation as a result of a qualifying
disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) or
Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is the students’
responsibility to contact a Disability Services Coordinator at their location
to initiate the accommodation process. Davenport University will provide
reasonable accommodations, as deemed appropriate and in accordance with
state and federal guidelines, by providing access that allows participation in
University programs and activities for otherwise qualified individuals when
doing so does not pose a risk to the individual or other students.
Policies and Procedures for Students with Disabilities
The University’s policy and state law each require that qualified students
with disabilities be given reasonable academic adjustments and overall
educational program accessibility. The University seeks to accommodate
students with disabilities on an individual basis, based on assessment data
documented by a qualified professional. This process must be student-
initiated and is not retroactive. There will be no discrimination on the basis
of disability. Any information provided on a voluntary basis shall be used
for the sole purpose of assessing accommodation requests, to minimize
competitive disadvantages that are directly related to the student’s
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documented disability. There are no limitations on the number of persons
with disabilities who may be admitted or enrolled. The University’s policy
of nondiscrimination based on disability provides reasonable
accommodations to qualified students with disabilities in the most
integrated, appropriate setting, and includes but is not limited to:
• Opportunities are provided to participate in academic programs and sanctioned co-curricular activities.
• Examinations, written assignments, or other evaluation procedures may be accommodated to minimize the effects of a disability and to more accurately measure student achievement, as long as such accommodation does not fundamentally alter the learning objectives of the course.
• Advising, support services, and employment assistance are provided without discrimination to any student with a documented disability.
• Location of programs will provide equal access to mobility and visually impaired students to the extent reasonably possible.
• Physical accessibility to instruction, academic support, student services, and technology are provided to the extent reasonably possible.
Davenport University is committed to providing opportunities, resources,
and support to help students achieve their goals. This commitment includes
providing assistance to students with disabilities. Early notification of any
accommodation request increases the likelihood that special arrangements
can be made prior to the start of classes. Students who believe they have a
disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and require
accommodation to meet course or program requirements should contact a
disability services coordinator at their location to secure an Accommodation
Request Form and the appropriate Verification of Disability Form. These
forms and other disability services information is located on the Disability
Services page on the Davenport website
(www.davenport.edu/disabilityservices.) This information will help the
University work with students to plan effective academic accommodations
p. 36
and auxiliary aids and services while they are attending Davenport
University.
Reprinted with permission from Undergraduate Catalog: Davenport University, 2009-
2010. Davenport University.
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WHAT IF MY STUDENT FEELS:
Frustrated:
• Use humor and enthusiasm• Remind him or her of past success and hold positive
expectations• Try new ways of presenting the material• Break the material down into smaller, more easily
understood parts• Backtrack: be sure your student understands the background
material.• Take a break.
Confused:• Try to discover the cause of the confusion• Ask questions and wait enough time for the student to
answer before explaining• Show connections between new and known information• Explain the big picture—show how the details fit under the
main ideas• Separate relevant from irrelevant materials• Emphasize organization
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• Teach effective strategiesLacking Confidence:
• Work from easy to difficult• Remind of previous success• Monitoring negative self-talk• Show that mistakes are acceptable• Offer praise and encouragement• Create a positive outlook
Under-prepared or lacking appropriate information:
• Be flexible, emphasize the language of the discipline• Encourage persistence• Be patient, respect the student’s pace• Encourage the student to accept personal responsibility for
his or her behavior instead of assigning blame.• Give reasons for learning• Present the “big picture” first• Supply the unknown information• Demonstrate that mistakes are acceptable and necessary to
learning
Adapted with permission from Lehigh Carbon Tutor Handbook, Educational Support Services, Lehigh Carbon Community College.
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p. 38
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING STUDENT PAPERS
The following points are presented as assistance for LInC tutors as they
evaluate student papers. Clarifying the assignment must be the tutor’s first
step. Encourage students to bring and use faculty handouts for assignments.
Working with students to improve their writing should be a learning
situation in which students are led to make improvements with suggestions
and support from the tutor. The list below serves to highlight common areas
of concern. Grammatical and mechanical correctness are critical in any
written assignment, but student learning is not enhanced when tutors simply
correct all errors in a paper without explanation. Proofreading is the
student’s job.
Focus
• Does the introduction attract the reader’s attention?• Is the thesis clear? Specific?• Does the introductory paragraph lead logically to the first
supporting paragraph?Organization
• Has the student prepared a clear, complete outline as guidance?
• Does the writing progress in a logical, easily understood manner?
• Are both the introduction and conclusion effectively stated?• Are the subtopics clearly stated? In a logical order?
Support
• Does the paper contain adequate support for each subtopic?• Is each topic sentence specific and easily understood?• Is each support paragraph clearly stated? Do they relate to
the thesis?• Does the paper provide specific evidence, examples and
details?
APA Format
• Is the format of the paper correct?• Is the reference page correctly structured?
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• Is information taken from external sources correctly cited in the text?
• Are all sources listed on the reference page cited in the text?
Grammar/Punctuation/Usage
• Do errors interfere with the effectiveness of the writing? • Is there a pattern of specific errors that might be addressed?• Can students be led to recognize errors and correct them on
their own with only guidance from the tutor?Return to TOC
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TUTORING WRITING: THE ROUGH DRAFT
Most writers come in to work on a rough draft, most likely a paper with an
introduction and body paragraphs. Give writers the option of reading their
work to you rather than asking them to sit while you read on our own. This
is by no means the only way to approach the task at hand, but it gets the
writer involved, and it gives you two pairs of eyes and two pairs of ears
reviewing the paper together. This method alone often allows the writer to
catch poor grammar, punctuation, or usage.
It seems best to read the paper—or designated section—completely
through without stopping before you discuss it. This allows you to get a
sense of the whole in order to see patterns and prioritize concerns.
However, stop the reading if needed to discuss certain points, such as
pointing at concerns with a pen or pencil or pausing after every paragraph.
As the writer reads, encourage the writer and compliment any
strengths. Positive feedback is important in developing an enjoyment of
writing. Let the writer know that he or she is writing on an engaging topic,
or, for example, has excellent transitions and solid organization.
Listen to and discuss the paper as a whole before working with
individual parts of the paper. Talking about what the whole paper reaffirms
that writing can be a valuable and effective form of communication. Start
by giving detailed impressions and reactions, so that the writer can hear
what listeners or readers may understand from what he or she has written.
Discussing papers as a whole is helpful for longer papers, or ones you do
not have time to read through entirely with the writer.
After addressing the writer's main concerns or once the writer has
asked for an opinion on what to work on next, it's time to prioritize areas
that would benefit from attention. An effective and logical guideline is
one that proceeds from the "global" to the particular. There's no point in
revising sentence structure if the organization needs work and sentences
may wind up being dropped anyway. For global concerns, examine whether
the paper fits the criteria for the assignment or is written effectively to the
p. 41
intended audience. Discuss how well the content of the paper is developed
and if the ideas exhibit unity. Look at how those ideas are organized and
presented and what type of tone or style the paper uses. After those
concerns have been addressed, the mechanics of the paper, such as
punctuation and grammar, can be examined.
When we encounter problems, try to determine the reason the
writer has trouble with a certain area. For example, maybe the thesis
statement is missing because the writer thinks of it as a stupid part of some
teacher's mechanical formula for writing a paper. Then explain that a good
thesis statement will tell the reader what the paper will be about and will
help the reader develop an interest in reading the paper to see how the thesis
is supported. In addition, having a clear thesis statement makes writing a
well-organized paper much easier. Suggestions like these make sense and
are easier to remember than abstract rules; clear, logical, discussion of the
cause of an individual's troubles is one of the main benefits a writer can
receive from peer tutoring.
As for methodology, here is a central tenet of tutoring: "Always
ask." Asking questions ensures that the writer is thinking along with you
and increases the probability that he or she will remember what has been
discussed. Once writers get used to answering questions, they will also start
to ask the questions themselves, so the questioning technique helps avoid
the problem of writers becoming over-dependent on tutors.
Along similar lines, model finding answers to questions. As you go
through reference books together to look up formats for bibliographies,
comma rules, or alternative meanings of a word, the writer realizes that he
or she could probably do the same thing at home the next time a similar
question arises.
It's important to note at this point that your goal is not to assign or
anticipate grades. Our tutorials are based on the writing process as a
whole. While some self-evaluation from a writer may prove to be beneficial
in helping to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular piece,
p. 42
tutors should not allow themselves to be tempted into predicting what grade
a paper will receive. Let instructors worry about grades.
Adapted with permission from Penn State University Writing Center Handbook,
Pennsylvania State University.
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TUTORING WRITING: THE FINAL DRAFT
Sometimes you tutor writers and their papers at later stages of development.
Perhaps the most challenging is the final stage. Remember, though, that
even if a writer brings you an assignment due the next day and tells you it's
the "final draft," do not always treat it as such.
In these instances, by allowing the writer to set the agenda, you can
determine just how detailed or general your advice needs to be. When a
writer has at least one evening before the paper is due, tutors are allowed
some flexibility in the amount and type of advice they can give. However, if
a writer says, "My paper is due this afternoon," you can safely assume you'll
be working with a "final draft."
Begin the tutoring session involving a final draft as you would any
other: by establishing a positive relationship, by reviewing the assignment,
by identifying the writer's audience, by asking the writer to read the paper
aloud, and by asking what the writer would like to accomplish in the
session. Most writers will probably like you to discuss their spelling,
punctuation, and grammar. Because these areas are more specific than
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analyzing the content and overall organization of the paper, you should be
able to handle these requests efficiently at the end of a final-draft tutoring
session.
If, however, you feel unable to sufficiently fulfill the writer's needs
because of time restrictions, both tutor and writer would benefit from the
simple explanation that the deadline doesn't allow for such a thorough
session. It is important, however, to at least mention any areas where you
might have made suggestions had there been more time. Feedback from the
writer will then tell you whether to explain a suggestion more thoroughly or
continue with something else.
When you have determined that you are working with a final draft—
especially one due in an hour—you may then take the opportunity to
introduce or review proofreading skills. Most last-minute writers do not
understand the importance of proofreading, and when they do proofread,
they tend to read too quickly and unsystematically. Try to explain that
proofreading is crucial because it is the writer's opportunity to find small
errors that might interfere with the reader's understanding or impression of
the writing.
Adapted with permission from Penn State University Writing Center Handbook, Pennsylvania State University.
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p. 44
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
These materials may be reproduced for student use.
Return to TOCDEVELOP GOOD STUDY HABITS: THE SQ3R METHOD
Survey• Title headings and subheadings• Captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps• Introduction, conclusion, and summary• Review questions at the end of the chapter• Resist reading during this progress; try to identify 5-6 major ideas• Before reading, ask yourself what you already know about the
subject
Question
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• Ask what the chapter is about• Turn the title, headings, and subheadings into questions• Rewrite any questions in the chapter
Read• Read to answer your questions—make an active search for answers• Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.• Underline key words and make notes as you read and answer
questions
Recite• At the end of each section of the chapter, ask yourself questions and
summarize in your own words what you read• Write down any questions on material you don’t understand
Review• After you have read the entire chapter:
o Use the information by transforming it and not just repeating it
o Review by rereading parts of the chapter or notes to verify answers
o Make flash cards for definitions and/or for difficult conceptso Develop mnemonics for memorization
• During the week (daily if possible)o Make a study plano Review notes/text to refresh memoryo Test yourself on questions you have put together
• Before the testo Make up practice test questionso Review notes and other relevant material for several days
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p. 46
TIME MANAGEMENT: TEN TIPS FOR LEARNING
Developing time management skills is a journey that may begin with this
guide but needs practice and other guidance along the way. One Goal is to
help yourself become aware of how you use your time as one resource in
organizing, prioritizing and succeeding in your studies, in the context of
competing activities of friends, work, family, etc.
Strategies on using time: These applications of time management have
proven to be effective as good study habits. As we go through each strategy,
jot down an idea of what will look like for you:
• Blocks of study time and breaks
As your school term begins and your course schedule is set, develop and plan for blocks of study time in a typical week. Blocks ideally are around 50 minutes, but perhaps you become restless after just 30 minutes? Some difficult material may require more frequent breaks. Shorten your study blocks if necessary—but don’t forget to return to the task at hand! What you do during your break should give you an opportunity to have a snack, relax, or otherwise refresh or re-energize yourself. For example, place blocks of time when you are most productive: Are you a morning person or a night owl? Jot down one best time block you can study. How long is it? What makes for a good break for you? Can you control the activity and return to your studies?
• Dedicated study spaces
Determine a place free from distraction (no cell phone or text messaging!) Where you can maximize your concentration and be free of the distractions that friends or hobbies can bring. You should also have a back-up space that you can escape to, like the library, departmental study center, even a coffee shop where you can be anonymous. A change of venue may also bring extra resources. What is the best study space you can think of? What is another?
• Weekly reviews
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Weekly reviews and updates are also an important strategy. Once a week, review your assignments, your notes, your calendar. Be mindful that as deadlines and exams approach, your weekly routine must adapt to them! What is the best time in a week you can review?
• Prioritize your assignments
When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task. You’ll be fresh and have more energy to take them on when you are at your best. For more difficult courses of study, try to be flexible: for example, build in “reaction time” when you can get feedback on assignments before they are due. What subject has always caused you problems?
• Achieve “stage one”—get something done!
The Chinese adage of the longest journey starting with a single step has a couple of meanings: First you launch the project. Second, by starting, you may realize that there are some things you have not planned for in your process. Details of an assignment are not always evident until you begin the assignment. Another adage is that “perfection is the enemy of good”, especially when it prevents you from starting! Roughly draft your idea and get going! You will have time to edit and develop later. What is a first step you can identify for an assignment to get yourself started?
• Postpone unnecessary activities until the work is done!
Postpone tasks or routines that can be put off until your school work is finished. This can be the most difficult challenge of time management. As learners, we always meet unexpected opportunities that look appealing, then result in poor performance on a test, on a paper, or in preparation for a task. Distracting activities will be more enjoyable later without the pressure of the test, assignment, etc. Hanging over your head. Think in terms of pride of accomplishment. Instead of saying “no”, learn to say “later”.
• Identify resources to help you
Are there tutors? Do you have an “expert friend”? Have you tried a keyword search on the Internet to get better explanations? Are there specialists in the library that can point you to resources? What about
p. 48
professionals and professional organizations? Using outside resources can save you time and energy and solve problems. Write down three examples for that difficult subject above. Be as specific as possible.
• Use your free time wisely
Think of times when you can study “bits” as when walking, riding the bus, etc. Perhaps you’ve got music to listen to for your course in music appreciation, or drills in language learning? If you are walking or biking to school, when best to listen? Perhaps you are in a line waiting—perfect for routine tasks like flash cards, or if you can concentrate, to read or review a chapter. The bottom line is to put your time to good use. What is one example of applying free time to your studies?
• Review notes and readings just before class
This may prompt a question or two about something you don’t quite understand, to ask about in class, or after. It also demonstrates to your teacher that you are interested and have prepared. How would you make time to review? Is there free time that you can use?
p. 49
• Review lecture notes just after class
Review lecture material immediately after class, or at least within first 24 hours. Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review! How would you do this? Is there free time you can use?
• Review your ten applications above. Select one and develop a new study habit.
Try something you can easily accomplish. Nothing succeeds like a successful first try!
Develop criteria for adjusting your schedule: to meet both your academic
and non-academic needs. Some effective aids are:
• Create a simple “To Do” list
This will help you identify a few items, the reason for doing them, and a timeline for getting them done. Print this list and post it to remind you of what needs to be done.
• Daily/weekly planner
Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart. If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule. First thing in the morning, check what’s ahead for the day. Always go to sleep knowing that you are prepared for tomorrow.
• Long term planner
Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead. Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself.
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p. 50
UNDERSTANDING TEST ANXIETY
We are all nervous when we fail to prepare adequately for something that is
expected of us. Being a little nervous is natural and can even help us to
perform better than normal because our body releases chemicals that can
help us work faster, both physically and mentally. However, some students
develop an irrational fear of tests even after adequate preparation. It is
important for students to understand the difference between moderate
anxiety and irrational fears that may result from test-taking.
Solutions to your Stress
1. Focus on what you know—focus on what you know, not the things that you have forgotten or didn’t cover. If you “blank out”, find a place to brain dump—that is, write anything you remember at all from having studied to help ease yourself back into the material.
2. Know your job—your job during a test is not actually to “find the right answers;” it is to think as clearly as possible based on what you currently know. Focusing on doing your job rather than on other people or on the outcome/grade reduces anxiety.
3. Know where you’re going—don’t waste time and energy worrying about the time and room location—find it beforehand, sleep a little easier and arrive a bit early.
4. Stick to yourself before the test—even normally level-headed students can become very anxious after just two minutes of conversation with an overly worried peer! Avoid talking to others before exams.
5. Talk to yourself realistically—in an anxiety reaction, our fear gallops into the future. Return yourself to the present and remind yourself that no test determines your value as a person or your intelligence. No test grade predicts your future success either. Remind yourself that a test is a thinking task and challenge yourself to enjoy the thinking—much as you would if it were a crossword puzzle or a difficult riddle.
6. Expect to encounter questions to which you don’t know the answer—at the university level, many questions ask you to apply what you’ve learned to brand new situations you’ve never seen before, so the experience of not knowing the answer right away is
p. 51
common, not unusual! Tell yourself that it’s normal, enjoy the challenge of thinking through something new, and visit the tutoring center to learn how to increase your speed on such questions if necessary.
7. Relax and learn to self-calm—take time every day to think about the good things in life; stretch, exercise deep breathing or just hang out with friendly people.
8. Do not check your grades from other exams if you still have studying to do; you may become overconfident or devastated by the grade you received.
9. Avoid studying up to the last minute—this habit can come out of a sense that the notes and book “have the answers”. Choose to trust your own ability to think by putting away your materials and doing something else the hour before the test. A walk or light exercise can help release pent up energy; meditation or deep breathing can help calm you; cleaning your room or socializing with friends can help shift your attention to something other than yourself.
10. Take breaks—if our anxiety is too high to think well during a test, take a break to refresh yourself. Put down your pen, stretch, think of something pleasant, and breathe deeply. When studying consider taking a ten minute break every hour as well.
11. Learn to test yourself effectively before the exam—you wouldn’t go pitch a baseball game without getting to the mound to practice! Practicing what the test will demand of you results in greater skill and speed. Consult a tutor about how to self test.
Adapted with permission from Overcoming Test Anxiety, University of Texas.
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p. 52
DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY POLICY: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Davenport University recognizes the principles of honesty and truth as
fundamental to ethical business dealings and to a community of Instructors
and students. The University expects students to respect these principles.
As a point of academic integrity, students are required to submit
original material of their own creation. Plagiarism of any material and
cheating are serious offenses and can result in failure of the course or
dismissal from the University.
Plagiarism refers to the use of someone else’s ideas or words
without correct documentation. It is the student’s responsibility to ask the
faculty member to clarify any questions on correct use of documentation for
the work submitted in the course.
First level offense
A first level offense occurs the first time the student has a breach of academic integrity and typically involves an assignment or activity that does not represent a major part of the course grade. For example, the student knowingly and intentionally cheats on a weekly assignment; copies a source without proper citation; cheats on an exam (not the final); etc. First level offenses minimally lead to the consequence of receiving a zero for the particular assignment or activity.
Second level offense
A second level offense can occur in one of two ways. • A second level offense occurs the second time a particular
student has a breach of academic integrity involving an assignment or activity that does not represent a major part of the course grade as described above.
• A second level offense occurs when the infraction is a first offense that occurs on an assignment or activity that is a major part of the course grade like the final exam and major paper.
Second level offenses minimally lead to the consequence of failure of the class.
Third level offense
Third level offenses typically occur when a student has had
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academic integrity offenses in more than one class and are therefore usually dealt with at the administrative level. However, if a student were to commit a very serious offense or several offenses in one particular class, the consequence would be failure of the class and a recommendation that the student be expelled from the University.
Reprinted with permission from Undergraduate Catalog: Davenport University, 2009-2010, Davenport University.
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APA DOCUMENTATION STYLE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW
This document provides basic information about APA format and was
adapted from handouts available at Turnitin.com. For more detailed
information, consult your instructor.
APA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by
the American Psychological Association for documenting sources used in
writing a research paper. APA style requires two elements for citing outside
sources: Citations and the Reference List.
Documentation
A citation is the way you tell your readers that certain material in your
work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information
necessary to find that source again, including:
• Information about the author• The title of the work• The name and location of the company that published your copy of
the source• The date your copy was published • The page numbers of the material you are borrowing
Why should I cite sources?
Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use
other people’s work without plagiarizing. But there are a number of other
reasons to cite sources:
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• Citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find out more about your ideas and where they came from.
• Not all sources are good or right – your own ideas may often be more accurate or interesting than those of your sources. Proper citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else’s bad ideas.
• Citing sources shows the amount of research you’ve done.• Citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside
support to your ideas.
Doesn’t citing sources make my work seem less original?
Not at all. On the contrary, citing sources actually helps your reader
distinguish your ideas from those of your sources. This will actually
emphasize the originality of your own work.
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When do I need to cite? Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their
source. The following situations almost always require citation:
• Whenever you use quotes • Whenever you paraphrase • Whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed • Whenever you make specific reference to the work of another • Whenever someone else’s work has been critical in developing your
own ideas.
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p. 56
Quoting material
What is quoting?
Taking the exact words from an original source is called quoting. You
should quote material when you believe the way the original author
expresses an idea is the most effective means of communicating the point
you want to make. If you want to borrow an idea from an author, but do not
need his or her exact words, you should try paraphrasing instead of quoting.
How often should I quote?
Quote as infrequently as possible. You never want your essay to become a
series of connected quotations, because that leaves little room for your own
ideas. Most of the time, paraphrasing your sources is sufficient (but
remember that you still have to cite them!). If you think it’s important to
quote something, an excellent rule of thumb is that for every line you quote,
you should have at least two lines analyzing it.
How do I incorporate quotations in my paper?
Most of the time, you can just identify a source and quote from it.
Sometimes, however, you will need to modify the words or format of the
quotation in order to fit in your paper. Whenever you change the original
words of your source, you must indicate that you have done so. Otherwise,
you would be claiming the original author used words that he or she did not
use. But be careful not to change too many words! You could accidentally
change the meaning of the quotation, and falsely claim the author said
something they did not.
For example, let’s say you want to quote from the following passage in an
essay called “United Shareholders of America,” by Jacob Weisberg:
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“The citizen-investor serves his fellow citizens badly by his
inclination to withdraw from the community. He tends to
serve himself badly as well. He does so by focusing his
pursuit of happiness on something that very seldom makes
people happy in the way they expect it to.”
When you quote, you generally want to be as concise as possible. Keep
only the material that is strictly relevant to your own ideas. So here you
would not want to quote the middle sentence, since it is repeated again in
the more informative last sentence. However, just skipping it would not
work – the final sentence would not make sense without it. So, you have to
change the wording a little bit. In order to do so, you will need to use some
editing symbols. Your quotation might end up looking like this:
In his essay, “United Shareholders of America,” Jacob
Weisberg insists that “The citizen-investor serves his fellow
citizens badly by his inclination to withdraw from the
community. He tends to serve himself badly…by focusing
his pursuit of happiness on something that very seldom
makes people happy in the way they expect it to.”
The ellipses (. . .) indicate that you have skipped over some words in order
to condense the passage. But even this version is still a bit lengthy – there
is something else you can do to make it even more concise. Try changing
the last sentence from
“He tends to serve himself badly…by focusing his pursuit of
happiness on something that very seldom makes people
happy in the way they expect it to.”
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To
“He tends to serve himself badly…by focusing his pursuit of
happiness on [money].”
The brackets around the word [money] indicate that you have substituted
that word for other words the author used. To make a substitution this
important, however, you need to be sure that “money” is what the final
phrase meant – if the author intentionally left it ambiguous, you would be
significantly altering his meaning. That would make you guilty of
fraudulent attribution. In this case, however, the paragraph following the
one quoted explains that the author is referring to money, so it is okay.
As a general rule, it is okay to make minor grammatical and stylistic
changes to make the quoted material fit in your paper, but it is not okay to
significantly alter the structure of the material or its content.
Quoting within Quotes
When you have “embedded quotes,” or quotations within quotations, you
should switch from the normal quotation marks (“”) to single quotation
marks (‘’) to show the difference. For example, if an original passage by
John Archer reads:
The Mountain Coyote has been described as a “wily” and “single-minded” predator by zoologist Ima Warner.
Your quotation might look like this:
As John Archer explains, “The Mountain Coyote has been described as a ‘wily’ and ‘single-minded’ predator by zoologist Ima Warner.”
Note the double quotes surrounding the entire quotation, and the single
quotes around the words quoted in the original.
How do I include long quotes in my paper?
p. 59
If you are quoting more than 3 lines or 40 words of material, you should do the following:
• Double indent the quotation – that means adjusting the left and right margins so that they are about one inch smaller than the main body of your paper.
• If you have this option in your word-processor, “left-justify” the text. That means make it so that each line begins in the same place, creating a straight line on the left side of the quotation, while the right side is jagged.
• Do NOT use quotation marks for the entire quotation – the graphic changes you have made already (changing the font, double indenting, etc.) Are enough to indicate that the material is quoted. For quotations within that quotation, use normal quotation marks, not single ones.
Document provided by Turnitin.com and Research Resources. Turnitin allows free distribution and non-profit use of this document in an educational setting.
Return to TOC
p. 60
Paraphrasing
To paraphrase means to keep the author’s idea but present it in the writer’s
own words, which means changing the structure (format), and most of the
words.
To paraphrase correctly:
• Sentence structure is changed.• Only a few words (as single or double use words) are retained.• The author’s idea is retained but presented in a different way.• A citation to the original work is included
Here are a few quoted sentences taken from College Writing Skills with
Readings 7ed. by John Langan, published by Mcgraw-Hill, New York,
2008, page 706. The article is written by Ann McClintock, entitled
“Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising.” This quote does not have
quotes as it is more than four lines; the double indentation indicates that the
material is being quoted:
Americans, adults and children alike are being seduced. They
are being brainwashed. And few of us protest. Why?
Because the seducers and the brainwashers are the
advertisers we willingly invite into our homes. We are
victims, content—even eager—to be victimized. . . .
Propaganda is a systematic effort to influence people’s
opinions, to win them over to a certain view or side.
Propaganda is not necessarily concerned with what is true or
false, good or bad. Propagandists simply want people to
believe the messages being sent. Often propagandists will
use outright lies or more subtle deceptions to sway people’s
p. 61
opinions. In a propaganda war, any tactic is considered fair
(McClintock, 2008).
Paraphrasing examples:
• Bad: Americans, adults and children are being swayed by advertisers, all because we allow these advertisers and their propaganda into our homes willingly.
o Synonyms are substituted while using the same sentence structure, plus there is no citation.
• Better: Propaganda is a way that advertisers brainwash and seduce Americans, both adults and children, which allow them to become victims in their own homes. (McClintock, 2008)
o While a number of McClintock’s words are being used, they are not strung together and the sentence structure (order) has changed.
• Best: McClintock states that the goal of any advertiser is to have consumers purchase their projects; therefore Americans as consumers, whether the consumers are children or adults, need to be watchful of what we watch and read through advertisements. (McClintock, 2008)
o The only words retained are advertiser, children, adults, which are acceptable as the words are nouns and there aren’t any better substitutes.
Adapted from Defining plagiarism, paraphrasing, and rewriting, Diana Stout.
Return to TOC
p. 62
Citing In-text Parenthetical References
Brief parenthetical references in the body of a paper are tied to a reference
list. The information needed in the parenthetical reference is an author’s
last name, followed by a comma, and the year of publication.
The new art of photography would be accessible to millions of people (Boorstin, 1992).
If the author’s name is mentioned within the sentence, cite only the date:
Daniel Boorstin points out that photography would be
accessible to millions of people (1992).
No parenthetical reference is needed if the date and author are both included in the sentence:
In 1992, Daniel Boorstin wrote about how photography
became accessible to millions of people.
When citing a specific passage of a source, use abbreviations for the words
page (p.), pages (pp.), chapter (chap.), and section (sec.):
Collins asserts that “great vision without great people is irrelevant” (2001, p. 42).
Specific In-text Parenthetical References:
• A work by a single author: (Boorstin, 1992)• A work by two authors: (Cuppy & Steig, 1950)• A work by 3-5 authors:
o First citation: (Smit, Hopper, & Jones, 1998) o Subsequent citations: (Smit et al., 1998)
• A work by six or more authors: (Heinman et al., 2000)• A work by an organization or group:
o First citation: (American Psychology Association [APA], 2003)
p. 63
o Subsequent citations: (APA, 2003)
p. 64
• A work with no listed author: cite the first key words of the title: (“Disney Retreats,” 1994) for the title of an article in a
magazine(Disney Retreats, 1994) for the magazine title or book title
o [note: use quotes for an article title, use italics for a magazine or book title]
• An electronic source: author (shortened title if author not provided) and publication date
o (Nicholas, 2004)o (“Beyond the Extreme,” 2006)
When In-text Parenthetical References Are Needed:
• Direct Quotations (use of exact words and enclosed in quotation marks).
• Summaries (a brief discussion of main points that does not use exact wording or original).
• Paraphrases (explanation of another’s ideas using your own words).
p. 65
Return to TOC
Reference Page
The last page of the paper gives the full bibliographic information for all the
sources cited. This page is labeled References and includes a double-
spaced, alphabetical list by the author’s last name of all the sources used in
the paper.
Specific Reference List Entries:
For electronic resources, include the same elements in the same order that
you would for a print copy. Include retrieval information as needed to assist
those accessing your source. Retrieval information is unnecessary when
citing an often used database. The URL should be included when citing an
obscure database. Retrieval dates are unnecessary unless the information
may change over time.
Recent periodicals (journals, magazines, & newspapers) and even
books may be assigned a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) that identifies and
links to the source as well as replacing the URL as a reference. The DOI is a
long string of numbers beginning with a 10. It looks like the following: doi:
10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225. The DOI is usually found on the first page of
the electronic article near the copyright notice. The Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Association recommends using a DOI when
available for both electronic and print sources.
• A book with one author, print version: Include in this order, the
author’s last name and first initial, the year of publication in
p. 66
parenthesis, the book title in italics, and the publication information.
Capitalize only the first words of titles and subtitles, as well as
proper names.
Boorstin, D. J. (1992). The creators: A history of heroes
of the imagination. New York, NY: Vintage Press.
• Electronic version of print book—no DOI
Darwin, C. (1859). The origin of the species. Retrieved
from http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2009
• A book with more than one author: Include all the author’s names
(in the order listed on the title page).
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (1991). Getting to yes:
Negotiating agreement without giving in. New York,
NY: Penguin.
• A work by an organization or group (also known as a corporate author):
American Psychological Association. (2001).
Publication manual of the America Psychological
Association. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychological Association.
• An edited book:
p. 67
Barkley, L., Axelrod, R. B. & Cooper, C. R. (Eds.).
(2001). Sticks and stones and other student essays.
Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• A selection from an edited collection or anthology: The selection title is not underline but rather put in italics. Include inclusive page numbers, preceded by pp. (in parentheses).
Ngo, L. K. (2001). Cannibalism: It still exists. In L.
Barkley, R.B. Axelrod, & C.R. Cooper (Eds.), Sticks
and stones and other student essays (pp. 70-74).
Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• An article in a reference book, print version:
Holmes, R. (Ed.). (2001). French Foreign Legion. In The
Oxford companion to military history (pp. 328-329).
Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford University Press.
• An article in a reference book, online version with author:
Allaby, M. (2004). Absorption spectrum. In
Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/absorption_spec
trum.aspx
• An article in a reference book, online version with no author:
p. 68
Thesaurus. (2009). In Microsoft Encarta Dictionary.
Retrieved from
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/di
ctionaryhome.aspx
• An article in a printed journal:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on
determining authorship credit and authorship order
on faculty-student collaborations. American
Psychologist, 48(7), 1141-1147.
• An article in an online journal without a DOI:
Anderson, A. (2006). Advice for first time buyers.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, 60(5).
p. 69
• An article in an on-line journal with DOI:
Swann, W. B., Jr., Sellers, J. G. & McClarty, K. L.
(2006). Tempting today, troubling tomorrow: The
roots of the precarious couple effect. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(1), 93-103. doi:
10.1177/-146167205279584
• An article from a website:
New child vaccine gets funding boost. (2001). Retrieved
March 21, 2001, from
http://news.ninemsn.com/au/health/story_13178.asp
• An article from a searchable database: If the DOI number is not
shown, reference the article as a print article. Include the name of
the database only if the source is rare, a print version is difficult to
locate, or the material is only available on a small number of
databases. No retrieval date is necessary for content that is not likely
to be changed or updated.
Murray, D., Moore, R., Johnson, T., & Keeler, P. (2006).
Coping with skill loss among the aging recreational
softball player. Gerontological Studies Quarterly,
16(2), 167-180.
OR• If the DOI is shown, include that:
p. 70
Swann, W. B., Jr., Sellers, J. G. & McClarty, K. L.
(2006). Tempting today, troubling tomorrow: The
roots of the precarious couple effect. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(1), 93-103. Doi:
10.1177/-146167205279584
• An article from a newspaper:
Samuelson, R. J. (2003, September 22). The creaky job
machine. The Detroit News, p. A44.
• An article from an online newspaper:
Adams, M., & Riruis, L. (2007, May 15). Are steroids a
problem on the sandlot? St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Retrieved from http://www.pioneerplanet.com
• Podcast:
Fogarty, M. (host). (2009, July 3). Why are British and
American English different? [Audio podcast].
Retrieved from
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com
• Data Set:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009).
AIDS public information data in the United States
p. 71
for the years 1981-2002 [Data file]. Retrieved from
http://wonder.cdc.gov/aidspublic.html
• Personal Communication: cited in text only, you do not need to
include on the Reference page.
P. T. Bancroft (personal communication, July 6, 2009)
NOTE: Handbooks and online sources printed before 2009 may not have
updated information available in the 6th edition of the Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association. If you have questions, contact
your instructor or LInC director.Return to TOC
STUDENT GUIDE FOR PREVENTING PLAGIARISM
What is plagiarism?
Many people think of plagiarism as copying another’s work, or borrowing
someone else’s original ideas. But terms like “copying” and “borrowing”
can disguise the seriousness of the offense:
According to the Merriam-Webster online Dictionary, to “plagiarize”
means:
1) To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
2) To use (another's production) without crediting the source3) To commit literary theft 4) To present as new and original an idea or product derived from
an existing source.
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing
someone else’s work and lying about it afterward.
But can words and ideas really be stolen?
p. 72
According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. In the United States and many
other countries, the expression of original ideas is considered intellectual
property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions.
Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as
they are recorded in some media (such as a book or a computer file).
All of the following are considered plagiarism:
• Turning in someone else’s work as your own• Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving
credit• Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks• Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation• Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a
source without giving credit• Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes
up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on “fair use” rules)
Changing the words of an original source is not sufficient to prevent
plagiarism. If you have retained the essential idea of an original source, and
have not cited it, then no matter how drastically you may have altered its
context or presentation, you have still plagiarized.
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources.
Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and
providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source,
is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.
p. 73
Return to TOC
Types of plagiarism
Anyone who has written or graded a paper knows that plagiarism is not
always a black-and-white issue. The boundary between plagiarism and
research is often unclear. Learning to recognize the various forms of
plagiarism, especially the more ambiguous ones, is an important step in the
fight to prevent it.
Sources not cited
1. The Ghost Writer: the writer turns in another’s work, word-for-word, as his or her own.
p. 74
2. The Photocopy: the writer copies significant portions of text straight from a single source, without alteration.
3. The Potluck Paper: the writer tries to disguise plagiarism by copying from several different sources, tweaking the sentences to make them fit together while retaining most of the original phrasing.
4. The Poor Disguise: although the writer has retained the essential content of the source, he or she has altered the paper’s appearance slightly by changing key words and phrases.
5. The Labor of Laziness: the writer takes the time to paraphrase most of the paper from other sources and make it all fit together, instead of spending the same effort on original work.
Sources cited (but still plagiarized!)
1. The Forgotten Footnote: the writer mentions an author’s name for a source, but neglects to include specific information on the location of the material referenced. This often masks other forms of plagiarism by obscuring source locations.
2. The Misinformer: the writer provides inaccurate information regarding the sources, making it impossible to find them.
3. The Too-Perfect Paraphrase: the writer properly cites a source, but neglects to put in quotation marks. The text that has been copied word-for-word, or close to it. Although attributing the basic ideas to the source, the writer is falsely claiming original presentation and interpretation of the information.
4. The Resourceful Citer: the writer properly cites all sources, paraphrasing and using quotations appropriately. The catch? The paper contains almost no original work! It is sometimes difficult to spot this form of plagiarism because it looks like any other well-researched document.
5. The Perfect Crime: well, we all know it doesn’t exist. In this case, the writer properly quotes and cites sources in some places, but goes on to paraphrase other arguments from those sources without
p. 75
citation. This way, the writer tries to pass off the paraphrased material as his or her own analysis of the cited material.
Avoiding Plagiarism
To avoid plagiarism, students must give credit when using when using
information that is not their own. Information must be cited in text and on
the reference page when:
• Copying three or more exact words of another person• Paraphrasing (putting in your own words) or summarizing
the ideas of another person• Using statistics, graphs, charts, pictures, tables• Using an idea or theory of another person
This section adapted from Types of Plagiarism, Turnitin.com.
Return to TOCFORMATTING A PAPER
• Margins must be at least one inch on all four sides.• Entire paper (including the reference page) should be double-
spaced.
p. 76
• Paper should be left justified with no justification of the right margin.
• Each page, from the title page through the reference page, should have a running header flush to the left margin (if the instructor requires it) and a page number in the upper right corner.
• Use tab key to indent a paragraph.• There should be 2 spaces after all end-of-sentence
punctuation.• Font size should be 12 point using Times New Roman
(preferred).• A completed paper should consist of some or all of the
following (depending on course requirements): title page, abstract, main text with in-text parenthetical citations, reference page, appendices, author note, footnotes, table, figure captions, and figures.
• Quotations should include the author’s last name, year, and specific page.
o Short quotations (less than 40 words) should be incorporated into the text within double quotation marks (“”).
o Long quotations (four lines or 40 words or more), also called block quotations, should be indented five spaces and typed in a double-spaced block without quotation marks.
• Headings- The first is for a major heading; the others are for subheadings beneath the major heading. Follow the pattern in the chart.
1 Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lower Case Heading2 Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lower Case Heading3 Indented, boldface, lowercase heading, ending with a period.4 Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading, ending with a period.5 Indented, italicized, lowercase heading, ending with a period.
p. 77
Creating a Title Page Using Word 2007
Set your page specifications:• Under the “Home” tab, set your font and paragraph options as
follows:a. Font: Times New Roman is the preferred font for APAb. Font size: 12c. In the paragraph box, the small button with several
horizontal lines and arrows pointing vertically is your line spacing control. Change line spacing to 2.0.
• Under the “Page Layout” tab, double check that your margins are 1” all the way around (this should be the default setting, but always check to make sure).
• Click on “Insert” then “Page Number” at the top of the home screen. Insert page numbers to be place in upper right hand corner of each page.
To create the Title:• Press enter until the cursor is approximately in the middle of the
page. From the “View” tab, you can use the “Zoom” feature to see your entire page on the screen and observe where you are placing your cursor.
• From the “Home” tab, “Paragraph” box, select center alignment.
• Type the title of the paper. APA recommends no more than twelve words. If the title is more than twelve words, divide at a logical place.
To create the Byline (author’s name and institutional affiliation):
p. 78
• With the cursor at the end of your title, press enter once. Since you have already selected double spacing, the cursor should go down one double space. It should also remain centered.
• Type your name, capitalized normally.• Press enter again and enter the name of your school.
The cover sheet that follows is an example of correct APA format. Check
with your instructor to determine if he/she has additional requirements for
the coversheet. Return to TOC
p. 79
Pay For College Athletes: A Dangerous Precedent
Student Name
Davenport University
Course Name (example: English 110)
Professor (insert name)
Date (fully written out; e.g. January 29, 2009)
Running heads are used primarily for publishing purposes as a means of identifying the document for readers. Check with your instructor to determine whether they require it.
Running Head: PAY FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES
One example of an acceptable format for a Title Page in APA style.
p. 80
Reference Page Format
• Type the short title and page number in the upper-right corner, ½ inch from top of page.
• Center the title, References, one inch from the top.• Begin each entry flush with the left margin. If the entry runs more
than one line, indent additional lines approximately ½ inch (5-7 spaces) using a hanging indent.
• Adhere to the following:o Double space between all lines on the references page.o Use one space following each word and two spaces after
each final punctuation mark in an entry.o With book and article titles, capitalize only the first letter of
the title, the first word of the subtitle, if there is one, and any proper nouns.
o Use italics for titles of books and periodicals, not underlining.
• List each entry alphabetically by the last name of the author, or, if no author is give, by the title (disregarding A, And or The). For work with multiple authors, use the name of the first author listed in the publication.
• Use the beginning initial of the first and middle names of an author (i.e. Smith, J. B.) with one space between the initials. For a work with more than one author, use an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name. (i.e. Smith, J. B. & Jones R. J.)
• For publisher locations, use the full city name plus the two letter U.S. Postal Service abbreviation for the state, if outside the United States, city and country.
See the sample reference page at the end of the sample paper included below:
p. 81
APA Gone Wrong: Instructors Pulling Their Hair
Student Name
Davenport University
English 110
Professor John Smith
October 15, 2008
Running head: APA GONE WRONG
Running heads are used primarily for publishing purposes as a means of identifying the document for readers. It must be 50 characters or less, flush with the left margin. Put “Running Head” before your running title on the title page and then drop it for subsequent pages.
Another example of an acceptable format for a Title Page in APA style.
Sample Paper in APA Stylewith a cover sheet, abstract, and reference page
p. 82
Abstract
The abstract begins at the left-hand margin with no paragraph indentation.
The abstract is a summary of the article, told in 5-8 sentences and should be
no longer than half a page. The abstract is told in third-person point of
view, highlights the thesis and main points, but doesn’t repeat the thesis
statement word for word.
APA GONE WRONG
p. 83
APA Gone Wrong: Instructors Pulling Their Hair
The paper begins with an indented paragraph. Notice that there are
no extra spaces between the title and the paper. The title repeats the FULL
title from the cover sheet.
This sample essay is an example of how your papers must look
when they are handed in. This font is twelve-point Times New Roman.
Notice how easy and pleasant this typeface is to read. Font size 14, Font
size 16, and so on are obvious space fillers; easy to detect.
Do not use them! The same goes for any fun or beautiful styles. While
they may be fun to play with, they are horrible to read. Stick with
Times New Roman.
This essay is doubled-spaced. Notice that there are no extra spaces
between paragraphs. If using Microsoft Word 2007, you’ll need to fix this
error. If you’ve already started typing, highlight your text, then click on the
little arrow in the “Paragraph” box on the “Home” tab, then change the
“after” spacing default from ten (10) to zero (0). All the numbers should be
zero (0).
Some papers will require an Abstract, which goes after the Cover
Sheet.
Note: In Microsoft Word 2003, the margin default is 1.25". You
will need to manually change the margins to 1” all around.
Have you ever noticed the red and green squiggle lines under some
of your words as you type? Red indicates a spelling error. Green indicates a
APA GONE WRONG
p. 84
grammatical error. BE CAREFUL that you do not accept the computer’s
recommendations for ‘correcting’ these. If you don’t know the grammar
rule, look it up in your handbook. Some computer “corrections” are wrong!
Also, even though computers have spell checkers, do not rely on them as
they can catch spelling errors but not misused words. Always proofread
your work! Hint: turn off the automatic spell checker, which corrects words
as you type; for example, quite often defiantly will be replaced for
definitely.
The poem below is an example where every word is spelled
correctly but the words are used incorrectly.
Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer
Eye halve a spelling chequerIt came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revueMiss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a wordAnd weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar riteIt shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maidIt nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error riteIts rarely ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw itI am shore your pleased two noIts letter perfect in it’s weighMy chequer tolled me sew
Sauce Unknown
APA GONE WRONG
p. 85
Return to TOCReference
Barr, A. S. (2007). Reversing the pyramid: keeping high school students in
the independent studio. The American Music Teacher, 57(1), 24.
Degregorio, J. (2007, August 27). SAT? ACT? NP!; From flashcards to
reading the newspaper, there are tricks to preparing for these
standardized tests. U.S. News & World Report, 143(6), 88.
Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital
status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health
Psychology, 24, 225-229. Doi:10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
Middlekid. (2007), January 22). Re: The unfortunate prerequisites and
consequences of partitioning your mind [Web log message].
Retrieved from
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/01/the_unfortunate_prereq
uisites.php
O’Keefe, E. (n.d.). Egoism & the crisis in Western values. Retrieved from
http://www.onlineoriginals.com/showitem.asp?Itemid=135
APA GONE WRONG
p. 86
Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of computer
dependency. London, England: Taylor & Francis.
Van Nuys, D. (Producer). (2007, December 19). Shrink rap audio [Audio
podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.shrinkrapaudio.com/
Zakaria, F. (2009, June 8). Boom times are back. Newsweek, 153(23), 26.
Return to TOC
HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR TUTORS AND STUDENTS
English
Comprehensive Writing Resources
• Purdue Online Writing Center: http://owl.english.purdue.edu • University of Richmond:
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html• University of North Carolina:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts• St Cloud State University: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu
Understanding a Writing Assignment
• Understanding Assignments: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/readassign.html
• Understanding Writing Assignments: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/688/01/
Developing a Thesis
• How to Write a Thesis Statement: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
All references go on this page and are double spaced with no extra spaces in between and no extra space between the title of “References” and your material.
p. 87
• Thesis Statements: http://www.txstate.edu/SLAC/writing/documentation/Thesis_Statements.html
Organizing the Essay/Developing the Argument
• Organizing the essay: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/organizing.html
• Structure: http://writing.umn.edu/sws/quicktips/process/structures.htm
• Introduction: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Begin.html
• Conclusion: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Conclusions.html
• Writing: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/write.shtml
• Developing the Argument: http://web.princeton.edu/sites/writing/Writing_Center/handouts/html/developinganargument.htm
Evaluating Information
• Critical Evaluation of Resources: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/evaluation.html
• Critically Analyzing Information Sources: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm
• Evaluating Information: http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?Pageid=1481
Paraphrase and Summary
• Paraphrase and Summary: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/paraphrase.html
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/
Using Quotations
• Using Quotations: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/quotations.html• How to Use Quotation Marks:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/
p. 88
• Using Direct Quotations: http://infotrac.thomsonlearning.com/infowrite/res_quotations.htm
Revising the Essay
• Revision: Cultivating a Critical Eye: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/revise.shtml
• Revising an Essay: a Writer’s Checklist: http://www.csbsju.edu/writingcenters/handouts/revising.htm
Editing the Essay
• Editing the Essay, Part 1: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit1.html
• Editing the Essay, Part 2: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/edit2.html
• Editing & Proofreading Strategies: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/editing
Grammar/Mechanics
• The Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar
• Grammar Bytes: http:// www.chompchomp.com • The Writer’s Complex: http:// www.esc.edu/writer • The Owl at Purdue: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/• Grammar, Formatting, and the Mechanics of Writing:
http://www.terryburns.net/GRAMMAR.htm
Website Listings for Study Skills Help
• Study Skills and Strategies: http:// www.studygs.net • Bucks County Community College Websites on Study Skills:
http://www.bucks.edu/~specpop/Actfrm.htm• Walla Wall Community College Online Advising and Educational
Planning: http://www.wwcc.edu/student_services/online_adv/success/links.cfm
• Academic Enrichment and Support Center: http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/aesc/resources
p. 89
• Actden: http:// www.actden.com • Mind Tools: http:// www.mindtools.com
English as a Second Language (ESL)
• This site is a good starting point for locating ESL learning resources on the web. It provides links to interactive listening and speaking sites, as well as sources for grammar and reading comprehension. The site also has an "ESL Teachers' Corner" with sites of interest to ESL instructors. Http://www.rong-chang.com/
• Many Things: A wide variety of activities for ESL students--A great site with many resources for the ESL student. Http://www.manythings.org/
Math
• AAA Math: Offers help to sharpen basic math skills through interactive practices and challenging games. Http:// www.aaamath.com
• Calculator: Offers a variety of calculators online. Http://www.calculator.com/
• Discovery School's Webmath : Provides instant solutions for numerical problems in all math levels--god to double check your work, and test your answers. Http:// www.webmath.com
• Math.com : Offers clear explanations and practice in all levels of math and also allows the students to test their knowledge with quizzes. Http://www.math.com
• Mathworld : Offers help for different types of math. Site also offers help for astronomy, chemistry, and physics. Http://mathworld.wolfram.com/
• Purplemath: Provides online tutoring and lessons, quizzes and worksheets for algebra. Http://purplemath.com/
Science
p. 90
• Reference Desk: Offered by America Association for the Advancement of Science, it consists of links to glossaries or dictionaries from several scientific disciplines. Http://www.eurekalert.org/
• Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education: http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/webpath/webpath.html
p. 91
Health
• Merck Online Medical Library: Provides a series of manuals dealing with a large number of health conditions. Http://www.merck.com/mmpe/index.html
• National Institute of Health: Provides links to medical research and library resources. Http://nih.gov
• RX List: Provides picture slide shows, information about diseases, conditions. Http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp
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References
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http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/act/readscounts/tutor_manual/
Community College of Rhode Island. Tutor manual. Retrieved from
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Davenport University. (2009). APA documentation style: A brief overview.
Kalamazoo, MI: Davenport University.
Davenport University. (2009-2010). Undergraduate catalog. Grand Rapids
MI: Davenport University.
Essortment. (2002). Older College Student Tutoring. Retrieved from
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Hazard Community & Technical College. (n.d.). Manual for tutors. Hazard,
KY: Hazard Community & Technical College.
Lehigh Carbon Community College. (n.d.). Tutor Handbook. Schnecksville,
PA: Lehigh Carbon Community College.
Lynchburg College. (n.d.). Writing Center online guide. Retrieved from
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National Tutoring Association (2003). Tutor code of ethics. Retrieved from
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Penn State University. (2001). Writing center handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/writingcenter/handbook.htm
Stout, D. (2008). Defining plagiarism, paraphrasing, and rewriting.
Kalamazoo MI: Davenport University.
Study Guides and Strategies. (n.d.). Time management: Ten applications of
time management. Retrieved from
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Turnitin.com. (n.d.). Research resources printable handouts. Retrieved
from http://www. turnitin .com/research_site/print.html
University of Texas Learning Center. (n.d.). Overcoming test anxiety.
Retrieved from
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and note taking. Retrieved from
http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/learning_resources/
Wright State University. (n.d.). Tutor Handbook. Dayton OH: Wright State
University
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TUTOR SIGN-OFF
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Tutor Sign-off
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