A New Wave of Writing Tutors: Redefining Roles in the Digital
Age
Bloomsburg University
Emily ArcuriJordan Flaherty
Mariah Mott
Technology in the Writing Center
Common examples• Multimodal assignments• Online synchronous tutoring• Online workshops• ePortfolios• Online conferences• Online scheduling
Technology in the Writing Center
"Writing is linked with technology, plain and simple. Technologies exist which can aid your students in improving their writing, whether you’re concerned with content or with commas."
-Texas A&M University Writing Center
Writing Centers and the Community
Community involvement Common goal of most writing centers
“Given the collaborative and reciprocal
nature of our core pedagogies…many writing centers are taking on the responsibility to develop community, either directly or in collaboration with other departments/programs on campus.”
-Salt Lake Community College
Technology and the Community
The BUWC values:• Incorporating technology into our tutoring
practices and writing center purpose• Building a strong presence in our university
community
Technology is a way to foster relationships between students, faculty, and consultants.
Technology and the Community
STUDENTS
TUTORSFACULTY
Methodology
To study how technology has redefined our center’s role, we:
• Analyzed our initial writing center structure • Integrated workshops into our center• Incorporated online synchronous tutoring • Facilitated new university ePortfolio requirement• Examined implications of the technological shift
on student, faculty, and tutor roles
Our Methodology
Developed resources to aid students, faculty, and tutors with their role shifts• Handouts• Tutorials• Workshops
Increased communication between students, faculty, and tutors
Methodology
Created surveys to collect feedback on:• Writing center’s aid in the process of shifting roles• Writing center’s resources• Communication between students, faculty, and
writing center
Examined our current role in university community
Considered future improvements
Digitally Behind BUWC was paper-based:
• Physical appointment book• No online tutoring available• Technology-related sessions were rare• Limited workshops• Lack of presence on campus• Poor communication with faculty and
students
Digitally Behind Most consultants were comfortable
with BUWC’s former practices
Technological demands led to apprehension, frustration, and confusion
Challenge: connecting every part of BUWC community
Digitally Behind
Orientations• Visited classrooms • Informed students about BUWC’s services• No implementation of technology• Passed out paper bookmarks
Initial Step Orientations lacked technological
information, so we revived our webpage• Basic videos about services• Basic podcast • Reference links• Limited amount of information
This marked the beginning, but we progressed further
Progression With the Use of Workshops
Fosters the learning process
Allows access to a wider range of students
Aids in gaining greater awareness of the writing center
Writing with Sources Workshop Initial workshop implemented by
BUWC• Little use of technology
Provides specialized sessions where students can target specific skills and work toward improving them
Focuses on prevention, rather than fixing
Issues with Initial WWS Workshops
Lack of student engagement
Content of message was overwhelming for some
Complex presentation• Limited trained and capable presenters
Little feedback
Modified Writing with Sources Workshops
Incorporated technology into workshops• Use of clickers• Anonymous participation
Increase in amount of capable presenters
Helped professors by covering information to students in a more valuable way
Modified Writing with Sources Workshops
Greater student engagement• Discussion of academic integrity
Interactive learning experience
Current generation can better relate to material conveyed through use of technology
Modified Writing with Sources Workshops
“The using of ‘clicker technology’ has been extremely beneficial because it allows the students to see where they fit among their classmates in responding to the ‘scary topic’ of citation, but they can do it anonymously." – BU Faculty Member
The replacing of synonyms and changing of words [patch writing] similar to the previous slides basically represents what I previously understood to be paraphrase. (multiple choice)• 1. Strongly Agree• 2. Agree• 3. Disagree• 4. Strongly Disagree
11.2%
36.6%38.1%
14.2%
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Results from 134 Surveyed Students
Modified Writing with Sources Workshops
Importance of data collected by “clicker technology”• At what stage in the learning process are we
reaching students?• Results of polling triggers in-class discussion
Online Tutoring Tutors had to shift roles again, disrupting
comfort they had in their current roles
Semester training for Wimba• An “academic Skype” used primarily for online
classrooms in BOLT, our course management system
Reached out to students who would find it ideal
Another effort to increase student engagement with the writing center
Online Tutoring Writer and tutor apprehension
Created resources for tutors
Created resources for writers
Resources served as a communication tool between tutors and students
Wimba’s strengths/weaknesses
Apprehension Writers
• Conversations about how Wimba would be "dumb" • Confusion with program • Little utility
Tutors • Confusion with program • Little utility • Fear of using it incorrectly or ineffectively• Editing sessions• Communication problems with program • Resistance
Resources
Resources for Tutors:• Wimba Tutor Manual • Email templates • 39 tutors
Resources for Writers:• Wimba Student Handout • Wimba Writer Tutorial PowerPoint presentation• 10,000 potential students
“Wimba Hut”
“Wimba Hut”
Wimba’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths: • Online medium for tutoring available is a big step• Non-traditional, disability, and distance-learning
students can access our services easily • Potential for more sessions (many in this past
summer’s sessions)
Weaknesses: • Impersonal nature to this technology • Internet complications • Tutors and writers still resistant
Survey Results Concerns Initially:
• "We would lose ‘business’ in the WC, people would try to use it as a way to 'get out' of a face to face session"
• "...There will be technological errors..."
• "Thought I'd feel awkward on a video face to face setting"
Survey Results
• "...It took away from the personal aspect of tutoring"
• "...I didn't know if enough writers would use Wimba..."
• "...I would do an insufficient job as a tutor"
Initial Feelings
Very Confident Confident Neutral Apprehensive Very Apprehensive 0
2
4
6
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10
12
0
1
4
12
6
Survey Results Total of 23 tutors participated
18 out of 23 felt "Apprehensive" or "Very Apprehensive" initially
18 of 23 also used the Wimba Tutor Manual and successfully used all of the functions in the program in tutoring sessions
15 of 23 feel "Confident" or "Neutral" currently• This is a step forward
Current Feelings
Very Confident Confident Neutral Apprehensive Very Apprehensive 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0
5
10
6
2
ePortfolio Requirement ePortfolio is a program within BOLT, our
course management system
Requirement affected university as a whole • Faculty
30 English 101 instructors• Students English 101 course requirement 43 course sections 1,000 students
• Writing Center
ePortfolio Requirement "Though the English department agreed as
a department to implement an ePortfolio requirement, only about five of thirty faculty gained even passing experience with the software prior to this semester. Even those who are generally comfortable with technology would have foundered trying to implement the new requirement on top of their current load.“--BUWC director
Faculty Apprehension
Faculty had to adjust their roles to add this requirement to class structure• Required skills they may be unfamiliar with
Anonymously surveyed a selection of faculty
Survey Results Apprehensive about their ability to teach
the requirement effectively
My greatest concern was: • "mastering it myself, so I could teach it
competently“
• "being able to explain how to create [the ePortfolio]"
Survey Results Apprehensive about technical aspects
My greatest concern was:• “that it would be cumbersome and
technically challenging”
• “being able to use the technology“
• “getting BOLT (the platform) to work correctly-the original tutorials were awful"
Survey Results Apprehensive about how the requirement would
affect the class/students’ progress
My greatest concern was:• "devoting extra class and personal time to
mindless button-clicking“
• "it may be a little cumbersome as we sacrifice time for other important things to make room for it“
• "concern about students' ability to represent their own progress as writers"
Students’ Feelings All faculty surveyed believed their
students felt “Confident” or “Neutral” about the requirement
Students seemed to accept the ePortfolio as a class requirement• More easily than faculty• Still had to be taught how to complete it
Students’ Feelings If students have trouble:
• “I have mixed feelings still. Several students have had problems setting up the ePortfolio. And I do not know enough about it to help them, which means I have little control over a major aspect of my class.“ –a BU faculty member
Faculty need to be knowledgeable so students can complete requirement
Writing Center Involvement
Technology is new component to BU English classes• Becomes a new assignment BUWC can help with
Familiarized tutors with how to adjust their roles• Semester training on ePortfolio• Created individual ePortfolios for practice• Created internship position for assisting with tutor
training and faculty apprehension
Attempted to aid students and faculty with their role shifts
Writing Center Involvement
Increased communication between faculty, students, and tutors • Individual help to faculty • Individual help to students• Interdependence
“My impression... is that it's working well and has increased communication among faculty about what we do.” –BU faculty member
Writing Center Involvement
" Without the fine and important work of BUWC consultants, at the very least the department would have had to push back or eliminate the requirement because it would not have been feasible to implement... I think that Jordan’s video tutorials, the workshops you’ve delivered from them, the individual help ENGLISH 101 students have been able to receive in the BUWC, and the support you have been able to offer faculty, have been essential to...a very important transformation for BU students and faculty.“
--BUWC director
Creating Resources Resources were created to help tutors
gain confidence with this new form of tutoring:• Handouts• Video tutorials
Making sure tutors were comfortable was the first step in reaching out to community
Creating Resources Resources/assistance from writing
center continued to advance so we could help faculty:• Handouts• Video tutorials• Creation of ePortfolio workshop, so faculty
would not have all of the responsibility to teach the students
Creating Resources We wanted faculty to become more
confident about their new roles
We wanted this requirement to seem less burdensome to certain faculty members
By working and communicating with them, we could provide the best services to their students
ePortfolio Workshops Help students with the new role this
requirement instilled
Assist faculty
Build BUWC presence and increase communication with students
Train tutors on these workshops before presenting
ePortfolio Workshops Results of workshops
• 50 workshops this semester• Success rate of ePortfolio submissions• Success of students using ePortfolio independently
Encouraged students in workshops to make appointments at BUWC with any questions
Presence became more than “pen & paper”
Out of all the faculty surveyed, most believed their students found workshops useful
Almost all faculty scheduled workshops, and half plan to schedule more next semester
Our Current Role Current situation:
• Increased awareness of BUWC Variety of disciplines, assignments, students
• Increased communication and support from faculty
• Lessened apprehension about technological advances
• Established comfort in new roles
Our Current Role
TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS
TUTORS
FACULTY
Future
Room for Improvement• Tutor Trac and other scheduling programs
• Alternative online tutoring programs other than Wimba
• More specialized workshops with students in specific settings
Conclusion Used one of our weaknesses (being
digitally-behind) to foster community and communication
Used technology to increase communication and assist in the changing of roles
Remain confident that invention of resources can strengthen apprehension with technology
Works Cited
https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v29/29.8.pdf
http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/for-faculty/teaching-writing/course-design/technology-based-writing-instruction/