1. CONDUCTING TUTORING
SESSIONS
Online Learning Academy

2. Agenda
 Conducting tutoring sessions
 Problem set-up
 First step
 Questioning strategies
 Check for understanding
 Feedback
 Disengage and support
 Transitioning tutors
 General guidelines for tutors
 Conducting tutoring session checklist

3. Problem Setup
 Look carefully at the problem.
 Make sure the student has transcribed it
correctly.
 Make sure the student has included all
information associated with problem (i.e.,
graphs, diagrams, etc.)
 Verify the type of answer needed for the given
problem. “OK, so what is it that you’re trying to
get for an answer?”

4. What is the first step?
 Ask the student to explain their first step or procedure
for solving the problem.
 Before providing the first step, ask them if they know
the proper equation or procedure to use for their
problem.
 If they have no idea, provide the equation or a list of
the procedures OR direct them to a website with that
information.
 Prompt the student to use the provided equation to take
the first step and other steps that follow.

5. Questioning Strategies
Asking good questions is an informative process that needs
development, refinement, and a lot of practice.
•“What do you mean when you say such and such? Explain
that a bit more.”
•“Can you give an example of this?”
•“How would you define this?”
•“What does the “I” stand for?”
•"How could we prove that?"
See “additional resources” for videos on different
questioning strategies.

6. Check for Understanding
 To check for understanding have the student re-explain
the procedure to you.
 Avoid asking questions like, "Does that make sense to
you?" and "Do you understand now?"
 Try instead to use questions like “Why do you think this
procedure works?”
 More examples:
 How does ___ relate to ___?
 What details can you add to ___?
 Give me an example of ___?
 What might you conclude from ___?

7. Feedback
 Reinforce any correct ideas or procedures (e.g. "This
part is done correctly", or "You definitely have the right
idea here".)
 Identify incorrect logic and ask the student to consider
what else s/he might try.
 You can provide a hint, but avoid explanations until after
the student has attempted a guess. (E.g. "When you
evaluate an integral, what do you evaluate first, the
upper or lower part?")

8. Disengage and Support
 Disengage (politely, of course)!
 Encourage the student to work the next problem on
his/her own, but let him/her know you can still help.
 Do not get drawn into working the next problem (and
next...) with an insecure student.
 S/he needs to develop the ability to apply what s/he is
learning without your supervision.

9. Transitioning Tutors
When transitioning a student from one tutor to another,
please provide the following information to the new tutor:
Whether the student has a headset or speakers and
can/can't hear audio.
Whether the student is still working on the problem or is
done.
Whether the student's information is logged in database.
If not, provide the information for the new tutor.
e.g. “@suzanne – jonah can hear, just starting new
problem, info in db”

10. General Guidelines for Tutors
 Guide the student
 Ask leading questions. Avoid doing the problems for the
students.
 Teach concepts
 Help students become independent learners. Provide tips for
remembering information.
 Address anxiety
 Avoid phrases "this is easy" - may intimidate students. Share a
struggle of your own to help students relate.
 Try not to confuse the student
 If you are unsure of a procedure, ask the student the procedure
used by their teacher, ask another tutor to help and use online
resources, but try to use similar methods to their class.

11. Reminders
 Greet incoming students immediately. Move students
to break-out room right away. If you haven’t tutored in
awhile or are new to a shift, step up and take the new
student, don’t wait to be asked.
 No waiting around - everybody is responsible for getting
students served quickly and keeping the workload
equitable.
 Don’t hang out it a break-out room unless you are
actively tutoring, helping, or observing. If a session
ends or a student is working on his/her own, wait in
main room and get in the queue to take other students.

12. Reminders
 Respond to requests from Coordinators, Lead Tutors
and other tutors right away.
 The penalty for unresponsiveness in the tutoring room
is removal from the schedule for at least one week. If
there are tutors NOT responding promptly, save/email
the mod chat log as evidence.
* You must be responsive at all times means < 2
minutes per response

13. Conducting Tutoring Session Checklist
 Problem setup
 What is the first step?
 Questioning strategies
 Check for understanding
 Feedback
 Disengage and support
 Transitioning tutors
 Responsiveness