This week I received my first tutoring requests! I followed Stephen’s advice and introduced myself in the appropriate discussion board as well as left a comment with my contact information under Dr. Amanda Snyder’s announcement informing students about a peer tutor availability. In a day or two, one of the students who had reached out to me specifically referred to my comment when explaining their reasons for reaching out. As I am writing, I realize that I did not thank Stephen for sharing this idea, so I will do so after I finish this blog post.
All requests I received concerned the review of Patricia Seed’s Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640, which, as I have previously mentioned, is due this Sunday. This assignment has a two-page limit and hence requires students to stay very focused in their writing, moving from one argument to another without unnecessary deviations. Judging by my personal experience and Dr. Snyder’s attention to it in the assignment’s instructions, I knew that new students sometimes confuse an analysis of a book with a summary (at least I did). Therefore, Dr. Snyder provides very detailed instructions as well as four examples of an effective book analysis. I also began to think of an exercise for History Lab that will help students distinguish between book evaluations and book summaries and, hopefully, learn how to create their own as a result.
This week I also got a chance to see the differences between receiving and returning drafts via email and discussing a paper with a student during a live meeting. While the former is a more flexible option, it is not the best for trying to explain more complex improvements that a draft may need, for example, in the structure of its paragraphs or even in its content. I also decided to take at least a few minutes to read the discussion posts of the students reaching out to me in order to see if their previous writings show familiarity with certain concepts or demonstrate repeated errors. If it is the former, I can simply point to the sections needing improvement, but if it is the latter, I need to thoroughly explain what I am referring to, attach supplemental materials and links, and offer to schedule a meeting.
This week I also found out that UCF provides access to the Grow with Google program, which offers free courses and training on how to use various digital tools in education, work, and everyday life. I have only started exploring it, but I may take a course in user experience (UX) design. With the spread of online education, it may be helpful to learn how to present the information most effectively in a digital setting and make education more accessible and enjoyable as a result, which is technically what History Lab is currently working on.