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Dissertation Information for Johanna Koolbeck Dvorak

NAME:
- Johanna Koolbeck Dvorak

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (USA) (2000)

ADVISORS:
- Muhammad Aman

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Virgil P. Diodato
- Adrian Chan
- Larry G. Martin
- Cyrus Findlay Smith Jr.

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The college tutoring experience

Abstract: While tutoring has been used extensively on college campuses to improve student retention, a need exists to extend research about its benefits. This is a interpretative case study of a college-level tutoring center at a large urban university, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The tutoring center employs 60 tutors who work with an average of 800 students each semester. This qualitative study used three major methods: tutor interviews, tutor focus groups, and documentation to determine the worth of a college tutoring experience, particularly from outstanding tutors' perspectives.

The problem asks how the experience affected the tutors and their tutees in the areas of academic success, motivation, and a connection to campus life. Findings were categorized as the processes of tutoring that affect learning outcomes, the benefits of tutoring to the tutors and to the tutees, and the worth of the tutoring experience.

Tutors and their tutees' responses were positive. Tutors were knowledgeable about their subjects and could help their tutees learn course concepts. The tutors acted as facilitators, using a discussion mode to help tutees master learning. The best tutors displayed the following characteristics which engaged their students: (1) caring about the students, (2) showing sensitivity, (3) building rapport, (4) demonstrating flexibility, and (5) serving as role models. They saw themselves not only as content experts, but as mentors to their tutees.

Tutor's individualized their assistance and used a variety of techniques to help their tutees master course content and improve their college study strategies. Organization and textbook reading strategies were needed most.

Tutoring benefitted tutors by helping them to: empathize with struggling students, gain satisfaction of helping them succeed, solidify their own knowledge, develop leadership skills, and prepare them for future careers, especially in teaching.

Students became actively engaged in their learning, improved their grades in many cases, and adjusted to academics and college life aided by tutors' mentoring. Tutors and students interacted from multicultural backgrounds learning about diversity and intercultural communication.

Researched areas that affect tutoring practice and future research are diversity, techniques to assist underprepared students and to foster independent learning, mentoring motivation, and tutor training.

MPACT Scores for Johanna Koolbeck Dvorak

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:33:16

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