Standards for Tutor Training (DRAFT)
These standards are broad statements that identify the knowledge and skills that tutors should acquire in their training and preparation.
Level One Training:
1. Topic: Definition of tutoring and tutor responsibilities
A (Standard): Understands the definition of tutoring, the role of tutors, and is able to distinguish tutoring from other pedagogical strategies and roles (e.g., supplemental instruction, structured learning assistance, counselor, instructor).
B (Outcome): Practices tutoring responsibilities as identified by professional tutoring organizations.
2. Topic: Basic tutoring guidelines and tutoring do’s and don’ts
A (Standard): Understands and engages in best practices for tutors.
B (Outcome): Follows tutor expectations and guidelines as described by the employing program and institution.
3. Topic: Techniques for beginning and ending a tutoring session .
A (Standard): Knows how to begin, develop, and end a tutoring session.
B (Outcome): Uses proven researched based techniques to positively engage the learner in the tutoring session and provide closure to the session.
4. Topic: Adult learners and/or learning theory and/or learning styles.
A (Standard): Understands diverse needs in 1) learning styles and/or 2) different approaches and modalities to learning theory and/or in 3) working with adult students.
B (Outcome): Uses specific differentiated tutoring strategies to meet various needs of learners based on learner preferences, strengths/weaknesses, background, or prior knowledge.
5. Topic: Assertiveness and/or handling difficult situations.
A (Standard): Recognizes difficult situations that can occur when tutoring and affect the learning experience. The situations include tutors needing to be assertive to confront shy, procrastinating, or students exhibiting avoidance behaviors and help them as well as effectively confronting and dealing with aggressive students who are overtly manipulating the session for control.
B (Outcome): Uses effective strategies and resources to handle difficult situations encountered in the tutoring process.
6. Topic: Role Modeling
A (Standard): Understands the importance of serving as a role model for learners when tutoring.
B (Outcome): Practices and models personal study habits consistent with tutoring best practices.
7. Topic: Setting Goals and/or Planning
A (Standard): Knows how to assist learners in planning and/or setting personal academic goals.
B (Outcome): Emphasizes and uses academic goal setting and/or planning with learners.
8. Topic: Communication Skills
A (Standard): Understands different forms of communication and how they can affect learning and the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Practices effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills when tutoring.
9. Topic: Active Listening and Paraphrasing
A (Standard): Demonstrates active listening and paraphrasing skills in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Uses active listening and paraphrasing strategies with learners to increase understanding and enhance the tutoring experience.
10. Topic: Referral Skills
A (Standard): Understands and knows when to make appropriate referrals to other professionals with information gained in the tutoring session.
B (Outcome): Knows campus and community resources for learner referral needs.
11. Topic: Study Skills
A (Standard): Has developed a repertoire of effective study skills or strategies to utilize to enhance learning new information (e.g., memory, time management, organization, note-taking, test taking, motivation, acquisition, retention, performance, anxiety reduction).
B (Outcome): Emphasizes and integrates appropriate study skills in the tutoring session.
12. Topic: Critical Thinking Skills
A (Standard): Understands the importance of critical thinking skills in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Uses a variety of critical thinking skills and techniques to enhance learning in the tutoring session.
13. Topic: Compliance with Ethics and Philosophy of the Tutoring Profession
A (Standard): Understands and knows the importance of ethical standards of tutoring behavior (develop and standardized by ATP) in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Practices ethical and professional behavior with learners.
&/or Compliance with Sexual Harassment concerns
A (Standard): Understands and knows the importance and concerns of sexual harassment issues and appropriate behavior in the workplace.
B (Outcome): Practices ethical and professional behavior with learners.
&/or Compliance with Plagiarism concerns.
A (Standard): Understands and knows what plagiarism is how to avoid it.
B (Outcome): Practices ethical and professional behavior with learners.
14. Topic: Modeling Problem Solving
A (Standard): Models appropriate academic problem solving skills in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Knows and uses effective problem solving strategies to enhance learning.
Level Two Training:
1. Topic: Use of Probing Questions
A (Standard): Understands the importance of using probing questions as a learning technique to better understand the student's needs, questions are, and be sure that s/he is learning during the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Knows and uses effective questioning during the tutoring process.
2. Topic: Brain Dominance Learning
A (Standard): Understands theories on how a preference or dominance of one of the two hemispheres of the brain can affect a student's preferences for learning and how to honor some of those in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Integrates and applies brain dominance learning theory when needed with learners in the tutoring session.
3. Topic: Cultural Awareness
A (Standard): Understands differences in cultural practices and norms with learners and how they might affect tutoring.
B (Outcome): Shows respect and sensitivity to the needs of these learners.
&/or Diversity - An expansion of cultural awareness to also include differences and needs for gender, sexual orientation, background, age, and other areas that may not be traditionally thought of.
A (Standard): Understands differences and needs and how they might affect tutoring.
B (Outcome): Shows respect and sensitivity to the needs of these learners.
&/or Special Needs An expansion of the two above. It also includes special needs students as part of our diverse population who needs to be understood, respected, and supported like the two categories above.
A (Standard): Understands differences and needs of this population and how they might affect tutoring.
B (Outcome): Shows respect and sensitivity to the needs of these learners.
4. Topic: Identifying and Using Resources
A (Standard): Knows the variety of campus resources available to assist learners to increase their academic skills.
B (Outcome): Integrates information about or appropriate resources during the tutoring process to help maximize learning.
5. Topic: Tutoring in Specific Skill or Subject Areas
A (Standard): Understands and seeks opportunities to further develop content knowledge of specific subject areas tutored.
B (Outcome): Uses research based strategies to help learners increase their content knowledge and skills in a specific subject area.
6. Topic: Assessing or Changing Study Behaviors
A (Standard): Understands different forms of assessment of study behaviors and their role in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Practices effective assessment strategies to enhance learning and improve the study behaviors of learners.
Level Three Training:
1. Topic: Self-regulated Learning (aka metacognition)
A (Standard): Understands the process of taking control of and evaluating one's own learning and behavior and its role in tutoring.
B (Outcome): Uses and integrates self-related learning techniques in the tutoring session to enhance learning.
&/or Brain Learn Learning
A (Standard): Understands the brain, theories on brain-based learning, and/or strategies to use to boost brain learning and function especially for low academic achievers or ineffective learners.
B (Outcome): Uses and integrates brain learning techniques in the tutoring session to enhance learning.
&/or Memory
A (Standard): Has developed very effective memory improvement skills or strategies to utilize to enhance learning new information and how to present it in a tutoring session.
B (Outcome): Uses and integrates effective memory improvement skills or strategies in the tutoring session to enhance learning.
2. Topic: How to Tutor/Deal with Target Populations
A (Standard): Understands different learner populations encountered in the tutoring process.
B (Outcome): Uses diverse and proven practices with diverse populations when tutoring.
3. Topic: The Role of Learning Centers in Higher Education
A (Standard): Understands the role of Learning Centers and tutoring in Higher Education.
B (Outcome): Supports the institution’s Learning Center, its mission, and the tutoring services it provides.
4. Topic: Structuring the Learning Experience
A (Standard): Understands the importance of organization and using structure to enhance the tutoring experience.
B (Outcome): Plans and organizes the tutoring experience to ensure maximum learning.
5. Topic: Training and Supervising Other Tutors
A (Standard): Understands the importance of providing quality training and supervision to new tutors.
B (Outcome): Plans, practices, and evaluates learning strategies used in training tutors to improve understanding of best and most effective practices used in training and supervising tutors.
6. Topic: Group Management Skills
A (Standard): Understands the basics of group dynamics theory and how its implications for tutoring.
B (Outcome): Practices effective group management skills to recognize and honor each member of the group, control dominant group members, and make sure each member of the group is engaged in learning and gets their questions answered.
Standards for Tutor Training-DRAFT Page 1 Novmber 2012