Some serious difficulties that students have in understanding physical optics may be due in part to a lack of understanding of light as an electromagnetic wave. Describes the development and use of tutorials designed to address students' conceptual difficulties. (Contains over 15 references.) (Author/WRM)

States that matching tutors and students by gender had no effect on tutoring outcomes in a study at a large mid-Atlantic research university with a well-established tutor training program. A strong relationship was found between the grades students received in courses and hours of tutoring received, a pre-college academic predictor, gender, and…

In an America Reads community program, teams of undergraduate volunteers led of career counseling graduate students tutor elementary students in literacy. The program seeks to cultivate civic responsibility as an aspect of career development. (SK)

Studies 10 undergraduate university students who were given intensive instruction in metacognitive strategies, which highlighted metacognition and executive control in the reading process. Finds the students (1) understood and applied metacognitive strategies in their personal reading; but (2) applied little of these strategies in tutoring and…

Explores the evolving perspectives of six school members who served as tutors (three first-grade teachers, two Title I teachers, and the school principal) on professional development, classroom language arts instruction, and school-wide literacy curriculum. Describes how the program shifted to teacher development and curriculum reform as school…

Investigates the effects of web-based instructional materials on students' understanding of chemical concepts. Uses interviews with students, concept mapping, and a free-response survey for the study. (YDS)

Antelope Valley College Library has provided online library instruction tutorials for students since 2000. These tutorials were developed in three phases during the last five years. This article describes the evolution of the tutorials including how to create a web based tutorial and accompanying interactive quiz. Hardware and software…

Students collaborating in small groups is a characteristic of problem-based learning (PBL) that is receiving increased consideration in the literature. In this paper findings from studies in this area are synthesized and discussed. A distinction is made between studies focusing on cognitive effects of group learning and studies focusing on…

This paper explores the challenges facing supervisors of international postgraduate students at the dissertation stage of the masters programme. The central problems of time pressure, language difficulties, a lack of critical analysis and a prevalence of personal problems among international students are discussed. This paper makes recommendations…

A group of college presidents has decided to expand campus public-service programs by encouraging college students to tutor disadvantaged young people, mentoring fourth through ninth graders in danger of not graduating from high school. (MSE)

Describes generic problem-solving model constructed by D. Koberg and J. Bagnall that can be used by writing center tutors and that progresses as follows: (1) accept situation, (2) analyze, (3) define, (4) ideate, (5) select, (6) implement, (7) evaluate. Provides tutors with coherent framework and with way of breaking larger framework down into…

Describes tutoring models and compares instructional strategies classified as organizational, delivery, and management strategies, in those models that have been found effective: Literacy Volunteers, Laubach Literacy, Structured Tutoring, Programmed Tutoring, Peer-Mediated Instruction, and the Audio-Tutorial System. Tutoring cost-effectiveness and…

The evaluation of a tutorial program for a college of optometry that provides both group reviews and individual instruction and a discussion of the need for such services are presented. (MSE)

A tutorial model, developed at Ramapo College of New Jersey, that has proven to be cost-effective and highly successful in improving the performance of remedial mathematics students is described. Most of the recruited peer tutors are former remedial/developmental students. (MLW)

Examines reasons for community colleges' return to mandatory testing and placement in courses/programs where students have a reasonable expectation of success. Looks at the use and success of other retention strategies, including orientation programs, tutors, and integrated support services. (DMM)