Innovations in Teaching: STEM Tutors

Some of the STEM Learning Resources tutors and staff.

Salt Lake Community College's Department of STEM Learning Resources had to completely alter its traditional services for the semester – a normally “high-touch” delivery system where tutors give students face-to-face, individualized assistance.

“This public health emergency has forced us to rethink how our services can be adapted to an online environment,” says Jose Crespo, director of SLCC’s STEM Learning Resources. “We have taken as much action as possible to offer continued academic support where possible, such as moving previously in-person workshops to an accessible online modality as quickly as possible. Tutors have been concerned about students being supported, especially now that added stress and problems might have arisen for most of our students. In this regard, I am happy to say that tutors have been flexible and eager to help in any way they can.”

All of STEM Learning Resources’ tutors were put at the disposal of the Science, Math and Engineering Department, integrating them into virtual content review workshops and assisting faculty with delivery of online classes. STEM Success Mentor Renee Mixco has made sure students are aware of online tutoring services. And STEM Learning Resources full-time employees rapidly adapted to the work-at-home environment, though it wasn’t easy.

Crespo describes working from home with two young children, who need help with their remote education each day, and sharing office space with his wife, who also works full time, admitting it has been stressful and complicated at times. The upside, he adds, is seeing how colleagues have responded. “If anything, this emergency has strengthened our sense of empathy, ethics, collaboration and adaptability,” Crespo says. “This change has pushed us to rethink the importance of developing an online modality and think more creatively about how we support students, which potentially will help us build new structures for future student success.”

For this summer, the plan is to offer tutoring by the regular tutors, working in teams of two (a lead and a support tutor.) The service would consist of workshop-style sessions varying in length, frequency and day of the week depending on the academic course being supported. Any number of students are expected to be able to access those services at any given time tutoring is available for a particular course. Students would be able to interact with tutors by means of videoconferencing with the option to share files, chat or see a virtual white board used by the lead tutor to conduct the session. Classes where these services would be available currently include several sections of chemistry, physics, math and biology and one engineering class.

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