Academic Tutor Research
Patrick WashingtonComm 4011M50 M.L. WeberWeak academic preparation is a growing concern in the research and policy communities. Researchers continue to correlate academic preparation with high school and college completion. With this understanding, Mr. Ronald Claxton, Associate Director of Academic Success states, “sharpened focus regarding academic support interventions, advisement, and academic success programs have colleges and universities looking for more effective ways to support student success.” The role of theory and learning assumptions creates a conduit for supplemental interventions in higher education which has created an upsurge of interest amongst educators and students. This caused the purposes of the Tutoring Without Borders: Final Examination Prep (TWBFEP) intervention. This intervention provided a two-fold portion: first, to assist the Southwest Tennessee Community College students with fundamental exam preparation tactics to improve academic performance and establish a learning community partnership with the Academic Support office. Second, to abreast students with tools for exam preparation and provide understanding for continuous utilization as a result of participating in the TWBFEP intervention. However, to incorporate these tools to the students there has to be a strategic plan of communication that will connect to all students.
BACKGROUNDOver the past five years, the institution has focused on the factors that influence the academic, continuing education and professional development of career mapping and implementing interventions to support positive academic outcomes. Overall, the assumptions about the intervention are plentiful, for now, the resolve is to improve academic performance and to abreast students with tools for exam preparation. Within this organization a team was correlated of Dr. Harris, Dr. Smith, Mr. Claxton, and Mrs. Ivy, which they discussed a plan of action on how TWBFEP should operate in a proper format that will provide specific information to be successful. After weeks of communication via face-to-face, and email the final format was concluded. COMMUNICATION Mr. Claxton then expiated a department meeting to assign duties and responsibilities to his staff in preparation of the dates set for the event. He assigned Ms. Holmes to contact the marketing department and request the development of a flyer that circulate throughout the institution. DATA COLLECTIONTo accomplish this data, the Dr. Harris took the following steps: First, data from the TWBFEP assessment was collected by the Dr. Harris’s – designed instrument at the TWBFEP session. Second, data from the TWBFEP assessment was collected again at the second session. Outcomes of the intervention revealed students’ reflections on both the final exam prep and content about how to prepare for exams, and responded openly on the assessment about the delivery behind the TWBFEP intervention.