Identifying & Implementing Evidence-Based Online Tutoring Practices: Online Practices for Tutoring In Mathematics Using Meaningful Interactions

该项目满足了国家对提供支持系统以加强本科生STEM学习的需求。它将通过调查大学数学在线辅导的最佳实践来做到这一点。众所周知，面对面的数学辅导与积极的学习结果相关，包括更高的课程成绩、更强的毅力和更好的记忆力。提供高质量的在线辅导体验还可以帮助教师学习有价值的技能，如组织、时间管理、团队合作、解决问题、领导力和技术沟通。新冠肺炎的流行迫使许多大学辅导服务机构要么停止为学生提供帮助，要么转移到网上。许多人选择了转移到网上。然而，在线数学辅导的有效实施还没有得到很好的理解。这样的理解很重要，因为在线数学辅导可能会在当前的大流行消散后很长时间内让学生受益。初步观察表明，在线数学辅导课程通常是一种家庭作业服务：导师解决学生带来的问题，学生观看并抄写答案，而不是积极参与。这项研究旨在通过发现确保学生积极参与辅导课程的方法，使在线辅导体验更像是面对面的体验。通过对在线辅导互动的持续观察，该项目将确定鼓励学生更多地参与在线辅导课程的辅导行为。然后，该项目将设计培训材料，以促进教师最有效的行为。这些培训材料将通过研讨会、会议演示和在线资源免费分发给数学教育界。该项目的在线辅导模式将在西弗吉尼亚大学和俄克拉何马大学进行测试和改进，这两所大型大学为大量学生提供服务。该项目将确定促进以学生为中心的在线辅导互动的辅导实践，并生成培训材料，以优化在线辅导课程中此类互动的频率。将使用归纳和演绎主题分析来分析记录的在线辅导课程，以确定促进以学生为中心的辅导互动的导师行为。将利用笔和平板电脑技术，并将其与没有此类工具的在线课程进行比较，以研究对辅导实践和学生参与度的具体影响。通过多个周期的观察和实施，将制定一套经过经验检验的培训材料，包括《辅导教师手册》和《辅导中心领导/教师培训指南》。导师培训手册将包含技术建议(例如，最佳协作白板应用程序；如何将手机用作文档摄像头；将书面作业扫描为PDF格式的应用程序)、可阅读的文章以及如何成为有效的虚拟教练等资源。《教师培训指南》将提供一些资源，如如何在学期开始前举办为期一天的培训，如何在学期中支持导师，以及如何评估在线辅导服务。该项目由NSF IUSE：EHR计划和既定的激励竞争性研究计划(EPSCoR)提供资金。IUSE：EHR方案支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses the national need to provide support systems that enhance undergraduate STEM learning. It will do so by investigating best practices for online tutoring in college mathematics. Face-to-face tutoring in mathematics is known to correlate with positive learning outcomes including higher course grades, greater persistence, and improved retention. Providing quality online tutoring experiences also benefits for tutors by helping them learn valuable skills such as organization, time management, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and technical communication. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many university-based tutoring services to either stop offering help to students or move online. Many chose to move online. However, the effective implementation of online mathematics tutoring is not yet well understood. Such understanding is important because online mathematics tutoring could benefit students long after the current pandemic has dissipated. Preliminary observations have shown that online mathematics tutoring sessions typically serve as a homework service: tutors solve problems brought to them by students and the students watch and copy down the solutions rather than actively participating. This study aims to make the online tutoring experience more like the in-person experience by discovering ways to ensure students are active participants in tutoring sessions. Through continued observation of online tutor-student interactions, the project will identify tutor behaviors that encourage greater student participation in online tutoring sessions. The project will then design training materials to promote the most effective behaviors in tutors. These training materials will be freely distributed to the mathematics education community through workshops, conference presentations, and online resources. This project’s online tutoring model will be tested and refined at West Virginia University and the University of Oklahoma, two large universities that server large populations of students. The project will identify tutor practices that promote student-centered online tutoring interactions and generate training materials to optimize the frequency of such interactions in online tutoring sessions. Recorded online tutoring sessions will be analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis to identify tutor behaviors that promote student-centered tutoring interactions. Pen and tablet technologies will be utilized and compared to online sessions without such tools to study specific impacts on tutor practices and student engagement. Through multiple cycles of observation and implementation, a set of empirically tested training materials will be developed, including a Tutoring Manual for tutors and a Training Guide for tutoring center leaders/faculty. The Training Manual for tutors will contain resources such as technology suggestions (e.g., best collaborative whiteboard app; how to use your phone as a document camera; apps to scan written work to pdf), articles to read, and how to be an effective virtual coach. The Training Guide for faculty will provide resources such as how to host a one-day training before the semester starts, how to support tutors during the semester, and how to evaluate online tutoring offerings. This project is funded through the NSF IUSE:EHR program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.