Peer Tutoring Program Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Peer Tutoring?
- Peer Tutoring is a FREE on ground and online tutoring service at Northeastern University, FOR students BY students! The Peer Tutoring Program (PTP) partners with faculty to recruit and select highly qualified current undergraduate Northeastern students to provide tutoring services, where students can build confidence and understanding in an engaging nonjudgmental environment. PTP operates out of Northeastern’s Boston campus.
- What is the Mission of Peer Tutoring Program at Northeastern?
- PTP’s mission is to help Northeastern students reach their academic potential by promoting peer-to-peer learning, integrating peer tutoring into the curriculum, and reframing peer tutoring as an extension of the classroom experience.
- How does it work?
- Students have to log into the Student Hub. Click on “Resources” in the top menu and then look for the “Miscellaneous” section where you’ll find the TUTORING link to click on. Here, they should see a list of the courses they are currently enrolled in. Click on the course they are seeking tutoring in, and they should be able to choose from a list of qualified peer tutors! However, students should book in advance– the latest a session can be booked is by 9pm the night before!
- After scheduling a session, students will receive a confirmation email, where they will find a GoBoard link. Because Northeastern classes (and tutoring) are currently online, you can access the online tutoring session through this link.
- Which classes does it work for?
- PTP works for introductory, high-risk, and high-demand undergraduate courses. The Program works closely with faculty to recruit highly qualified peer tutors and provide support to students in their classes. In addition, if students need tutoring in an undergraduate course that it is not listed under PTP, students can submit an inquiry and PTP will assist them in finding a tutor or refer them to additional support on-campus.
- Are these sessions strictly 1:1, or can they be small group sessions?
- PTP caters to both individual and small group-based learners (up to three!). However, when you make an individual appointment, keep in mind that you can only book two tutoring sessions for each course per week. For group sessions, all students must be enrolled in the same course with the same instructor. They should also work on the same topic/concept in order for the session to run smoothly and efficiently and to allow for collaborative learning.
- What is the cost?
- Peer Tutoring is completely FREE! PTP peer tutors are paid for their sessions, but sessions are free to all Northeastern students enrolled in undergraduate courses which tutoring is offered.
- What about the time-zone differences?
- There is a time zone feature build-in to PTP Tutoring. Students can select the time zone that they are located in and any available peer tutor will show for them in the calendar. The default time zone has been set to Eastern Standard Time(EST).
- How do I cancel or reschedule my tutoring appt?
- Students can cancel and/or reschedule their tutoring sessions by going on to the same tutoring portal they went on to book their tutoring sessions. Under the “Actions” key, there will be three options, one of which should let them edit their session. Simply change the starting/ending time and scroll to the bottom of the page to save any changes you made. Students can also choose the option to cancel their tutoring appointment as well. All changes and cancellations must be made at least an hour before the session begins.
- How often can my student get help from a tutor?
- Students can request up to two tutoring sessions per week, per subject (up to one hour per session). Sessions needed beyond this time limit must be approved by the Director or Assistant Director of the Program.
- What kind if technical support does NU offer if the system is not working?
- For support with the Peer Tutoring Program, such as finding a peer tutor, students can contact PTP at peertutoring@northeastern.edu
- If it’s an issue with the platform within the Student Hub, students can contact the NU Help Desk by submitting a Service-Now request through the Student Hub.
- If it’s an issue with GoBoard students can contact GoBoard’s 24 hours help line at 877-919-8886 or at help@goboard.com
- How does an NU tutor know how to help my student since they will be taking courses at another institution (any non- NUin Boston students)?
- PTP will be working closely with the faculty at each NUin program to recruit tutors they recommend from past semesters, as well as the faculty in the Boston campus who are working closely with students who attended NUin and are currently tutoring their courses.
- Who’s tutoring me, exactly? What kind of training do they get? What kind of expertise or experience do they have?
- Peer tutors are current Northeastern undergraduate students who have previously taken the course-s at NUin or at Northeastern’s Boston campus, have an over 3.0 GPA, received an A or A- as a final grade, have expertise and depth of knowledge on the subject-s, and are highly recommended by the faculty whose course-s they are planning to tutor.
- PTP is a certified peer tutoring program by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) in all 3 levels since 2007. All PTP peer tutors have to attend a CRLA Level 1 Basic Tutor Training Workshop (4 hours long) before they start tutoring. Some of the topics covers at this workshop are:
- How to become effective peer tutors by helping students to scaffold their learning experience, as well as build their competency and confidence level in a course-s
- How to help their students to become strategic, self-directed, and self-reflective learners
- How to structure their students learning experience by building their knowledge and expertise in order to enhance their learning outcomes and increase performance in a course
- How to use effective communication and active listening strategies
- How to set SMART goals for each tutoring session for effective use of session time
- In addition, PTP tutors are enrolled in a CRLA Tutor Certification hybrid BB course in their respective level, as well as given opportunities throughout the year to attend workshops and present at the New England Peer Tutoring Association (NEPTA) Annual Spring Conference in order to earn their CRLA International Tutor Certification in their respective level.
- Can I give feedback to NU about my tutoring experience(s)?
- Students’ feedback is very important to PTP since we are constantly looking for ways to improve our services. Students are required to complete a tutoring session evaluation for every new tutor they meet, and are highly encouraged to complete an evaluation after every tutoring session!
- Students will need to go into the tutoring portal, click on the third, “–” key, where it will lead you to a quick survey. All tutoring evaluations are reviewed weekly by the Director/Assistant Director of PTP. Based on students’ evaluation, highly rated peer tutors are selected to become Tutor of the Month, and low rated peer tutors are given the opportunity to improve their performance before they are let go.