Earning Criteria

• Participants will understand the practical and professional underpinnings of tutoring, including what tutors do, professional expectations, codes of ethics, and compliance with sexual harassment and plagiarism policies. Participants learn these materials in three modules through tutor-training videos created by Merrimack College and Oregon State University. Assessments include worksheets, experiential reflections on prior and current tutoring experiences, and a quiz on ethics and policy.
• Participants will develop skills for understanding client needs in four modules addressing nonverbal and intercultural communication, learning styles, universal design approaches, how to be assertive and handle difficult situations, active listening, questioning, and paraphrasing. Assessments for these modules include written short answer explanations of content impact (why and how the skills shape the tutorial), reflections and brainstorming on personal skills implementation, and quizzes.
• Participants will learn to shape tutorials around client needs. In three modules, participants will explore how to begin and end a tutorial with impact and empathy, how to role model, and how to help the client set tutorial goals and how to plan a session. Video instruction teaches models and strategies with integrated pauses for students to reflect and answer questions. Assessment involves written short answer strategy development and reflection on success and failures in past practice.
• Participants will expand their own approaches to learning and engaging learners through four modules focusing on knowledge growth and critical thinking. These modules teach referral skills for issues beyond the tutorial, study skills, critical thinking, and problem solving. Videos include embedded TEDTalk Productions, models, and strategies to be adapted by the participant. Assessments include skills quizzes, case study responses, and reflections on past and present practice.
• Participants must complete all 14 modules with a passing score of at least 80% on all assessments. Assessments are tied to each module and may involve a range of content or reflective responses submitted in quizzes, text, audio, or video files.