Case Studies in Tutoring

As a result of these case studies, teacher candidates will obtain a better understanding of:

• physics course content,
• student difficulties with particular physics concepts,
• effective instructional strategies for particular physics concepts, and
• informal assessment methods.

Tutoring requirements:

Anyone who wants to complete any clinical experiences in a high school (e.g., working with minors) must have passed a Criminal Background Check prior to starting. Read critical information on the Teacher Education Center web site. Clinical experiences completed without the required passage of the Criminal Background Check are disallowed in this course.

You need to arrange and complete 10 hours of one-on-one or small group (<6) tutoring experiences, conduct the tutoring, and document and provide a written reflection for each of the ten hours using a required documentation and reflection form. Tutors must also collect from each tutee a written evaluation form that can help the tutor improve his or her tutoring skills. Tutoring must be limited to 4 hours per student (unless the student is a member of a small group), and include a minimum of three different students over the course of the 10 hours. Keep in mind that your tutoring should be spread throughout the semester. Don't expect to do your tutoring at the last minute as there might not be enough opportunity for everyone to do so.

Arranging your tutoring:

There are three options (some paid, others volunteer) available to you for completing the Case Studies in Tutoring requirement:

1. University High School desires tutors. You can arrange tutoring here by contacting Tom Holbrook (physics teacher at UHS) or Dixie Lewis (manager at UHS Learning Center). Tutoring high school physics students MUST be restricted to the UHS Learning Center as you will likely be dealing with minors. If you plan to work at the UHS Learning Center, you will need to fill out a tutor availability card in the Learning Center, Room 237, as soon as possible. This is critical because the Learning Center would not be able to accommodate all in time for course deadlines. Please call the Learning Center at 438-4440 and, perhaps, they can take your information over the phone. You will need to give a schedule of when you would be available to students so they can match you up with students in need of your tutoring services. Please keep in mind that the Learning Center frequently has students in need of help with all science and math areas. You may tutor chemistry and mathematics as well with the prior written permission of the PHY 310 course instructor.
2. The ISU Physics Club has a well established framework for conducting tutoring sessions with non-physics majors. You may choose to work with students enrolled in ONLY the following introductory-level courses: PHY 102, 105, 108, and/or 109. While the students you encounter from these courses might be older than high school students, the level of subject matter will be much the same and problems students encounter similar. If you do arrange your tutoring through the Physics Club, you are expected to fully comply with their requirements such as the following: (a) tutoring must occur in a public setting, (b) paid tutoring must be done off campus only and at a rate of $20/hour, and (c) $10/hour of a $20/hour fee must be turned over to the Physics Club.
3. ISU's Julia N. Visor Academic Center (housed in 012 Vrooman Center, between Hewett and Manchester and in the basement) is currently seeking physics majors interested in tutoring. Tutoring is done for PHY 102 and PHY 105 only. Tutors are paid employees of the Center, and receive minimum wage along with training in a variety of study skills workshops. These will be valuable adjuncts to your PTE preparation and resume building process should you choose to take them. For more information about this option, visit their web site, drop in at the Center, or contact Center coordinator Josh Reid at 438-8831 or jsreid@ilstu.edu.

Required Readings for all PHY 310 students: The following resources for tutoring are made available by the Julia N. Visor Academic Center. With the exception of the Staff Handbook, all documents are assigned readings.

• Socratic Questioning
• Tutoring Across Cultures
• Tutoring Cycle, M-P-M
• Learning Styles
• Groups, Motivation, and Difficult Students
• Disability Concerns (specific disabilities)
• Difficult Tutoring Situations
• Difficult Tutoring Scenarios
• Definition of Tutoring, Guidelines, etc.
• Communication Skills
• Staff Handbook Fall 08 Tutors

Guidelines for tutoring introductory-level physics students:

Step 1:
Always meet your student in a public place for your safety and that of the student. If you expect to get paid, get a contract in writing before starting your first session.

Step 2:
Take 5 minutes to get to know the student if you have not met with him or her before. Ask for information required to document your clinical experience (see the required documentation and reflection form). You probably should set a one-hour time limit on tutoring. Ask about the content to be addressed in the tutoring session. Elicit from the student the nature of the problem(s) s/he is encountering.

Step 3:
Assess student problem(s) by allowing him/her to address a problem that s/he is encountering. Always look at the problem in the book. Generally avoid trusting a student to set up a problem correctly. You might want to consider including each of the following structured-problem-solving aspects in every problem provided by the The University of Minnesota Physics Education Research Group (see below for additional information about structured problem solving):

• Focus the Problem: In this step you develop a qualitative description of the problem. First, visualize the events described in the problem using a sketch. Write down a simple statement of what you want to find out. Write down the physics ideas which might be useful in the problem and describe the approach you will use.
• Describe the Physics: In this step you use your qualitative understanding of the problem to prepare for the quantitative solution. First, simplify the problem situation by describing it with a diagram in terms of simple physical objects and essential physical quantities. Restate what you want to find by naming specific mathematical variables. Using the physics ideas assembled in step 1, write down equation which specify how these physical quantities are related according to the principles of physics or mathematics.
• Plan the Solution: In this step you translate the physics description into a set of equations which represent the problem mathematically by using the equations assembled in the prior process. Write down an outline of how you will solve these equations to see if they will yield a solution, before you go through the effort of actually doing any mathematics.
• Execute the Plan: In this step you actually execute the solution you have planned. Combine the equations as planned to first determine an algebraic solution. Then plug in all of the known quantities into the algebraic solution to determine a numerical value for the desired unknown (target) quantity.
• Evaluate the Answer: Finally, check your work to see that it is properly stated, reasonable, and that you have actually answered the question asked.

Step 4:
Ask student to explain the procedure s/he is using to solve the problem. You can troubleshoot and listen for erroneous logic or incorrect procedures at this time. Watch carefully for any weaknesses exhibited in the algebra which is a very common source of problems for introductory physics students. Allow the student to work until such time as s/he reaches a point of utter confusion. To simplify the problem-solving process, don't allow the student to substitute values for variables until the very last step of the calculation is reached.

Step 5:
Reinforce any correct procedures (e.g. "This part was done correctly" or "You are on target here".) Then identify incorrect logic and ask the student to consider what else s/he might try. You can provide a hint, but avoid explanations until after the student has attempted a solution. In any event, avoid using "funneling questions." Funneling questions (asking students a series of stepwise questions that they can answer without understanding how to solve an entire problem) give students a false impression that they understand how to do a problem. Rather, use "focusing questions" that deal with general procedures and physical principles used for solving a problem.

Step 6:
To check for understanding, have the student re-explain the procedure to you. Avoid asking questions like, "Does that make sense to you?" and "Do you understand now?" Then have the student work a similar problem to make sure s/he has grasped the concept or procedure.

Step 7:
Disengage! Encourage the student to work the next problem on his/her own, but let him/her know you will check back. Do not get drawn into working the next problem with an insecure student. S/he needs to develop the ability to apply what s/he is learning without your supervision.

Step 8:
At the conclusion of the tutoring session, have the tutee(s) complete a Tutor Evaluation Form and attach this to your documentation and reflection form mentioned in the next step.

Step 9:
Immediately following your tutoring session, complete the Documentation and Reflection Form.

Step 10:
Review your documentation and reflection work by making reference to the Case Study Assessment Form. Only after you have completed all 10 required case studies should you turn in your pack of forms.

Additional Helpful Tips for Tutors:

Avoid doing problems for the student.

If the student cannot get the correct answer and asks for help, the tutor should look at what the student has done and try to locate the error. Sometimes students will be silent to the greatest extent possible expecting the tutor to do all the work. If this should happen, don't acquiesce. Be certain to ask questions to pull the student into the learning process. Use plenty of wait time if necessary.

Teach concepts, not merely procedures.

Tutoring goal should be to help students become an independent learner. In physics, it is important to teach concepts rather than just processes or procedures. For example, the tutor should explain why it is important to apply physics principles rather than just showing the student how to do it. Avoid giving the image that physics is "the search for the right equation."

Understanding the concepts makes remembering the procedures easier.

Physics is not merely looking for the correction equation, though students sometimes feel that this is the case. Help students to apply basic principles or think critically about problem-solving procedures.

Watch out for algebra errors.

It's amazing how often problems in physics stem from an inability to perform the required algebraic manipulations. Many students have "math phobia" and this sometimes extends over into physics when their progress in physics is limited by their mathematical competency. Teach the algebra if you need to do so.

Use units appropriately.

Get students into the habit of using units consistently. Units are often an excellent "check" on the answer. When one expects the answer in meters and gets furlongs/fortnight, there might be a problem. Scientists and engineers working on the Mars Climate Orbiter back in 1999 produced a "flyby" rather than an orbital motion. Why? Someone wasn't paying attention to the units!

Watch out for calculator errors/over reliance.

It's surprising how many students think that they know how to use a calculator to perform algebraic manipulations. Watch carefully for this. Also, watch carefully for an over reliance of a student on a calculator. A student who grabs for a calculator first while attempting to solve a physics problem rarely has much of a grasp of physics principles and/or procedures.

Encourage students to attend class and read textbook for understanding.

Some students believe getting help from a tutor is a substitute for attending class or reading a physics textbook with the purpose of understanding. Students having difficulty in physics must realize time spent with a tutor is additional to classroom time and reading the textbook slowly and carefully.

Keep your student on task.

For example, if your student brings up another subject, suggest you can discuss it after the lesson.

Consider using a structured problem solving process.

The University of Minnesota Physics Education Research Group has established a structured problem solving process for solving introductory physics problems that you might find helpful. See especially "A Logical Problem Solving Strategy" from PHY 311. You might also benefit from reading "A Multiple Case Study of Novice and Expert Problem Solving in Kinematics with Implications for Physics Teacher Preparation" found on this same web page.

Get students to self assess.

Try asking students how they think they did or evaluate their own response. For example ask them, "How do you know that?"

(Last updated 1/13/2011, cjw)