Writing Fellows: Peer Tutoring

Writing Fellows: Peer Tutoring is an upper level, 3-credit elective course that serves as a mutually beneficial collaboration between the English concentration, the First-Year Composition program, and the No’eau Center. The course 1. introduces UHWO students to a variety of composition, tutoring, and writing center theories and best practices; 2. provides supplemental instruction and one-on-one tutoring to UHWO’s ENG 100T developmental courses and students; and 3. professionally develops and trains potential Noʻeau Center writing tutors prior to their employment at the center.

ENG 316: Course Description

Students will explore a variety of peer tutoring and writing center theories, methods, and strategies by examining major texts and issues in writing center studies and applying this knowledge through hands on tutoring experiences in ENG 100/100T. Through the coordinating of supplemental instruction (SI), participation in monthly Writing Fellow meetings, and completion of bi-weekly reading assignments and reflections, Writing Fellows will receive professional development that will prepare them to better meet the needs of UHWO’s No’eau Center clientele.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand and apply various writing tutor techniques (CLO 3; DLO 3; ILO 4)
  2. Critically analyze and problem solve common peer tutoring situations in an informed manner (CLO 3; DLO 3, 6; ILO 3)
  3. Better understand their own writing/writing process through professional development (DLO 4; ILO 1)
  4. Apply the course’s content and practices in a professional atmosphere (ILO 5)
  5. Apply the course’s content and practices in future Noʻeau Center employment

Core Components of Course

1. Blog Responses 

Students will be assigned readings either from the tutor handbook, pdfs posted to Laulima, or a combination of both. These readings will discuss general theories and/or practical strategies that can be applied during supplemental instruction periods. Students will be asked to utilize the information from their reading in their SI periods. After completing each reading, Fellows will post to Laulima either responding to a specific question posed by the Writing Fellow Coordinator or discussing how they saw a theory and/or strategy playing out in real-life tutoring experiences. These posts will serve as forums for Fellows to discuss tutoring theory and practice. Reading responses will be assigned an average of one every two weeks. Students must meaningfully and promptly complete at least half of these reading/reflection assignments in order to pass the course.

2. Monthly Writing Fellow Meetings 

Students will be expected to attend and actively participate in once-a-month Writing Fellow meetings arranged by the Writing Fellows Coordinator. The meetings will give Fellows the opportunity to dialogue about reading assignments, discuss any challenges they are facing, and/or share any strategies they have found useful in their SI experiences.

3. Final Essay 

The course will culminate in a 3-5 page final essay in which students will reflect on their SI experiences, considering both their learning about tutoring and what the course has taught them about their own writing/writing process.

4. Teaching assistantship and Supplemental Instruction (SI) /Instructor evaluation

Students will lead ENG 100 tutoring sessions or 100T Supplemental Instruction sessions as arranged between the student and instructor. At the end of the semester, the instructor will be asked to evaluate the Writing Fellow’s attendance, attitude, tutoring efficacy, etc.

Contact Information

For more information about the course or the student application process please contact the Writing Fellows Coordinator, Robyn Nelson at nelsonrc@hawaii.edu.