The following is taken from "Personal Tutoring in Higher Education – Where Now and What Next? A Literature Review and Recommendations" written by Mike Laycock
Personal tutoring systems vary greatly across both institutes and schools, meaning personal tutoring itself is inconsistent, and provides a varying level of support to students in different areas. Therefore, it is important for personal tutors to use the Newcastle University Framework for Personal Tutoring as a minimum standard of practice. By ensuring that all schools have the basics in place, it means that the university as a whole provides a better level of support for students.
It isn’t enough to simply respond to students when they come to you for advice, as this ‘reactive’ approach to personal tutoring has seen many students slip through the cracks and receive no support at all – the students that are least likely to approach their personal tutors are usually the students that need the most support and guidance. By taking a more active role, such as arranging meetings each semester, emailing to check on students’ progress, and generally taking an interest the development and wellbeing of their tutees, a personal tutor can ensure that their students are getting the most out of their university experience.
Two of the main reasons why students drop out of university are a lack of preparedness academically and emotionally for the transition to university, and a lack of availability of appropriate academic and personal support during those first few months. A proven and successful way of increasing student retention is a structured programme of group tutorials. By integrating sessions into the timetable for tutors and tutees to meet together, students learn basic study skills, get a realistic understanding of what to expect from their time at university, and have a chance to talk to other tutees going through the same difficult transition period.
As Personal Development Planning (PDP) becomes increasingly well-established as an important part of a students’ academic career, the role of a personal tutor needs to change to facilitate it. Personal tutors should be more than just an authority figure to go to with problems; they should also act as a facilitator of students’ personal and academic development throughout university. Newcastle University Framework for Personal Tutoring Taken from Personal Tutoring in Higher Education – Where Now and What Next? A Literature Review and Recommendations written by Mike Laycock
Newcastle University offers many different opportunities for personal tutors to attend workshops and tutorials to gain skills relevant to the personal tutoring system. There is also an online training module in development that personal tutors can fit in around their busy schedules. By making use of the training modules the university has on offer, tutors can offer a better level of support to their tutees, and improve the tutor-tutee relationship. Provide a well-rounded Support System with Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Sometimes students have problems that they don’t feel comfortable discussing with a member of staff – in these situations, Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) comes in handy. This provides students with the opportunity to talk to someone their own age, who may have gone through similar problems themselves. This also relieves personal tutors of some of the pastoral responsibilities towards tutees, and leaves them to concentrate more on academic wellbeing and progression.
The personal tutoring system is one of the most important facilities for students, providing them with a member of staff to turn to with any problems or questions relating to student life. It is an important role, and should be taken seriously. A student in trouble needs to know that they can approach their personal tutor, and shouldn’t feel as though they’re interrupting their tutor, or wasting their time. So it is very important that personal tutors make themselves available to and develop good relationships with their tutees.