Hello Colleagues,

For a number of years I have been supporting the learning of students
whom I never meet face to face, as well as those whom I do.  For both
situations, I would certainly agree with the approach John Cowan has
advocated.  

Focussing on e-mail only support on academic skills for student whom I
have never met (and will probably never meet) and picking up John's
Point 1, I find that establishing a trusting relationship with such
students is enormously time-consuming.  Where I am the student's tutor
and so know the course that the student is studying and therefore the
criteria for success on that course, I can move through the four stages
John suggested fairly smoothly even if not quickly.  

In situations where I am not the student's tutor and so don't know or
cannot resonably judge the criteria for success on that course,
especially if I know little or nothing of the student's background,
building an effective working relationship with the student is even more
time consuming.  However, having done that, through a series of
questions (which again takes quite some time), I help the student
explore where their problem lies and how they might tackle it, in the
manner John has advocated. 

Let me offer an example of this latter situation.  A student in
Australia, studying one of our Masters-level distance learning courses
that attracts students from a variety of discipline backgrounds, felt
that he was putting in a lot of study effort but not getting the exam
results commensurate with that.  He contacted me for help.  Having built
a trusting, supportive relationship, we went through the reflective,
questioning, probing process I described above (in line with John's
Points 2 and 3).  The student seemed delighted with the final outcome -
and went off to use this new insight in his next course of study (John's
Point 4).  But the entire process took so much of my time that I don't
feel I can encourage such students to routinely access this service,
although I'll certainly respond to any requests for help.

In contrast, where e-mail support is used to extend other (probably
face-to-face) support i.e. where I'm using it at Points 3 and/or 4 of
John's message, then I find e-mail support no more demanding or time
consuming than face-to-face or telephone support. 

Best wishes,

Isabelle

-------------------------------
Isabelle B Pottinger
Academic Counsellor
Room 1.07 Scott Russell Building
Heriot-Watt University
Riccarton 
Edinburgh
EH14 4AS

Tel: 0131 451 3062

-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Cowan
Sent: 05 October 2005 17:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: e-mail tuition in academic skills

Mm.

My experience here would centre in on a few pieces of not quite as
dogmatic as it may seem advice:

1.  Establish a good relationship with students - not as easy as that
makes it sound.
2.  Start from a student's reflective analysis of one of the pro=cesses
involved.
3.  Facilitate this by gently questioning/nudging towards sharper
practice, rather than telling or suggesting 4.  Encourage transfer into
other discipline areas.

Happy to expand upon that, if you wish.  It has worked for me and for my
students, - well, I think it has.  But I'm blind copying this to one of
my former UHI students, who may wish to expand on what I've said here.
[Feel free, E_liz.]

John Cowan


----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Hampton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 4:47 PM
Subject: e-mail tuition in academic skills


> Dear colleagues
>
> Does anyone have a particular interest in or know of any past or
> current work on e-mail (only) tuition in academic skills? Demand for
> this type of provision seems to be growing in some areas here at
> Portsmouth and I am very interested to hear especially from
> colleagues who deliver tuition in the 'bigger' issues - the kind of
issues
> that require extended e-mail correspondance with the student - via e-
> mail. Are we yet in a position to abstract any generalisations about
best
> practice in e-mail tuition? Any thoughts most welcome.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Martin Hampton
>
> Academic Skills Lecturer
> Academic Skills Unit (ASK)
> Department of Curriculum and Quality
> University of Portsmouth
> Nuffield Centre
> St Michael's Road
> Portsmouth
> PO1 2ED
>
> 023 9284 5562
>