I looked into this company recently and was interested in the idea of having an 'out of hours' service since so many of our students do seem to work at night. I signed up for a trial as a student to see what the service was like and it seems reasonable enough. As a little added extra it seems like a nice idea, but the rep was evasive on fees. Always a red flag for me if a company isn't up front about its costs, and once you start googling around there are plenty of similar companies. Probably not too difficult to do yourself if you have a relationship with another university in a different timezone to offer round-the-clock coverage.
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of LDHEN automatic digest system
Sent: 20 March 2017 00:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: LDHEN Digest - 18 Mar 2017 to 19 Mar 2017 (#2017-72)
There are 2 messages totaling 1403 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Yourtutor, your job? (2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 23:23:13 +0000
From: Rowena Harper <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi all,
Thanks Sandie for mentioning that - I raised that as part of the panel discussion at the webinar, so if people are looking for it, that's where it'll be.
In Australia, the outsourcing of components of ALL work (to companies such as YourTutor etc.) seems to be part of a larger trend. Education Professor Tara Brabazon from Flinders University in Adelaide recently presented a public lecture on this subject where she talked, among other things, about the 'textbookification' of curriculum, and the transformation of universities to content delivery systems (event flier here: http://events.flinders.edu.au/images/event/2293_1_Flinders%20Investigators%20March.pdf)
So I think ALL practitioners shouldn't take this personally (every corner of the university is now subject to the same pressures), but nor should they accept this without robust critical engagement.
Similar to what Fiona has done, I think the most reasonable approach is to:
* question the veracity of their claims (ie. can they improve retention, success etc.?? And how would they evidence this?)
* identify clearly what kind of service they offer to students and - drawing on your own evidence and theory - illustrate the likely value of the service
* articulate how the service may be use to complement what's already in place AND/OR suggest a better alternative (e.g. peer initiatives that benefit already enrolled students)
In an online discussion between members of the AALL executive, I provided this summary of (what I thought was) useful guidance for anyone asked to 'advise' senior management on these kinds of services - I've reproduced it here in case it's useful. I think we all know this, but sometimes in the heat of the moment it's easy to forget!
* It may be best to position yourself as speculating about the value of these services, in the context of existing programs. In this case, you may argue that what these services provide (grammar correction, online learning advice, learning advice from peers/current students) is already being offered in far more productive forms, some of which give valuable experiences to enrolled students.
* Senior managers are likely to be suspicious of any advice that seems defensive. A defensive, overly critical tone can suggest you feel threatened, your primary concern being to keep your job. The submission may come across as biased and lacking objectivity (rather than passionate and concerned). Try to remain objective and constructive - thoroughly examine what is likely to be best for students and the institution.
* The best tone may be confusion - "not clear what evidence their claims are based on...", "not clear from their marketing materials what they mean by 'traditional' students. If they mean on-campus students, then our institution provides ...", "their proposal indicates a lack of awareness of the existing learning advice at out institution, which does not inspire confidence..." "their materials over-simplify 'at-risk' students, so we might be concerned that they don't understand how our institution defines and supports students at risk".
* The strongest pieces of argument come from samples of what these companies provide (typically simple text correction or grammar instructive), and also any job advertisements that expose who they are really employing as 'writing experts' (2nd year undergraduates, from what we have seen).
Thanks all,
I hope this discussion continues!
Rowena
Dr Rowena Harper
Head: Language and Literacy | Teaching Innovation Unit
President: Association for Academic Language and Learning | http://aall.org.au/
Ph: +61 8 8302 5556 | UniSA City West Campus | GPO Box 2471, Adelaide SA 5001
email: [log in to unmask] |<mailto:[log in to unmask]> http://people.unisa.edu.au/Rowena.Harper | CRICOS Provider Number 00121B
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donnelly, Sandie
Sent: Friday, 17 March 2017 11:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi
This reminds me of something that came up at the 2nd International Webinar from ICALLD in early February (https://icalld.wildapricot.org/event-2368791). If I remember rightly, one of the Australian participants was talking about online skills support or some kind of outsourced skills support being offered by Pearson - I think?? (bit blurry and will need to check notes at home). Does anyone else who took part in the webinar remember talk of this type of outsourcing of skills support in Australia?
Interesting when you look at the "teams" behind YourTutor and predominant areas of expertise Tutors<http://www.yourtutor.com.au/our-tutors/profiles>
Meet the team<http://www.yourtutor.com.au/about-us/the-team>
Sandie
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Knight
Sent: 17 March 2017 10:42
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi
Is anyone aware of the Yourtutor service, Australian-based but clearly keen to make in-roads into the UK HE erm market?
http://www.yourtutor.com/
It looks as if UEL have bought into this - does anyone working there have any experiences they could share? Or know anyone with experience of how this works in Australia?
Clearly, living breathing learning development tutors working within institutions offer a great deal more than the service that this company is offering. However, the financial implications that outsourcing this aspect of learning and teaching to this kind of company could well mean that senior management teams in cash strapped universities might find themselves more than able to accept a diminished learning experience for their students in return for a fraction of their staffing costs...
I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts about the implications they think this might have for us a profession.... And what we might do about it...
Best wishes
Concerned of High Wycombe
University of Cumbria is a Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England & Wales No. 06033238. Registered Office: University of Cumbria, Fusehill Street, Carlisle, CA1 2HH. Telephone 01228 616234.
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2017 23:48:41 +0000
From: "McMorrow, Martin" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Yourtutor, your job?
Thanks for that, Rowena.
I noticed on the YourTutor website that they seem to allow 15 minutes for feedback on a 1000 word essay (if I'm not mistaken). Manageable at secondary level, perhaps, but at tertiary level it is unlikely to allow someone with limited knowledge of the institution, topic or discipline to provide feedback of much value.
I think one strategy for response would be to focus on the teaching and learning strategy of the university and, in particular, on the need to differentiate the university brand within an increasingly competitive global environment.
This is a different environment from high schools which, by and large, have a fairly captive audience in their local areas - and are, after all, following a national curriculum. Academic literacy requirements at secondary level are more predictable and generalised, there's less concern about student autonomy, more use of tutors (if parents can afford them), and less of a need for schools to differentiate their brands.
Certainly at our institution, 'distinctiveness' is a major institutional priority. How can that be achieved by outsourcing learning support to a generic provider - particularly, when the same tutors are working with high school and pre-university students? What risks could that pose to our 'brand value'? Would we want a 'second-rate' institution to be able to boast that they provide academic support equal to _________ University? In our case, the Uni slogan is 'Engine of the new New Zealand'. Well, it would hardly be a Ferrari if the carburettor came out of a Fiat Uno!
Alongside that, I think it would serve us well to highlight how much our own services are in tune with the institution's teaching and learning strategy and brand value; how much institutional knowledge we have; how our services are finely-tuned and targeted towards learning outcomes at course and programme level.
So, I'm very much in agreement with Rowena on the need for a two-pronged approach (identifying the weaknesses / risks in outsourcing, while highlighting the strengths / distinctiveness of our services) - and arguments which are made from within institutional goals, values and discourse.
Regards,
Martin
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rowena Harper
Sent: Monday, 20 March 2017 12:23 p.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi all,
Thanks Sandie for mentioning that - I raised that as part of the panel discussion at the webinar, so if people are looking for it, that's where it'll be.
In Australia, the outsourcing of components of ALL work (to companies such as YourTutor etc.) seems to be part of a larger trend. Education Professor Tara Brabazon from Flinders University in Adelaide recently presented a public lecture on this subject where she talked, among other things, about the 'textbookification' of curriculum, and the transformation of universities to content delivery systems (event flier here: http://events.flinders.edu.au/images/event/2293_1_Flinders%20Investigators%20March.pdf)
So I think ALL practitioners shouldn't take this personally (every corner of the university is now subject to the same pressures), but nor should they accept this without robust critical engagement.
Similar to what Fiona has done, I think the most reasonable approach is to:
* question the veracity of their claims (ie. can they improve retention, success etc.?? And how would they evidence this?)
* identify clearly what kind of service they offer to students and - drawing on your own evidence and theory - illustrate the likely value of the service
* articulate how the service may be use to complement what's already in place AND/OR suggest a better alternative (e.g. peer initiatives that benefit already enrolled students)
In an online discussion between members of the AALL executive, I provided this summary of (what I thought was) useful guidance for anyone asked to 'advise' senior management on these kinds of services - I've reproduced it here in case it's useful. I think we all know this, but sometimes in the heat of the moment it's easy to forget!
* It may be best to position yourself as speculating about the value of these services, in the context of existing programs. In this case, you may argue that what these services provide (grammar correction, online learning advice, learning advice from peers/current students) is already being offered in far more productive forms, some of which give valuable experiences to enrolled students.
* Senior managers are likely to be suspicious of any advice that seems defensive. A defensive, overly critical tone can suggest you feel threatened, your primary concern being to keep your job. The submission may come across as biased and lacking objectivity (rather than passionate and concerned). Try to remain objective and constructive - thoroughly examine what is likely to be best for students and the institution.
* The best tone may be confusion - "not clear what evidence their claims are based on...", "not clear from their marketing materials what they mean by 'traditional' students. If they mean on-campus students, then our institution provides ...", "their proposal indicates a lack of awareness of the existing learning advice at out institution, which does not inspire confidence..." "their materials over-simplify 'at-risk' students, so we might be concerned that they don't understand how our institution defines and supports students at risk".
* The strongest pieces of argument come from samples of what these companies provide (typically simple text correction or grammar instructive), and also any job advertisements that expose who they are really employing as 'writing experts' (2nd year undergraduates, from what we have seen).
Thanks all,
I hope this discussion continues!
Rowena
Dr Rowena Harper
Head: Language and Literacy | Teaching Innovation Unit
President: Association for Academic Language and Learning | http://aall.org.au/
Ph: +61 8 8302 5556 | UniSA City West Campus | GPO Box 2471, Adelaide SA 5001
email: [log in to unmask] |<mailto:[log in to unmask]> http://people.unisa.edu.au/Rowena.Harper | CRICOS Provider Number 00121B
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donnelly, Sandie
Sent: Friday, 17 March 2017 11:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi
This reminds me of something that came up at the 2nd International Webinar from ICALLD in early February (https://icalld.wildapricot.org/event-2368791). If I remember rightly, one of the Australian participants was talking about online skills support or some kind of outsourced skills support being offered by Pearson - I think?? (bit blurry and will need to check notes at home). Does anyone else who took part in the webinar remember talk of this type of outsourcing of skills support in Australia?
Interesting when you look at the "teams" behind YourTutor and predominant areas of expertise Tutors<http://www.yourtutor.com.au/our-tutors/profiles>
Meet the team<http://www.yourtutor.com.au/about-us/the-team>
Sandie
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Knight
Sent: 17 March 2017 10:42
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Yourtutor, your job?
Hi
Is anyone aware of the Yourtutor service, Australian-based but clearly keen to make in-roads into the UK HE erm market?
http://www.yourtutor.com/
It looks as if UEL have bought into this - does anyone working there have any experiences they could share? Or know anyone with experience of how this works in Australia?
Clearly, living breathing learning development tutors working within institutions offer a great deal more than the service that this company is offering. However, the financial implications that outsourcing this aspect of learning and teaching to this kind of company could well mean that senior management teams in cash strapped universities might find themselves more than able to accept a diminished learning experience for their students in return for a fraction of their staffing costs...
I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts about the implications they think this might have for us a profession.... And what we might do about it...
Best wishes
Concerned of High Wycombe
University of Cumbria is a Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England & Wales No. 06033238. Registered Office: University of Cumbria, Fusehill Street, Carlisle, CA1 2HH. Telephone 01228 616234.
Confidentiality: This email and its attachments are intended for the above named only and may be confidential. If they have come to you in error you must take no action based on them, nor must you copy or show them to anyone; please reply to this email and highlight the error.
Security Warning: Please note that this email has been created in the knowledge that Internet email is not a 100% secure communications medium. We advise that you understand and observe this lack of security when emailing us.
Viruses: Although we have taken steps to ensure that this email and attachments are free from any virus, we advise that in keeping with good computing practice the recipient should ensure they are actually virus free.
------------------------------
End of LDHEN Digest - 18 Mar 2017 to 19 Mar 2017 (#2017-72)
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