Overview
The focus of embedded tutoring is to provide students with academic support when most needed, guide students in meeting instructor expectations, and serve as a liaison between students and instructions for the duration of the course to help students understand the course. Embedded tutors are assigned and enrolled in courses and serve as a dedicated tutor/coach to the students in the course. They also have access to all course materials and resources. The embedded tutoring initiative is designed primarily to supplement instructions and improve success and persistence.
ACC’s Supplemental Instruction (SI) program assigns student leaders, known as SI leaders, who have previously passed the course, to assist with SI study sessions outside of class on a regular schedule. These sessions allow students to network with their classmates to compare notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools and even predict test items at these group study meetings.
ACC’s Academic Coaching program promotes student success by providing personalized, holistic, evidence-based practices focused on the improvement of learning strategies for students. Academic Coaches help guide students in time management, note-taking, test prep and test-taking, reading comprehension, organization, motivation, mindfulness, and goal setting.
ACC offers free tutoring services at all 11 campuses to currently enrolled students. Appointments are encouraged, but not required. Depending on the campus, tutors are available for one-on-one, in-person, and online tutoring.
Accomplishments
- From fall 2021 to spring 2023, including summer 2022, embedded tutoring has supported 142 unique faculty members across 104 different courses over 490 sections.
- There is a 94% Overall Quality Satisfactory student rate
- 77% of faculty have indicated that they would recommend the program to their colleagues.
- The embedded services program was awarded as a Level 1 certified tutor training program by the internationally recognized College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). CRLA has been a leader in learning assistance, reading, and academic support programs with almost 1,300 members and over 2,000 certified training programs worldwide.
- From the fall 2022 to spring 2023, the SI program experienced 70% growth in the number of instructors assigned to courses, with a 73% growth in the number of faculty supported. This led to a 16% increase in the number of sections supported, resulting in over 1,400 additional SI session check-ins in the spring.
- 3,098 students in SI sessions for the fall 2022 semester.
- 4,444 students in SI sessions for the spring 2023 semester, as of 4/27/2023
- The demand by faculty for Academic Coaches to be embedded in their courses continues to grow at an extremely rapid pace. Academic Coaching supported 48 sections in summer 2022 and is on track to support 152 sections in summer 2023.
- 2,438 Academic Coaching appointments were conducted in AY22, an increase of 12.6% from AY21
- The Learning Labs had 14,338 visits during the fall 2022 semester.
- The Learning Labs launched an online writing center (Upswing) that provides workshops and tutorials for students, faculty, and staff to supplement their tutoring sessions.
- Creation of a staff solely dedicated to online/evening tutoring for students seeking help in math and English.
Impact
- We have currently increased our faculty course requests from summer 2022 by 50%.
- From fall 2021 to fall 2022, there was a 61% increase in the number of tutoring sessions via embedded supports to 520 sessions.
- SI program leaders frequently discuss previous data (spring 2022) that shows students who attend SI sessions typically receive a full letter grade higher than those that do not participate in SI sessions. This report will be prepared in the summer for fall 2022/spring 2023.
- Overall, students who met with an Academic Coach two or more times in a term were 11.1% more likely to persist to the next term.
- Students enrolled in courses with embedded support have a 12% to 14% higher success rate when compared with courses without the embedded support.
- 96.2% of survey respondents from students who had Academic Coaching appointments in spring 2023 reported their session provided strategies to increase academic success, with one respondent commenting, “Academic Coaching has improved my college experience by opening my eyes of how to learn rather than only remembering information.”
- Highlights of the impact of Illume include:
- Students who attended the Learning Lab two or more times in fall 2022 were 6.9% more likely to persist to spring 2023.
- Students taking face-to-face courses had a 12.8% lift in likelihood of persisting.
- FTIC students had a 9.19% lift in likelihood of persisting.
Next Steps
- A newly created embedded tutor role on our Upswing tutoring platform will be tested during the spring 2023 intercession with our three full-time tutoring specialists. We plan to add this role to the other embedded tutors during the summer 2023 semester.
- Increase our faculty requested courses and student retention by 5% in the next year.
- Ongoing evaluation of support of embedded learning support program, focusing on ensuring effectiveness with the current case management model as faculty requests continue to grow.
- Continue strategic focus on student equity by proactive outreach to special student populations, such as FTIC, male Hispanic and black students, and students with a GPA below 2.3.
- Establish a Writing Center on Round Rock Campus for fall 2023. This center will feature group tutoring in English grammar and writing, as well an intentional program design supporting workshops on topics aimed at creating better writers. The writing center’s programming will align with the syllabi of ENG 1301 courses and other courses that require a major writing assignment.
- The Learning Lab managers will pursue CRLA Level 1 certification for their tutors.
- The Highland and Rio Grande Learning Labs will pursue the Learning Lab Center of Excellence through the National College Learning Center Association (NCLCA).