The Tutorial

The term 'tutorial' can be used to describe a number of different forms of teaching. Generally the term tutorial refers to instruction/learning occurring for a small group or individual. In this post I would like to use the term tutorial to refer to teaching and learning that occurs at a teacher - student ratio between 1:1 and 1:3.

Tutorial teaching has been the main form of instruction at two of the world's great universities for centuries. Both Oxford and Cambridge (where the tutorial is known as 'the supervision') in the UK have embraced tutorial teaching methods since the middle ages. Following a week of intense study undergraduate students meet with their teachers to discuss the weeks work. Preparation for the tutorial usually consists of an essay or problem sheet depending on the discipline being studied. The tutorial lasts roughly an hour during which time the student presents his/her work while the teacher engages the student/s in rich discussion about the content. Teacher and student go back and forth as ideas are challenged and counter challenged. The tutorial typically finishes with the following week's problem/essay being assigned.

This form of learning has been described as Oxford and Cambridge's 'jewel' because of the immense satisfaction both teachers and students derive from the experience. It is sustained by substantial endowments that cover the obvious expense incurred by such an approach. However, there is scope to see the pedagogical principles that underpin learning within these institutions reproduced in other areas of education.

The value added components of the tutorial correlate with current research about effective classroom practice for primary and secondary education. The two main benefits that might be of interest to what North American educators call K-12 education are:

1. The opportunity for specific feedback.

2. The opportunity for interaction on a personal level.

Is a vision for such learning possible in our schools? If you are a teacher at a primary (elementary) or secondary (high) school then I can hear you uttering a sound that is somewhere between a cry and a laugh! "You have to be joking!" But I would argue that the possibilities for such learning are there! The challenge for us as classroom practitioners is to develop opportunities to work with small groups of less than three students. The following is a list of ideas for facilitating tutorial teaching in our classrooms:

1. Set Up EFFECTIVE Rotations and Tumbles: Literacy and numeracy rotations have long been a feature of learning in New Zealand classrooms. These need to be rich in independent experiences that engage learners thus freeing the teacher to devote time to providing tutorials. Independent activities should feed into the tutorial time. If a writing or literacy rotation includes narrative writing then tutorials should be used as a means for looking at the narratives that the students have constructed.

2. Teachers must be patient in their establishment of a tutorial culture: I have sat with students at the beginning of the school year to conference about their written work and been astonished at their lack of enthusiasm and engagement. It often takes a number of weeks for students to become used to the idea of sitting with their teacher to discuss work. Often students have only ever been told what's wrong with their work which naturally doesn't facilitate enthusiasm about discussion of any kind with the teacher. Patience is the key. Students will slowly develop confidence in this type of setting and respond positively to expectations to contribute.

3. Students must contribute: Learning conversations are at the heart of the effective tutorial. Students must be lead by the teacher to talk about their work. Questions need to be asked that require the student to critically reflect on what they are doing. Teachers should move away from just praise and correction to discussions that include the student commenting on the quality of work and the ways it could be made better.

These thoughts are just a brief outline of some possibilities for learning in our schools. They are supported by an age old approach to teaching and learning that has a proven track record. In the future I would like to discuss in more detail some specific ways this pedagogical approach enhances learning. Till then...