Here are some suggestions for those situations: 1. Check in individually with the student who looks confused. Ask open-ended questions to understand what they're struggling with and offer additional one-on-one help. Encourage participation by inviting their perspective. 2. Greet the student at the edge of the group and make eye contact. Invite them to join and introduce them to others. Find an opportunity for them to contribute based on their interests/experience. Help them feel welcomed and able to engage at their own pace. The key is being attentive, creating an inclusive environment, and finding ways to connect topics to each student's learning needs and style. With patience and creativity, challenges can often be overcome.

1. University of Central Florida
Student Academic Resource Center
Peer Tutor Training
Developed and Presented by Natasha Ford

2. UCF STUDENT PROFILE - FALL 2011

Enrollment by
Gender
Undergraduate
Male 22,830
Female 27,172
Graduate
Age Distribution
Male 3,585
Freshman 19
Female 4,932
Florida Residency Status Sophomore 20
Medical
55,822 95.1% In-State Junior 22
Male 83
2,876 4.9% Out-of-State Senior 25
Female 96
58,698 Total Percent over age
University Total 24%
25:
Male 26,498 Overall Average
24
Female 32,200 Age

3. Adult Learning Theory

 Materials herein adapted from:
Knowles, M. (1996). Adult Learning. In Robert L.
Craig (Ed.), The ASTD Training and Development
Handbook (pp. 253-264). NY: McGraw-Hill.
 Adult Learners video for Walden University
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aee4ONWZFj
0&feature=related

4. Qualities of Adult Learners

 Adults have a need to know why they should learn something.
 Adults spend a considerable amount of time and energy exploring what the benefits are of them
learning something and the costs of them not learning something before they are willing to invest
time in learning it.
 Adults have a deep need to be self-directing.
 The psychological definition of "adult" is one who has achieved a self-concept of being in charge of
his or her own life, of being responsible for making his or her own decisions and living with the
consequences. Adults develop a deep need to be seen by others as being capable of taking
responsibility for themselves.
 Adults have a greater volume and different quality of experience than youth.
 Adults bring into the learning situation a background of experience that is a rich resource. Adults
have a broader base of experience on which to attach new ideas and skills and give them richer
meaning. The more explicit these relationships (between the old and the new) are made - through
discussion and reflection - the deeper and more permanent the learning will be.

5. Qualities of Adult Learners
Continued

 Adults become ready to learn when they experience in their life situations a need
to know or be able to do in order to perform more effectively and satisfyingly.
 Adults again must see a need for the information before learning will take place.
 Adults enter into a learning experience with a task-centered (or problem-centered
or life-centered) orientation to learning.
 Youth (conditioned by schools) have a subject-centered orientation to learning where they focus on
learning content to pass a test. Adults by virtue of life and work experiences develop a task-centered
or problem-centered orientation to learning. If tutoring is developed around problem solving, then
adults will learn content with the intention of using it.
 Adults are motivated to learn by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.
 Learning activities should clearly demonstrate to the learner where he or she would benefit in their
jobs. Quality tutoring is built around the concept of nourishing those intrinsic motivators. Learning
feeds on itself and suggests to the learner to become even more proficient in the job.

6. What challenges might you
face?

 Questions about age and training
 Challenges to your credibility
 Frustration that things are different
(“that I am different”)
 Difficulty engaging in group
 Frustrated with other students

7. What can you do as a tutor?

 Think outside the box
 Open ended questions
 Ex. How can we approach this problem
with the information we have?
 Relate information to real-life experience or
invite student to provide real-life examples
 Help them think about the way they learn,
what was helpful in past school experiences
 Invite them to help/lead in some way

8. Questions and
Discussion

 What would you do in these possible
situations?
 Student looks confused in group
session but does not ask questions or
contribute to discussion
 Student approaches crowded group
session but does not come in the room