FSE PULSE Tutoring Centers
Overview and Introduction: The WHAT and WHO
The Fulton Schools PULSE Tutoring Centers provide free, peer-led academic support for engineering students through in-person and virtual tutoring, review sessions, and workshops. Tutors are high-achieving Fulton students who excel in their coursework and provide academic support outside the classroom in the form of 1:1 and small group sessions. They provide guidance and support to better understand course material and homework assignments in various engineering disciplines.
Services and learning opportunities at the FSE PULSE tutoring centers include:
- Drop-in 1:1 tutoring. All Fulton students are welcome to come in-person at the Tempe campus for drop-in tutoring.
- Review Sessions and Workshops. Run weekly, review sessions cover popular concepts and high-demand courses will be tackled in these one hour sessions each week.
- Virtual Tutoring. Similar to drop-in 1:1 tutoring, students join tutors in a Zoom room for 1:1 support on a first-come, first-served basis in the same queue as our in-person, on campus students.
- Study Groups. Faculty can partner with PULSE ([email protected]) to provide formal focused review workshops for their class or informal semi-structured small group study sessions to improve understanding of current concepts.
- YouTube. FSE PULSE also has a curated library of tutorial videos on their YouTube channel, where students can access content ranging from popular concepts overviews to tutors walking students through common questions.
- Social Media: Faculty and students can follow @fse_pulse on Instagram for announcements, upcoming events, and program updates.
Implementation and Timing: The WHEN, WHERE, and HOW
The best time to tell your students to engage with the tutoring centers is early and often. Encourage students to visit and become familiar with the center prior to needing help. Then they can feel confident to come as needed for support.
The hours for each tutoring center are location and semester specific, but tutoring services are generally offered during the following times for synchronous help.
Fall and Spring
Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Summer
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For current and specific hours of operations for each tutoring center, direct students to visit the Tutoring Schedule.
There are a number of ways that faculty can engage with the FSE PULSE and market tutoring services to their students.
Student Recommendation Form Recommend strong, reliable students to serve in tutor roles to help support their peers while gaining valuable leadership experience.
Support Request (program email [email protected]): Request support for your classes. The PULSE program is here to partner with you and provide tailored academic assistance to help students succeed. PULSE Tutors are available to host review sessions, study groups, workshops, and more.
Information Session on Program Services (program email [email protected]): Interested in helping your students connect with academic support? Faculty may request a tutor to visit their classroom for a brief, engaging presentation highlighting the tutoring services available, how students can access them, and the benefits of participating in the program. Faculty may also request a tutorial on how to use PULSE services.
Tutor Training (program email [email protected]): Faculty are invited to participate in tutor training sessions by sharing their expertise and insights. A faculty perspective helps tutors better understand course content, expectations, and learn effective ways to support their fellow engineering students. Faculty are also encouraged to share course materials (e.g., presentations, textbooks, Canvas resources, or system access) to help tutors better support students.
Rationale and Research: The WHY
Peer-supported learning strengthens student confidence, belonging, and persistence and has been described as “the single most potent source of influence on growth and development during the undergraduate years” [1]. Additionally, considerable research exists on the effectiveness of the many different types and formats of peer tutoring [2] and for engineering students specifically [3]-[5].
Additional Resources and References
- PULSE Support Email: [email protected]
- PULSE Home: https://students.engineering.asu.edu/pulse/
- PULSE Tutoring: https://students.engineering.asu.edu/pulse/tutoring/
- PULSE Tutoring Center Resources: https://students.engineering.asu.edu/pulse/tutoring/resources/
- Tutoring Schedule Portal: https://fultonapps.asu.edu/tms/?schedule
- Faculty Tutor Recommendation Form: https://forms.gle/VfzWpAk5mWgChWKE9
- Other ASU Tutoring Resources: https://tutoring.asu.edu/
References
[1] Astin, A. (1993). What Matters in College: Four Critical Years Revisited. Liberal Education, 79(4), 4.
[2] Topping, K. J. (1996). The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Further and Higher Education: A typology and review of the literature. Higher Education, 32(3), 321–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138870
[3] Garcia, R., Morales, J. C., & Rivera, G. (2014). The Use of Peer Tutoring to Improve the Passing Rates in Mathematics Placement Exams of Engineering Students: A Success Story. American Journal of Engineering Education, 5(2), 61-72.
[4] Kieran, P., & O’Neill, G. (2009). Peer-assisted tutoring in a chemical engineering curriculum: Tutee and tutor experiences. Australasian Journal of Peer Learning, 2(1), 4.
[5] Paljug, B., & Lampe, L. (2017). Assessing usage, satisfaction, effectiveness, and learning outcomes for an engineering peer tutoring program Paper presented at 2017 FYEE Conference, Daytona Beach, Florida. https://strategy.asee.org/29401