Peer learning
At the LRCs, students help each other
Archived article from Sep 28, 2001
By Mark Maben
She walked through the door on a whim. Before she knew it, she was a regular customer. A little while later, she was working there.
That is how senior Jessica Liao became involved with the Learning Resource Centers (LRC) at Rutgers. A transfer student from New York University, she was having a great first semester at Rutgers, but eventually found herself having some trouble with her engineering course in statics. So she walked into the LRC, and a student was there to help her out. "I knew it wasn't going to be a lecture but a peer learning experience, and sometimes that's better," Liao said.
Today, when Liao works at the Kreeger Learning Resource Center on the College Avenue campus, she draws on her days taking statics. "I try to tell people how I felt when I took the course," she noted. "I think that's part of the program's success; it's staffed by students who have been through the class before and know what you're going through."
That peer-to-peer experience is exactly what LRC director Karen Smith was aiming for when she helped start the program. Announced by President Francis L. Lawrence in 1991 as an new initiative to enhance undergraduate education, the LRCs began serving students in the fall of 1992 and are now entering their 10th year of service in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden. It is the student workers, however, who really make the program a success.
"The students who work at the LRCs are the strength of the program," said Smith. Beside tutoring, students lead supplemental instruction sessions that help their peers master difficult courses. In addition, through the learning assistance program, the centers provide guidance on writing and help in mastering skills such as time management, textbook reading, test preparation and note taking. Individualized consultation with a learning specialist is also available.
Whether they are supplemental instructors, tutors or learning assistants, students who work at the LRCs all go through extensive training before helping others. Many go on for advanced training or assist with special projects and research.
Pharmacy student Alexandre Chan and his close circle of fellow tutors, Edisa Gozan, Silvia Gonzalez and Bernard Lee, exemplify that spirit of dedication. All four are active in the LRCs beyond tutoring. "We do research projects, help recruit tutors, run in-service sessions and make fliers to get the word out. The LRCs are very different from what many students think. It's not just individual tutoring, but group learning, intellectual discussion and idea sharing," Chan said.
Liao hopes students see the LRCs as a place to go not just for help, but for the atmosphere and camaraderie as well. "The drop-in hours are convenient," she said. "It's a good place to study, too. You can do your work and ask questions as needed. Sometimes I do my homework in the LRC. The environment has helped me meet friendly people and create bonds."
Smith feels the LRCs have come a long way. The centers are now an integral part of campus life with strong partnerships with departments and professors. They serve not only first-year students, but clients from all undergraduate years, including many high-achieving students who wish to reach further in their understanding of course material. Most important, the LRCs have moved well beyond tutoring to provide a full range of services for students.
Chan and his friends see a bright future for the LRCs. "All of us plan to be here until we graduate. It's something we want to continue to see thrive. We care about the Rutgers community, and the LRC is a place where we can all help each other."
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