Page 11 - ADU Voice

For example, if you have actually sat and taught Our academic tutors grew. They were able to
someone else, it does two or three things. First, collaborate and come up with new programs
it reinforces your own knowledge, cause the and new ideas. So for us, it has been superb!
best way to learn something is to teach others.
Number two, it improves your communication You mentioned that facing the shift
skills. Three, it allows you to set a network. Now was not very difficult. So what were the
for example, Fatima, if I had come to you as a innovations made to the learning model
student and you have built a relationship with for the Academic Success Centre during
me, then you know that in five or six months this time?
when you needed help with something, you That’s a great question, thank you for asking.
could always come to me and say “Hey, I So basically, what we did was immediately
remember from my conversations you were we merged the two centers, so now it is
working on this. Could you have a look at this one Academic Success Center. The second
for me?” Right? So, it is reciprocal. You build a innovation that we had was that we immediately
network of peers. I believe all of those things switched to tutoring online. In the past students
are really important for students to learn and to used to come physically to the center, obviously
develop these skills. We encourage our students now, we are doing things online. Immediately
to lead and deliver workshops. We have a we set a schedule (by the way everything is
second semester student this year leading a published on ADU Groups. You can do all your
workshop on “Why do I sleep so much?” You bookings, everything, through ADU Groups). So,
know, helping them build their own confidence, that platform (ADU Groups) also really helped
their communication, networking, teaching, us because it helped us now to merge the two
tutoring, all of these things. ASCs and now the student can see it as one.
Group sessions went online, the peer tutors
How well equipped is the ASC in meeting went online. And I think the fact that you have
the students’ learning and study needs? a common platform in Teams really facilitates
I believe we are really well equipped. We have the tutoring. So, we used technology to our
five professional academic tutors, who are advantage, essentially.
there. They run group sessions and one-on-
one sessions. Then we have about 25 course What are the different ways in which
assistants, we have about 70 peer tutors and students are encouraged to utilize the
then we will also have 40-30 peer mentors. benefits of the ASC?
Our problem isn’t that we are equipped. Our That’s a great question. So, the first thing that
problem is that people still don’t know that we we do is when the freshmen orientation is held,
are there and that they can come to us for free. we talk to the students about the ASC so that
we kind of plant it at the beginning. The second
Speaking of the previous academic year, we thing that we do is that for all freshmen classes,
went through the unprecedented change and all College of Arts and Science courses, the
of the shift to a new learning medium. How academic tutors, peer mentors, and peer tutors
challenging was it for the Academic Success visit the classrooms to let the students know
Centre to face this new change? that there is this free service.
Not very difficult I would say. I think in fact we They show them how to book an appointment.
made the switch almost immediately. What was They show them how to come to ADU Groups,
happening was that we were running a center or to contact their academic tutors directly. The
in Abu Dhabi and a center in Al Ain, and the two third thing is that we also talk to the faculty, we
were kind of being run separately. But with the inform them we are around to offer help. Plus,
online sessions everything merged. And I think there are certain courses where we actually have
what ended up happening is that we became started a course assistant program, and the
stronger as a unit. Because now is it of Ms. assistant works very closely with the professor in
Beena running her ASC in Abu Dhabi with two the classroom and the professor then will send
people and me running it in Al Ain with three, we students who need help to the course assistant.
were able to combine, join forces, our programs
became stronger.