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Roane State Community College

Learning Center
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Move Forward. Don't delay your future! Apply now! Register for online or traditional classes.Move Forward. Don't delay your future! Apply now!. Register for online or traditional classes.
Tennessee Reconnect and Promise. Graduating high school seniors can attend tuition-free. Free tuition for adults.Tennessee Reconnect and Promise. Graduating high school seniors can attend tuition-free. Free tuition for adults.
Online degrees available. Choose from seven completely online programs.Online degrees available. Choose from seven completely online programs.

Faculty FAQ

Here are our responses to your frequently asked questions:

What can the Learning Center do to help students?

What occurs during a tutoring session?

Tutoring sessions vary based on the subject matter and the needs of each individual student (or study group). However, one trait that ALL of our tutoring sessions exhibit is student responsibility. We're here to help students learn to complete their work on their own. Like you, we're also more concerned with a student's overall growth than we are with the grade that they might earn on a particular assignment or test.

As a result, tutors will not "proofread" a student's paper. Instead, they provide feedback on the student's essay and use a few sample sentences in their draft to demonstrate methods for improving their writing skills. Similarly, tutors will not go through each math problem with your students or "show them how" to complete their homework assignments; instead, they work with them on a few sample problems and hover nearby in case they get stuck.

What can I expect if my students seek help through the Learning Center Online?

The Learning Center Online is available to all enrolled Roane State students as a course on their Momentum home page. Students can upload a paper and usually receive electronic feedback within 48 hours.

The first thing you can expect when your students use the Learning Center Online is that they'll be an active participant in the learning process. Math and science students must initiate clear discussions, while writing students must upload assignment details and indicate specific concerns.  Next, you can also expect that there will always be a record of your students' interactions with us through the Learning Center Online. For example, writing students receive an electronic copy of a marked-up draft and a page of written feedback that they can easily print out and turn in to you. Finally, you can expect the same level of quality and commitment to student success that can be found in our physical Learning Centers. The same trained tutors who greet your students at the doors of our physical Learning Centers also respond to them online; they're familiar with the Roane State population, along with your particular preferences and requirements so they'll certainly be able to help your students!

How can I be sure that my students will receive reliable, accurate, high-quality assistance in the Learning Center?

The Learning Centers on each campus rely on the help of student tutors, who must have obtained at least a 3.5 GPA in their subject area and must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. There are no exceptions to this criteria. To assure that these high-achieving students will make good tutors, all faculty recommendations are considered and interview each candidate before inviting them to become tutors.

At the Learning Center, we also try to provide a diverse learning environment. In addition to student tutors, you'll find tutors who hold both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in their subject area, on our staff. Offering tutors whose skill levels vary encourages collaborative learning and gives students a chance to work with other "experts" besides their instructors.

Once a tutor has been hired he or she is required to attend 3 training sessions per semester. Tutor training sessions discuss everything from adapting your tutoring approach to different learning styles, to knowing when a student really needs to speak with his or her instructor, to "best practices" for online tutoring.

What kinds of workshops do you conduct (and how can I schedule one for my class)?

There are 3 common situations in which a faculty member might want to request a workshop:

  1. Your students are struggling with a particular concept and you'd like us to approach the information in a different way.
  2. You've designed an assignment, but your students don't seem to possess the necessary skills to complete certain parts of it.
  3. Your students are doing poorly on tests and exams because they lack appropriate study skills.

Class workshops can take place in your classroom, in a computer lab, or in the Learning Center, depending on your preferences. We'll want to meet with you ahead of time to discuss your particular needs and determine how long the workshop should last. Most workshops last about 30 minutes, but we can plan to work with your students for up to 80 minutes if you'd like. We will need you to attend the workshop so that you can answer questions (both from us and from your students) about your expectations for the assignment or project that they're working on.

If my students need to make up a test due to an absence, can they take the test in the Learning Center?

We do not allow students to take tests and quizzes in the Learning Center because we're not prepared to supervise these graded examinations. Instead, we encourage you to visit and/or contact the Testing Center.

Do the Learning Center tutors also assist RSCC staff and/or members of the community?

Though the Learning Center staff always places Roane State students first, we are willing to assist other community members with their academic pursuits as well. Any non-student who would like to receive assistance is encouraged to contact the Specialist in charge of the campus where he or she would like to receive help, to determine the best days and times to visit.

Please Note: any request for writing assistance will be treated as an educational experience. In other words, we will not proofread your work, but will be glad to help you recognize and improve upon any weaknesses in your drafts.

How can I contribute to the success of the Learning Center?

Contact: 

Larry Sather • (865) 354-3000 ext. 4490 • Click name for email address

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