Course Syllabus

Training English Tutors and Managing a Writing Lab for Supervisors

COURSE INFORMATION

• BMPD 1301: Training English Tutors and Managing a Writing Lab for Supervisors
• There will no face-to-face meetings for this course. This course is a self-pace course module based course with no time limitations or duration limits.
• Professional development course for Writing Lab Managers and Supervisors

COURSE AUTHOR

Alexa Cevallos

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES

This course is intended for individuals who are in leadership and want to find effective ways to manage and train their English tutor staff within a writing center and therefore will be given solely online. Therefore, this course should be used as a resource, and the users are expected to already be in management or supervisory roles. The enrollment should be managed by the institution’s Human Resources department or the department that is responsible for professional development.

MATERIALS

This course will be given solely online, and all reading materials and textual resources will be provided. 

JOB AIDE: Job Aid_5510_Course_Project.docx

                Software:

• Active Internet Connection
• Windows Media Player or QuickTime
• Microsoft Office
• Web Brower
• Place to store Digital Files (USB, Dropbox, etc.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on providing managers and supervisors with material and insight on how to effectively train their tutoring staff for effective management. This course will provide insight on how to standardize processes for maximization and also focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of the training practices within a writing center and its effect on the overall management techniques of the writing center.

This course is modular and entirely self-paced. All materials will be presented online. Each module contains content that addresses the goals and objectives of the course. At the end of each module, users will be given the opportunity to review and apply principles through online assessments.

The assessments will allow users to become aware of their level of mastery and application within a module. Each assessment does not need to be completed in order to proceed to the next module because this course is intended to be a resource for professionals that are currently in management or supervisory roles within a writing center. Statistics will be gathered accordingly to accommodate any needed changes within the course’s design.

Each module will consists of readings, videos, and appropriate assessments. During the first week of the course, users will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to help evaluate the effectiveness of this course.  In the end, users will be asked to complete an exit questionnaire in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this course.

 

COURSE PURPOSE

Often times, supervisors of writing center labs are SMEs, but have limited or no knowledge on how to apply practical business management principles. In other words, they often times do not have a clear understanding of how a writing center is just like directing any other customer service based business. This course will help clarify how to apply basic business concepts within the writing center, and help managers have a balance between content mastery and effective business principles regarding their tutoring staff.

The intent of this course is to provide supervisors and managers with exposure to basic management concepts needed to start their new position in an effort to increase effectiveness in management. Upon completion of this course, supervisors will have an exposure to an effective management concepts.

This course will combine elements from different learning theories: Problem based learning and Constructivism.  The course aims to build on the individual’s current work position and present ways to solve real problems faced in their current role, even though this course does not provide collaborative projects typically used in traditional problem based learning environments. Therefore, the information presented in this course should enable supervisors to choose the concepts they find most beneficial to their particular work environment because not all writing center function the exact same way. The information provided are simple tools that should facilitate the supervisor’s success.               

              

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course, managers should have a better understanding of the following:

                G.1. Evaluate and Gather appropriate Statistics

                        O.1.1. Define Goals of a writing center as defined by governing institution

                        O.1.2. Identify performance Gaps and pit falls of writing center as regarded by                                       institution

                       O.1.3. Create supportive focus, goals, and objectives to the overall governing institution

 

               G.2. Apply the provided Instructional Design

                        O.2.1. Customize Instructional Design to fit to personal writing center

                        O.2.2. Identify the components of the ADDIE model

                        O.2.3. Apply the ADDIE model

 

                G.3. Apply Project Management Principles

                        O.3.1. Identify LEAN components

                        O.3.2. Evaluate Results of LEAN implementation

                        O.3.3. Apply Project Management practices

 

                G.4. Determine and Hire Appropriate Staff

                        O.4.1. Create Effective Interview Process

                        O.4.2. Evaluate Interview Process

                        O.4.3. Create Roles within staff & hierarchy

 

                G.5. Create Effective Management Processes

                        O.5.1. Establish Collaboration, sustainability, and Infrastructure

                        O.5.2. Design Shifts

                        O.5.3. Integrate Concepts

                        O.5.4. Deliver Interdisciplinary Communications

                        O.5.5. Provide effective Customer Service

 

 

INTENDED SEQUENCE

This course has no predetermined time line and has an unlimited duration time as it is a self-pace course. However, if this course is taken over a 16 week times period, 3 hours weekly should be dedicated. There are five major modules that will address each goal and objective. This course should take approximately 45 hours to complete. Because the intended audience are mangers, this course is designed to be flexible and accommodate fluctuating schedules. 

                               

 

Week 1	Module 1: Writing Center Basics, Entrance Survey
Week 2-5	Module 2: Training Content
Week 6-9	Module 3: PM Principles
Week 10-13	Module 4: Staffing
Week 14-15	Module 5: Logistics and Management
Week 16	Review