Meet the Tutors: Student Expectations, Tutor Perspectives, and Some Recommendations for Sharing Information about Tutors Online

Authors

Jessica Robbins, University of Alabama, BirminghamFollow
Jaclyn M. Wells, University of Alabama, BirminghamFollow

Abstract

This article presents findings from an IRB-approved study about tutors’ online information on writing center websites, scheduling systems, and social media. The study used surveys to investigate students’ responses to tutors’ online information and focus groups to investigate tutors’ rationale for the information they shared. While many researchers have studied how writing centers are presented online, little research considers how tutors are represented. The authors argue that such representation merits attention, as tutor profiles can affect students’ comfort with the writing center staff and their microdecisions about who to see and how to interact with them (Salem, 2016). The authors share advice for making decisions about how tutors are presented online and for using the process of creating meet the staff and similar pages to study and improve their centers.

Recommended Citation

Robbins, Jessica and Wells, Jaclyn M. (2022) "Meet the Tutors: Student Expectations, Tutor Perspectives, and Some Recommendations for Sharing Information about Tutors Online," Writing Center Journal: Vol. 40 : Iss. 3, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2832-9414.1005