Tales of successful support interventions

Rocio Rivero-Gutierrez, University of Plymouth 

Email: rocio.rivero-gutierrez@plymouth.ac.uk  

Poster

Click to download the poster Tales of successful support interventions (.pptx)

Abstract

As a specialist support professional at the FE (Further Education) college where I worked, students and I have enjoyed a successful work approach, or study support tool, that facilitated student-teacher communication, the organisation of study targets, and a marking and feedback system, among other support activities. I designed 1:1 and remote support sessions using the digital and accessibility tools available at the college on the intranet and guided pupils in using them. I created a digital interactive report that I shared privately with the students and their tutors, which provided visual information about the sessions themselves, their needs brief, the objectives, the methods and resources used and the progress of the sessions and the students in the course of their study support sessions. E.g. showing images of pieces of students' work with feedback on them, screenshots of online sessions or pictures of materials used in sessions. This dynamic was shared weekly or fortnightly and enhanced mutual engagement through a revision and feedback system, following up on students' study needs and their different assignment requirements and ensuring their hard work met course criteria for Access to HE (Higher Education).

As a specialist support practitioner, I delivered 1:1 and remote support sessions to Access to HE learners, using the digital and accessibility tools available at the college on the intranet and guided students in using them. I designed a digital report and shared it privately with the students and their tutors weekly or fortnightly. It provided visual information about the sessions themselves, their needs brief, the objectives, the methods and resources used and the progress of the sessions and the students in the course of their study support sessions. E.g. showing images of pieces of students' work with feedback on them, screenshots of online sessions or pictures of materials used in sessions. This dynamic facilitated an interactive revision and feedback system, following up on students' study needs and their different assignment requirements, and enhanced communication between all individuals involved. It ensured students were guided, supported and heard kindly and professionally.

References

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Morra, C. N., Fultz, R. and Raut, S. A. (2022) ‘A Lesson from the Pandemic: Utilizing Digital Tools To Support Student Engagement during Instructional Assistant-Led Sessions’, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education ASM Journals, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00143-22.

Nkomo, L.M., Daniel, B.K. and Butson, R.J. (2021) ‘Synthesis of student engagement with digital technologies: a systematic review of the literature’, Int J Educ Technol High Educ, vol. 18, no. 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00270-1.

Rashid, S., Fayez, O., Ismail, H. and Khan, R. F. (2021), ‘Digital Social Support for Undergraduate Students during Covid-19: Pivotal Support for the Digital Transformation’, Journal of Public Health Research, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 695-701. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphr.2021.2148

Valverde-Berrocoso, J., Fernandez- Sanchez, M. R., Revuelta-Dominguez, F. I., Sosa-Diaz, M.J. (2021) ‘The educational integration of digital technologies preCovid-19: Lessons for teacher education’, PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 8. DOI: https://doi.Org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256283.

Rocio Rivero-Gutierrez 

Specialist Teacher in Study Support/ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), University of Plymouth

I am a former FE (Further Education) Specialist Teacher in Study Support and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at The Cornwall College Group, UK, where I have worked for eight academic years.

I started the EdD Professional Doctor of Education Programme at the University of Plymouth, UK, in January 2020. Little did I know the challenges of being a student until the Pandemic hit not long after. Being both a student and a teacher during these years made me fully aware of how crucial it was to rethink possibilities for remote learning to make the learning experience successful.

I have recently started as an English Teacher as a second language in a language academy. I continue my EdD studies, actively researching and developing my thesis.