FAQ for staff
Learning Centre: FAQ for staff
What is the role of the Learning Centre?
Our role is to provide one-on-one and group study support sessions for generic study skills and course-specific needs; to provide students with individually appropriate learning support to enable them to learn and study effectively; also, to assist academic staff with assessing student learning needs and with providing subsequent support.
If I am concerned about the academic potential or progress of a student, and think the Learning Centre staff may be able to help, what should I do?
Phone us or email us and we will tell you if we can help or not. If not, we’ll refer you on to the appropriate person or service.
Can I (a staff-member) just drop in and see you?
We have a Learning Advisor on duty most lunch-times between 12.00 and 1.00 to field brief, drop-in enquiries from staff and students. At other times, we will help if we are available.
Would you “pop in” to my class to explain what you do?
For basic introductions to the Learning Centre service, the whole Student Services team is usually invited to each new group at the beginning of each semester. If you would like us to reinforce the LC service we can come back briefly to explain further.
Would you teach some classes for me?
Yes, we are happy to teach some specific sessions on study skills. This is generally best arranged well in advance (2-3 weeks). We would also expect to have some planning time with you prior to the class, and for you to attend the class in a team-teaching role.
What kinds of classes can you teach?
We teach specific study skills such as time management, memory and thinking skills, learning styles, and exam and test preparation. We also can teach a range of academic skills, such as effective reading and note-taking, academic writing for essays and reports, referencing, editing and proofreading.
Do you teach small groups?
Yes, we do, but again this requires planning, and input from you. If you have identified a small group—about half a dozen students who have a particular need, or who have failed a specific aspect of the course that we can help with—then we can run a few sessions for them. For example, it could be on how to approach a particular essay or report, or it may focus on some aspect of numeracy that has been identified as needing improvement.
Is there support for maths and science?
Yes, but to a limited degree, as this is generally more related to specific content, which as Learning Centre staff we are not expected to cover. We can provide supplementary instruction for small groups on request, as we usually have an advisor who is a maths or science teacher, but for specific areas of content we may arrange a Peer Tutor to work with that student.
How does the Peer Tutor system work?
A peer tutor is generally a senior or recently graduated student who the Polytechnic pays from a small fund. Tutors will work with a student requiring extra help one-on-one for an hour or two per week over a specified period, usually with specific course content. Each year a dozen or more tutors total up two or three hundred hours. Students may request a tutor from us, and be matched with one, if one is available. As a lecturer you can ask for this to be arranged. It helps if you can recommend someone. Once this is done, the designated staff member at the Learning Centre will provide Human Resources with the tutor’s name, address, telephone and email contact details, and they will send out an offer of contract. The tutor and the tutee organize time and place, and keep a record of their hours on a time sheet that gets returned to the Learning Centre each fortnight. We provide peer tutor training and support for the tutors.
How can we contact you?
- We are on the ground floor of F Block, Forth Street, in rooms F 121, F 123 and F 124.
- Ask at Customer Services or email or phone us.
- Please note we are not the Community Learning Centre (CLC) on Union Street.