Peer-Led Academic Support Networks: A Pathway to Provide Equity in Difficult Courses in Higher Education

SOC 08: Sense & Nonsense in Social Research and Social Issues

EC Tutor • Learning Partnerships • Inclusivity

Reflection on the implementation of Embedded Content Tutor support in my course:

The Embedded Content (EC) Tutor program through PARC fit best with how my SOC 08 is structured. The EC Tutor program supported equity to students in a few ways. One was that it provided an opportunity for students who have natural helping skills with an opportunity to further hone those skills through the trainings offered by PARC as well as their direct work with students in the course. Another way the EC Tutor program supported student equity is that it provided a way for me to give all students an additional way to gain assistance and peer connection as they worked on mastering the course content and submitted work that met course expectations. While I think all of the course objectives were impacted by the EC Tutor's support, specific course objectives that I believe were impacted include:

Practice the application of critical thinking concepts while understanding and considering various societal problems and issues. (PLG 2 & PLG 3)
Identify important steps concerning how to think and analyze information presented in everyday life regarding social problems and issues. (PLG 2 & PLG 3)
Evaluate evidence provided and make appropriate inferences from that evidence. (PLG 2 & PLG4)

Meetings with the tutor provided opportunities to practice and enhance students' understanding and application relative to these three course objectives beyond what is able to be done through class time (for the on-campus course) and the online learning activities (for the asynchronous course).

The readings we engaged in, as faculty in this PLC, relative to Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain as well as McGuire's Teach Students How to Learn books were helpful in reinforcing strategies I use and/or think about incorporating into my classes. Additionally, knowing that the EC Tutors were also provided the McGuire material and interacted with one another using this resource provided an opportunity for me to encourage their engagement with the information and potential strategies as they engaged with students in their drop-in tutoring sessions.

One of the course learning objectives in my SOC 08 course that I focused on to improve student engagement was "Evaluate evidence provided and make appropriate inferences from that evidence".

Adapting the "Helping Trios" protocol (Hammond, 2015, p. 150), the Student Coach (Embedded Content Tutor) and I provided opportunities for students to engage with one another by presenting information from an article(s) that they read on a particular social issue. Students then received feedback from group members on how the information in the article connects to the issue they are developing an argument for to present at the end of the semester. Additionally, the Student Coach and I rotated to each group to ask them to synthesize their group work and then we provided tips on additional elements they might consider and/or asked questions to encourage members of the group to further examine their sources of research and how they were connecting the information from each other to their overall task.

Additionally, we had a Sankofa workshop with the students in one of our class sessions. Both the adapted "Helping Trios" activity and Sankofa fostered student engagement with each other, broadened their understanding of how their experience impacts their approach to learning and working with each other, and helped students to further sculpt their critical thinking skills.

Reflection on My Cultural Awareness

Cultural tree with images to demonstrate levels of cultural impact and characteristics of my personality and approach

My tree demonstrates my roots from childhood that laid a foundation regarding giving and supporting others regardless of their background. Growing up on the Westside of Chicago during the '60s had quite an impact on my family and in turn my development, interests, and values. At each level of the tree, constants include faith, helping & service, as well as knowledge expansion (this was/is both through formal education as well as when connecting with other people individually and various groups).
From the roots of my tree through its trunk's growth and the various leaves that have and are developing, my personal and professional growth is one of being a lifelong learner and how I can support that in others as well as looking for ways to empower and serve others (students and colleague).
I continuously look for opportunities to expand my cultural awareness. This cultural tree activity provided an opportunity to reflect on these elements in a more visual way which was useful. I am also reminded that the images may be most meaningful and relevant to me, while others may assign their own meaning to what I have attempted to depict assuming they understand but may not really know their reality for me. My hope is that it would provide inspiration for conversation and to gain an understanding of how these images represent how I see my cultural awareness and representation.

**Lessons Learned**
Personal Warmth and Authentic Concern "Students interpret the warm demander's mix of care and push as a sign that the teacher "has [their] back" (Hammond, 2015, p. 98). This learning partnership that Hammond (2015) highlighted in Chapter 6 seemed to emulate how I approach teaching and interacting with students. Reflecting on ways that I build rapport and can possibly expand my strategies in this regard so that more students might feel connected to my presence was useful during this PLC. In the critical thinking courses I teach, I talk about the utility of the "struggle" one might have as they expand and/or grapple with their critical thinking skills and how to expand them. I agree that building connections with students while sharing one's teaching philosophy and approach can build student confidence in the learning process.	Teaching Bloom's Taxonomy Enabling students to understand thinking skills (Maguire, 2015, p. 30). Studying versus Learning Where is the "equity" in Bloom's Taxonomy? This is a question that came to my mind as we revisited Bloom's taxonomy and how we might integrate it into our course(s) or teaching. The recommendation to possibly engage students in understanding Bloom's taxonomy as Maguire (2015) proposed in Chapter 4 of *Teach Students How to Learn*, prompted me to reflect once again on Bloom's not being the only learning outcome model and in what ways it may present a type of linear frame of thinking as we consider ways to engage students to think about their thinking and how they learn. How do we decide what is indeed "higher" or "lower" level thinking? Is it as simple as a pyramid or staircase image (or even some of the circle or wheel images that exist but seem to still lack a holistic approach)? I continue to reflect on these thoughts and am contemplating possibly presenting it to students to engage in a critical assessment and dialogue about how this taxonomy fits with their understanding of how they learn.

Moving Forward

A primary benefit of peer-to-peer education that has been apparent in my courses is the availability of a student who understands my expectations to be able to come alongside fellow students as a supportive guide. Offering this support has provided opportunities for students to engage with one another in productive ways and get questions answered about the course outside of our class time in a less intimidating environment.
My hope is to continue to engage an Embedded Content Tutor in courses I am teaching, especially my critical thinking courses as I think it helps students across majors and those who may be new to the college environment as they become familiar with the course material. I deeply appreciate the resources available through PARC.

**Faculty Bio**
	Dr. Debra Welkley: For the past 24 years I have taught in the Sociology Department here at Sacramento State, yet have been teaching for over 30 years in higher education. During my time at Sac State, I have consistently taught sections of our critical thinking course, SOC 08: Sense and Nonsense in Social Research and Social Issues. Additionally, I teach Social Problems, Race & Ethnic Relations, Sociology of Religion, and our peer mentoring courses, Mentoring in Sociology. My primary research interests focus on race and ethnic relations, mentoring, and online learning.

Funding Information
	The Peer and Academic Resource Center (PARC) in partnership with The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) The Division of Inclusive Excellence (IE) This work was supported by: CSU Office of the Chancellor Academic Affairs grant for Faculty Professional Development