Tutor arrangement in Lyngby creates value for the students
26 November 2015
The tutor arrangement at the Multimedia Design and Communication programme at Cphbusiness Lyngby is in full swing. Not least thanks to three students at the study programme, who have worked to expand the existing concept with an online forum for students and tutors.
- We just thought about what we needed, when we were first semester students, and we listened to the needs of the new students, says 23-year-old Pia Maja Nova Kristensen about the motivation to start the tutoring arrangement.
Along with her two fellow students, 24-year-old Emilie Arved Eriksen and 19-year-old Angelica Maria Bjerre Olesen, she has expanded and developed the familiar concept of teacher assistance and has created a Facebook group, where first semester students at the Multimedia Design and Communication study programme can ask questions and get help from more experienced students.
- Students can ask for help in certain courses, but they can also ask us specific questions. We have all tried it a few semesters ago, says Emilie Arved Eriksen.
An arrangement that benefits everyone
If you ask the three initiators, there is no doubt that the tutors make a real difference.
- If you work with html, and you need to spot a bug, it is smart that the teacher doesn’t have to go around and help everyone. We can do that as tutors, and therefore you avoid that class is delayed, says Emilie Arved Eriksen.
The tutor arrangement is not only good for those who need help in class, but benefits all of the students, because they can benefit from more effective teaching.
- In my experience students get more done in class, compared to us, when we did the same tasks. For example, we should create a menu bar in html, and we only did one line, but the new students did three, says Emilie Arved Eriksen.
Communication at eye level
The new arrangement has been really well received by the students, who give positive feedback, and part of the explanation is communication at eye level, says Emilie Arved Eriksen:
- You are more on the same wavelength, and you are better able to connect with someone your own age. Someone who knows the problems you go through, when you are new at school.
Pia Maja Nova Kristensen recognises this explanation:
- Yesterday, I was helping with java script, and the students were freaking out, because the teacher may have exaggerated how much they are to learn by the third semester. But I helped to calm them down, she says.
Personal and professional value
Though the tutor arrangement has proven its worth and is popular among the students, it was with a bit of hesitation in mind and doubt in their own abilities, the three initiators signed up.
- In the beginning, you doubt, if you have what it takes, but after the first lecture as a tutor, you think: "God, is that it?" We probably forget how much you have learned since we started our first semester, says Angelica Maria Bjerre Olesen.
Both on the personal and professional level, the three initiators have profited by the job as a tutor.
- The first time, it is a little daunting, because the students you help are the same age you, and some of them know more than you do, but you grow with the job, says Angelica Maria Bjerre Olesen.
- It is also great to be around other students, who have the same interests as you, adds Emilie Arved Eriksen.
The future perspective
In the future, the three initiators hope that the tutor arrangement will expand – also outside the classrooms.
- We really want to get to the stage where we can offer a little extra sparring to students. There are many who are looking for basic skills such as coding, Photoshop and Illustrator, says Emilie Arved Eriksen.
If there are any other students who would want to start a tutoring arrangement at their study programme, then they are invited to take action.
- You just have to go for it. You shouldn’t doubt whether you are good enough, concludes Pia Maja Nova Kristensen.
Facts about the tutor arrangement
There are a total of seven tutors at the Multimedia Design and Communication study programme.
The arrangement has been running for two months, since September 2015.