Learning Resource Center Program Review Presentation April 18, 2012 Araceli: The newly expanded LRC opened in March 2006.  It currently houses eight individual student support programs.  This program review will focus on  three of those programs:  Beacon, general tutoring and the computer lab.   

Program Descriptions Araceli: Technological resources and support programs that enhance the teaching - learning process. The Learning Resource Center supports the ARC community of learners by providing access to instructional resources and to its tutoring programs.

Computer Lab The Computer Lab provides students with access to equipment that supports the needs of instruction. Each semester approximately 5000 students use the lab. Araceli: the computer lab has 82 PCs and 4 MACs. It’s open to all ARC students who need instructional software for their courses.

LRC Lab Survey, Fall 2011 Araceli:

LRC Lab Survey, Fall 2011 Araceli: More than 50% of the respondents indicated that the assistance they received in the lab helped them be successful in their classes.

The Beacon Program Provides peer group tutoring emphasizing collaborative learning Araceli: Beacon is ARC’s award winning program. It’s small-group tutoring facilitated by a student who has successfully completed the course with an “A” or “B.” By the end of the semester, 90 groups were still active. 903 117 66 61

Yes No N/A 1. Has tutoring prevented you from dropping a class? 54% 22% 23% 2. Has tutoring helped your understanding of course content? 99% 1% 0% 3. Has tutoring helped you improve your class grade? 96% 2% 4. Has tutoring helped prepare you to advance to a higher-level class? 78% 9% 13% 5. Has tutoring helped increase your self-confidence? 82% 10% 7% 6. Has tutoring helped reduce your test anxiety? 76% 16% 8% 7. Has your participation in tutoring helped you develop better study skills? 83% 11% 6% 8. Has your experience with the counter staff been positive? 80% 5% 14% 9. Overall, were you satisfied with the tutoring services? Araceli: Highlights of the survey: over 99% of the respondents indicated that Beacon helped them understand the course content and were overall satisfied with the tutoring services.

Tutoring Program Provides individual, drop-in and online tutoring for students who need academic assistance outside the classroom Approximately 1400 students seek tutoring during a semester.

1. Has tutoring prevented you from dropping a class? 66.44% 18.12% 14.77% 2. Has tutoring helped your understanding of course content? 97.99% 0.67% 3. Has tutoring helped you improve your class grade? 89.93% 5.37% 4.03% 4. Has tutoring helped prepare you to advance to a higher-level class? 79.19% 12.08% 8.05% 5. Has tutoring helped increase your self-confidence? 6.04% 3.36% 6. Has tutoring helped reduce your test anxiety? 71.81% 9.40% 7. Has your participation in tutoring helped you develop better study skills? 81.21% 10.74% 7.38% 8. Has your experience with the counter staff been positive? 0.00% 1.34% 9. Overall, were you satisfied with the tutoring services?

Strengths Tutoring programs: individual, drop-in and group tutoring (Beacon). The overall student success rate is 75%. Highly trained peer tutors and professional staff.

Perkins On an average semester, 350 students in the Beacon program are identified as VTEA students, 650 students who received tutoring were identified as VTEA students, and 2500 students who checked into the main computer lab were identified as VTEA students. 

CHALLENGES New and more efficient equipment is necessary to keep up with the latest technology. Tutoring needs to help students with test anxiety and study skills.

Planning Implications Continue to seek funding to replace computer equipment. Information about test anxiety and study skills will be highly stressed in the tutor-training courses and made readily available on the website. Future program reviews for the Learning Resource Center should include all the programs housed in the LRC using a common assessment survey. Araceli: request for new equipment has been on the EMP for the past three years.

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