Research Project Rough Draft

This is what I have so far, it's not finished but here it is. I changed topics as you can tell compared to my research plan in the previous post.

Differences in Body Language of “Prepared” Students vs. “Uncertain” Students in Tutoring Sessions

Understanding body language is crucial to understanding communication between tutors and students in the Writing Center. Because messages are sometimes harder to convey through words, we look for clues in the way the message is presented through movements and gestures of the body to fully comprehend what the speaker is saying. Although the tutor and student communicate verbally as well, the majority of communication is conveyed through nonverbal communication. The use of words is not enough to make sure that a message is interpreted correctly. The use of body language is crucial to making the meaning of our words clear. Body Language is also connected with spoken language and a whole pattern of behavior from a person (Van Marwijk 1).
According to communications professor Albert Mehrabain, the emotional meaning of a message is expressed mostly through nonverbal communication (postures, gestures, etc.),in percentage fifty-five percent. Thirty eight percent comes from the use of paralanguage, or the use of the voice, and only seven percent is expressed through explicit verbal communication ( Holden 4).
In total I observed or conducted about six tutoring sessions. The majority of these sessions took place in a classroom setting or the Writing Center where the student and or the pair that I observed were in close proximity to each other. My notes focused mainly on postures and gestures that I observed during the session. My post observation notes consisted of potential explanations and meanings of what these actions meant.
In my observations and personal reflections, it was interesting to discover that the students’ use of body language varied depending on how “prepared” they were in coming to into a tutoring session. My notes and reflections of my observations consisted mostly of the differences in body language in tutoring sessions. While noting the difference in body language between tutor and student, I also did a comparison of body language between different students I observed. I considered some students “prepared”, and what I meant by this was that they entered the tutoring session with the materials needed to develop their work further, had a decent idea of what changes needed to be made to their paper and what would be accomplished in the session. There were also students that I considered “uncertain”. By this I meant that the student may or may not have had materials needed to further develop their work, but also did not have clear expectations of what would be accomplished during the tutoring session. These students were more likely to be dependent on the tutor guide the progression of the session versus the “prepared” students, who sometimes took complete control of the progression of the session. Because the students are unclear of where to go they look to the tutor for guidance. Thomas Newkirk discusses the roles of the student and the teacher (or tutor in this case). The teacher’s responsibility is to respond to the student, to evaluate and suggest. However, the tutor must also encourage the student to take initiative and to take control of the paper. The student’s recognizes that the teacher is a member of the educational community and looks at the tutor in a similar light. In their eyes, the tutor can come up with better material than them, putting the tutor in the position of authority (Newkirk 302-303).

Tutoring Session #1 – 10/27/08
Melody-student Carrie-tutor
Melody is a “prepared” student. She entered the tutoring session and reminded Carrie that they have met together before, in order to establish a connection/rapport with the tutor. Melody immediately went into her work, clearly stating what the objective was. She noted that this work was not an assignment for a class, but just a response to a publication she read. From this I concluded that this was a cause for which she Melody was concerned about. She read her essay in a confident dynamic voice, placing emphasis on certain parts of the essay. Her voice changed in volume while she was reading, but she remained at a level that was reasonably loud. As she read she constantly looked up at Carrie. Carrie listened intently and watched as Melody read. They kept eye contact every time Melody looked up. Throughout this session Melody did not place any part of her body between herself and Carrie, keeping interaction open with the tutor. She lead the session and did most of the talking pausing only to answer the few questions Carrie asked. They maintained eye contact throughout the entire session and Carrie gave Melody positive praise at the end of the session.

Tutoring Session #2 - 11/19/08
Sarah-student Roger-tutor
Sarah is another “prepared” student. She came to the session with a draft of her work and an idea of what needed to be accomplished in the session. However in this session, Sarah remained closed to Roger at times. By closed I mean that she often blocked open communication between them by keeping her arm between them limiting open interaction and communication with Roger. This could be because she was nervous. However, Roger would also block open communication by crossing his arms in front of him and moving away from Sarah, particularly after asking a question. A majority of the session consisted of Roger trying to build rapport with Sarah, and he succeeded many times in getting her more relaxed. Particularly after they share a laugh she would remove the body part blocking open communication between them for a while, but would eventually close up again. Nevertheless Roger would keep prodding for more examples to add to her work and give helpful suggestions. In the end, although she may have been shy or nervous, she accomplished much progress with her work and was happy with the session.
In my own tutoring experience, I encountered “prepared” students and “uncertain” students. What I noticed was that “uncertain” students were more closed and often blocked open communication with me. Perhaps this was because they were nervous, or did not have the materials they needed, or needed to change their entire paper. When there was an uncertainty about what was going to be done to the paper and in the session, the student’s body often did not have open communication with mine and they would not maintain eye contact. The body language of “prepared” students and “uncertain” students I tutored were dramatically different in terms of attentiveness, and overall communication with me.

WHAT IM LEARNING IN MY SESSIONS SO FAR..

Research Plan

Research Plan

Statement of purpose
In my research project, I hope to show/discover how taking up space and using space during a tutoring session affects tutoring female students.

By observing their body language and use of personal space when interacting with the tutor, I hope to show how this affects tutoring.


Detailed statement of your research question
How do spatial differences between tutor and female students affect tutoring?
What role does personal space play in tutoring sessions with female students?
What roles do cultural differences play?If any?

List information needed/Questions you might want to explore:
-background information on why spatial difference is important during interaction
-How spatial difference can affect a tutoring session
-information on how females take up/use personal space while interacting
-what certain actions can mean in order to draw some conclusions
-what gestures are they using?
-try to determine why they move away/come closer?
-data from observing tutoring sessions
-what spatial differences can mean in different cultures?
-what role do cultural differences play?
-Does spatial difference affect the effectiveness of tutoring sessions?How?

Preliminary list of sources:
These are a few sources that I have found I will definitely be looking for more information pertaining to my topic.

Gender Differences in Communication." The Ladies Room. 21 Aug. 2003. 6 Nov.
2008 .

This website gives information on the differences in body language between males and females. It gives a list of differences in body language, speech patterns, facial expressions and behaviors. It also gives a helpful list of links that relate to the subject.


Holden, Scott. Tutoring Communication:Verbal and Nonverbal Interpersonal
Gestures and Techniques. 22 Apr. 2005. 9 Nov. 2008
.

This article talks about the different types of interpersonal communication and gives examples of types of nonverbal and verbal communication found in writing center conferences. It also gives explanations on what these actions mean.


Magwood, Jamerson. Tapping Into the Gender Communication Gap. 11 Nov.
2008 .

This paper talks about the differences in body language between males and females. More importantly, it describes body language during interaction between tutor and student. At the end of the article it gives 4 examples of tutoring sessions.

Rester, Carolyn H. The Effects Of Sex and Content on Students' Interpretation of Teachers' High Immediacy Messages. Louisiana State University. 11 Nov. 2008.

This dissertation gives information on how messages are received in interactions. It gives information on different message interpretations based on gender. (see page 24-29).

Plan for Gathering Information
I will have to find more sources and find more information to become more familiar with my topic. Then I will collect data from my observations and figure out what they mean. My information will rely heavily on my observations. The feedback form that is filled out by the student after the session could also be relevant.

Blog 14-Tutoring Sessions on 10/27-"First 5 Minutes"

In the session that I observed on Monday the first five minutes were different from the ones Newkirk suggested. The introduction of student and tutor went very quickly. Then they went straight into the paper. Unlike the examples Newkirk used, the student led this session. I suppose the agenda was set by the student. However, I was unsure about what the goal of the session was because the student was very confident about her paper and did not want to change anything. I don't know if this makes the session contradictory to Newkirk's examples.

Newkirk's ideas can be realistic in certain situations. Not all students will be as willing and open to talk about their writing. Especially if they dont even want to be there. His ideas could work if the tutor has become familiar with the student's work in a session and the student openly tells the tutor what he/she thinks can be changed. Using skill, the tutor can then concentrate on adressing the student's concerns. Then that becomes the agenda. As far as this happening in the first five minutes, that can be a little idealistic. Comfort levels for interaction will vary. Some students take a bit longer to grow comfortable with a tutor they are meeting for the first time. In the examples Newkirk uses, they are meeting with their professor who they have had classes with and one teacher-student conference already.

Blog 13- Critique of "The First Five MInutes: Setting the Agenda in Writing Conferences" by Thomas Newkirk

In Thomas Newkirk’s essay “The First Five Minutes: Setting the Agenda in a Writing Conference,” he discusses the importance of having an agenda understood by both the teacher and the student in writing conferences. He uses a dialogue from three writing conferences between students and their composition teachers to illustrate how each conference either fails or accomplishes this goal. Then he explains each outcome using specific examples from the conference

Each conference is given a title and an introductory paragraph giving background information on the student’s paper. This is followed by a dialogue of the conference and then a thorough explanation by Newkirk about why the conference works or does not work. Newkirk uses specific parts of the dialogue to show where the teacher attempted to set up an agenda. In two of the conferences, the students are unaware or confused about the teacher’s intent for the conference and as a result have an unsuccessful conference. Newkirk uses specific things said by the student and then draws on it by giving insight about why the student might have said those things

The form that Newkirk uses to explain these conferences creates a model for successful conferences. His detailed explanations of each conference work as an example to tutors or teachers who strive to have meaningful meetings with their students. Using the conferences (both successful and unsuccessful) as examples becomes beneficial for the reader of the essay.

Blog 12

During our first tutoring session down in the CAS, I was the tutor, Angela was the student and Nick was the observer. Before our session began, Nick explained thoroughly what his objectives were for observing our session. He gave examples on how our identity would be protected and gave us the permission forms to sign. He was very friendly.

During our session, Nick observed quietly and did not interrupt or disrupt our session in any way. I felt comfortable and wasn't really bothered by him being there. Angela and I have known each other since high school, so we are very comfortable with each other. From knowing Nick from class, I was familiar with him. Perhaps this is why we were comfortable during the session.

Nick took a lot of notes on our body language. When I asked him about his notes, he mentioned that in his notes he wrote down that I would lead the session sometimes. I was a little frustrated about this because I am trying not to do it as much, but I'm glad he noted it because it made me aware that I still have to work on that.

For my observations, I plan on using my laptop for notetaking. I want to observe body language, tome of voice, gestures by the student and the tutor.(Later adding head notes).

BLOG 11-Possible Research Topics

Ok, truthfully, I'm still not sure what I want to do my research project on or what my research question is. These are possible ideas, though I'm not sure if I'm going to use any of them yet.

1.For students coming to the writing center, how important is it to become a better writer vs. just getting a good grade? In an ideal world, the answer to this would be all students want to become better writers, but that is not the case. I would be interesting to see what other
motives students have for coming to the writing center.

2. I took a look at Nick's blog stating writing center assumptions and noticed one said something about everyone sharing the same world view. Students coming to the writing center come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and they're not all going to share the same views. How do these cultural differences affect tutoring different students and their writing?

3. On Nick's list, there was also a point stating that an assumption was that guys are more likely to get annoyed and leave and women are more likely to stay and be more active in finishing the session. What role does gender difference play in tutroring students?

Again these are just possible topic ideas. Hopefully as we talk about the research project more I will able to focus on one research topic and form my question.