Problem Solving-Tutoring

Problem Solving-Tutoring

Problem Solving:           

     Indicates that there is a problem or situation that may be present and will need to be addressed by implementing a goal that learners are inquired to seek measure on how to derive at that goal. Problem solving can be viewed as a well structured problem that can only have results in science or math terms, this may require applying a certain mathematical or scientific procedures to calculate its results. This will indicate only one right answer. Another situation may be as a teacher you are prepared to write classroom lesson plans with emphasis on clear set goals to be administered for the learner to grasp and receive acquire knowledge.             On the other hand, there are larger and more complex issues or real life concerns that can be viewed as ill-structured or unstructured problems that can have multiple answers. Some examples would be: what nutritional menus can provide a proper school lunch and how to solve the issue of proper disposal of toxic waste. When ill-structured problems occur than one has to consider problem based learning which can be viewed as a four step procedure: one would be using quizzes to asses what knowledge the learner has, two would be putting in place what is needed for learning and applying adequate resources, three would be to engage the student in learning, and four would be to provide a prioritized list and communicate what data has been discovered.           

          Problem solving has many pros and cons to consider. The pros of this instructional alternative are that it allows the learner to participate in the situation as an active thinker and seeker of results. It causes the student to get involve using hands on skills and techniques to arrive at a reasonable conclusion.  It gives the student a foundation of long term learning as they provide analysis to math, science and real life concerns to problems and situations. Problem solving will help to keep the mind motivated and active in processing information that will lead to manageable decisions. The cons to be considered are that the fact may be the learner is not equipped to handle the math or science terms that are present to solve the problem. The student may be unknowledgeable about most real life situations to solve the problem. The student may need to provide research on any given subject in order to proceed further and may have limited resources to research the information at hand. Tutoring           

           The purpose of tutoring is to aid the student to help themselves or assist or guide them to the point at which they become an independent learner and has no longer a need for a tutor. The main focus is to create independent learners to function on their own as they seek out data and other forms of information. A tutor can provide information to individuals and or small groups to aid them in becoming better learners. A tutor may provide instruction to a small group of learners on one subject that may not have completed success tasks during conventional instructions. There is still another type of tutoring in which peer to peer participation in shared learning of a certain subject. The tutor should exhibit good interpersonal skills, appearance should be managed, should have enthusiasm, dependability, good attitudes, knowledgeable, and have good integrity. The tutor should have the students’ best interest at hand using professionalism, confidentiality, fairness, and respect. It is also important that a tutor use correct verbiage that the student can understand and exhibit positive non verbal body language.           

           The pros of tutoring is to provide a service to individuals or groups that may be lagging  in education and need special instructions to aid them in progression in their studies. Tutoring provides the instructor in gaining insights on students’ abilities and their learning style. Tutoring can build a students’ self esteem as they become knowledgeable about any given subject.   Tutoring can open the windows of opportunity of a students’ ability to have better study skills and proper storage of information to retrieve knowledge at a later time.             

            The cons of tutoring can be the student or audience can not understand the dialect of the instructor, may result in students loosing adequate information. If a tutor uses verbiage that is on a higher level than that of the student, than the student may not grasp any information that is understandable for he/she to apply knowledge too. If the tutor is bias to his/her own learning style or judgmental the student may regress exhibiting low self esteem.

 

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
  Martin Luther King Jr.