Assessment of a student peer-tutoring program focusing on the benefits to the tutors

Context The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine incorporates a voluntary student peer-tutoring program as 1 resource available to pre-doctoral students. It uses peer-tutoring in didactic and preclinical courses in order to provide additional help to struggling students. Objective The goal of this article is to describe an initial program assessment using data collected between 2015 and 2017. In addition to assessing the program, this report also investigates the benefits of the program to the tutors. Design Data were collected using surveys from tutors (N = 133) and tutees (N = 115), as well as reflective journals written by the tutors (response rate varies across instruments and questions). Responses to the surveys were analyzed using quantitative analysis, and content analysis was completed for coding the open-ended short responses and reflective journals. Results Results show tutors' increased preparedness at the end of the term to provide tutoring, an increase in communication and teaching skills due to participation in the program, and other cited benefits to the tutor. Conclusions In addition to academic credit, tutors benefit from reviewing the course materials and practicing skills relevant to their future careers. Tutees provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the tutors' strengths and effectiveness, the program in general, and the extent to which tutoring helped their performance in the class. Based on the initial program assessment, the program provides benefits to both tutors and tutees; the tutors gain a valuable experience impacting them both academically and personally.