Online Tutor Trac helps students in need

By Teri Olsen
Collegian Staff
October 11, 2006

Having trouble in a certain class, but don’t know where to go to get help? Or, do you know you need help, but don’t have the time? Are you stuck at the computer all day wondering if it can teach you biology because you can’t meet with your teacher at 2 p.m. on Fridays? TutorTrac is your answer.

Dr. Mary Robertson is the director of the Sheekey Writing Center, located on the second
floor of Olney Hall. The center is dedicated to helping students enhance their writing - Sara Allen

Log onto the mylasalle portal and go to the Student Services tab. On the right side of the page is a link for TutorTrac, La Salle’s online tutoring program. You can find a tutor for your specific needs and schedule an appointment, all online.

TutorTrac was introduced last year and was perfected last semester. According to Dr. Mary Robertson, the head of the Sheekey Writing Center, as well as the online tutoring program, the benefits of this program are numerous.

Robertson said TutorTrac makes it easy for students to find tutors and to find a time and location to meet. Students like TutorTrac because they know they are registering for a specific time to meet with a discipline-specific tutor.

So how does the program work? When students go into the TutorTrac link from the Student Services page, they will see a search page. Students can select the area they need tutoring and a search will show the available tutors in that subject, along with the times that each tutor is available to meet. A location is predetermined by the tutor, and the tutee only has to pick an available time and sign up for it.

What is also interesting about TutorTrac is that once a student signs up for a time, that time disappears from the page and is no longer shown as available. If a student needs to cancel the appointment, the time will then return to the page, showing up as available.

Once a student registers for a certain time, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to both the tutor and the tutee, reminding them both of the time and location. Students can also log into TutorTrac to check their appointment times and locations.

“I really enjoy doing it because I feel like a resource. I feel like I truly provide students with advice and techniques that actually work and when they come back it is very rewarding to see their progress,” said Kristen Cann, a junior history major and tutor.

Another benefit of the system is that tutors can log in students when they show up for their appointment, and the system will keep a real-time log of the session. Other times, tutors will wait until after the session and then enter the length and other information about the session (such as what was accomplished, what still needs to be reinforced, etc.) into the computer. This allows tutors to chart the progress of their tutees and better serve each student’s specific needs.

Robertson said TutorTrac allows her and the tutors to be alert to students’ specific needs. The system can keep track of the number of visits tutors have, what subjects have the highest volume of tutees and what areas students need help in most often. This allows Robertson to hire tutors in high-demand subjects and to better suit the needs of students at La Salle.

So, if you need help and just don’t have time to meet with a physical person or professor, TutorTrac is for you. Check it out on the portal or stop by the writing center to have Roberson explain it in detail.

olsent1@lasalle.edu