Here are some tips to help you field help channel questions from learners.
General Tips
Remember not to give away answers! Instead, ask learners questions to guide their learning, and provide additional examples when trying to explain a concept. Limit 1:1 help on a post to 30 minutes. We want learners to be invested in their own learning, and also encourage small-group sessions whenever possible! If something will take longer than 30 minutes to go over, please create a small-group session in that topic. Please help learners follow these guidelines. If a learner posts in the wrong subworld, is demanding more help, didn’t provide enough detail, is requesting Zoom help even though they’re asking for concept review, etc.—please kindly let them know, and encourage them to edit their post or delete / create a new one. It helps to be a little bit strict here, so that we set a good example for new learners. Please help tutors follow these guidelines. For example, if a tutor is giving away the answer, please kindly let them know in the reply thread. It helps to be a little bit strict here, so that we set a good example for new tutors. Question Types
In a subworld help channel, there are 3 types of questions users can post.
When a user selects a type, they’ll be shown some questions to answer in their post so tutors can have more context before helping. Here’s how you should respond to each of these kinds of requests!
❓ I have a quick question about a problem
What might this look like?
What should you do?
React to the post with a 👀 and comment saying “I can help!” If the learner didn’t provide enough detail, please ask them to provide more. If the learner actually should be receiving a topic review session, please ask them to delete and post that instead. Open a Zoom room or help over text! Try to give small hints to help the learner discover the answer instead of giving them the answer yourself. Do not give away the answer. If needed, you can negotiate a later time with the learner, and open the Zoom room during that time. If you’re opening a Zoom room—start off by saying you’ll help them out for 30 minutes, to jumpstart their learning. If you notice the learner has deeper conceptual gaps, recommend that they mark this post as “solved” and make a new topic-review post in the topic they need help with. If they need help in another subworld (i.e. Pre-Algebra help for an Algebra 1 question) you can encourage them to do that too. 📚 I need help with an assignment
What might this look like?
What should you do?
React to the post with a 👀 and comment saying “I can help!” If the learner didn’t provide enough detail, please ask them to provide more. If the learner actually should be receiving a topic review session, please ask them to delete and post that instead. Open a Zoom room or help over text! If the learner is not available, try to ask when they’re free and schedule a session with them. If needed, you can negotiate a time with the learner, and open the Zoom room during that time. Limit yourself to only helping with 2-3 questions from the homework. After helping with those questions, ask the learner to try and work on the assignment themselves! If you’re opening a Zoom room, start off by saying you’ll help them out with 2-3 questions for 30 minutes, to jumpstart their learning. If you notice the learner has deeper conceptual gaps, recommend that they close this post and make a new topic-review post in the topic they need help with. If they need help in another subworld (i.e. Pre-Algebra help for an Algebra 1 question) you can encourage them to do that too. 👩🏫 I want to review a topic / learn a new topic
What might this look like?
What should you do?
React to the post with a 👀 and comment saying “I can make a session for you!” Schedule a session or series for the learner at a time they’ve specified they’re free. In the session description, please do not mention that the session is for a specific learner, but feel free to be specific about which subtopics you’re going to cover—we want to encourage small-group learning, when possible! Link the session in the reply thread. Once the learner has registered for the session, you can ask them to mark the question as “solved.” During the session—spend some time reviewing the topic from the ground up, then try and give learners practice problems to check their understanding. If the learner needs additional sessions, feel free to schedule them as well.
