Research Proposal – Aran

To:                      Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor, ENGL 301, UBC

From:                  Aran Chang, Student, ENGL 301

Date:                  June 19, 2018

Subject:              Proposal for Improving Tutoring Session Scheduling at Pathways to Education

Introduction

Pathways to education is a youth education service that supports youth grades 8-12 in Vancouver and Surrey to graduate from high school and move on to employment or further education after high school. The program provides tutoring, mentoring, financial and one-to-one support. It offers students a myriad of resources for their particular subject needs. Due to the complications of COVID-19, Pathways have adapted to host online learning sessions, matching students with volunteers capable of aiding their specific needs.

Statement of Problem

The hosting of each pathway session requires the support of an appropriate volunteer who are able to assist with the need of the student. However, many of the hosted sessions are cancelled or cut short due to the lack of available appropriate support to students. Additionally, many of the volunteers are left without the opportunity to volunteer, due to the scheduling of the system. The organization and sessions have become sporadic, as oppose to the consistent and organized system, prior to the pandemic.

Proposed Solution

There is a solution to help solve the issues. First, the staff of Pathways to Education, must collect a report of the students and their required subject needs. Next, they must implement a scheduled time for volunteers to examine and sign up for volunteer time blocks. This solution allows for students to best obtain the help that they require. Additionally, the flexible time schedule allows for volunteers to assign their own time blocks, appropriate to their schedule. The solution implement is to provide the best help available to the students, while maintaining the flexible schedules for the volunteers.

Scope

To assess the viability of improving the student and volunteer pairing process, I plan to investigate the following areas of inquiry:

1. How often do students finish their work during the tutoring session?
2. How often are sessions cut short due a lack of available tutors for the subject choice of the student?
3. What times is most preferred for volunteers to sign up for tutoring sessions.
4. What is the most preferred time for students and volunteers to host tutoring sessions?
5. What is the spread of required subject areas, students most require aid in?

Methods

To gather information on the feasibility of my proposed solution, I will survey current Pathways to education staff, student and volunteers. I will provide a link to an anonymous google survey that will provide information on the proposed problem and solution, so that they may keep in mind the purpose of the questions they are filling out. They will be my primary data source in determining the viability of the proposed strategy. Additionally, I will also consult members on the staff team at Pathways to Education for insight to the practicality of this method for scheduling, in future cases of both online and offline learning.

My Qualifications

I am a UBC undergraduate student in my fourth year. From all my experience with data gathering and planning, I have had experiences with piecing and organizing many groups and individuals into a concise and inclusive schedule. I believe my experiences with data and time management will serve me well in organizing a concise and organized plan and schedule for the participants at Pathways to Education.

Conclusion

By addressing the five areas of inquiry mentioned earlier, I can determine the feasibility of implementing a method to concisely and quickly match volunteer to students to create impactful and efficient tutoring sessions. I predict that these solutions will help students and volunteers to find the best situation that is catered to their preferences.