Centre for Academic Assistance (CAA)

The main objective of the Centre for Academic Assistance is to promote peer learning among ECE student. To start with we have initiated the process of course-specific assisted peer learning where we have selected a group of graduate students to tutor our B.Tech student. In the centre, tutors are students who are pursuing PhD and M.Tech with the ECE department at SRM University AP. The tutors are trained by the faculty in tutoring before being made part of the centre.

The main benefits of assisted peer teaching include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students receive more time for individualized learning.
• Direct interaction between students promotes active learning.
• Peer tutors reinforce their own learning by instructing others.
• Students feel more comfortable and open when interacting with fellow students.
• Tutors and students share a similar discourse, allowing for greater understanding.

Assisted peer learning emphasizes the experience of all participating students by promoting reciprocal learning. Students attending the centre will get a stress free and friendly environment where they can express their doubts and get their doubts clarified and for the tutors, some benefits include improvement in skill for teaching, a better understanding of the subject, skills in organization, collaboration and evaluation.

The goal of the centre is to evolve and provide support for all types of peer learning such as forming peer support groups, supplemental instruction, peer tutoring, peer teaching, in addition to peer-assisted learning.

As this is a new initiative, we have started the assisted peer learning program for the incoming 2020 students. As part of the assisted peer learning, we are focusing on strengthening maths skills by providing supplementary instruction to help students in revising 10+1 and 10+2 maths courses during the first semester and during the higher semester, all the maths concepts required for excelling in the area of Electronics and Communication Engineering will be covered.

In addition to strengthening maths, skill set the assisted peer learning program will be extended to historically difficult courses. Assisted peer learning would start within the first two weeks of the semester. In addition to these courses, the courses in which students are struggling can be identified and provided with tutoring support. Supplementary instruction is designed to help students with the process of learning to improve their understanding of course material and improve their grades and make sure they pass the subject so that pressure on the students will come down.

Some strategies to ensure the success of the initiative:

• Introduce supplementary instruction early in the semester.
• Establish clear rules for participation and contribution such as being on time, being respectful to each other and the tutor, completing the work assigned, should be proactive and seek help etc. and these rules should be informed to the students.
• Carefully explain to students how Supplementary instructions works, understand the student’s expectations.
• Help students develop the skills needed to succeed in the subjects by focusing upon pre-requisite subjects.
• Incorporate self-assessment and peer assessment for students to evaluate their own and other’s contributions.