RAPPORT
Programme Tutor or Institutional Member
offered on material developed for each
task. Peer support and feedback was
also actively encouraged and was
particularly important in institutional
contexts with groups of participants.
Our planning for the first - 2015 - cohort
envisaged attendance for a day event
focused upon tutoring practice (or an
online briefing meeting for those unable
to attend on the day) plus on-line material
and the tutored production of an e-
portfolio.
Five years, and three mentored cohorts
later, with 41 portfolios presented for
accreditation by staff working across a
dozen institutions, and more than 150
case studies of practice – from the ‘doing’
element of the portfolios - we had
become increasingly aware of the
richness of evidence and experience that
had been presented, of the many ‘stories’
and accounts that had been shared, and
of the possibility that, looking across this
range of material, there were
contributions that could be made to
thinking and practice of a wider range of
colleagues. It also became clear that
some of those who had been involved in
the process of portfolio construction
themselves had an interest in further
disseminating their work - and that of
others.
And so the process of developing and
assembling this Special Edition was born.
Given the limited number and selfselected
nature of those undertaking the
Award, we make no claims as to the
comprehensiveness of the picture
presented here, though – by citing the
relevant portfolio and account reference
on each occasion - we do seek to
Issue 5 (August 2020)
indicate the range of evidence on which
our ‘practice’ chapters are based. What
we do offer however is rich accounts
which illuminate practice and which, we
hope, raise issues and offer perspectives
which others may use to catalyse their
own thinking and inform developments
across the sector.
So what does our selection of material
that follows consist of? Here we offer our
guide to the contributions: another view
may be found from the external
examiner’s perspective in the next
chapter.
In her article, Emma Heron has chosen
to focus on a key skill for any tutor or
adviser – the ability to be an active
listener. Her examples show the
attention. care and time which need to
go into a tutoring relationship which
really benefits the student. Crucially she
also demonstrates the emotional costs
which can be incurred by tutors offering
such support, an issue often ignored by
institutions. She asks how HEIs should
best support these critical ‘chalk-face’
workers for the benefit of the whole
organisation.
Cathy Malone focuses on the provision
of academic support via the tutor or
advisor. She points out that such
support is often sought or given in the
context of student failure, or with failure
looming. Here the tutor or advisor needs
the skill of handling an emotionally
charged situation at the same time as
imparting clear constructive advice and
helping the students to plan how to
move forward. Again, the effort involved
in the part of a fully engaged tutor is
stressed – but also the potential rewards
in seeing students decide to continue, to
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