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STEP 13 - WHAT IS A
DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENT? |
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Much confusion exists
between the terms remedial and developmental. The terms
are often used interchangeably. However, according to the
Professional and Organizational website from
Mt. St. Antonio College, CA,
specific differences exist between the two terms. |
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Developmental Education:
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focuses on how
a learner learns as well as what is being learned.
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assumes students are at
a variety of levels.
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considers the
cognitive and affective
dynamics of learning.
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includes outside
services designed to meet the cognitive and affective needs of
students.
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focuses on development
of a variety of learning strategies.
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helps students
gain their educational/life goals and
objectives.
Remedial Education:
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focuses on the
skills that need to be learned.
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assumes that because
students lack certain skills, they are at one
particular level.
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considers only the
cognitive dynamic of learning.
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includes outside
services designed to meet the cognitive needs of students.
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focuses on learning
strategies related to the specific skills that need to
be learned.
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helps students master specific academic skills.
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KCTCS Developmental
Student: |
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In the
Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), "developmental
students" are any students who score below certain cut-scores on the
system's placement test.
The Commonwealth of
Kentucky mandates that all community and technical college students take
the COMPASS placement test (or ACT) for placement into English, math,
and reading. The test determines whether a student's skills are at
the college level or below the college level. Classes below the
college level are called developmental classes.
Below are some
of the reasons a person might test into developmental classes:
- The person has been
out of school for a few years and has forgotten the
material.
- The person never
truly understood the material
- The person has never
had the material.
- The person neglected to pay
attention or to study in school.
- The person may have certain disabilities that
create learning problems.
Although the purpose of the placement test is to
place students in classes where they will be successful, often, developmental students
become
frustrated by the delay in finishing their required courses and obtaining
their degrees.
As a tutor, you need to be aware of this frustration level in developmental/remedial students. In addition to the
frustration created by mandatory placement, developmental students are
frustrated by years of being "out of step" with their peers.
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From a Developmental
Student's Point of View: |
- What is it like to be a developmental
student?
It is like facing a brick wall. You are not allowed to go around the wall. You
are not allowed to turn around. You are blocked from advancing and
catching up. You are frustrated. You are mad. You may cry. Then, you
may give up.
- How did these students come to face the
wall?
Somewhere, somehow, they missed or misunderstood a step in
their directions and ran into an obstacle. With each year that passed,
that obstacle grew until it became so large, they could never hope to
overcome it on their own. No matter what caused the problem or how the
obstacle came into their paths, they need help. But, they hate to
admit it - even to themselves.
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Your Job as a Tutor: |
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You will meet developmental students
who have faced their obstacles, tried to overcome them on their own, and
are now ready and happy to receive help. You will also meet students who
hate to admit they need help. In tutoring sessions, they may tell you they
understand, when they do not. Why? Their ego and self-esteem are at stake.
Although you need to know whether someone truly
understands the material, you must always make sure to keep your tutee's self-esteem intact. Sometimes, that is all
a person has left - and he or she may be barely hanging on to it. Remember, in
life, everyone needs help with something. No one is perfect. Each of us,
someday, someway, will need help. If a tutee tells you he hates having
to ask for help, or if she acts embarrassed or mad, you may want to draw
him or her into a conversation in an attempt to relax the student. If you have examples
of times you needed help and received it, you may want to share those with
students - but only if you feel comfortable with that. You do not need to
turn your session into a counseling session, for that is not the purpose
of a tutor. However, you will sometimes want to give encouragement.
- To make sure these developmental students
understand the material, ask the students to explain the information back
to you. This is a standard practice used in tutoring. It is not used only
for developmental/remedial students. If students ask why you are doing this, you
can explain that it is one of the standard procedures tutors use to
reinforce the information in students' minds and to ensure students
understand each step of the material.
- One of our goals as a learning
center is to teach students how to learn, in order to become life-long
learners. You can encourage independent learning by teaching your
students the thinking process behind each skill, referring your students
to the TLC's other resources, and encouraging your students to engage in
questions. By doing so, you make sure that whether we use the term
"remedial" or "developmental," your students are receiving the full
spectrum of help that they need.
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