1. - Omnia International, In… · $100K+ increase in ALEKS software sales. After relocation to Boston, 2004-2009 Took time off to raise my son Senior Account Manager, Boston Metro

Appendix D:

GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ACCEPTANCE FORM

Signature on Vendor Contract Signature form certifies complete acceptance of the General Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, except as noted below (additional pages may be attached, if necessary). Check one of the following responses to the General Terms and Conditions:

We take no exceptions/deviations to the general terms and conditions

(Note: If none are listed below, it is understood that no exceptions/deviations are taken.)

We take the following exceptions/deviations to the general terms and conditions. All

exceptions/deviations must be clearly explained. Reference the corresponding general terms and conditions that you are taking exceptions/deviations to. Clearly state if you are adding additional terms and conditions to the general terms and conditions. Provide details on your exceptions/deviations below:

(Note: Unacceptable exceptions shall remove your proposal from consideration for award. Region 4 ESC shall be the sole judge on the acceptance of exceptions/deviations and the decision shall be final.)

Page 28 of 151

Appendix E:

QUESTIONNAIRE

Please provide responses to the following questions that address your company’s operations, organization, structure and processes for providing products and services.

1. States Covered Offeror must indicate any and all states where products and services can be offered.

Please indicate the price co-efficient for each state if it varies.

50 States & District of Columbia (Selecting this box is equal to checking all boxes below)

Territories & Outlying Areas (Selecting this box is equal to checking all boxes below)

2. Diversity Programs

Do you currently have a diversity program or any diversity partners that you do business with? Yes No

Alabama Montana Alaska Nebraska

Arizona Nevada Arkansas New Hampshire California New Jersey Colorado New Mexico Connecticut New York Delaware District of Columbia

North Carolina North Dakota

Florida Ohio Georgia Oklahoma Hawaii Oregon Idaho Pennsylvania Illinois Rhode Island Indiana South Carolina Iowa South Dakota Kansas Tennessee Kentucky Texas Louisiana Utah Maine Vermont Maryland Virginia Massachusetts Washington Michigan West Virginia Minnesota Wisconsin Mississippi

Missouri Wyoming

American Samoa Northern Marina Islands Federated States of Micronesia Puerto Rico Guam U.S. Virgin Islands

Midway Islands

Page 30 of 151

If the answer is yes, do you plan to offer your program or partnership through

through TCPN Yes No (If the answer is yes, attach a statement detailing the structure of your program, along with

a list of your diversity alliances and a copy of their certifications.)

Will the products accessible through your diversity program or partnership be offered to TCPN members at the same pricing offered by your company?

Yes No (If answer is no, attach a statement detailing how pricing for participants would be calculated.)

3. Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and (HUB) Participation

It is the policy of some entities participating in TCPN to involve minority and women business enterprises (M/WBE), small and/or disadvantaged business enterprises, disable veterans business enterprises, historically utilized businesses (HUB) and other diversity recognized businesses in the purchase of goods and services. Respondents shall indicate below whether or not they hold certification in any of the classified areas and include proof of such certification with their response.

a. Minority Women Business Enterprise Respondent certifies that this firm is an MWBE Yes No

List certifying agency: _______________________________________________

b. Small Business Enterprise (SBE) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

Respondent certifies that this firm is a SBE or DBE Yes No


c. Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) Respondent certifies that this firm is a DVBE Yes No

List certifying agency: __________________________________________________

d. Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Respondent certifies that this firm is a HUB Yes No


e. Historically Underutilized Business Zone Enterprise (HUBZone) Respondent certifies that this firm is a HUBZone Yes No


f. Other Respondent certifies that this firm is a recognized diversity Yes No

certificate holder List certifying agency: _______________________________________________

4. Residency Responding Company’s principal place of business is in the city of ___________State of ___.

Page 31 of 151

5. Felony Conviction Notice

Please check applicable box:

A publicly held corporation; therefore, this reporting requirement is not applicable.

Is not owned or operated by anyone who has been convicted of a felony.

Is owned or operated by the following individual(s) who has/have been convicted of a felony.

*If the third box is checked a detailed explanation of the names and convictions must be attached.

6. Processing Information

Company contact for:

Contract Management Contact Person: __________________________________________

Title: ___________________________________________________

Company: _______________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City: ___________________ State: _____________ Zip:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Billing & Reporting/Accounts Payable

Contact Person: __________________________________________

Title: ___________________________________________________

Company: _______________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City: ___________________ State: _____________ Zip:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Marketing

Contact Person: __________________________________________

Title: ___________________________________________________

Company: _______________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________

City: ___________________ State: _____________ Zip:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Page 32 of 151

7. Distribution Channel: Which best describes your company’s position in the distribution channel:

Manufacturer direct Certified education/government reseller

Authorized distributor Manufacturer marketing through reseller

Value-added reseller Other __________________________

8. Pricing Information

In addition to the current typical unit pricing furnished herein, the Vendor agrees to offer all future product introductions at prices that are commensurate with Contract Pricing. Yes No

(If answer is no, attach a statement detailing how pricing for participants would be calculated.)

Pricing submitted includes the required administrative fee. Yes No (Fee calculated based on invoice price to customer)

Additional discounts for purchase of a guaranteed quantity? Yes No

9. Cooperatives

List any other cooperative or state contracts currently held or in the process of securing

Cooperative/State Agency Discount Offered

Expires Annual Sales Volume

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

Page 33 of 151

Link-Systems International Response to RFP # 15-20

© 2016 Link-Systems International, Inc. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 1

Appendix F: COMPANY PROFILE

1. Company’s official registered name.

Link-Systems International, Inc.

2. Brief history of your company, including the year it was established.

Link-Systems International (LSI) is an e-Learning solutions provider founded in 1996. Our partners value and trust LSI because we offer true academic partnership with a shared purpose: student success. Our mission is to help students learn. LSI has received a number of awards and recognition, including:

2012-2013 eSchool Media Reader’s Choice award for WorldWideWhiteboard

2013-2014 eSchool Media Reader’s Choice honorable mention for NetTutor

2014 Inc. 5,000 fastest growing private companies

LSI has almost twenty years of experience providing online education services to institutions and publishers. Our expert tutors have provided over seven million tutoring sessions. Our products and services are used by hundreds of institutions and reach millions of students.

We partner with academic institutions and publishers to create effective digital and online solutions for teaching and learning. Our partners include:

K-12 institutions

Higher education institutions

Consortia

Virtual high schools

K-12 and higher education publishers

Joint labor-management programs

Technology companies

3. Company’s Dun & Bradstreet (D&D) number.

D&B number: 088154356

4. Corporate office location.

Our corporate office is located in Tampa, Florida.

5. List the total number of sales persons employed by your organization within the United States,

broken down by market.

Link-Systems International currently employs 10 sales persons. The breakdown by market is:



1 Southwest Regional Sales Manager: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona

1 Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager: Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland

1 Southeast Regional Sales Manager: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina

1 Midwest Regional Sales Manager: Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio

1 Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager: Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Ontario Province

1 Gulf Coast Regional Sales Manager: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas

1 Western Regional Sales Manager: California

3 Inside Sales: Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,

North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Washington,

Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, West Virginia, Nebraska, Virginia, Delaware, Washington DC,

New Brunswick Province, Quebec Province, Manitoba Province, Saskatchewan Province, Alberta

Province, British Columbia Province, all International accounts outside of US and Canada

6. List the number and location of offices, or service centers for all states being offered in solicitation.

Additionally, list the names of key contacts at each location with title, address, phone and e-mail

address.

Link-Systems International is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with thirteen satellite offices located in

Birmingham, AL; Wakefield, RI; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Richmond, KY; Westport, CT; Sacramento, CA;

Sturgis, MI; Pittsburg, PA; New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; and Austin, TX.

7. Please provide contact information for the person(s) who will be responsible for the following

areas, including resumes:

a. Sales

b. Sales Support

c. Marketing

d. Financial Reporting

e. Executive Support



a. Sales & b. Sales Support

Nancy Peterson 27662 Oak Brook Way

Boerne TX 78015

[email protected]

210.257.5950

SUMMARY

Proven record of outstanding growth and exceeding sales quotas consistently

Maximizing sales of content (digital, custom, print)

Developing outstanding relationships with faculty and all levels of administration

Identifying, developing and driving sales strategies to achieve successful results

Focus on collaboration with cross-functional teams (sales, editorial and marketing) to leverage

products

Ability to build superior knowledge to excel with product positioning

Training and mentoring staff

EXPERIENCE


Southwest Regional Manager, San Antonio, TX, January 2014 to Present

LSI is the leader in providing integrated technology and service solutions to educators throughout

the world. Producing measurably better learning outcomes through online tutoring and

developmental education products, LSI fuses quality with affordability.

John Wiley & Sons

Senior Publisher’s Representative, San Antonio, TX, January 2013-December 2013

Responsible for sales of digital and print products in the higher education market in South Central

Texas.

Increased sales territory $100,000+ in one year.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education

ACHIEVEMENTS

Yearly sales increases averaged 108% of annual sales goals

National Sales Representative of the Year

Second Highest Sales Achievement Award

President’s Circle of Excellence Award

Norm Dorian Editorial Achievement Award

Senior Account Manager, Southern New England, Science, Engineering & Math, 2009-2011

Focused on delivering ambitious goals with keen attention to custom, digital solutions and

customer excellence.



$100K+ increase in ALEKS software sales.

After relocation to Boston, 2004-2009

Took time off to raise my son

Senior Account Manager, Boston Metro Area, Business & Economics, 2002-2004

Sell content to professors at colleges and universities in Boston area.

Initiate and develop manuscripts suitable for publication.

Relate market trends affecting college textbooks to marketing, sales and editorial staff.

Represent McGraw-Hill at national and regional conventions.

Assist in training publisher’s representatives.

Senior Account Manager, NYC Metro Area, Business & Economics, 1998-2002

Managed a New York City based sales territory and assisted in training new sales representatives.

Senior Sales Representative/Field Sales Supervisor, Denver Metro Area, Business & Economics,

1994-1998

Supervised and trained sales representatives while managing a sales territory.

Publisher’s Representative, Indiana, Business & Economics, 1990-1994

Covered a sales territory that included Indiana University, Purdue University, University of Notre

Dame, Ball State University, Indiana State University and Indiana Business College.

EDUCATION

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

B.A., Journalism

Cum Laude



c. Marketing

KENNETH KARPMAN 125 Cypress Court Oldsmar, Florida 34677 [email protected] (727) 515-0239

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Over 20 years experience in institutional sales and trading

Established relationships with institutional buyers

Consistent record of producing substantial commissions growth

Extensive experience analyzing and evaluating equity investments EDUCATION University of California Los Angeles Graduate School of Management MBA – Finance Emphasis – June 1986 University of California Los Angeles Bachelor of Arts – Economics Major – June 1982 EMPLOYMENT 11/13-Present LINK-SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, Tampa, FL

Director of Marketing. Managed team responsible for all marketing responsibilities including representation at tradeshows, responding to RFP’s, developing marketing collateral, and maintaining and managing company website andsocial meadia presence.

12/05-12/12 KARPMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, Tampa, FL

Started Silverthorne Partners Hedge Fund. Responsibility included all sales and portfolio management. Outperformed the S&P by 2% annually, however fund never achieved critical mass necessary for sustainability.

12/99-12/05 RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL, St. Petersburg, FL Senior Vice President. Managed team responsible for all sales trading of West

Coast. Grew commissions from these accounts 25% annually. Account coverage includes Capital Research, Capital Guardian, TCW, Nicholas – Applegate, Duncan Hurst, Provident, RCM, Columbia, Safeco and Ranier.

3/94-12/99 McDONALD & COMPANY, Los Angeles, CA Senior Vice President. Started West Coast office and took commissions from

$300,000 to $5,000,000 in 5 years. Responsible for all sales trading of West Coast accounts. Account coverage includes Capital Research, Capital Guardian, TCW, Nicholas – Applegate, Duncan Hurst, Provident, RCM, Columbia, Safeco and Ranier, Leith Wheeler and Phillips Hager.



6/92-3/94 SALOMON BROTHERS, San Francisco, CA Vice President. Primary coverage included Provident, Loomis Sayles, Primecap,

Duncan Hurst, Wall St. Associates, Sirach, Dodge & Cox, University of California, Farmers Group, GT Capital and Pacific Financial Research.

4/90-6/92 SMITH BARNEY, Los Angeles, CA Primary coverage included Duncan Hurst, Wall St. Associates, Pacific Financial

Research, Delta Asset Management, Farmers Group and Pacific Century. 8/89-4/90 DREXEL BURNHAM LAMBERT, San Francisco & Los Angeles, CA Vice President. Assisted in the consolidation of the San Francisco office into the

Beverly Hills branch. Primary coverage included Husic, Sirach, Pacific Financial Research, Security Pacific, Duncan Hurst, Wall St. Associates, CMB, Farmers Group and Pacific Century.

8/86-8/89 THE FIRST BOSTON CORP., New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA Assistant Vice President. At the conclusion of a rigorous six month training

program, was assigned to the Los Angeles office. Primary coverage included Capital Research, Provident, CMB, Pacific Century, Wall St. Associates and Pacific Financial Research.



d. Financial Reporting

Adam D. Hoffman (727) 519-3652 ● [email protected] ● 9903 Oaks Lane, Seminole, FL 33772

EDUCATION

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Emory University, Emory College Atlanta, GA

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics May 2009

Bachelor of Arts in Economics May 2009

WORK EXPERIENCE

____________________________________________________________________________________ Link Systems, International Tampa, FL

Director, Tutoring Operations January 2015 – Present

Ensure smooth operations for online tutoring department

Responsible for hiring, staffing, and scheduling

Responsible for monthly reporting and billing for clients

Content Operations Manager December 2011 – January 2015

Ensured smooth operations for the content development department

Responsible for hiring, staffing, and scheduling

Content Developer November 2009 – December 2011

Programmed algorithms for mathematical and economic problems for high school to college level text

books

Tested for quality assurance

Emory University Atlanta, GA

Telemarketer May 2008 – January 2009

Solicited alumni, parents of students, and affiliates of Emory University

The Videre Group

(Holding company for InnoVision & private school Pre K8) Largo, FL

Accounting Associate June 2006 – January 2008

Supervised the training of a new employee

Resolved disputes with distribution representatives

Tracked revenue from nine retail sites

Integrated four new lines of eyeglass frames: incorporated in inventory control system & and arranged

physical delivery and setup

Financial Analyst/AR accounting for private school summer program, analyzing revenues in balance sheets

and income statements to determine cash flow and profitability. Reported to VP of Finance/Comptroller

Comptroller Assistant December 2006 – January 2007

Assisted the Comptroller with various projects, e.g., cost efficiency analysis of video surveillance systems

for stores

Compiled insurance data and marketing reports for statistical analysis

Distributed inventory

Accounting Assistant

Assisted the accounting department in paying bills, payroll, and organizing income

Performed filing, photo-copying and other clerical duties



Country Day Academy (Pre-K – 8) Largo, FL

Red Cross Certified Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor May 2004 – August 2006

Taught water safety and swimming under the Red Cross regulations

Supervised two other lifeguards

West Florida Lightning Aquatics Largo, FL

Swimming Instructor May 2005 – August 2007

Taught stroke technique and increased endurance in summer league

Organized and conducted biweekly swim meets

ACTIVITIES

_________________________________________________________________________________________ Pi Kappa Phi, Fraternity Atlanta, GA

Member of Brotherhood Committee January 2008 – May 2009

Planned and organized events for the brothers of the Fraternity

Member of the Financial Committee January 2008 – May 2009

Allocated funds to the different committees while tracking their spending

Sports

Racquetball and Master Swimming

COMPUTER SKILLS

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Java, HTML, CSS, STATA



e. Executive Support

Richard T. Meade 30423 Annadale Drive, Wesley Chapel, Florida 33545 • 813-758-0593 • [email protected]

Professional Experience

Provide leadership and vision on the NetTutor team to ensure business objectives are being met.

Responsible for strategic planning and direction of NetTutor.

Oversee day-to-day operations and lead staff to the accomplishment of departmental goals.

Develop and manage annual income and operating budget.

Created and managed a 3-day symposium, from concept to execution, inviting current customers and prospective

customers to share their experiences and learn about the value of company products and services.

Developed a strategic marketing plan that propelled continuous sales growth each year.

Managed the research, design and review process, rollout and unveiling, and PR campaign to revitalize the corporate

logo.

Directed the redesign of the corporate website and underlying content management system to enhance the look and

feel, present product information clearly, and provide visitors with additional knowledge and resources relevant to

the industry.

Led market research efforts through the organization and execution of focus groups, symposia, market surveys, and

customer surveys.

Leadership role organizing national sales meetings that help boost morale and achieve revenue goals for 7

consecutive years.

Conducted executive committee functions as Vice President of the Information Management Association at the

University of Connecticut.

Employment History

Vice President & General Manager, NetTutor ● Link-Systems International, Inc. ● July 2013 – Present

Tampa, Florida

Director, Marketing ● Link-Systems International, Inc. ● May 2005 – July 2013

Tampa, Florida

Implementation Specialist ● Micros Systems, Inc. ● March 2004 – May 2005

Hartford, Connecticut

Installation Specialist ● Southern Auto Auction ● January 2003 – March 2004

East Windsor, Connecticut

Veterans Affairs Representative ● Student Financial Aid Services ● September 2000– December 2002

University of Connecticut

United States Army ● May1993 – November 1998

Education Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Management Information Systems



8. Who is your competition in the marketplace?

Our competition includes Pearson’s Smarthinking, Tutor.com, and Brainfuse.

9. Overall annual sales for last three (3) years; 2013, 2014, 2015.

2015 annual sales have not been finalized. Our annual sales for the previous three years are:

2014: $8,481,000

2013: $8,871,000

2012: $4,800,000

10. Overall public sector sales, excluding Federal Government, for last three (3) years; 2013, 2014,

2015.

2015 annual sales have not been finalized. Our annual sales, excluding Federal Government, for the

previous three years are:

2014: $8,481,000

2013: $8,871,000

2012: $4,800,000

11. What is your strategy to increase market share?

Our strategy to increase market share is to continually develop and innovate our tutoring platform using

feedback from clients and identifying the needs of prospective clients. Continuously strengthening our

client relationships is also key to increasing market share. We have the unique ability to tailor how we

tutor students based on the requirements of teachers and academic leaders at each institution.

Partnering with clients to develop these requirements as well as understanding their needs helps to

build trust and leads to positive referrals for new business.

12. What differentiates your company from competitors?

Link-Systems International is uniquely positioned to provide the best educational services and products

to institutions. In addition to online tutoring through NetTutor, we also offer:

The WorldWideWhiteboard, our collaboration platform, to institutions to provide online

support (tutoring, office hours, advising) using their own employees

ReferTutorReport, which integrates with NetTutor and the WorldWideWhiteboard to provide

the ability for instructors and academic support services to refer students to tutoring for specific

remediation and then receive notifications when students receive tutoring and reports of all

sessions conducted

NetTutor is unique among online tutoring services in three main areas: Customization, Transparent

Pricing, and Centralized Tutoring.



Customization

NetTutor is the only major online tutoring service that allows each institution to customize every aspect

of the service their students will receive through custom Rules of Engagement that determine how our

tutors interact with your students. This ensures that our tutors mirror on-campus tutoring practices, in-

class pedagogy, and course materials.

Transparent Pricing

NetTutor has the simplest pricing structure: we only charge for the time our tutors spend supporting

your students. Unlike other services, there are no flat rates for paper reviews, no archiving time added

to each session, no rollover fees on hours not used in the year they were purchased, no set-up fees, no

training fees, and no marketing fees. You will only ever be charged for time your students spend actually

receiving assistance.

Centralized Tutoring

Only NetTutor’s tutors are centrally located. This ensures the highest quality of service as well as

adherence to any customization through Rules of Engagement. Other online tutoring services outsource

their tutors or use subcontractors, leading to lower quality engagements for students.

13. Describe the capabilities and functionality of your company’s website.

The NetTutor website provides information on the NetTutor service. It also acts as a portal through

which students can log in to access online tutoring if NetTutor is not integrated directly into their

learning management system.

14. Describe your company’s Customer Service Department (hours of operation, number of service

centers, etc.).

Our web-based Customer Support System is available 24/7/365. A link to submit a “Customer Support Request” can be found on every page of NetTutor as well as the WorldWideWhiteboard dashboard. Users receive a ticket number for tracking purposes immediately upon submission in an email confirming the details of their submission. Phone support is available Monday through Friday, 8AM to 8PM CST. All Customer Support personnel are located in our Tampa, Florida office. LSI is committed to providing the most efficient and highest-quality service possible. We strive to

provide the quickest turnaround times and the most clear and concise information to our users. It is

our priority and principal goal to make sure that each and every support inquiry is handled as

quickly and as effectively as possible. Our Customer Support Services personnel are trained to

support all LSI solutions. They possess a broad knowledge base of issues that can be experienced by

personal computer users accessing and utilizing internet-based programs. They also work closely

with product managers to resolve any issues that arise concerning LSI service or account issues. All

have years of experience in dealing with clients on a professional level. Our Customer Support

Services employees are bilingual in both Spanish and English.



15. Provide information regarding whether your firm, either presently or in the past, has been

involved in any litigation, bankruptcy, or reorganization.

Link-Systems International has never been involved in any litigation, bankruptcy, or reorganization.

Marketing / Sales

16. Detail how your organization plans to market this contract within the first ninety (90) days of the

award date. This should include, but not be limited to:

a. A co-branded press release within first 30 days

b. Announcement of award through any applicable social media sites

c. Direct mail campaigns

d. Co-branded collateral pieces

e. Advertisement of contract in regional or national publications

f. Participation in trade shows

g. Dedicated TCPN and Region 4 ESC internet web-based homepage with:

i. TCPN and Region 4 ESC Logo

ii. Link to TCPN and Region 4 ESC website

iii. Summary of contract and services offered

iv. Due Diligence Documents including; copy of solicitation, copy of contract and any

amendments, marketing materials

Within the first ninety days of the award date, LSI will implement a thorough marketing plan. This plan

will include:

a. A co-branded press release developed with and approved by Region 4 ESC

b. Broadcasting of award through social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

c. Direct mail campaigns as needed

d. Development of co-branded collateral pieces for distribution electronically and physically

e. Creation of advertisements for contract in regional and national publications

f. Participation with Region 4 ESC and TCPN in local and national trade shows

g. Development of dedicated TCPN and Region 4 ESC homepages that include

i. TCPN and Region 4 ESC logos

ii. Links to TCPN and Region 4 ESC websites

iii. Summary of contract and all services offered

iv. Due diligence documents including: copy of solicitation, copy of contract and any

amendments, and marketing materials

In addition, LSI will work collaboratively with Region 4 ESC to develop other marketing campaigns.

17. Describe how your company will demonstrate the benefits of this contract to eligible entities if

awarded.

LSI Regional Sales Managers and sales support staff will demonstrate the benefits of this contract to

eligible entities by showing how institutions can leverage the purchasing power of TCPN to gain access

to market-leading online tutoring services at the best possible price regardless of the institution’s size.



18. Explain how your company plans to market this agreement to existing government customers.

LSI will contact all existing government clients that this agreement would affect and make them aware

of the details of the agreement and how it will impact them.

19. Provide a detailed ninety (90) day plan describing how the contract will be implemented within

your firm.

Implementation Plan

Preparation for campus-wide rollout of LSI NetTutor online tutoring service support Timeline: First month of engagement

Week One

Organizational meeting

Technology and Interface Implementation

Week Two First Rules of Engagement (tutoring guideline) meeting

Test of technical interface, part one

Week Three Distribute final draft of Rules of Engagement, pre-roll-out meeting

Drafting of marketing material and online introduction & how-to

Week Four NetTutor informational meeting on institution’s campus

Test of technical integration, part two

Day 31 Roll-out (NetTutor links and access goes live)

Phase Overview: LSI Development Team enables Region 4 ESC to access LSI NetTutor on Web access via the institution’s learning management system and/or a dedicated portal. LSI Management works with Region 4 ESC student support team and others to define tutoring guidelines and expectations. Region 4 ESC supplies documents such as textbooks, ebooks, syllabi, and meets with NetTutor Management Team to exchange information about expected tutoring pedagogy. LSI visits institution’s campus and conducts seminars to smooth the transition to NetTutor support. Milestone 1.1 Organizational meeting Responsible Party LSI Executive Management, LSI NetTutor Management, Region 4 ESC student support team and optional faculty Deliverable

High-level details of integration settled, all contact persons at Region 4 ESC and LSI attend

Discussion of purpose and aim of Rules of Engagement

Delegation of Region 4 ESC committee on ROE

Delegation of LSI NetTutor point person

Milestone 1.2 Technology and Interface Implementation



Responsible Party: LSI Development Team, in collaboration with Region 4 ESC IT team Deliverable:

• Connection within Region 4 ESC learning management system to NetTutor interface • Reliable connection tested multiple times prior to rollout

Milestone 1.3 Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Online Tutoring Responsible Party: LSI NetTutor Management Team, in collaboration with delegated representative of Region 4 ESC student support or faculty Deliverable:

Initial version of a living document defining desirable tutoring practices and expectations for measures of student success

Lists of subjects, lists of courses, documentation, and other course-dependent materials for delivery of services at the desired levels will be supplied by Region 4 ESC

Final draft of ROE distributed to team

Milestone 1.4 Marketing and information introducing NetTutor to the campus Responsible Party: LSI NetTutor Management Team, LSI Marketing Team, and Region 4 ESC student services Deliverable:

Attendance by NetTutor tutoring professionals in at least one meeting per semester to introduce the NetTutor Online Tutoring Service to incoming students, faculty members, on-campus tutors, and others

LSI Marketing Team provides marketing materials for students and faculty explaining how to log into NetTutor, the desirability of seeking assistance, and other documentation as needed

Milestone 1.5 Pre-roll-out meeting Responsible Party: LSI Executive Management Team, LSI NetTutor Management, delegated representatives of Region 4 ESC Deliverable:

LSI Executive Management, NetTutor Management and Region 4 ESC representatives meet to approve the appearance of the Broward College NetTutor site and access and set up ROE meetings going forward.



Milestones – Phase 2 Title: Campus-wide rollout of LSI NetTutor Phase Overview LSI will perform online tutoring and will maintain desired conditions and make staffing adjustments specific to anticipated demand. LSI will also supply statistics of tutoring activity, including items such as session duration, wait-time, and tutor responses. Timeline Post rollout of campus-wide tutoring Week 1 First live tutoring session will be conducted

Week 2 (and each subsequent) ROE meeting to review service and tutoring

Month 2 (and each subsequent) First monthly statistics will be provided

Semester 1 (and each subsequent) First end-of-semester tutoring report

Constant Student, faculty technical support by LSI

End of Semester 1 First student satisfaction survey report

Upon demand or as scheduled All other services

Deliverable

On-demand tutoring for students according to guidelines set in Milestones 1.2 and 2.2

Asynchronous tutoring in all subjects, including writing review and critique with less than a 48 hour turn-around time and responses to questions submitted to the Q&A Center within 24 hours and according to guidelines set in Milestones 1.3 and 2.2

Milestone 2.2 Weekly review of Rules of Engagement and services delivered Responsible Party LSI NetTutor Management Team, Region 4 ESC delegated representative(s) as set in Milestone 1.5 Deliverable

LSI NetTutor Team representative discusses implementation, results, and possible adjustments to ROE

Real-time adjustments to the Rules of Engagement as necessary

Milestone 2.3 Regular, easy-to-understand statistics reflecting all aspects of online tutoring Responsible Party LSI NetTutor Management Team Deliverable

Each month LSI NetTutor Management will provide Region 4 ESC with reports on all tutoring sessions

The reports will present at-a-glance pictures of usage per subject



Milestone 2.4 24-hour customer service support for technical issues Responsible Party LSI Customer Service Team, LSI NetTutor Management, LSI Executive Management Deliverable

Every page in the NetTutor website offers access to customer service and technical support at a single click

All customer service requests are answered within 24 hours

Students and faculty either receive a solution within that time frame or technical support escalates their issue to higher levels

Milestone 2.5 Student surveys and evaluation of service Responsible Party LSI NetTutor Management Deliverable

LSI NetTutor measures student response to tutoring via short surveys presented to students after each session

Results of surveys will be made available to Region 4 ESC within the first week after the completion of a semester

Other formats and frequency of surveys may be designed upon request

Milestone 2.6 Adaptation of staffing level to semester-end and finals week tutoring needs (and other campus scheduling) Responsible Party LSI NetTutor Management Deliverable

NetTutor will track the number of student logins as well as hours of usage

NetTutor will consult with on-campus tutors and faculty, as available, to proactively staff tutors to minimize wait times for tutoring, especially at peak hours of usage

20. Describe how you intend on train your national sales force on the Region 4 ESC agreement.

We will conduct a series of webinars and in-person training for our sales staff to make them aware of

this agreement, what is involved, and provide them with the information necessary to leverage this

agreement in their territories. We believe it would be advantageous to both parties to have a

representative from Region 4 ESC and/or TCPN address our sales staff during one of these webinars.



21. Acknowledge that your organization agrees to provide its company logo(s) to Region 4 ESC and

agrees to provide permission for reproduction of such logo in marketing communications and

promotions.

LSI and NetTutor acknowledge that we will provide our company logos to Region 4 ESC and provide

permission for reproduction of our logos in marketing communications and promotions.

22. Provide the revenue that your organization anticipates each year for the first three (3) years of this

agreement.

$ 62,500.00 in year one

$ 125,000.00 in year two

$ 187,500.00 in year three

Administration

23. Describe your company’s implementation and success with existing cooperative purchasing

programs, if any, and provide the cooperative’s name(s), contact person(s) and contact information as

reference(s).

Foundation for California Community Colleges OEI and CAI

24. Describe the capacity of your company to report monthly sales through this agreement.

LSI will provide monthly sales reports that include details as determined during the initial

implementation process.

25. Describe the capacity of your company to provide management reports, i.e. consolidated billing by

location, time and attendance reports, etc. for each eligible agency.

LSI will provide reports on at least a monthly basis that include consolidated billing by location, time and

attendance reports for each institution participating through this agreement, and other reports as

determined by Region 4 ESC.

26. Please provide any suggested improvements and alternatives for doing business with your

company that will make this arrangement more cost effective for your company and Participating

Public Agencies.

Centralized report distribution would be more cost effective; however, participants would still have the

option to pull their own reports.



Green Initiatives

27. Please provide your company’s environmental policy and/or green initiative.

Purpose

Link-Systems International, Inc. (LSI) minimizes impact to the environment in the definition, design,

manufacture, support, and use of our solutions (products, activities, and services) by reusing, recycling,

and adopting processes that conserve raw materials, energy, and water. LSI recognizes that one of the

important factors influencing health is the environment in which we live and work -- the air we breathe

and the water we drink. That is why we are focused on minimizing the impact our company has on the

environment and creating a company culture that heightens our employees’ awareness of the

importance of preserving the environment and conserving energy and natural resources.

Environmental Principles

Realizing that the world's natural resources are limited and fragile, LSI considers environmental

protection to be consistent with its overall goals and values and an important consideration in its total

activities. This commitment to environmental protection is reflected in our policies, programs and

practices for conducting operations in an environmentally and economically responsible manner.

The LSI Environmental Impact Plan (EIP) is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing, and

improving LSI processes and actions to meet its environmental obligations. It serves as a vehicle to

ensure that activities, products, and services conform to nationally recognized standards and

environmental requirements.

Furthermore, the LSI recognizes that effective environmental management can positively impact

corporate profitability in several important ways. First, programs designed to make efficient use of

natural resources often minimize operating costs. Second, environmental quality programs help sustain

and enhance LSI’s presence and reputation in domestic and international markets. Third, compliance

programs minimize risk and potential legal liability. In these ways and more, environmental protection is

viewed by LSI as important to the economic well-being of our company.

Environmental Policy Statement

Environmental protection is a management responsibility as well as the responsibility of every employee

of LSI. This policy concerning environmental protection addresses aspects of the LSI’s operations which

can potentially impact the environment.

LSI is focused on achieving the following environmental policy objectives:

Waste Reduction and Recycling - Helps to make LSI an environmentally responsible company by

using the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Scrap Management - Uses LSI’s ability to exchange excess components, materials, and

equipment of all types. This program provides resources for the scrapping of any item, when

necessary, in an environmentally sound manner.

Hazardous Materials Management - Ensures safe and proper management of hazardous

materials and waste, including their handling, disposal, storage, and shipment, as well as



ensuring compliance with company and legal requirements pertaining to the management of

hazardous waste.

Energy Management - Focuses on improving energy efficiency in building design and

construction, energy conservation best practices in existing and future facilities, reducing energy

costs through long-term price contracts, identifying opportunities in new and innovative

programs offered through utility companies and with local, state, and national agencies, and on

continuously raising energy awareness among LSI employees.

Employee Education - Educate employees to be accountable for environmental stewardship and

encourage them to seek innovative ways to improve the environmental aspects of our

operations.

Research and Development - Support research and development of programs and technologies

aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of our operations.

We periodically evaluate our progress in implementing environmentally sustainable practices to ensure

we comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. Where environmental laws and

regulations do not exist, we follow our own environmentally conscious practices and encourage the use

of environmentally conscious practices in our workplaces. We continually seek to improve

environmental management policies, programs, and performance, based on the results of our periodic

reviews and taking into account regulatory developments, customer needs, technical developments,

scientific understanding, and community expectations.

Vendor Certifications (if applicable)

28. Provide a copy of all current licenses, registrations and certifications issued by federal, state and

local agencies, and any other licenses, registrations or certifications from any other governmental

entity with jurisdiction, allowing respondent to perform the covered services including, but not

limited to licenses, registrations or certifications. M/WBE, HUB, DVBE, small and disadvantaged

business certifications and other diverse business certifications, as well as manufacturer certifications

for sales and service must be included if applicable.

Not applicable.



Appendix B: PRODUCT / SERVICES SPECIFICATIONS

Service Overview

Describe your company’s offering, including whether both in-person and online tutoring is offered.

NetTutor provides synchronous and asynchronous online tutoring in all subject areas. NetTutor does not

provide in-person tutoring. Students connect with our highly qualified, professional U.S.-based tutors in

a one-to-one environment. Tutors only work with one student at a time—they never have multiple

sessions open at once. All tutors hold at least a bachelor’s degree in their tutoring area, with many

holding master’s or doctoral degrees as well. All tutors must pass a rigorous subject area exam before

they are hired. They undergo training aligned to College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA)

guidelines and are evaluated regularly during their employment.

Tutoring Modes

NetTutor’s live online tutoring mode provides the following features:

Private, one-on-one online meeting space for tutors to work with one student at a time

An easy-to-use whiteboard interface that includes subject-specific tools, including algebra, pre-

calculus, single and multivariable calculus, chemistry, and statistics

Separate chat area

ADA Section 508 compliant chat interface

Drag-and-drop images, PDFs, and other documents directly onto the whiteboard

Unlimited storage of students’ sessions in their own private archive

View or download archived sessions for study purposes

Audio and video interactions

Usable on computers, tablets and mobile devices

Average wait time is less than two minutes

Students can use the same whiteboard interface in an asynchronous mode, the Q&A Center. This allows

students to submit a question and return later to retrieve the tutor’s response.

NetTutor provides asynchronous writing across the curriculum review through the Paper Center.

Students may submit their writing assignments at any time for review by a professional writing tutor.

Students provide information on their assignment on a form when submitting their assignment. This

form includes the following information:

Type of assignment (research, argumentative, process, etc.)

Required length

Citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)

Description of assignment

Student’s selection of specific areas of weakness

Students are notified once their assignment has been reviewed and can retrieve their assignment with

the tutor’s feedback. NetTutor writing tutors provide critiques that can focus on higher order writing



concerns, such as theme and coherent structure; lower order concerns, such as sentence completion

and verb tense; or a combination of the two. The character of tutor feedback is determined by:

The agreed-upon tutoring guidelines NetTutor establishes with the client, the NetTutor Rules of

Engagement (ROE)

The areas of response requested by the students and the nature of the assignment as described

on the submission form

Areas for improvement the tutor observes while creating the writing critique

Tutors provide two types of feedback. They create an overview of strengths and areas for improvement

noted in students’ writing. They also insert standard proofreading markings and commentary directly in

the assignment. Tutors may complement their remarks with references to third-party resources, such as

writing manuals, as requested by the client.

In no case do tutors fix, proof, or edit the paper for the student unless instructed to by the institution; in

every case, the tutor offers encouragement by recognizing the strengths of students’ current work and

suggestions for improving the writing. Tutors use their professional judgment to ask probing questions,

give specific advice, and refer to writing principles as appropriate.

Rules of Engagement

NetTutor clients are invited to customize their students’ tutoring experience. The NetTutor management

team, together with the client’s designated point of contact and faculty, draws up a living document

setting expectations for online tutoring called the Rules of Engagement (ROE). The ROE can include

details such as:

Tutors’ use of course materials (e.g., syllabus, textbook info, assignments) to ensure sessions

align with course pedagogy

o This can include specific assignments NetTutor can tutor (or not)

Tutors’ use of the same symbols and notations, language, solution style, and so forth as decided

by faculty and learning assistance administrators

Types of questions for which tutors can and cannot provide assistance

How the customer wants our tutors to interact with students needing accommodations

This is an ongoing relationship. We can update the ROE as requested to ensure students receive

customized, specific tutoring experiences. NetTutor is the only online tutoring provider to offer

customization of tutoring services.

Describe your company’s communication plan with schools or school districts who choose to use your

tutorial service.

NetTutor’s Client Relationship Manager will work with schools and school districts that choose to use

NetTutor. The Client Relationship Manager will set up calls (monthly, bi-weekly, or at other intervals)

with school or district contacts to facilitate the ongoing discussion of the engagement—how students

are using the service, discussion of Rules of Engagement, and other topics.



NetTutor provides reports for any date range specified (weekly, monthly, etc.). The reports include, at a

minimum, student ID (name, unique student identifier ID, class/group), date, time and duration of

sessions, type of session (synchronous, asynchronous, or scheduled), and type of tutoring (subject area).

Summary information and details of a specific session are also available. This database is updated in real

time and made available via e-mail attachment.

We also have an option called ReferTutorReport (RTR). This option allows instructors and administrators

to refer a student for tutoring, along with stating the specific remediation needed. The NetTutor

tutoring team will be able to access course details and the student referral in order to align the tutoring

to address the student’s specific remediation needs. By providing robust reporting and documentation,

the referrer can quickly determine which students have taken advantage of these referrals. Many

institutions that utilize an early-alert program, as well as ADA Compliance Managers, have used RTR to

increase student persistence.

Describe your company’s ability to assess, document, and report on student progress and success.

Frequency

NetTutor normally provides detailed usage reports to its clients on a monthly base, but will tailor this

interval to whatever time frame works best for Region 4 ESC. We will email these reports to the

designated program administrator and any other staff as decided by the institution. The program

administrator can also pull reports on demand for a selected date range.

Report Content

Each report consists of two parts: a general summary of usage and information related to all tutoring

sessions:

General content

Total hours used

Purchased hours remaining

Trend analysis

Total sessions by subject or session type

Session-related content

Student name

Student ID

Session date

Session start time

Session end time

Session length

Session type

Course code and section number (if passed to NetTutor through integration)

Tutor name or ID



Student Satisfaction

NetTutor will provide a number of methods for measuring student and faculty satisfaction as well as the

impact of online tutoring on academic success:

Student satisfaction surveys delivered at the end of each session

Faculty satisfaction surveys by request

Custom, collaborative analysis of the impact of online tutoring on student academic

improvement, retention, and other metrics through our Academic Research department

Describe your company’s ability to complement and conform to the school or school district’s pre-

existing programs and established curriculum.

NetTutor is unique in our ability to complement pre-existing programs and curriculum at our partner

institutions through our Rules of Engagement. We offer complete customization of all student-tutor

interactions to ensure that each tutoring session conforms to established standards and pedagogy. This

customization allows our tutors to mirror the services provided by on-campus tutors. NetTutor is the

only online tutoring provider that offers this level of customization.

Describe how long tutoring sessions last, when they are available during the day and during the year,

and how the sessions will be conducted.

NetTutor does not set any limits on the length of tutoring sessions; however, institutions can set limits

through the Rules of Engagement, if desired. A typical live session lasts 25 minutes and a typical paper

review takes 20 minutes.

All levels of mathematics and English/writing are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Availability for other subject areas varies, but all subjects are offered for at least 80 hours per week.

Sessions are conducted on the WorldWideWhiteboard®, NetTutor’s online tutoring platform. Students

can choose from a number of tutoring options, including:

Live Tutorial: one-to-one

Q&A Center: asynchronous question submission

Paper Center: asynchronous writing review

Archive Center: review their past tutoring sessions

Describe all training, certifications, and other requirements for instructors.

Our professional tutors are managed and trained at our Tampa, Florida headquarters. In addition to

rigorous tutor training, an extensive amount of time is dedicated to mastering our platform and

technology systems.

All new tutors are required to complete extensive training before being able to work alone with a

student. They must participate in a minimum of 10 hours of in-house tutor training that comprises

knowledge in Integrated Cognitive-Contextualized Learning (ICCL) theory (Kephart, 2012), as well as best

practices in tutoring, and is aligned with the Association for the Tutoring Profession (ATP) and the



College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certification requirements. This training includes,

among others,

How to deal with diversity and cultural issues in learning (ESOL)

How to tutor students who are diversely abled (Accessibility)

What the tutor’s role is in the learning process

How to attend to the four categories of learning: 1) cognitive support by providing content and

disciplinary expertise, 2) socio-affective support by encouraging the learner, 3) motivational

support, and 4) meta-cognitive support by helping students develop learning strategies and

study skills

How to provide an index of strengths and weaknesses in a feedback that fills the gap between

the actual level of displayed learning and the reference level of learning (Ramaprasad, 1983).

Any tutor’s comment to a student, whether synchronous or asynchronous, is dialogic in nature (Socratic

Method), gives advice, poses questions, offers praise, suggests new lines of inquiry, and provokes

thought.

NetTutor also expects the same level of behavior among our tutors as the American Tutoring Profession

(ATP): http://www.myatp.org/about/410-2/

Provide at least one case study showing the effect your company’s program has had on a school or

school district, specifically including data on the effect the program has had on at-risk students.

Please see Attachment A, Using the NetTutor® Online Tutorial Service to help meet the diverse needs of

students in the urban community college and Attachment B, Access to an Online Tutorial Service: College

Algebra Student Outcomes

If your company is offering an online or digital tutoring solution, provide your guaranteed SLA rate

and problem resolution plan.

When perceived failures of our service are identified, we investigate and work with the reporting college

to resolve them. We offer complete transparency with respect to this process. If Region 4 ESC would like

to co-develop a Service Level Agreement to attach to the contract, we would be amenable.

If your company offers in-person tutoring, provide the number of instructors currently employed by

state and the average number of students your instructors handle in a single tutoring session. Also

provide a plan for resolution of problems with instructors.

NetTutor does not offer in-person tutoring.

If your company may employ independent or subcontractors, you must submit a subcontractor plan

detailing quality control procedures as well as procedures for adding or removing subcontractors.

NetTutor does not employ independent contractors or subcontractors.

http://www.myatp.org/about/410-2/



Available Subjects

NetTutor conducts tutoring sessions according to all applicable state standards.

* Denotes bilingual support † Denotes graduate level support

Subject Availability per Week

Mathematics & Statistics *†

Matemáticas en español, Basic Math, Liberal Arts Math, Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Single Variable Calculus, Applied Calculus, Multi Variable Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Vector Calculus, Probability, Beginning Statistics, Intermediate Statistics, Advanced Statistics, Math for Teachers

24/7/365

Writing *†

Composition, Reading, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Nonfiction Writing, Creative Writing, Technical Writing, American Literature, British Literature, World Literature, Graduate Writing, Communications

24/7/365

Science

Physics

Classical Mechanics*, Classical Electromagnetism*, Optics*, Nuclear Physics, Quantum Mechanics†, Acoustics, General Relativity

160+ hours

Chemistry

General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry†, Physical Chemistry†, Analytical Chemistry†

60+ hours

Biology

Human Anatomy and Physiology†, General Biology†, Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology†, Microbiology†, Genetics, Zoology, Botany, Ecology, Evolution

90+ hours

Earth Science

Geology, Astronomy† 40+ hours

Business †

Business I & II, Business Law, Management , Principles of Management, Marketing, Principles of Marketing, Strategic Management,

80+ hours

Economics †

Economics, Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics 80+ hours

Finance & Accounting †

Payroll Accounting, Introductory Accounting, Principles of Financial Accounting, Principles of Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I, II, & III, Advanced Accounting, Governmental Accounting, Cost Accounting I & II, Audit I & II, Internal Audit, Taxation, Tax I (Personal), Tax II (Business/Corporate), Law and the Accountant, Finance, Principles of Finance,

80+ hours



* Denotes bilingual support † Denotes graduate level support

Subject Availability per Week

Humanities & Social Sciences †

U.S. History, World History, Government, Political Science, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Criminology, Child Development

80+ hours

World Languages †

Spanish 120+ hours

French 50+ hours

Italian 40+ hours

German 40+ hours

Nursing and Health Sciences †

Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Medical Terminology, Principles and Concepts of Nutrition, Newborn and Neonatal Intensive Care, Hospice Care, Dosage and Calculations, Fundamentals of Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Introduction to Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Maternal/Fetal Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, General Medical/Surgical Nursing, Oncology, Medical-Surgical Nursing

30+ hours

Computer Information Systems

C, C#, C++, Computer Modeling Database, HTML, JavaScript, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Front Page, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office, Windows NT, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Oracle Database, SQL, Visual Basic, Mac OSX, Computer Basics, Desktop Publishing, Information Systems, Linux, Networking, Perl Programming, TCP/IP Unix, Website Development

40+ hours

Information Literacy *† Research Topics, Research Questions & Thesis Statements, Research Strategies, Annotated Bibliographies, Standard Document Formats (APA, MLA, Chicago, others), Using Electronic Databases, Choosing Appropriate Sources

120+ hours

Additional subjects are available upon request.

Page 1

Access to an Online Tutorial Service:

College Algebra Student Outcomes

Gladis Kersaint, University of South Florida

4202 E. Fowler Ave, EDU105,

Tampa, FL 33620-5650

[email protected]

813-974-1644 (Office), 813-974-3837 (Fax)

James Dogbey, Clemson University

Clemson University,

Clemson, SC 29634

[email protected]

864-656-2329 (Math Sciences) 864-656-5473

(Education)

Jeff Barber, University of South Florida

4202 E. Fowler Ave, EDU105,

Tampa, FL 33620-5650

[email protected]

813-974-3533 (Office), 813-974-3837 (Fax)

David Kephart, Link-Systems International, Inc.

4515 George Road, Suite 340

Tampa, FL 33634

[email protected]

(813) 674-0660 x-207

Abstract

This study investigated outcomes (achievement, attitude, and retention) of College Algebra

students who had access to an online tutoring resource using a pre-posttest control group

research design. Students in the experimental groups were provided access to an online tutoring

service and students in the control were not. Both groups had access to other forms of tutorial

services available at the university. Collected data included algebra content knowledge test,

attitude survey, online tutoring logs, and retention data. The content knowledge gain scores of

students in the experimental group who used the online tutoring service (E-Users) were

significantly higher than the students in the experimental who did not use the service (E-Non

Users). E-Users had better attitudes about help seeking than E-Non-Users. More students in the

experimental group persisted and remained in the course than did in the students in the control

group.

Keywords: Tutoring, College Mathematics, Algebra, Attitudes, Mathematics Achievement

To address challenges students experience with mathematics, many educators and others

recognize the need to provide learning supports to enhance and improve students’ learning

experiences and content knowledge (Center for Mental Health in Schools, 2010). Many national and international educational institutions, both at the secondary and postsecondary levels, address this

need by providing tutorial services for students. Tutorial services are available and used in various

settings all around the world (see for example, Kim & Park, 2010; Underhill & McDonald, 2010; and

Ferjolja & Vickers, 2010).

Access to an Online Tutorial Service Page 2

Tutoring1

refers to a supplemental learning experience in which one person (the tutor)

supports and promotes the learning of another individual (the tutee) or group of individuals. The

definition of tutor, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2010), is “a person

charged with the instruction and guidance of another” or “to teach or guide usually individually

in a special subject or for a particular purpose” (“Tutor”, para. 1). Hock, Deshler and Schumaker

(1999) describe two different models of tutoring – instructional and assignment-assistance.

These models for tutoring are different in the intent and the engagement of the tutors in

providing learning support. Instructional tutoring is described as an instructional practice where

the tutor(s), (a) analyze the assignment in terms of learner skills needed to complete the

assignment; (b) analyze the student’s current level of skill and strategy knowledge; (c) instruct

the student through explanation, modeling, and guided practice in relevant skills, strategies and

content knowledge that the student can use to complete similar tasks in the future; and

(d) provide sustained corrective feedback . . .; and (e) provide immediate support for current

assignment to keep the student academically “afloat” while the student develops proficiency as

an independent learner. (“Tutoring Models”, para 2.)

In contrast, the major focus of assignment-assistance tutors is to provide assistance based on

the assignment or task that the students bring to the tutor’s attention. Specifically, assignment

assistance tutoring (a) provide small-group or one-to-one homework assistance; (b) react to the

demands of the general curriculum and review content with the student; (c) provide brief

feedback on student performance; and (d) make little or no systematic attempt to teach skills and

learning strategies relevant to the homework assignment at hand and generalizable to similar

assignments in the future. (“Tutoring Models”, para 4.)

Although the primary objective of tutoring is to enhance the knowledge and skills of the

tutee, there is great variation in the approaches used to provide tutoring in terms of setting

(informal or formal), number of individuals to be served (one individual or a small group), and

the setting in which it is provided (academic setting, community organization, or online).

Additionally, many tutorial services are provided on scheduled dates, times, and locations and

students are expected to take advantage of the available resource.

Review of the Literature

The literature was reviewed to gain insights about what is known about tutoring and the effect of

tutoring on student outcomes. Specifically, the review of the literature will address the use of

tutoring in various settings, the effects of online tutoring, and the use of tutoring and help

seeking behaviors. Each of these is discussed below.

Tutoring as a Learning Support

Tutoring is an instructional arrangement that has been used at the elementary (Nath & Ross,

2001; Rohrbeck, Ginsburg-Block, Fantuzzo, & Miller, 2003), secondary (Kamps et al., 2008;

Mastropieri et al., 2006) and post-secondary levels (Flachinov, 2001, Richardson, 2009).

In many cases, tutoring by peers allow students to obtain individualized support and feedback

during the independent practice phase of instruction. Tutoring has been used with a wide range

of students including those considered at risk (Nesselrodt & Alger, 2005; Rohrbect et al, 2003)

1 This paper does not address computer-based tutorial programs in which a computer software is

tutor and the tutee engages with a computer-assisted learning intervention (see, e.g., Xu, 2009).


and those with learning disabilities (McDuffie, Mastropieri, & Scrugss, 2009; Osborn et al., 2007;

Spencer, 2006; Vogel, Fresko, & Wertheim, 2007). In several countries, private tutoring is seen

as a means to address instructional shortcomings of the public school system (Ireson, 2004; Lee,

2007; Nath, 2008). Collectively, these studies reveal that tutoring is a viable means to enhance

students’ learning experiences and content knowledge.

Effect of Tutoring

Most studies related to tutoring were conducted in face-to-face peer-tutoring environments (e.g.,

Duran & Monereo, 2005; Robinson, Schofield, & Steers-Wenzell, 2005). Such environments

provide individualized attention to each student, conversation about the subject matter, and an

opportunity for students to pose and receive responses to questions. Research indicates that while

students may be inactive in class, they are more likely to ask questions spontaneously during

tutoring sessions, thereby clearing their misconceptions and leading to enhanced understandings

(e.g., Falchikov, 2001).

Research on tutoring shows that tutoring has a positive effect in a variety of content areas

including reading (Burns, Senesac, & Silberglit, 2008; Hendriksen, Yang, Love, & Hall, 2005;

Patterson & Elliot, 2006), social studies (Lo & Cartledge, 2004; Mastropeiri, Scruggs, Spencer,

& Fontana, 2003), science (Mastropieri, Scruggs, & Gaetz, 2005; Topping, Peter, Stephen, &

Whale 2004), and mathematics (Fuchs et al., 2008; Robinson, Schofield, & Steers-Wentzell,

2005; Topping, Campbell, Douglas, & Smith, 2003). Collectively, these studies suggest that

tutoring is an effective intervention for supporting student learning. Studies on tutoring report

benefits for both the tutor and the tutee that include (a) acquisition of contentspecific academic

skills (Falchikov, 2001; Lock & Layton, 2008; Robinson, Schofield, & Steers-Wentzell, 2005);

(b) better understanding of course content (Belawati, 2005; Falchikov, 2001); (c) just-in-time or

relatively immediate corrective feedback (Nath & Ross, 2001); (d) retention in courses or

programs (Belawati, 2005); (e) improved class behavior (Nazzal, 2000; Robinson, Schofield, &

Steers-Wentzell, 2005); and (f) improved attitudes about the subject matter (Robinson, Schofield,

& Steers-Wentzell, 2005). Although all types of tutoring were found to be effective, researchers

conclude tutoring provided by content experts (e.g., certified teachers) yielded larger effects than

those provided by volunteer tutors (Elbaum, Vaughn, Hughes, & Moody, 2000).

Tutoring Provided Online

Typically, tutoring is carried out in face-to-face settings in which the tutor and tutee meet at a

specified time and location. However, recent and rapid improvements in information and

communication technologies, and the increase in access to the Internet have made it possible for

tutoring to be conducted via the Internet (see e.g., Fleisher, 2006). Consequently, providing

learning support to students is no longer limited by space or time. Furthermore, such assistance is

not limited to services provided by known individuals (i.e., a peer or individuals in a local

learning center) because the tutor can be any expert with an online connection. Students who use

online tutoring are in charge; they identify areas of needed assistance, propose the topic to be

discussed, and monitor their own progress. Although both face-to-face and online tutoring

provides interaction between the tutor and the tutee, online tutoring provides partial anonymity in

communication and independence in space and time.

Online tutoring supports both synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (delayed)

communication. However, the nature of interactions and the type of instructor support permitted

by those environments differ. In a synchronous environment, real-time interaction allows the

simulation of a real classroom learning situation and immediate, interactive clarification of


meaning (Goodyear, Jones, Asenio, Hodgson, & Steeples, 2005). In contrast, asynchronous

communication requires that the sender wait for a response in a time delayed fashion. Although

there is ample research on face-to-face tutoring environments, research on online (not

computerbased) tutoring supported by live individuals is scarce.

Use of Tutorial Supports and Help Seeking Behaviors.

All students encounter situations in which there is a gap between academic expectations and their

ability to meet them. A direct response to this would be to seek assistance. Although the goal of

providing tutorial services is to enhance students’ learning experiences and achievement,

research reveals that only a relatively small percentage (25 – 30%) of students take advantage of

learning supports such as tutoring when they are not mandated (Williams, Howell, Laws, &

Methen, 2006; Primary Research Group, 2009). This may be due, in part, to the changing nature

of society in which many high school and college students have other work or family-related

responsibilities that influence the use of their time. These responsibilities may limit their ability

to take advantage of tutorial services provided at a specific time and location. In addition,

students in remote or rural settings may have other concerns (e.g., transportation) that limit their

ability to take advantage of learning support services (Belawati, 2005). This suggest a needed to

understanding the help seeking behaviors of college level students. Help seeking is defined as

“an achievement behavior involving the search for and employment of a strategy to obtain

success” (Ames & Lau, 1982, p. 414.) Most research on help seeking have been conducted with

school-aged student (e.g., Turner et al., 2002; Wolters, 2004) and have documented factors

related to seeking help from the instructor or peers. Results from these studies indicate that there

are many threat factors that influence students’ reluctance to seek help including academic self-

efficacy, instructor expectation, lack of confidence, and threat to self-esteem (Karabenick &

Knapp 1991; Newman & Goldin 1990; Ryan, Gheen, & Midgley, 1998)

According to Karabenic (2004), “there have been no systematic studies of college students,

especially those in large classes that provide pivotal gateway experiences that have an important

influence on students’ persistence and vocational choices” (p. 510). College Algebra is such a

gateway course. Furthermore, little is known about the association between college students’

help seeking behaviors when the sources for help is provided in an online format rather than

other formal (i.e., teachers) or informal sources (i.e., peers). However, a few studies show that

the use of electronic resources (i.e., email) is less threatening than face-to face communication

(Karabenic & Knapp, 1988; Kistantas and Chow, 2007). Karabenic and Knapp reported that 86%

of the participants who had the option to seek help privately using electronic media did versus 36%

who opted to use face-to-face interactions for assistance. Similarly, Kistantas and Chow reported

that college students preferred to use electronic means to seek help from instructors and found

this approach effective. Collectively, these findings suggest that the possible elimination of threat

influences (i.e., embarrassment) provided in electronic formats might be a motivating factor in

seeking assistance.

Although not examining the psychological influences on help seeking (i.e., self-esteem), as

studied by other researchers, we view help seeking in an online environment as an important site

for exploration. If more students seek help in an online environment than is currently reported

that would suggests that there are other factors related to help seeking that need to be examined

(e.g., anonymity of interactions). If on the other hand, there are no differences in help seeking

behaviors in online and face-to-face environments then additional research will be needed to

learn about other influences on academic helping seeking behaviors in both settings. As revealed


in the literature review, there are many unanswered questions related to the use of online tutorial

supports, in general, and its use for supporting mathematics learning (the focus of this study), in

particular. Specifically, there is a need to examine factors related to its usage, including the

extent to which it is used, how it is used, and its influence on various student outcomes. This

study is an attempt to address this gap in the research literature. Although extant research

documents the efficacy of peer tutoring programs in mathematics at the university level (e.g.,

D’Souza & Wood, 2003; Xu, Hartman, Uribe, & Mencke, 2001), there is limited information

about students’ use of online tutoring in the area of mathematics that is facilitated by “live”

tutors synchronously or asynchronously.

The Study

This study explored College Algebra students’ use of an online tutoring service in a naturalistic

environment (as opposed to a contrived setting in which the nature of the learning environment is

altered). Rather than study the use of online tutoring in mathematics in a highly structured

tutoring program in which a predefined curriculum is used or particular students are targeted, the

use of online tutoring was examined in a university setting in which the use of online tutoring is

one of several learning support options available to students. Because student participation in

tutoring programs is voluntary, no limit was placed on the availability of other learning supports

(i.e., college learning center, mathematics lab, or peers). In addition, students were not overtly

encouraged to use the online tutoring service over other resources or mandated to use it as part of

or as an alternative to other course requirements. To learn about the efficacy of such programs, it

is important for students to determine independently that the use of an online tutorial program is

a viable resource to support their learning.

Online Tutoring Resource

NetTutor, the online tutoring service used in this study, provides an interface that allows tutees to

interact online with a trained tutor about the course content. All of the tutoring sessions are

facilitated locally by experienced tutors who have a master’s or doctoral degree in mathematics.

The tutors were provided a copy of the course text to facilitate their interactions with students.

Tutoring occurs through the use of a whiteboard interface that includes the necessary tools and

symbols to communicate mathematics ideas. Students can engage with tutors synchronously or

asynchronously. To interact synchronously, students engage an on-duty tutor in a written

dialogue about areas of difficulty. An example of a synchronous exchange between a tutor and a

tutee is provided in Figure 1. As an alternative to a live tutorial, a student may submit an offline

question at any time using the same whiteboard interface. Students are notified by email to let

them know when an answer to an asynchronously submitted question is available, typically by

the next business day.


Figure 1 An online conversation between tutor and tutee

This type of tutoring environment can be considered reactive (De Lievre et al., 2006) or

assignment-assistance (Hock, Deshler, and Schumaker, 1999) tutoring in which the tutor reacts

to spontaneous requests for help from the learner. This is different from proactive (De Lievre et

al., 2006) or instructional (Hock, Deshler, and Schumaker, 1999) tutoring in which the tutor

initiates or intervenes in the tutees’ learning process.

Methods

The study employed a nonequivalent pretest-posttest, control group design (Gall, Gall, & Borg,

2007). Both groups were administered a pretest composed of algebra content knowledge and an

attitude survey on the first day of class in the semester the study was conducted. During the

interim between the pretest and posttest, students in all sections of the experimental group were

provided access to an online tutoring service through the online course management system

(Blackboard), while those in the control group did not have access to this resource. A posttest, in

the form of a common course final exam for the College Algebra class and the same attitude

survey, was administered at the end of the semester to students in both groups.

Instruments

Content Knowledge. The pre- and posttest address content that is typically included in College

Algebra courses. Items assessed students’ understanding of basic concepts of algebra such as

solving equations and inequalities, factoring quadratic binomials, multiplying polynomials, and

the like. The pretest consists of 20 -multiple choice items that were selected from among items

that are part of a departmentally developed and administered final exam for a prerequisite course.

The common course final exam that is generated by faculty in the mathematics department was

used as the posttest. It consisted of 40 multiple choice items that addressed similar content.


Attitude Survey. The attitude survey used in this study is an adaptation of the Modified Fennema-

Sherman Attitude Scale created by Doepken, Lawsky, and Padwa (n.d.). Their instrument

consisted of 47 items and was designed to look for differences in attitudes about students’

confidence in mathematics, how useful students thought mathematics would be to them, students’

perceptions of teacher attitudes and the idea that mathematics is a male dominated field. Items

were rated by participants on a 5-level, Likert scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree,

Strongly Disagree). Their survey was adapted to address topics of interest related to this study.

To address students’ attitudes towards seeking assistance (from a tutor, an instructor, or a peer),

some items were modified and new items were created. In addition, all items (n=11) related to

gender in the original survey were eliminated because they did not relate to the intent of the

study. The adapted attitude survey included 12 items to measure students’ confidence (e.g., I

know I can do well in math), 10 items for usefulness (e.g., Mathematics is a worthwhile,

necessary subject), and 8 items concerning help-seeking behaviors (e.g., When I have difficulty

solving a math problem, I ask someone else for help). To ensure the reliability of the attitude

survey, a Cronbach’s alpha statistic was obtained for the entire instrument (α = 0.92) and for the

items on each subscale (Confidence α = 0.93, Usefulness α = 0.78, Help-Seeking α = 0.75).

These alpha values indicate that the survey and each of the subscales are internally consistent in

measuring the identified constructs.

Sample

The sample for this study were undergraduate students enrolled in two out of the seven large

group sections of College Algebra courses taught by two different instructors during the fall

2008 semester at a large urban university in the southeast United States. The College Algebra

courses are comprised of three one-hour lectures and two one-hour recitation classes (8 different

sections) in which graduate level mathematics teaching assistants support the lecture sections by

addressing student questions and clarifying information shared as part of the class lectures. These

two instructors were selected because the their pedagogical approaches were similar and they

had vast teaching experience: the experimental group was taught by Instructor A, a female with

over 30 years of teaching experience; the control group was taught by Instructor B, a male with

over 40 years of teaching experience. Institutional Review Board consent was obtained to gather

data from the students in these two course sections and participation was voluntary. Table 1

provides the demographic information about the students enrolled in College Algebra courses at

the university and in the course taught by Instructors A and B. After attrition, pre- and post-test

achievement test scores were obtained for 341 students (195 in the experimental group; 146 in

the control group) that were included in the analysis of content knowledge. Of the 341 students

who completed both content knowledge assessments, 305 (89.4%) completed both the pre- and

post- attitude assessment; 127 from the experimental group and 178 from the control group. The

demographic information, including the racial/ethnic background of students in the sample was

similar to the overall course, the course sections, and the overall institution.

Data Collection.

The pretest was administered during the first class session and the posttest was administered as

part of the course final exam. The attitude surveys were administered along with the pre- and

posttest instruments, and were completed after students completed the content portion of the

exams. Data were also collected regarding students’ usage of the tutoring service. Logs were

kept of the amount of time students in the experimental group utilized an online tutor and the


amount time that was spent for each session. Records of the tutoring sessions in the form of

screen shots of tutor-tutee interactions were also obtained.

Table 1 Student Demographics Percentages for the University and College Algebra Courses in Fall 2008

University

n=47,576

All Sections

Combined

n=1456

Course taught

by Instructor

A

Total n=271

(Sample

n=195)

Course

Taught by

Instructor B

Total n=240

(Sample

n=146)

Total Sample

n=341

Male 42% 37% 33%(29%) 37%(32%) 30%

Female 58% 63% 67%(71%) 63%(68%) 70%

White 63% 62% 59%(65%) 63%(69%) 66%

Black 11% 14% 11%(13%) 10%(10%) 12%

Hispanic 14% 17% 13%(15%) 15%(17%) 16%

Asian 6% 5% 4%(5%) 4%(3%) 4%

Other2 6% 2% 12%(1%) 9%(1%) 3%

Data Analysis

Prior to conducting the various analyses, all of the data were checked to ensure that they met

model assumptions for the analysis to be performed. We describe the procedures used for

analyzing the data below.

Content knowledge. Each item on the pre- and posttest was scored either right or wrong. Since

there were different numbers of items on the pre- and posttest, content knowledge analysis was

performed using the percentage correct rather than raw scores. Gain scores between the pre and

post were calculated. To determine differences between the groups, t-test analyses were

conducted. First, differences were examined between the experimental group (those with access

to the online resource) and the control group (those without access to the online resource). Then,

differences between students in the experimental group who opted to use the online resource at

least once (E-Users) and those who did not (E-Non-Users) were analyzed. To determine if

differences were significant, data were also subjected to a two-way analysis of variance

(ANOVA).

Attitude. The attitude surveys were analyzed to determine the differences between the groups (E-

Users, E-Non-Users, Control) on each of the Attitude survey subscales (Confidence, Usefulness,

and Help Seeking) and on the overall total. A process similar to the one above for the t-test

analysis was used. However, because differences were found between the experimental and

control groups, data were subjected to a one-way ANOVA using the attitude survey gain scores

to determine whether the differences between the various groups were significant.

2 Includes unknown or left blank


Results

Tutorial Service Usage Patterns

Although all the participants in the experimental group were given direct access to the online

tutoring service through the course management system, data obtained from the NetTutor

interface revealed that 25% (49 out of 194) of students who had access to it used it at least once

either synchronously or asynchronously. Of these E-Users, 15 used the synchronous feature only,

13 used the asynchronous feature only, and 21 used both features. There were 190 synchronous

interactions that accounted for more than 62 logged hours of provided assistance. One student

used the system 37 times and accounted for 19 hours of tutoring. This frequency of usage was

more than double the next highest number (15), so this student was considered an outlier. For the

remaining 35 participants who used the live tutoring option, the mean number of interactions

with a live tutor was 4.37 and the average interaction lasted for 16.9 minutes. Thirty-four

students submitted questions asynchronously with a range from 1 to 20 questions per student.

The mean number of questions submitted was 4.06 with more than half (n=18) submitting only

one or two questions. Examination of the pretest scores revealed that the scores of the majority

of the E-Users were lower than the scores of the E-Non-Users. A t-test analysis on the pretest

performance of E-Users versus E-Non-Users indicated that the average performance on the

pretest for E-Users was statistically significantly lower than those for E-Non-Users [t(227) =

2.54, p = 0.012].

Differences between Control and Experimental Groups on Content Knowledge

The means, standard deviations and gain scores on the content knowledge pretest and posttest for

the total group (N=341), the experimental group (N=194), and the control group (N=147 were

examined. Students’ performance on the posttest (M=53.32, SD = 14.33) were slightly higher

than their performance on the pretest (M=52.29, SD = 15.67). A t-test analysis on these scores

revealed that, for the entire group of participants (irrespective of group), the performance on the

pretest was not statistically different from that on the posttest [t(340) = 1.06, p = 0.29]. An

analysis of the gain score averages indicates that the control group (M=1.67,

SD=18.41) improved more than the experimental group (M= 0.57, SD = 18.10), but that this

difference in gain scores was not statistically significant [t(339) = 0.55, p = 0.58].

Table 2 Means and Standard Deviations of Participants’ Achievement Scores by Group and Use

Experimental

Group

Pretest Posttest Gain

Score

N M SD M SD M SD

Users 49 48.88 14.26 55.92 12.18 7.04 17.51

Non-Users 145 54.93 15.16 53.31 15.13 -1.62 17.82

Differences between E-Users and E-Nonusers on Content Knowledge

Because there were no differences in performance between the control and experimental group,

the gain scores of E-Users and E-Non-Users within the experimental group were analyzed. Table

2 provides information on the sample sizes, means, standard deviations and gain scores for E-

Users and E-Non-Users. A t-test analysis on the average gain scores revealed that the gain scores

of E-Users was statistically significantly higher than those of E-Non-Users [t(338) = -2.91, p =

0.004]. The effect size of this difference (d = 0.39) is considered to be small (Cohen, 1992).


Attitude Survey

Unlike the content knowledge results, difference were found between the experimental and

control on each of the attitude survey as well as the total of the attitude scores. Because of this,

the control group was included as part of the further analyses. To determine if those differences

existed for both E-Users and E-Non-Users, the remaining analysis was performed with three

groups: Control (N = 127), E-Non-users (N = 143) and E-Users (N = 34).

Table 3 Analysis of Variance of Attitude Difference Scores

Variable Source df Type III

SS

Mean Squares F

Confidence Model 2 395.97 197.99 3.473

Error 302 17229396 57.05

Total 304 17625.93

Usefulness Model 2 316.28 158.14 4.263

Error 302 11205.49 37.10

Total 304 11521.77

Help-Seeking Model 2 229.76 114.88 4.103

Error 302 8453.32 27.99

Total 304 8683.08

Attitude Total Model 2 1791.97 895.98 4.573

Error 302 59236.36 196.15

Total 304 61028.32

Using this new grouping variable, data from the differences scores were examined using a one-

way ANOVA. The model results are summarized in Table 3. To determine where the differences

existed when the model was significant, we used a difference of means t-test as a follow-up

analysis. A difference was found between Control and E-Non-Users (a) on the Confidence gain

score [t(302) = 2.57, p = 0.011] with the E- Non-Users obtaining scores that were 2.42 points

higher (on a scale of 60) than the Control group, (b) on the Usefulness gain score [t(302) = 2.74,

p = 0.007] with the E-Non-Users obtaining scores 2.08 points higher (on a scale of 50) than the

Control group, and (c) on the Attitude Total score [t(302) = 3.01, p = 0.003] with the E-Non-

Users obtaining scores 5.26 points higher (out of 150) than the Control group. On the Help-

Seeking gain score there were differences between Control and E- Users [t(302) = 2.86, p =

0.005] and between E-Users and E- Non-Users [t(302) = 2.03, p = 0.043]. Out of a possible 40

points, the E-Users obtained scores that were 2.59 points higher than the Control and 1.83 points

higher than the E-Non-Users. The effect sizes of these differences (0.16 < d < 0.35) are

considered to be small (Cohen, 1992).

To determine if there was any sort of “ceiling effect”, the data from the pretest were

analyzed using a one way ANOVA with the same grouping variable. This analysis indicated that

there were no significant differences among the three groups on the pretest attitude subscales or

total. This indicates that the differences seen in these gain scores are truly differences in the

changes in attitudes over the course of the study.

3 p < 0.05


Retention

The data was examined to determine whether the availability of additional learning support, in

this case the online tutorial service, had an effect on the retention of students who were taking

College Algebra. In this study, retention refers to the number of students who were enrolled at

the beginning of the course and who remained in the course through the administration of the

final exam. There was a marked difference between the groups. Of the 215 students enrolled in

control group sections of the face-to-face College Algebra course and completed the pretest,

indicating participation in the first class session, only 147 (68%) completed the final exam. In

contrast, a larger percentage of students who had access to the online tutoring remained in the

course. Of the 229 students who enrolled in the course with access to the online tutoring service

and completed the pretest, (194) 85% also completed the final exam. Of the 50 students who

used the online tutoring system and took the pretest, 49 (98%) also took the final.

Discussion and Conclusion

This study was conducted in a naturalistic environment to determine the extent to which students

would take advantage of an online tutorial service to support their learning of mathematics, in

this case College Algebra. Given the ubiquitous nature of technology one might assume that

students would readily take advantage of online tutorial services, however, this was not the case

for the majority of the students in this study. Although the online tutorial service was available

and conveniently accessible to students through an online course management structure, only 25%

of those who had access used it. This percentage is comparable (25-30%) to the rate of usage

found in other research on the use of face-to-face tutors (Williams et al., 2006; Primary Research

Group, 2009). Glikman (1999) offered the following reasons for why students fail to seek

assistance from tutors:

• some learners get together in order to find the information they need in other resources

at their disposal;

• other learners do not dare to ask the tutor for help for fear of having to reveal their lack

of understanding;

• a few no longer ask the tutors for help because their first contact with them was

unsatisfactory (as cited in De Lievre et al., 2006, p. 103)

In this study, students who were least prepared for College Algebra (as identified by their

pretest performance) were more likely to seek help from the online tutoring service than those

who were relatively better prepared. This is contrary to the findings from other research

(Karabenick & Knapp, 1988, 1991) that reported that more academically engaged students are

more likely to seek assistance. Taken together, these findings suggest that other factors may play

a role in whether an individual chooses to seek assistance or to seek assistance provided in online

formats.

More research is needed to examine motivational factors that influence students’ decisions

to seek assistance, in general, and to seek assistance online in particular.

Consistent with other research, we found that the gains in content knowledge of students who

used the tutoring services was better than those who did not use it (Belawati, 2005; Falchikov,

2001) and that students with access to tutoring services persisted in the course when compared

with those who do not (Belwati, 2005; House & Wohlt 1990, 1991). It may be that the

availability of learning supports may be a stronger indicator for retention than the actual usage of


the learning support service. A student with access to online tutoring might feel empowered by

the knowledge that assistance will be available if needed.

The focus on the use of online tutoring in mathematics raises a number of issues in need of

additional examination. Because mathematics is a technical language (Thompson, Kersaint,

Richards, Hunsader, & Rubenstein, 2008) with its own technical vocabulary, syntax, and

symbolism, additional challenges might exist when communicating about mathematics in

asynchronous online environments. Tutors and tutees might find it difficult to understand

intended communications that might be unclear, particularly when other cues are not available to

support meaning making. When working in a face-to-face environment, the tutor receives

paralinguistic cues in addition to the verbal or written cues to guide his or her work with the tutee.

To make sense of incoherent tutee utterances, the tutor can ask questions and respond to body

language and facial expressions. These cues provide insights regarding the extent to which a

tutee is making sense of the communication in which he or she is engaged. However, in the

online tutoring environment used in this study, that was not possible. The tutor and tutee were

completely reliant on written communication with all of its inherent assumptions.

Students who are weak in mathematics may find it difficult to communicate mathematically

or articulate their specific difficulty in written form. Students might not benefit from assistance if

the utterances of tutors are incomprehensible to them. Price, Richardson, & Jelfs (2007) suggest

that it might be important to provide training to students, in addition to tutors, regarding how to

communicate online in the absence of paralinguistic information that is available during face-to-

face interactions. This might be particularly important in mathematics given its technical nature.

Additional research is needed to examine the extent to which the means of communication, in

this case an interactive whiteboard interface, influences students’ use of and understanding

gained from an online tutorial service.

Although studies exist that examine the differences between face-to-face and online tutoring

in other content areas such as humanities (Richardson, 2009) and Informational Technology (Ng,

2007), similar studies are needed in the area of mathematics at all levels. In what ways do the

quality of tutor-tutee interactions and learning experiences differ in online versus face-to-face

settings? What affordances and hindrances are provided by each environment? In the context of

mathematics, are online tutorial services limited to developing students’ mathematical skills (e.g.,

step-by-step directions) as opposed to concepts? To supportconcept development, a tutor must

guide students’ thinking about a topic. This is likely very different from helping students

determine the next step in a symbolic manipulation process. There also needs to be more studies

on how face-to-face tutorials compare with online tutorials informed by student academic

achievements.

Limitation of the Study

The results reported above must be interpreted within the limits of this study. It is not possible to

explain all of the found differences because the control and intervention groups were taught by

two different instructors who may have had a differential effect on student outcomes. For

example, it is not possible to explain or describe potential causes of the attitudinal differences

because course instruction was not observed during this study. Also, one might interpret the lack

of significance difference between the pre- and posttest on content knowledge as an indication

that no learning took place in the course. However, a number of factors may have contributed to

this that requires further examination. For example, students who had already earned the desired


grade in the course might not have revealed their true performance. This suggests that in addition

to obtaining test results, it may be important to obtain data regarding students’ efforts on tests

and their views about their course performance. Despite these limitations, this study provides

some insights about the potential that online tutoring resources may provide, but it also raises a

number of issues that require additional examination.


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About Academic Research at LSI

We are enthusiastic about the commitment of institutions and academics to the use of

technology with proven benefits to their students. If you would like to write about the impact

of Web-based technology, please let us know. We encourage educational research and will

work with you and your staff to develop scientific studies into the relationship of the online

learning experience to successful student outcomes. Please contact our Academic Research

Department.

David Kephart, PhD

Director of Academic Research


4515 George Rd., Suite 340

Tampa, Florida 33634

(813) 674-0660 x207

[email protected]

An LSI Case Study

Baltimore City Community College

Using the NetTutor® Online Tutorial Service to help meet the diverse needs of students in the urban community college

“Integrating the NetTutor service into our curriculum was a great choice for BCCC. The tutors are skilled, really understand the struggles our students face, and explain the concepts students are challenged with in a clear and effective way. It is because of these qualities that NetTutor is invaluable for student success.”Juanita WingoCoordinatorBCCC Center for Academic Achievement

Link-Systems International, Inc.4515 George Road, Suite 340 Tampa, FL 33634 http://www.link-systems.com813-674-0660

Link-Systems International and all other product or service names are registered

trademarks of Link-Systems International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Client: Baltimore City Community College (BCCC)

Challenge: Providing across-the-curriculum subject-based support outside the classroom for busy learners at an urban community college. BCCC provides a variety of online and campus resources to its students. A significant percentage of BCCC’s 7000 students hold part-time or full-time jobs, raise families, and may be returning to school or facing other time-consuming obli-gations. These learners and others typical of cities like Baltimore require individualized support after the usual hours of a writing center or tutoring center. BCCC has a prize-winning Distance Learning Department, which features refer-ence materials, courses, and access to counseling resources wherever and whenever a student logs in. Funded by Baltimore City, the BCCC and its Distance Learning Depart-ment need a sustainable source of professional, around-the-clock tutoring assistance on or off the campus. The provider must show that it respects and understands learners’ need for professional, live, one-on-one homework assistance and the rapid, accurate review of writing assignments. In-person training of faculty, on-campus tutors, and students is a must.

Core areas of need include math-ematics, the sciences, English as a second language (ESL) and English composition.

Solution: BCCC elected to partner with Link-Systems International (LSI) to provide free, online tutor-ing services in all subjects via Net-Tutor® Online Tutoring Services. Key points considered by the Distance Learning team included:

In English or ESL courses, •students submit their written work or discuss questions with trained writing tutorsIn math and the sciences, stu-•dents discuss questions one-on-one with a live tutor and can reach a tutor with less than a minute of waiting timeIn world languages and ESL, •students practice conversa-tion skills and review grammar and composition with a live tutor using a microphone and headset

All operations of the NetTutor Online Tutoring Service take place in its Tampa, Florida headquarters. Tutors undergo continuous training and evaluation, rigorous subject-area examination, and participate in an immersive study program designed to impart a deep sensi-tivity toward the learning goals of today’s students. These methods gave assurance that NetTutor and its tutors could address the unique facing learners in the urban com-munity college.

Result: By working with NetTutor, BCCC is able to offer the highest quality of tutoring free of charge to all of its students. Students can reach NetTutor by logging into the campus Blackboard site. From

there, they can reach tutors in their subject areas at a single mouse-click.

The Distance Learning Department is able to work directly with the subject-matter experts of NetTutor to see that all tutoring addresses the issues of urban students. For instance, students receive not only a writing review emphasizing areas they specify, but a concise summary of the main issues to address to improve their college writing.

The student response to the service is enthusiastic, with surveys that consistently show a 97% ap-proval rate. Virtually every student who visits a tutor once pledges to return. Hundreds of students log in every month, with nearly one out of every ten students logging in over the course of last semester, many with three, four, or five sessions or papers for review.

Testimonial: “Integrating the Net-Tutor service into our curriculum was a great choice for BCCC. The tutors are skilled, really understand the struggles our students face, and explain the concepts students are challenged with in a clear and effective way. It is because of these qualities that NetTutor is invalu-able for student success. The Net-Tutor team’s willingness to visit our campus and provide information and tutoring the way we need it has had a positive effect on student outcomes.”—Juanita WingoCoordinator, BCCC Center for Academic Achievement



References

Provide a minimum of ten (10) customer references for product and/or services of similar scope

dating within the past three (3) years. Please try to provide an equal number of references for K12,

Higher Education and City/County entities. Provide the following information for each reference:

Entity Name

Contact Name and Title

City and State

Phone Number

Years Serviced

Description of Services

Annual Volume

1.

Entity Name: Online Education Initiative (OEI) for Foundation for California Community

Colleges

Contact Name & Title: Jory Hadsell, Chief Academic Affairs Officer

City & State: Sacramento, CA

Phone Number: 916-258-5679

Email: [email protected]

Years Serviced: 2015 to present

Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to community college students at 24 pilot

community colleges. All 113 California community colleges and all other

educational institutions (libraries, universities, etc.) have the option of

purchasing under the OEI contract.

Annual volume: $197,000

2.

Entity Name: Cengage Learning

Contact Name & Title: Peggy Buskey, Program Manager, eBooks

City & State: Mason, OH




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring in a range of subject areas for students who

purchase Cengage textbooks.

Annual volume: $1,000,000

3.

Entity Name: McGraw-Hill Education

Contact Name & Title: Jeff Huetmtman, Digital Director, Science, Engineering, and Math

City & State: Dubuque, IA

Phone Number: 800-553-4920x1802





Description of Service: NetTutor has provided online tutoring in a range of subject areas for students

who purchase McGraw-Hill textbooks. LSI’s WorldWideTestbank is the engine

that runs McGraw-Hill Connect.


4.

Entity Name: Butler Community College

Contact Name & Title: Shannon Covert, Associate Dean

City & State: El Dorado, KS




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to Butler CC students in all subject areas.


5.

Entity Name: University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Contact Name & Title: Katie Tutwiler, Learning Resource and Transfer Specialist

City & State: Lafayette, LA




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to ULL students in all subject areas.


6.

Entity Name: Collin College

Contact Name & Title: Michele Boverie, Coordinator, Student Support Services

City & State: Plano, TX




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to Collin College students in all subject areas.


7.

Entity Name: Vernon College

Contact Name & Title: Deana Lehman, PASS Department Director

City & State: Vernon, TX




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to Vernon College students in all subject

areas.




8.

Entity Name: Ottawa University

Contact Name & Title: Julie McAdoo

City & State: Ottawa, KS

Phone Number: 800-755-5200x5641



Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to Ottawa University students in all subject

areas.


9.

Entity Name: Piedmont Technical College

Contact Name & Title: Audrey Hearst

City & State: Coordinator, Testing Center and Tutoring Center




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to Piedmont TC students in all subject areas.


10.

Entity Name: Mississippi Virtual Community College

Contact Name & Title: Audra Kimble, Assistant Executive Director for eLearning & Instructional

Technology

City & State: Jackson, MS




Description of Service: NetTutor provides online tutoring to all 13 Mississippi community colleges, both

online and in-person, in all subject areas.


Appendix G: VALUE ADD

Please include any additional products and/or services not included in the scope of the

solicitation that you think will enhance and/or add value to this contract for participating

agencies.

ReferTutorReport

ReferTutorReport (RTR) allows instructors and administrators to refer a student for tutoring, along with

stating the specific remediation needed. The NetTutor tutoring team will be able to access course details

and the student referral in order to align the tutoring to address the student’s specific remediation

needs. By providing robust reporting and documentation, the referrer can quickly determine which

students have taken advantage of these referrals. Many institutions that utilize an early-alert program,

as well as ADA Compliance Managers, have used RTR to increase student persistence.