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It is not uncommon for a deaf student to write with less English proficiency than he/she reads, and as indicated in another of these reports, poor writing facility on a term paper or quiz should not be assumed to mean the student does not understand what he/she is writing about. Later in this report, more attention will be given to the role of the tutor (and others) in assisting deaf and hard of hearing students in organizing and proofreading their written assignments (Saur, 1992).
Asking questions outside of class. Deaf and hard of hearing students frequently look to their tutor for help in clarifying expected project content and due dates, answering questions about their lecture notes, and the like (Stinson, 1987). These are the kinds of questions that hearing students are likely to ask their classmates or the instructor immediately after class or during the instructor's scheduled office hours.
However, a deaf student who does not have clear spoken communication skills may have to resort to passing written notes back and forth to a hearing classmate or the instructor, often an awkward and frustrating activity. If a deaf student senses a less than enthusiastic reception from the classmate or the instructor, he/she may not seek this kind of help from these sources again, instead turning to the tutor to ask such questions. Tutors who understand the course and the instructor's expectations, and who have the appropriate communication skills, can provide substantial support of this kind, especially to the deaf student without effective oral/aural communication skills.
Faculty perceptions. To a large extent, the academic success of mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students may depend on the perceptions of faculty members concerning these students and mainstreaming (Leyser, 1989). Most teaching faculty are willing to accommodate the special needs of deaf and hard of hearing students in their courses, but they may feel insecure about the details of what to do. Depending on their training and experience, and on their rapport with the instructor, tutors can often be a resource in this regard (Amsel, 1990).
WHAT TUTORING PROVIDES
But just as interpreting and notetaking do not in themselves enable most deaf students to learn fully and to participate in class activities at the same level as hearing peers, neither should tutoring be expected to eradicate all the student's skill deficiencies. It will not enable a student reading and/or writing below grade level to process print and to write at the same level as peers, hearing or deaf, who are at grade level. Tutoring is a resource for use by deaf and hard of hearing students to access information other resources do not provide.
Deaf students tell us that "tutors can help when students do not understand course lectures, or are having a difficult time understanding what is going on in a course", that they "use tutors selectively rather than for all courses", and that "tutors can be available on a regular basis or as needed, depending on a student's perception of his/her needs." (Stinson, 1987).
Who provides tutoring services. Tutoring services are provided by professionals, peers, or a combination of both. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each.
As was stated earlier in this report, 61 of the 62 postsecondary programs for deaf students listed in the 1995 edition of College and Career Programs for Deaf Students (Rawlings, et al., 1995), reported some type of tutoring support. Of these, 62% provided both professional and peer tutors, 8% provided professional tutors only, and 30% provided peer tutors only.
Professional tutors. Professional tutors usually hold faculty or staff positions, have advanced training in a discipline, are aware of the special needs of deaf and hard of hearing students, and can communicate well with them.
Advantages associated with professional tutors, at least within most postsecondary programs designed specifically to serve deaf students, are their advanced level of discipline-based knowledge, often accompanied by pedagogical training, formal training in sign (ASL) communication, an awareness of Deaf culture and diversity among deaf students, and an understanding of the special needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. As professionals, they are also likely to have the ability to develop positive liaison relationships with teaching faculty.
Among the disadvantages associated with professional tutors are personnel
costs, hours of availability and, in the case of expanding programs
with limited resources, being asked to tutor courses outside their
areas of expertise.
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