Online Tutoring Instructions

Tutorial video on how to use the Online Tutoring service:

CLICK HERE

Online Tutoring is a FREE writing service that is offered to San Bernardino Valley College students.

Please note that Online Tutoring is NOT a proofreading service, but a resource to help students to improve as writers through comments, suggestions, and guidance.

Students who use any of the Writing Center's services may be enrolled in the LST-606 noncredit course.  Students will not be charged for the course, nor will it affect their GPA.  It is used to document usage of services to help with apportionment funding for tutoring/learning services.  For more information, click here.

Online tutors can help you with the following:

1.  Understanding your assignment

2.  Reviewing your paper

3.  Answering your questions about grammar

Tutoring Tip 1:  For students who wish to work visually with a tutor during their online tutoring session, click on the following link for instructions on how to use Zoom for tutoring. 

Instructions on How to Use Zoom for Tutoring

Tutoring Tip 2:  You do not have to have a paper written to be assisted by a tutor!  Tutors can support you in the following ways (Note:  This service is only available with telephone and Zoom tutoring sessions.  Remember to attach your assignment instructions/prompt for your paper to your email to be sent to your tutor):

  • Helping you to better understand your assignment
  • Helping you to come up with ideas to include in your paper
  • Helping you to organize ideas and provide you with insight on how you can structure your paper.

Tutoring Tip 3:  You do not need to be present to be assisted by a tutor! (Note:  This service is only available with email tutoring sessions.  Remember to attach your assignment instructions/prompt for your paper to your email to be sent to your tutor).

  • If you are pressed for time, or you do not have any questions to ask the tutor and have already completed typing your paper, feel free to just email your paper (saved as a .DOC or .DOCX file) and your assignment instructions/prompt to the tutor with the requested information.  Your tutor will provide feedback on your paper/assignment and email it back to you attached to your verification email (Note:  Verification emails are only provided with tutoring sessions that are 25 minutes or more).
REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE TUTORING
  • Computer or laptop with Internet access
  • Telephone or cellphone (Required only if you want to be assisted by telephone/cellphone or Zoom)
  • Basic knowledge of email usage
  • An active Student I.D. number
  • An active SBVC email account (Note: Messages sent using personal email accounts, such as hotmail or yahoo, may be blocked.)
  • Microsoft Word or Open Office to type papers/assignments
  • The paper that you have written saved as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf format. If you use Microsoft Word, then it automatically saves your paper in the correct format.
  • The prompt/homework instructions as provided by your instructor.
    • The following are acceptable formats to email the tutor: 1) pictures/photos of assignments; 2) PDF/document files from instructors, or 3) screenshots of assignment instructions from Canvas/web pages.
STEPS TO MAKE AN ONLINE APPOINTMENT

Follow these five easy steps to make appointments to talk with a tutor via phone chat and/or to have your tutor review your paper.

Important Note:  If you have successfully submitted your email to the Online Tutoring service, you should receive an email from Writing Tutor indicating that your email was received.  If you do not receive this email, then your email was not properly submitted.  Please check the Online Tutoring email address and try sending your email again.

Step 1: 

Make an appointment with a tutor via the following link.

https://esars.sbccd.org/V_WritingCtr/eSARS.asp

For detailed instructions on how to make a tutoring appointment, click on the following link.  Appointment Instructions

 

Step 2: 

Use your SBVC email to send your paper to the online tutor at:

onlinewritingtutor@valleycollege.edu

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  Include the following information in the subject line of your email:

*  NAME of your tutor

*  TIME and DATE of your appointment

Example:  picture of subject line of email

 

Step 3: 

In the body of your message, include the following information.

*  Your full name

*  Your SBVC student ID number

*  Your class

*  We can help you in one of three ways: 1) email, 2) telephone or 3) Zoom.

1. Assistance by EMAIL:  If you want to be assisted by email, don't include a phone number or the words Zoom appointment.  Use this method for tutoring if you already have a paper typed and only want feedback on your paper.  Note:  If you have questions about your assignment or if you have questions about formatting (e.g., MLA or APA), it is best to either request to be assisted by telephone or Zoom.

2. Assistance by TELEPHONE:  If you want to be assisted by telephone, include your phone number. Use this method if you want the tutor to call you to talk about your paper or to answer questions about your assignment(s).  IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you wish to be assisted by telephone, please have your paper/assignment ready to work on it since you will be responsible in adding the tutor's suggestions, feedback and notes to your paper/assignment.

3. Assistance by ZOOM:  If you want to be assisted via Zoom, type Zoom appointment and include your telephone number.  Use this method if you want the tutor to work on your paper with you via Zoom.  A Zoom link will be sent to your SBVC email.  Access it at or a few minutes before your Zoom session.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you wish to be assisted by Zoom, you will be asked to share your paper/assignment via the Share Screen feature in Zoom and you will be responsible for adding the tutor's suggestions, feedback and notes to your paper/assignment.

Example:      John Smith

1234567

English 101

Zoom appointment (for Zoom sessions)

(909) XXX-XXXX (for Zoom sessions and for telephone sessions)

 

Step 4: 

The Writing Center's Online Tutoring service can assist you if you do not yet have a paper written as well as if you have a completed draft.

Instructions for students who have not yet written a paper:

NOTE: You do not have to have a paper written to be assisted by a tutor!  (This service is ONLY available for telephone and Zoom tutoring sessions.)

If you have not yet written your paper, the tutor can assist you by:

*  Helping you to better understand your assignment

*  Helping you to come up with ideas to include in your paper

*  Organize ideas and provide you with insight on how you can structure your paper.

To talk with your tutor about your paper, in the body of your email, let the tutor know what you would like the tutor to talk with you about during your tutoring session.  Be sure to attach the prompt/assignment instructions to your email, so your tutor knows the expectations of your instructor. 

Instructions for students who have already written a paper for review:

Be sure to attach your paper as a .DOC or .DOCX file.  If you use Microsoft Word to type your paper, your paper will automatically be saved as a .DOC or .DOCX file.

*  Include your instructor’s assignment for your paper so the tutor knows what your instructor’s expectations are for your assignment. 

*  IMPORTANT NOTE:  Tutors ARE NOT able to accept the following formats:  Google docs, .PDF files, or .pages  

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT:  If you used Google Docs to write your paper, you need to convert it to a .DOC or .DOCX file.  To convert your Google Doc file into a .DOCX file, follow the instructions below:

1) Open your paper in Google Docs.

2) Click on File on the top the web-page.

3) Click on Download.

4) Select Microsoft Word and save your file as a .DOCX file. 

5) Attach this file to the email for your online tutor.  (Note:  If you are using a Chromebook, you may need to save the file to a USB drive before attaching the document to your paper.)

Additional support:  If you are using a SBVC issued laptop, you may follow the instructions listed below:

1) Open your paper in Google Docs.

2) Click on File

3) Click on Email

4) Click on Email this file

5) In the "To" field of the email, type in onlinewritingtutor@valleycollege.edu

6) In the "Subject" field of the email, type in the name of your tutor, the time of the appointment and the day of your appointment.

7) In the "Message" field of the email, type in your first and last name, your student ID, your class, as well as how you want to be assisted (i.e., email, telephone or Zoom).

8) Click on the arrow next to the letters PDF.

9) Select MICROSOFT WORD. 

10) Click "Send."

IMPORTANT REMINDER: To help the tutor to properly guide you on your paper, be sure to also include your instructor's prompt/topic/detailed instructions about your assignment.

The following are acceptable formats to email your assignment instructions/prompt/topic to the tutor:

1) Pictures/photos of assignments

2) PDF/document files from instructors

3) Screenshots of assignment instructions from Canvas/web pages

*  If you also want to talk with your tutor about your paper, assignment or grammar issues, let the tutor know what you want to work on in the message section of your email.  Remember to email the tutor your phone number!

 

Step 5: 

If you have requested a telephone session with a tutor, at the time of your appointment, or half an hour after your scheduled appointment, a tutor will contact you.

Note 1:  You may receive a call from a private or unknown number.  This is most likely from the tutor if you receive it during your appointment time.  The tutor will attempt to call you two (2) times.  If the tutor is not able to get in contact with you by the second attempt, the tutor will review your paper remotely and submit it back to you on the same day as your appointment.

Note 2:  With telephone and Zoom tutoring sessions, a tutor will advise and provide feedback to a student verbally.  It is the student's responsibility to take notes and make any changes to her/his own paper.

Note 3:  After your tutoring session is complete, you may receive a Writing Center survey for you to complete to let the Writing Center know about your tutoring experience.

Note 4:  As a reminder, if you have successfully submitted your email, you should receive an email confirmation from the Online Tutoring service from the sender Writing Tutor. If you do not receive this email, please check the Online Tutoring email address and resubmit your paper.

HOW TO BE SEEN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT (DROP-IN)

Follow the instructions below if you are not able to make an appointment for a Writing Center tutor.  Please note that papers without an appointment are reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis and may take 24 to 48 hours for you to receive feedback. 

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE ONLINE WRITING CENTER SERVICE
  1. The options to talk with a tutor over the phone as well as Zoom are not available for students without an appointment. Only email submissions are possible.
  2. If you request assistance with understanding your assignment or need grammar support, it is best to make an appointment to speak with a tutor over the phone or through Zoom (CLICK HERE for Zoom instructions).
  3. Students who use any of the Writing Center's services may be enrolled in the LST-606 noncredit course. Students will not be charged for the course, nor will it affect their GPA. It is used to document usage of services to help with apportionment funding for tutoring/learning services. For more information, click here.
Step 1: Access your SBVC Student Email Account

Access your SBVC student email account: CLICK HERE

 

Step 2: Enter Requested Information in the Subject Line of the Email

*APPOINTMENT TIP:  If you do not have an appointment reservation, include the following in the subject line of your email:

*  DROP-IN

*  YOUR FULL NAME

*  TIME and DATE of your email submission.

Example: picture of drop-in

 

Step 3: Enter Requested Information in the Body of Email

In the body of your message, include the following information.

*  Your full name

*  Your SBVC student ID number

*  Your class

*  Detailed instructions about your assignment.  You may attach the assignment to the email.  Include what you would like the tutor to review in your paper.

 

Step 4: Attach the Necessary Documents

Attach your paper to the email.  Email your paper as a .DOC, .DOCX, or .RTF file and include your instructor prompt/detailed instructions about your assignment.  Avoid using Google Docs or PDF files since the tutor may not be able to assist you with your paper.  You may attach the assignment/topic to the email.

 
Step 5: Send Your Email to the Online Writing Writing Center

Use your SBVC email to send your paper to the online tutor at:

onlinewritingtutor@valleycollege.edu

 

Note 1:  If you request assistance with understanding your assignment or need grammar support, it is best to make an appointment to speak with a tutor over the phone since online drop-in sessions are assisted only asynchronously by email.

Note 2:  You should receive your paper within 24 to 48 hours after sending it.  In the event that your paper is not able to be read due to unexpected circumstances, you will be contacted to make a reservation to send your paper to the tutor again.

Note 3:  If you have successfully submitted your email, you should receive an email confirmation from the Online Tutoring service from the sender Writing Tutor. If you do not receive this email, please check the Online Tutoring email address and resubmit your paper.