Walk-In Tutoring consists of face-to-face sessions with some exemptions. Check the “Walk-In Tutoring” option below to choose the programs available for your classes. To request individual tutoring, please fill out the Individual Tutoring Form. Note: Make sure to check your KIRKWOOD STUDENT EMAIL for the tutor information we assign to you; we do NOT send information to your private email. If you do not receive correspondence from us within 24 hours, please contact us.
Kirkwood also utilizes Brainfuse, an online tutoring provider that uses real-time instruction and is available 24 hours a day. To access Brainfuse, please log in to Talon and select the Welcome to Talon tile after scrolling down the page. Once you've selected the Welcome to Talon tile, select Live Online Tutoring which will take you to Brainfuse.
Tutoring services are offered FREE to any Kirkwood student enrolled in credit classes for which tutoring is sought. Students may receive tutoring for two different classes each semester, for up to two hours per week for each class.
Our tutors target individual learning styles and strategies, helping you further understand course content, prepare for exams, expanding study skills get help on difficult portions of a class, and stay on the right track.
The college offers five tutoring format options:
Have you ever noticed that some classes seem easier than others? This may be due to the subject matter, the instructor, and your interest, but your individual learning style might also play a part in your ability to take in information and stimuli. Your brain is unique and you process information differently than anyone else will.
To give you a clearer picture of how you process information and to help enhance your learning potential, we offer this online 44 question quiz developed by North Carolina State to help you discover your learning styles.
If you would like to be a tutor, stop by the Tutoring Services office and fill out an application. Tutors must have an overall GPA of 3.00 and have earned a B+ or better in the course(s) they would like to tutor, or have the approval of the instructor.
Tutoring Services offers a paid 10-hour Tutor Training Workshop. Those tutors who have completed the workshop and have 25 hours of experience are eligible to become CRLA Certified Level 1 tutors. If interested, come to 2071 Cedar Hall for more information.
We aim to serve 100 percent of students who request tutoring for credit courses in which they are currently enrolled.
There are some classes for which tutoring is not offered. Generally, we do not provide tutoring for Continuing Education or English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes. For ELA contact the English department at 319-398-4998.
Walk-In Tutoring is conducted on a drop-in basis, with unlimited usage throughout the semester. This is a free service to our students. Tutors are available during specified times each day to assist students at the location specified next to each program listed below.
Contact us at 319-398-5425 or email us at tutor.services@kirkwood.edu
2078 Cedar Hall
Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
N/A
May 23 to June 29
2071 Cedar Hall
Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Available online at https://kirkwood.zoom.us/j/93730855628
Online Only
May 24 to Aug. 9
Monday: Noon to 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
N/A
May 23 to June 29
1176 Linn Hall
Monday and Wednesday, 8:10 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
N/A
Click to open a Talon login window. Login by entering your "k" number and password. Next, select the Welcome to Talon icon, then click Live Online Tutoring.
All one-on-one tutoring has moved to an online format and students are granted 2 classes and 2 hours of tutoring per class. In addition to individual tutoring, students have access to brainfuse.com, an online tool for tutoring that is available 24/7. Fill out the online form to request one-on-one tutoring (Individual tutoring).
The best way to contact Tutoring Services is to email tutor.services@kirkwood.edu with your Kirkwood student email with any questions or inquiries or call us at 319-398-5425.
Tutoring Services has an 8-station computer lab available for student use that is equipped with all the necessary software to accommodate your academic needs. Each workstation also includes Read&Write, a literacy software that makes the online text more accessible. Questions regarding computer application skills can be directed to any of the support staff members in the Tutoring office.
There are also 6 private rooms available within Tutoring Services, each with its own computer station and full-size whiteboard for students study needs.
Need additional assistance? Stop by the Allsop Computer Lab in Nielsen Hall or call 319-398-5606. The computer lab assistants are available for all of your computer questions and needs. Explore lab services and devices.
Other campus computer resources include the Computer Skills Lab in Cedar Hall or the Kirkwood library.
Students often deal with stress in a campus setting when it deals with grades and testing situations. Test anxiety is nothing more than your nerves and the possibility of failure getting the best of you. You tell yourself that you do not have the skill set necessary to carry out the task, therefore you anticipate failure.
Here are several things you can do to avoid stress and anxiety related to your education.
Your ability to succeed in the classroom is dependent on how you treat your body. Schedule time in your day to eat properly, have a regular exercise routine, and get sufficient sleep. These three basics will prepare you to cope with whatever the day throws your way.
Evaluate the situation. Is it really as bad as it seems? Imagine yourself in the best and worst case scenario. When you mentally process both possible outcomes you have taken away the fear of the unknown. Your nerves and anxiety has no where to go and you can be calmer about what steps will be necessary to do your best.
If you are taking an exam, make sure you have studied the materials, including your text, supplemental material, and lecture notes. If the test is over a technique you need to explain to an instructor, make sure you have gone over the technique several times before you make your presentation. Being prepared is the best way to zap the anxiety bug.
During your exam take some deep breaths. Deep breathing causes your nervous system to calm down.
Before you go into your exam, silently repeat a positive self statement. It may be something as simple as, "I think I can... I think I can." Or, think about a happy time in your life. Studies have shown that positive thoughts prior to exams produce better grades. Don't let yourself get down. Be confident! Be positive!
After you have made it through a stressful situation, allow yourself time to enjoy life. Invite your friends over to watch a funny movie, have a cup of coffee with your mentor. Devoted friends will be excited to hear how you overcame a rough situation.
Exercise with a buddy. The endorphins that are released during exercise will make you feel happy, refreshed, and ready to take another test next week!
Like numerous Kirkwood students, you may need assistance in developing study skills and other strategies to achieve success in your coursework. Information on ways to enhance your abilities in taking notes, test taking, time and stress management, and reading textbooks are available.
Being successful in college takes more than attending class. When you are new to college, sometimes there are learning curves to being successful in your classes.
Find out more about:
Sometimes lectures in classes frustrate students. Sometimes lecturers go much faster than some students can follow.
There are many strategies that can help students cope with these frustrations, but one can be significantly helpful: a study group. It has been proven that studying in groups helps many students. As students work in groups, they feel free to ask questions about concepts and topics that are hard to understand.
Study Groups cannot take the place of individual study and thought, but they are an extremely beneficial study skill for many students. Each student learns from other group members and the social interaction allows members to gain confidence and a sense of mutual support.
We work with over 150 different publishers to provide alternative text files for students. As a member of the AccessText Network, we have fast and efficient access to titles from 30 major academic publishers and their imprints, including Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Macmillan, W. W. Norton, Cengage, and Wiley.
In addition, we are also able to place requests for alternative texts directly to many smaller publishers.
Finally, for class notes, instructor packets and other texts unavailable in an accessible format, we can scan and create accessible files using our own scanner and conversion software.
Tutoring Services | 2071 Cedar Hall | 319-398-5425
In order to have all of your materials ready by the start of the semester, we recommend the following:
Alternative textbooks are essentially books that can be used on your computer. They are paired with Read&Write, which is software that highlights each word as it is read out loud.
Combining reading with visual and audio elements has several proven benefits:
Alternative texts and Read&Write are available free of charge to any student who receives accommodations at Kirkwood.
The mission of Kirkwood’s Tutoring Services is to provide academic support to all students enrolled at Kirkwood Community College, creating an open environment of learning for students.
Kirkwood Community College is the only college in Iowa accredited by both the CRLA and NADE.
CRLA (College Reading and Learning Association) - is an internationally known body whose main function and overall purpose is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas, methods, and information to improve student learning and to facilitate the professional growth of its members.
NADE (National Association for Developmental Education) - has certified tutoring services for demonstrating application of theory, use of quality practices, training, use of data, and use of a continuous assessment and improvement process. As part of the CRLA and NADE certification process a Tier 1 and Tier 2 Tutor Training Program is provided to all tutors.
Tutoring Services
For an appointment, please email tutor.services@kirkwood.edu or call 319-398-5425 and leave a message with your contact information.
2071 Cedar Hall
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
For more information call 319-398-5425.