Tutoring means modern teaching

Tutoring has become a permanent part of the Faculty of Mechatronics at the Warsaw University of Technology. For two years now the students have had the opportunity to make use of this unique form of learning, i.e.  building an individual relation between the teacher (tutor) and the student (tutee). Tutoring happens when a human being meets another human being. It is a relation in which both sides bring in everything they have accumulated so far - their values, qualities, talents and goals.

Tutoring is nothing like the common didactic forms: lectures, classes, conversation courses or laboratories. It resembles a diploma seminar, over the course of which the thesis supervisor individually meets his student. However, this form does not exhaust the scope of opportunities at the disposal of the tutor when supporting his tutee on their path of development.

When I selected my graduate studies, I already had an idea about things that interested me and also those I did not want to devote my time to. As a result of entering graduate tutor studies I was able to leave out certain courses that up until then had been obligatory in case of my selected specialisation and add the courses that suited my needs. More freedom when selecting courses was also a big advantage of the Erasmus+ students exchange programme. Before that, it was much harder to achieve full academic programme cohesion with the host university. Because of that, a great many people resigned from the programme. Myself, being a student of graduate tutor studies, has no problem with that at all. And I would never give up the experience of studying in the Basque Country at the Mondragon Unibertsitatea!

When mentioning this method of education, we should reach for its roots, embedded in the 17th century England. As Zbigniew Pełczyński, ProfTit writes, tutoring “was a response to the lack of universal educational system in that country.” First tutors are considered to be the private teachers educating the sons of lesser nobility. It was discovered quite fast that such students in terms of education received do not differ from the participants of costly lectures at universities. For this reason, in 1870 tutoring became a common educational method.

The tutor system enabled me to catch up in those areas that caught my attention but which were beyond the scope of my education up to that moment. It allowed me to match my plan of studies to my interest and to my extra-university activities.

One selects a tutor during the first three weeks of first semester of studies. Before making the decision, the student has an opportunity to browse the profiles of potential tutors on the Faculty website and talk to the shortlisted tutors during scheduled appointments. Upon making the decision, a student files in a request. The requests are analysed individually by the tutors themselves.

The tutor studies have encouraged me to undertake second degree studies at the Faculty of Mechatronics. What was so attractive in this form of studies? I learned that aside from a few compulsory courses, I will be able to individually select my plan of courses over the duration of three semesters. The option to cooperate with a tutor and receive his or her support seemed important, too. And not once was I let down in my expectations.

The tutors are not only engaged in a limited range of topics connected to their courses, they are there to support the students so that the latter may develop their individual skills. The tutors are there to advise on the choice of courses to be included in student’s plan, to help with scientific activities and event to help with administrative matters. However, their most crucial role is to accurately identify the potential of a person they work with and to designate the development path of the said person.

During the tutoring process, the student together with his or her teacher selects an individual plan of courses. He or she chooses those courses that are connected with the diploma paper and the area of expertise relevant for its positive outcome. The plan should be selected for the entire course of studies. However, there is the possibility to update it between semesters (till the end of week one of each semester).