Teaching & Learning Center
The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) provides many services FREE to all BGSU students. The TLC strives to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. We welcome university students to the center to help them: achieve academic success, improve self-esteem, and gain scholastic independence.
To schedule an appointment for the services offered online in the Teaching and Learning Center, you will use NAVIGATE. Don't know how to use NAVIGATE?
Teaching & Learning Center
BGSU Firelands
One University Drive
Huron, Ohio 44839
419.372.0748
Fall/Spring Semester Hours
On Campus:
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m
Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Virtual:
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Hours
On Campus:
Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Virtual:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Other times may be available upon request.
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Contact Us
We are still available to answer your call: 419-372-0705.
- Brigitte Green-Churchwell, director, blgreen@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Reading, communication, English, writing
- Expertise: Reading, communication, English, writing
- Brent Fox, math coordinator, bmfox@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Astronomy, business, biology, math, chemistry, teaching, geography, history, psychology
- Expertise: Astronomy, business, biology, math, chemistry, teaching, geography, history, psychology
- Elaine Tomczyk, professional tutor, elainet@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Computer science, math, visual communication technology, Canvas, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
- Expertise: Computer science, math, visual communication technology, Canvas, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
- Ginger Packert, professional tutor, gpacker@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Reading, communication, English, writing, sociology, psychology, political science
- Meikhayhu Wheeler, professional tutor, miriamw@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Writing
- Expertise: Writing
- Helen Smith, professional tutor, helenms@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Math, biology
- Expertise: Math, biology
- Michelle Tomczyk, professional tutor, mtomczy@bgsu.edu
- Expertise: Accounting, economics, math, psychology
- Expertise: Accounting, economics, math, psychology
- Briana Casanova, secretary, bricasa@bgsu.edu
Schedule an appointment with NAVIGATE
Learn how to use in this scheduling NAVIGATE Tutorial. Still having problems, email the TLC (firetlc@bgsu.edu ) or call the Teaching and Learning Center at 419-433-5560 ext. 20705.
Academic Coaching
Students can work with experienced professionals to support them in mastering goal setting, organization, managing assignment details, time management, finding helpful resources, and understanding the technology required to complete assignments. Academic Coaching is free to enrolled students.
Did you play a sport as a kid or in school? If so, you probably had a coach for that sport. The coach's role was to teach you to play the sport well by ensuring that you knew the rules of the game and that you knew your position in the game and all the responsibilities for that position. But more than knowing the foundations of the game, the coach's goal was to make sure you understood how to be successful in the game by applying these same fundamentals and winning the game. An academic coach is no different.
The academic coach is here to help you understand how you learn best. The coach will teach you skills and strategies that support how to learn. Also, your coach will assist you in knowing how to be a competent student and the rules that help you in continuing to be a student. Finally, the coach wants you to understand how to be successful in academics by graduating with your degree.
Coaching is not academic advising, as the two often need clarification. Coaches strive to encourage learning, growth, and development by choice but are not positioned to provide expertise in policies, procedures, or requirements. Trained coaches help build students' motivation, and self-awareness to recognize (and decide for themselves) what serves their best interests.
Scheduling weekly meetings with an academic coach is a great way for students to stay on course with their academic pursuits at BGSU Firelands. Coaches can assist you in reviewing your course load and developing strategies for studying, organizing, and time management.
Academic Coaches provide a wide range of resources, including:
- Using Canvas
- Understanding a syllabus
- Access to resources in the Library
- Mapping out of assignments
- Note-taking methods
- Organization
- Referral Services to academic and personal assistance services
- Study group strategies
- Study Strategies
- Test-taking strategies
- Time management assistance
- To-do lists
Finally, your academic coach serves as an accountability partner. Weekly appointments offer an opportunity to not only learn and develop college success strategies, but appointments also serve the purpose of keeping you on track with your studies and schedule for graduation.
Professional Tutoring
Subject/Course-based tutoring is available for most of the courses offered at BGSU Firelands. Tutoring is available online and in-person on campus for free. Math courses remain the most popular courses tutored followed by biology, chemistry, and history. Schedule one-to-one tutoring or group tutoring using the button below or stop in room 230N to schedule.
Tutoring is an excellent support service provided to all BGSU enrolled students at no additional cost. Tutoring is an essential resource for students both on-campus and online. Tutoring is a unique form of instruction conducted individually or in a small group setting. The goal of tutoring is to help students learn how they retain information best to overcome learning challenges. This type of support can look different for each student. Tutoring helps students develop as independent learners and thinkers.
However, there may be occasions when the TLC does not have a tutor that supports your specific course. In such cases, we call upon our colleagues in the Learning Commons located at the main campus. We also use the Ohiolink eTutoring service when necessary.
Students who want to be successful in their degree program can call upon the Teaching and Learning Center and request tutors to help them with speeches, resume writing, presentations, practice interviews, and content review. We are falcons helping falcons.
In further reading, you will learn the rights and responsibilities of both the tutee (a person receiving help) and the tutor (a person giving help). You can review the code of conduct that contains students' rights and students' responsibilities while enrolled as BGSU students. Finally, you are given access to the policy on academic honesty to help you avoid the pitfalls that can get students expelled (including online students) from the University.
MacDonald, R.B. (1994). The master tutor: A guidebook for more effective tutoring. NY: Cambridge Stratford, Ltd.
Writing Lab
The Writing Lab conducts individual consultations with writers. In these consultations, professional WL staff work with writers in the overall development of their papers. From planning their paper to editing their work, and proofing their final draft. Wherever you may be in your writing process, a conversation with another interested writer can help you better achieve your goals. Use the request link to schedule a consultation. You may also schedule an appointment by calling 419.372.0705 or 419.372.0748 or through the NAVIGATE system.
In the Writing Lab, writers help other writers improve their work. How do we do this? We provide one-on-one consultations with writers. In these tutorials, we talk with writers who are planning their papers, and with others who are in the midst of writing their papers. Wherever you may be in your writing process, a conversation with another interested writer can help you better achieve your goals.
There is no longer a need to physically come to campus to receive help with your writing assignments - they can now be completed online in a variety of subject areas. Students must complete the Feedback Request Form. The form should be submitted electronically with attachments of the paper you are working on and the related assignment sheet (if one was provided by the instructor).
Students should provide at least two standard business days for papers submitted to be returned.
Student questions about Online Tutoring should be directed to the Writing Lab’s main email address (firewrite@bgsu.edu).
You may also schedule a virtual appointment by calling 419-372-0705 or 419-372-0748.
Success Coaching
Students can work with a success coach to sure up their next phase of life after college. Are you prepared to live independently? Do you have a job secured before graduation? Will you be financially secure after college graduation?
Supplemental Instruction
Supplemental instruction (SI) is an approach to support students academically by merging the "what to learn" with the "how to learn." This method is designed to have students from the same course meet regularly, outside of their class, to support one another in comprehending the lessons and preparing for exams.
Supplemental instruction (SI) is an approach to support students academically by merging the "what to learn" with the "how to learn". This method is designed to have students from the same course meet regularly, outside of their class, to support one another in comprehending the lessons and preparing for exams. The key objectives of SI include:
- improve student's grades in courses, especially challenging courses;
- improve student retention;
- increase students' graduation rate.
SI meetings are free, and led by a trained student leader (who has completed the course) or professional tutor who facilitates interactive learning initiatives that produce small group, peer-to-peer interaction. Courses that are often viewed as high-risk (due to poor student success rates) as well as program majors that have low retention rates, are the target audience generator for SI. SI:
- puts students at ease of asking questions that they may be too afraid to ask in class
- implements regular study time each week for the course
- establishes peer-learning cohorts
- affords students reinforcement of the content learned during class
Tutoring and SI are not the same. SI does not review graded assignments but covers the concepts taught in class, review class notes, discuss reading assignments, develop test-taking strategies, and review for exams. Therefore, students need to attend class if they want to participate in SI meetings. SI sessions are determined by the SI leader. Sessions can be held several times each week both on-campus or online. If an SI group is not formed for a course you are in, you can still use tutoring to support and reinforce what you are learning in the course. Remember to check in with your course instructor for their 'office hours' to discuss any course concerns you may have.
Research indicates that students who participate in SI sessions withdraw from courses less often, and have a higher academic performance in the course than those who did not. Once SI is implemented for the course, the Teaching and Learning Center works collaboratively with the faculty who instruct the course to ensure SI meetings are assessed appropriately and well supported.
Check with your professor to learn if your course is SI-eligible. If not, consider small group tutoring as a substitute.
Content Review / Homework Hubs
In a content review, a professional tutor works with you individually to assure you that you understand and can demonstrate, the skills required for the course. Content review can be done with your homework (or presentations). The professional tutor will work with you and help you identify that your work meets the criteria of the assignment or help you to develop your work to meet the instruction requirements. This review can be done as a group with students in the same course.
In most cases, before a company publishes any information, be it online or in print, a content reviewer ensures that the material is accurate, high-quality, free of errors, and appropriate for the intended audience. Such a process can seem rigorous and systemic but seeks to identify if the author demonstrates the strategies to comprehend the content and represents that well in the publication. For you as a college student, the process is little changed.
In higher education, faculty examine aspects of the course to learn where students need to come prepared with certain skills and knowledge sets rather than learn the skills while taking the course. In a content review, a professional tutor works with you individually to assure you that you understand and can demonstrate, the skills required for the course. Content review can be done with your homework (or presentations). The professional tutor will work with you and help you identify that your work meets the criteria of the assignment, or helps you to develop your work to meet the instruction requirements.
Students are encouraged to use the content review to work together with the support of trained tutors. Tutors conducting the reviews can provide general support for questions during their availability. If additional support is needed, tutors can also assist students in locating a one-to-one or small group tutor session for a later date.
Asynchronous Tutoring
You may submit your course questions using your BG email account to askatutor@bgsu.edu. In the subject line, you need to state the course and the instructor (i.e. ACEN 1000 ~ Green-Churchwell). In the body of the email, you may input your general question. Reminder, for academic honesty and integrity purposes, specific homework questions and examples cannot be answered outright.
Synchronous Tutoring
Synchronous tutoring, also known as real-time tutoring, is offered in two forms: online and in-person. Face-to-face tutoring online is conducted through a conference platform such as ZOOM, TEAMS, or WEBEX. In-person tutoring takes place in the Teaching and Learning Center (230N). Use the request link to schedule online or in-person synchronous tutoring.
Digital/Technology Tutoring
Digital/Technology tutoring provides support to students, faculty, and staff who need assistance with computer software and multimedia applications (i.e. Adobe, Microsoft Office, CANVAS, and video/audio editing software).
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students who are under Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are encouraged to utilize the services of the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) to help them succeed in meeting their agreement requirements. Schedule an appointment through NAVIGATE or contact the TLC by calling 419-433-5560 ext. 20705 or email firetlc@bgsu.edu
First Generation, Non-Traditional, Military Family Student Success
The Teaching and Learning Center coordinates support programs and services for Firelands' first-generation/non-traditional/military family student populations. If you are a student who is classified in one of these areas, please meet with the director to learn what is available for you.
Military family support is provided through Bowling Green State University.
Nontraditional and Military Student Services (NTMSS) provides assistance to support you as you make career and educational choices. Beginning, returning to, or continuing your college education can pose a variety of challenges. The NTMSS staff is familiar with the issues facing nontraditional and military students and can be a resource as you plan and complete your program.
Whether you are a nontraditional student starting or restarting your education, or an active-military or Veteran student, we can assist you in navigating the application process and easing your transition to BGSU.
Advisors are also available to assist current students. We can help you discover and utilize campus resources and develop programs to best meet your needs.
BGSU Firelands values non-traditional students. BGSU defines nontraditional students (NT) as undergraduate students who are over the age of 23, or students who are parents, or students who may identify as NT because of other factors that typically do not befall traditional students. The Teaching and Learning Center is here to support and advocate for you. Our campus has resources that you can access. Please reach out if you want to connect with us.
First-generation students continue to be an asset to BGSU Firelands. BGSU defines first-generation students as undergraduate students whose parents have never earned a Bachelor’s Degree. BGSU strongly supports first-generation students throughout their first year of college. First Gen students can find support through tailored classes, events, and meetings to gauge the success of their endeavors. The Teaching and Learning Center serves as a centralized hub for first-generation students to hang out, get help with homework, receive guidance on resources and services, socialization, refreshments, and more. Students who meet the first-generation classification should consider the TLC their home away from home. Please reach out if you want to connect with us.
Updated: 01/21/2025 04:08PM