Mesabi Range learning center

Mesabi Range Community and Technical College - Learning Center

Mesabi Range’s Learning Center provides free academic and career services to all Mesabi Range students. Each campus houses its own Learning Center and is staffed with a Director. Specifically, the learning center offers services in the following areas:

Tutoring
Group or individual study areas
Study skills help
Writing tips
Campus textbooks and handouts
Facilitate group study sessions
Career search services
D2L testing area

Learning Center Location and Hours of Service
The Learning Center on the Virginia Campus is located in the Library in room L120. On the Eveleth Campus you can find it located across from the Student Services reception area, Resource Room 100.
Staffed Virginia hours are Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm (subject to change)
Staffed Eveleth hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (subject to change)

Tutoring

Mesabi Range’s Learning Center provides free, drop-in tutoring in many subjects. Contact the Learning Center as soon as you feel like you're having difficulty with a class, or just have a few questions. Do not wait until the end of the semester! All learners can benefit from sharing their work and their questions with trained tutors. Tutoring is beneficial for:

Learners who are good at what they do and strive to become better
Learners who are struggling in their courses
Learners who are early in their course work and want to "brush up" on their academic skills

The Learning Center wants to put you in charge of your own learning through collaboration with tutors. If you are frustrated or confused, you can get clarification. If you already feel confident in your work, you can improve even more. We can help improve your preparation for exams, provide feedback about how to clarify your ideas on a paper, or present information from a slightly different angle to help you find the answer.

Who are Tutors?
Tutors are students who excel in their coursework, have been recommended by faculty as demonstrating superior subject knowledge, and/or have recently taken many of the same classes that you are in now. Tutors are also faculty members who have years of experience in their field of study. Tutors are available to help facilitate independent learners and help students develop active roles in their education.

Tutoring Schedules
Tutoring schedules will vary from one subject to the next and from one day to the next due to the availability of the tutor. Availability is not 100% guaranteed for any subject. The schedule will indicate which subjects and at what times tutors are available in the Learning Center. Tutor schedules are posted around each campus and are available upon request to the Learning Center Director.

Need A Tutor or Want to Become a Tutor?
If you are in need of a tutor, or are interested in becoming a tutor, visit the learning center on your campus. You can also contact the learning center Director on either campus directly:
Virginia Campus:
Toby Anderson
t.anderson@mr.mnscu.edu
218-749-0319

Eveleth Campus:
Kevin Langdon
k.langdon@mr.mnscu.edu
218-744-7471

Online Tutoring

Mesabi Range Community and Technical College has partnered with SMARTHINKING! SMARTTHINGKING is a web-based tutorial service that offers learners free real-time online tutoring and custom critique of their papers. http://www.mr.mnscu.edu/services/tutoring.htm
With SMARTHINKING, you can:
• Get live one-on-one online tutoring help in a variety of subjects
• Submit an essay or paper for review
• Submit questions for tutor response
• Submit a thesis statement or introductory paragraph for critique
• Help yourself to a host of independent study resources

Online Tutors (E-Structors)

E-structors - experienced, trained online tutors - are available up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a variety of subjects.

Live Tutoring

• Connect with an e-structor and interact live online. No appointment necessary!
• Make an appointment and meet live with an e-structor at your convenience

Subjects offered

Basic Math
Algebra
Geometry & Trigonometry
Calculus
Statistics
Biology
Chemistry
Accounting
Economics
Finance
Writing

Submit for Response
• Submit a paragraph or thesis
• Submit a paper for critique
• Submit questions in a variety of subjects
An e-structor will respond within 24-48 hours

Custom Critique of Papers

• Submit a paper up to 10 pages in length, and an e-structor will spend 30 minutes on your paper and provide you with feedback within 24-48 hours.
• Submit a paper from 10-20 pages in length, and indicate that you would like a 60 minute review. An e-structor will spend 60 minutes on your paper and provide you with feedback within 24-48 hours.
• E-structors coach you by providing “reader responses,” probing your thinking with questions, and offering advice for strengthening your next draft.
• To take best advantage of this opportunity for feedback, be sure to let the e-structor know your concerns about the paper.
• E-structors do not edit, proofread, or “fix” papers.

Professional and Career Writing available if you need assistance writing a resume
ALSO.....MRCTC students can log into their D2L account and register to work with the MRCTC Online English Tutor. All students have to do is click the link on the D2L Home Page and they will be added to the online tutoring program. There, they can submit papers for review or check out the many wonderful tutorials created by MRCTC faculty member, Kristi Sutton.

Please contact Toby Anderson t.anderson@mr.mnscu.edu or 218-749-0319 with further questions or for additional information.

Hippocampus: The free one-stop educational resource

Web Resources

www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/videos/index.html - View success videos on Time Management, Notetaking, Stress Management, Reading Improvement, and Strategic Learning.
writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb.html - This is a guide to tough-writing tutor sessions. Learn how to tackle a problem before it escalates.
www.chemistrycoach.com/linkstoa.htm- This isn’t a chemistry site, but rather a great study skills resource. Find links for test taking, note taking, time management, reading, stress management, and much more.
www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm- This site explains the Felder & Soloman Learning Styles in detail and suggests complementary study skill aids.
webhome.crk.umn.edu/students/ubar002/tutortraining/tutorMain.htm - Here are some more tutor training tips for college-level tutoring sessions.
Research Project Calculator. This online calculator breaks the research process into five logical steps: question, gather, conclude, communication and evaluate. Students choose the format of their research product (essay, PowerPoint, video) and enter the due date for their assignment. The calculator estimates the dates by which each part of the process should be completed and provides a script for the information-seeking process in the form of questions and answers that create a short and simple guide for this complex process. Students can have this research guide with due dates sent to an email address or printed for their use.

Study Skills

The ability to retain and utilize the knowledge you will gain through your course work is vital to a successful academic and professional career. The resources included here will inform you of opportunities to become a more proficient learner. By helping you to understand your strengths and weaknesses, these resources will help you to develop coping and study strategies to become a successful learner. Please remember to keep an open mind and try as many different options and strategies as it takes to determine what works best for you
Virginia Tech Study Skills

How to Study
Study Tips & Test Taking Strategies
How to Study.org
Study Guides & Strategies
Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences