Problems of Practice- inquiry into generalists and specialists

Problems of Practice- inquiry into generalists and specialists

Question:

What are the benefits and limitations of specialists and generalists?

Problem:

There is an ongoing debate in writing centers on whether to use specialist or generalists tutors. In our own center, we are developing multiple specialist tutors in a number of departments. There is a continued fear of becoming specialist without becoming experts.

Activity

See separate handout and discussion on slides.

Research on the topic

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Boston: Pearson Education. 2003. 155-168. Print.

Greiner, Alexis. Tutoring in Unfamiliar Subjects. A Tutors Guide: Helping Writers One to One. Ed. Ben Rafoth. New Hampshire: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 2000. 85-90. Print.

Kiedaisch, Jean, and Sue Dinitz. Look Back and Say So What: The Limitations of the Generalist Tutor. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice. Ed. Robert Barnett and Jacob Blumner. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. 260-271. Print.

Leahy, Richard. Writing Centers and Writing for Learning. 10.1. (1989): 31-39. The Writing Center Journal. Web. 22 Jan 2014.

Walker, Kristen. The Debate over Generalist and Specialist Tutors: Genre Theory's Contribution. 18.2. (1998): 27-47. The Writing Center Journal. Web. 23 Jan 2014.

The Debate

Generalist issues: Generalist tutors sometimes fail to identify discipline-specific conventions and issues associated with them.

Generalist benefits: Can help focus on developing ideas, guiding the writer through the writing process, ask writers questions to help them think about their field.

Specialist issues: Tutors might be tempted to be authoritative, share their knowledge and not the process, might fail to focus on global concerns

Specialist benefits: Knowledge of conventions and process for writing can help student, can inform student about genre of the discipline.

What you can take away from the research:

1. There are both benefits and limitations in both generalism and specialism2. Think about generalism and specialism as strategies for tutoring, rather than roles that dictate how one tutors in every session 3. Tutors who follow generalism or specialism can improve their practices by learning about each other.