What do I do on the day of my online appointment?
- At your scheduled time, logon to URI WC Online.
- Click on the red box indicating your appointment.
- Click “Join online session.”
- Once the tutor is online, you are ready to begin your session.
Should I schedule an online or face-to-face appointment?
Online Tutoring Sessions
- We recommend online tutoring sessions for students who require a more flexible schedule. If you are unable to be on campus during the Writing Center’s hours of operation, we encourage you to schedule an online appointment at your convenience.
Face-to-face Tutoring Sessions
- We recommend face-to-face tutoring sessions for all students across all disciplines who are interested in honing the craft of writing by enhancing their strengths and addressing their weaknesses.
- We recommend that a first appointment at the Writing Center be face-to-face.
What exactly can I expect from an online tutoring session?
With online tutoring, you have the option to text chat or video chat with the tutor; it is your preference.
If you have a draft of a writing piece you would like to work on, you may upload a copy during your tutoring session for your and tutor’s viewing. (Complete instructions will be available during the session.)
Remember, tutoring is a conversation in which both the writer and the tutor are present discussing the assignment. You will be expected to chat (in the medium of your choosing) with the tutor.
Tips for Communicating Online
When communicating online, we lose the intimacy of face-to-face interaction. It can be more difficult to understand the other person without the added value of intonation, body language, and gestures. Sometimes, online text can appear angry or flippant, despite the best of intentions.
So, remember to be friendly in your online tutoring sessions! It is okay to use exclamation points in your text as long as they do not come across as yelling.
For example, it would be a good idea to say: “Hello Joe, nice to meet you!”
It would not be a good idea to say: “That comma’s in the wrong place; YOU NEED TO FIX IT!”
Also, emoticons are welcome! 🙂 Feel free to send a smiley face to lighten the mood — just take heed to not use them too zealously.
As always, remember to be polite, kind, and respectful of one another during an online appointment. We want our online tutoring sessions to be just as friendly and as personable as they are in face-to-face sessions.
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