Tutor Quest

Sponsored by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) & UCI Center for Excellence in Writing & Communication (CEWC)

Visual Design: Adrianna Burton and Jennifer Siino

Programming: Jennifer Siino

Writing & Editing: Adrianna Burton

Sound Design: Matthew Nelson

Advised by CEWC Associate Director Evin Groundwater

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Embedded tutoring has long served as a way for writing centers to increase engagement and outreach, as well as assist writing instructors in promoting effective writing pedagogy. This game recognizes the challenges and changes made necessary to embedded tutoring in a remote Physics course, particularly a need to engage with writers as people navigating complex and fraught situations.

In the age of COVID-19 and remote tutoring, such work requires being attuned to change as we spend two hours a week in lecture and several more in tutoring. In the game, time is a resource the player allocates to different tasks, simulating our limited time in lecture. In a text-based format, the students will be represented by their names, as if on a Zoom call with their cameras off. Player actions include clicking on a student’s name to learn more about the student; moderating chat to gain information on student questions, comments, and concerns; and ‘paying attention’ to the lecture, which ‘enhances’ knowledge of the subject for the tutor. These tasks are designed to increase the player’s understanding of the students, and realize that they aren’t simply flat names in Zoom boxes, but rather people with unique challenges and learning needs.

After someone completes the game, our hope is players will gain a sense of embedded tutoring experiences during a lecture. Ultimately, our game emphasizes that each tutee is a person, like us. Embedded tutoring provides the unique opportunity to develop personal bonds and enhance our quality of feedback and support for tutees.