The Learning Resource Center offers both on-campus and online academic support for adult education and e-learning students. The LRC provides face-to-face peer tutoring and writing consultations for learners able to travel to the Mequon campus. Off-site students and e-learners can access Smarthinking online tutoring and Concordia’s Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Smarthinking Online Tutoring
What is Smarthinking?
Smarthinking online tutoring is staffed by trained e-structors who tutor students in the general undergraduate subject areas of Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus), Science (General and Organic Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology), Business (Intro to Accounting, Economics, Statistics, and Finance), and Spanish. Please visit www.smarthinking.com to view the disciplines for which Smarthinking offers academic support.
How does tutoring work?
After setting up a Smarthinking account, students may access the following tutoring options:
- Real-time chat with e-structors who specialize in specific disciplines
- Pre-arranged chat appointments offered for a variety of subject areas
- Submission of coursework-related questions to Smarthinking e-structors
- Access to an electronic library of academic resources
How do I access Smarthinking?
Students who wish to register for Smarthinking should contact Kathleen Volk, Assistant Director of the Learning Resource Center, at 262.243.4216. Interested students also can view additional information about Smarthinking.
The Online Writing Lab (OWL)
What is the Online Writing Lab?
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) serves as a means for distance learners to obtain targeted feedback about their writing. Collaboration and the sharing of ideas are the heart of writing consultation, and the OWL has been created to allow consultants and students to dialogue about essays electronically.
How does the OWL work, and what can I expect from this service?
The OWL is maintained by trained Concordia Writing Center staff, and writing consultants offer constructive comments about students’ projects. The OWL consultants review essays and focus on higher order writing concerns such as argumentation, organization, evidence usage, and flow. Consultants also can assist with citation and grammar, but the OWL staff strives to give students holistic feedback on assignments beyond simply proofreading drafts. Your returned essay will contain sentence-level comments, a discussion of error patterns, and an overall summary of the consultant’s thoughts about your draft.
How can I access the OWL?
Submit an essay to the OWL. We ask that only off-site adult education students and e-learners use the OWL because Concordia's in-house Writing Center can help students on-campus with their work. Students also may contact Kathleen Volk, Assistant Director of the Learning Resource Center, at 262.243.4216 with questions about this service.
