Peer Mentoring Learning Lab Guidelines

The SSC also offers a Learning Lab. Here are the guidelines to follow while you are working in the Learning Lab.

Welcome Each Student

Greet each student with a smile as they arrive to make them feel comfortable and at ease. Your goal is to provide a warm welcome.

Give Guided Support

If a student needs help with a specific subject or assignment, direct them to the appropriate tutor for subject-specific assistance.

Explain Sign-In Process

Ensure that every student signs in using the iPads provided in the study hall, which helps us keep track of attendance and engagement.

Tutor Responsibilities

When you arrive at the Learning Lab, check in with the Peer Mentor who is in charge of the Learning Lab at that time to let them know you've arrived and you're available to help students.
Your first responsibility is to help students who have questions or are taking courses related to your area of expertise. While the peer mentors may bring some students to you, it is also your responsibility to circulate among the students who are in the Learning Lab and proactively engage with them to offer support.
Although your first responsibility is to help students in your area of expertise, your secondary responsibility is to help all students who come to the Learning Lab have a good experience. Here are some ideas for how to proactively engage with students, both within and outside your area of expertise:
- Ask a student to teach/explain to you a concept from what they learned in class this week. (This helps to reinforce and expose gaps in their understanding).
- Ask a students to teach/explain to you a concept that they learned earlier in the semester. (Frequent review leads to increased understanding and long-term memory).
- Offer to quiz a student - on flashcards, a list of terms/names/dates, etc.
- Encourage a student to do a 20-30 minute focused study session and then have them tell you what they learned and/or accomplished.
- Engage a student or a small group of students in a word association game on a concept or topic. For example, if students are studying mitosis, a student might start by saying "cells," the next student could say "replication, you could say "chromosomes," and so on until the topic is covered or the student is out of ideas.
- Have a student tell you about their victories and accomplishments of the week and encourage them to add something to the Victory Wall (coming soon).

If there are no students present in the Learning Lab, you can do one of the following, but your top priority should always be to engage with students:
- Work on creating and sending asynchronous resources to students in the courses we support.
- Review content in your subject area to refresh your knowledge and skills.

Mentor Responsibilities

When a student arrives, your primary task is to engage with them in a brief success planning session. Discuss their goals, the classes they are enrolled in, and the reasons that brought them into the Learning Lab. Explore any concerns they might have about their courses. This meeting serves as an introduction and an opportunity to promote ongoing mentoring and schedule future sessions.

You should also actively engage with students throughout Learning Lab hours. Check-in with each student periodically to discuss their tasks, provide guidance, and help them stay on track.

Your goal is to create a supportive and productive atmosphere. Approach each interaction with kindness, warmth, and encouragement to ensure students feel motivated and valued.

Beginning of Shift Tasks

Popcorn Machine Setup (if it will be used that day):
Retrieve Jenny’s key card to access the popcorn machine. Before using it, ensure that the machine is thoroughly cleaned and ready to operate.

Popcorn Preparation: Use ½ cup of oil and 1 cup of popcorn to prepare a fresh batch. You can make only one batch per shift, so offer it to the students as a fun and welcoming treat during their study time.

Set-up Learning Lab Signage: Place the learning lab signs on the walls one by each elevator on the north and sought sides of the 4th floor and one by the main stairs on the 2nd floor.

During the Shift

When a student arrives, engage them in a brief success planning session. Discuss their goals, the classes they are enrolled in, and the reasons that brought them into the Learning Lab. Explore any concerns they may have about the upcoming semester. This serves as an introduction and an opportunity to promote ongoing mentoring and schedule future sessions.
Actively engage with students throughout Learning Lab hours. Check-in with each student periodically to discuss their tasks, provide guidance, and help them stay on track.
Your goal is to create a supportive and productive atmosphere. Approach each interaction with kindness, warmth, and encouragement to ensure that students feel motivated and valued.

End of Shift Tasks

Cleaning and Storage: Use Clorox wipes to clean the popcorn machine thoroughly. After cleaning, return the machine and all related items to their proper storage location in the closet.

iPad Organization: Collect the iPads and place them on the white shelf by Jenny’s desk, ensuring they are neatly organized and ready for the next study hall session.

Push in chairs.
Clean up trash in the Learning Lab area.
Wipe down tables with Clorox wipes (located in the closet).
Clean and store the popcorn machine if it was used.
Retrieve the Learning Lab signs from the elevators on the north and south sides of the 4th floor, and from the main stairs on the 2nd floor.

Virtual Learning Lab Instructions

Log In

- Email: success@byu.edu
- Password: Learnassist1!

Go to Virtual One Stop

Go to the Virtual One Stop tab in the left-side navigation panel

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Select Enter Your Lobby

Click on Learning Lab Lobby

Click on Learning Lab Lobby and make sure you are NOT in your personal lobby!

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Unlock the Lobby

Unlock the lobby by clicking on the lock icon next to Learning Lab Lobby

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Students will Knock on Door

Students will enter the lobby by selecting Knock on Door and sending a message. The directions on ConexED tell them to enter the virtual lobby by messaging the Learning Lab Receptionist, but even if they don’t, you should still be able to view their message if they do end up knocking on anyone else’s door.

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Click on the Speech Bubble Icon

Once they message anyone in the Learning Lab group, they will show up in the lounge. To assist them, click on the speech bubble icon.

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Message the Student

Then, message them back and figure out what help they need. Are they there for help on a Math problem or to meet with a mentor, etc.? Once you know who the student needs to meet with, look around you in the Learning Lab and figure out if that tutor or one of the mentors is available or approximately how long the wait time is if they are not. If there is a wait time, let the student know, and tell them that the tutor or mentor will be with them soon. If no tutor or mentor is available to help the student within a short amount of time, help the student set up a ConexEd appointment with a tutor or mentor.

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Forward the Student to the Correct Lobby

Once the tutor or mentor is available, click on the forward icon to send the student to another lobby.

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Unlock the Correct Lobby

Then, you will send the student to the appropriate tutor or mentor by selecting their name in the popup box. The tutor or mentor’s lobby will need to be Unlocked before you can send the student to them.

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