GSS Information for Faculty

Guided Study Sessions provide a structured opportunity for your students to engage in course material outside of the scheduled class time. GSS allows instructors to maintain high standards for academic excellence in historically difficult courses by providing students the opportunity to increase their time on task in an effective learning environment. Therefore, Faculty members who participate in GSS benefit from students who are better informed about classroom topics and who earn higher grades.

Faculty play a crucial role in the success of the GSS Program. You will share your content knowledge and teaching expertise with the GSS leaders in order for the leader to prepare for GSS sessions and support the development of students in your course. Interactions with the GSS leader before, during, and after class model student-faculty interaction and demonstrate to students that you are the most valuable resource in the class. GSS leaders are also encouraged to provide feedback to the faculty member about the GSS sessions and areas where students may still be struggling.

If you have any questions about the GSS program, or if you would like to request GSS for your class, please call the Learning Assistance Service at 301-314-7693.

Faculty Role

• Provide recommendations for new GSS Leaders each semester.
• Introduce GSS to your students on the first day of class (& include it in your syllabus).
• Allow the GSS leader to make periodic announcements to your class.
• Meet regularly with the GSS Leader to clarify course content and review materials for the GSS session.
• Provide the GSS leader with copies of course materials & access to ELMS documents and assignments
• Responded to surveys regarding performance of GSS Leaders each semester.
• Sharing scores after each exam with the Director, Learning Assistance for purposes of tracking student outcomes.
• Communicate with Learning Assistance Service throughout the semester.

GSS Leaders

We hope you will view your GSS Leader as a resource, for your teaching and your students. They are encourages to interact with students in class as much as possible when you feel it is appropriate for them to do so. Specifically, GSS Leaders are trained to:

• Understand the process of learning.
• Encourage interaction between you and your students.
• Be role models for your students.
• Help your students discover and apply new learning strategies.
• Structure group activities so students will learn collaboratively.

GSS Leaders will not:

• Give answers to students or do work for them.
• Teach, grade, or give the impression that they can do these things.
• Work on graded assignments unless you give them permission.