MS1

MS1: Final Report

1. Point of interest: Clínica de Problemas de Física (Universidad de los Andes)

• Description: The clinic is a space of support for students of the university that are having problems with the courses: Physics 1, Physics 2, Waves and Fluids and Modern Physics. There are several tutors (mostly physics students) that explain concepts and help solving exercises. 
• Location: It is located in the basement of the building Ip inside the university. 

2. Time: Afternoon

• Specific time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

3. Rationale: Reasons for selecting the place

• Knowledge of the environment: I study physics and I spent half of my major inside the clinic. I also worked there as a tutor. I am deeply related to the environment and all the interactions that are developed inside. 
• Changes in the administration: The clinic changed its working strategy this semester, so I wanted to observe the new dynamics. Now all the students have to make an appointment before the tutoring. Before they just arrived and searched for an available tutor. This change can be improved with technology.
• Security: It is a place inside the university so it is completely safe for me to take notes on my laptop and to observe the behaviour without being affected in any way.
• Location: I live in the university campus and the places around my apartment are the most approachable and easy to go. Besides, the places outside the campus are generally dangerous and my flatmates have been robbed there. 

4. Method 1: What? How? Why?

• What? Tutors explain  physics problems and topics to their appointments. Students have books, notebooks and laptops on the table. They try to ask a detailed and slow explanation of specific problems. They try to solve exam-like problems. They tipically don't ask for a lecture topic. They ask about how to apply the theory to problems. They take notes of everything the tutor writes on the board. They ask for books and past exams. They use the whiteboard to express their ideas. They try to test themselves and search for the tutor's approval. They watch what other tutors are explaining because at times it coincides with their topic of interest. Students ask why some grade they obtained was wrong. Students ask for explanations of solved problems. Students ask for other textbooks with more challenging problems. Students ask how hard is the physics professor they have. 
• How? Students are sitting in the tables around the room. Tutors are tipically stood up explaining using the whiteboards that cover all the walls around the clinic. The students that go to the clinic at this early point of the semester are really responsible and willing to learn. They are trying to distribute their time so they can learn topics that are difficult for them.There are several free tutors because of the lack of intensity in the first weeks. 
• Why? Students didn't understand the topic of the course deeply. They want to be prepared for the exams and quices. The first weeks are very slow and relaxed. There is a slow movement and tutors are mostly free. Students are not stressed yet and there is a "quiet" environment in the clinic. Also, the tutorings last 30min so the students leave fast. 

5. Method 2 – Travel Map

Time	Action
3:02pm	A student arrives to his tutoring.
3:03pm	The student locates his tutor.
3:04pm	The student asks the tutor for help with a problem.
3:05pm	The tutor reads the problem, thinks about it and starts to solve it in the whiteboard.
3:08pm  3:12pm  3:15pm	The student interrupts the tutor and asks to repeat specific parts of the solution.
3:17pm	The student tries to solve a similar problem on his own.
3:19pm	The confused student asks for help in a section.
3:26pm	The student solves the problem and asks for confirmation.
3:27pm	The tutor confirms the problem is good.
3:28pm	The happy student picks his stuff and go to fill the survey.
3:31pm	The satisfied student leaves the clinic.

6. Brainstorm of problems identified in the point-of-interest

1. Previous students do not know about the new system of booking and are confused and angry when they arrive and they can't be tutored by anyone. 
2. The location of the clinic is in the higher upper campus and there is a clear effort to reach it. 
3. All students have trouble finding the website to book appointments. 
4. The website is not friendly for their mobile browsers so they also have to find a computer to book. 
5. Some doubts are very specific and the time is hard to estimate. Sometimes 30min is too long, sometimes is too short. Specially for the time that it takes to finish a problem. 
6. In past times, students tended to stay for hours but called the tutor for short periods during that time.  Now, the spaces are limited and they have to find other spaces.
7. The resources found in the clinic (books, past exams, exercises) are only available from inside and need the aproval of the coordinator to be used. 
8. The clinic is underused in valley times of the semester, but in peak weeks (such as the ones before exams) it is overflown. 
9. Some students leave the clinic still with doubts.
10. The grading system of tutors is done in a rush and typically contains few information useful for the tutoring feedback and improvement. 

7. How did I do it?

I took my laptop and took notes on it. I made sketches on my iPad. I was next to the clinic coordinator and I had a big span of all the place.