NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Ericca Reynolds (reynoldse@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

2/03/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-Students at Northwestern State now have access to live, online assistance in a variety of subjects from qualified educators.

NSU has partnered with SMARTHINKING , a Washington, D.C. based organization that provides people, technology and training to help schools and institutions offer outstanding online academic support to their students. SMARTHINKING is currently working with more than 200 institutions supporting six different subject areas, including an online writing lab for all coursed in all subject areas.

Students can receive online tutoring in all Math subjects 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and in economics, accounting, statistics, chemistry, Spanish and writing on Sundays through Thursdays 3 p.m. until midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. In addition, students can submit questions, submit writing samples, provide academic resources and access archives 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

SMARTHINKING does not give answers or do the student's work for them, nor does it rewrite and edit papers and allow untrained or unmonitored tutors to work with students.

Unlike other online tutoring companies, SMARTHINKING tutors are company employees who are recruited, hired, trained, scheduled, managed and evaluated by SMARTHINKING's staff. Most tutors are drawn from college faculty, graduate students, high school teachers and retired educators. To prepare e-structors to provide high-quality instruction, SMARTHINKING has developed a training program for online, one-to-one tutoring that has emerged as the industry model. Once an applicant passes a subject-specific test and matches their hiring criteria, the individual receives extensive training on effective teaching methods in an online environment, including student management, the SMARTHINKING technology and course specific pedagogy.

According to coordinator of academic advising, Christie Anderson, only tutors with strong background in tutoring/teaching in their respective fields are hired by SMARTHINKING.

"This program will benefit our non-traditional students since they don't have the opportunity to get the 8a.m.-5p.m. face to face time with their professors," said Anderson. "Also, when students use SMARTHINKING they are getting help from highly qualified individuals. Over 80% of the tutors have a Masters degree or a Ph.D. in their field."

Using the SMARTHINKING service, NSU will be able to create a true on/off campus educational model that addresses a range of student needs and learning styles.

For more information on SMARTHINKING, please visit the web site www.smarthinking.com, visit the Academic Advising Office in room 237 of Kyser on the NSU campus or call (318) 357-5000.

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