DLA Reviews

What's a DLA?

• A Directed Learning Activity (DLA) is a set of exercises a student completes on their own in order to improve a specific writing, thinking, or grammatical skill. The purpose of a DLA is to allow students to practice different parts of the writing process and then think deeply with a tutor to better understand their own learning processes.

• In English 1A, Chaffey College requires students complete 3 DLAs, Workshops, and/or Learning Groups which are all housed in the Language Success Center.

• Tip: Many students are unsure of which DLA they should pick. Recommending DLAs or workshops through announcements, canvas messages, and sessions based on what is happening in class or where the class is at in the writing process.

Do's and Don'ts of DLA Review Sessions

• Do not check off all the answers to see if they are right or wrong. The purpose of the DLA is to have a conversation about college writing and the major concepts of the activity.

• Do ask the student to explain the DLA activity to you. What did they take from it? What was the goal? Working through directions will allow the student to practice analytical skills necessary for college.

• Do not try to review every part of the DLA. You have 15 mins, and the purpose of the DLA is to make connections between the specific concept and their own writing/ writing process.

• Do ask students if there was anything they had questions about or had trouble with. This can help you "set the agenda" for the session.

• Do be willing to draw on your knowledge, experiences, and class notes to help students explore concepts further. All students understand things differently so some additional/ diverse explanations might be needed.

• Do ask the student to connect the DLA to their class material, writing assignments, or past writing experiences.

Pre-session

1. The Intake person in the SC Zoom Room will let you know you have a DLA Review Session that's ready.

DLA Review Session

2. Greeting! Ask the student their name and their class if they're not in your section.

3. Glance over the DLA pages to see if it's mostly finished. (Use your judgement.)

   • If the DLA has not been started independently by the student, please...

   • Use the session to show the student how DLAs work and to help them with any questions they have.

   • Reschedule an appointment with the student to review the DLA later. Or see if there are walk-in DLA review sessions available

4. To get started, ask the student to explain the DLA. (Ex. "What DLA did you work on? Why did you select this one? What did it ask you to do?"). Ask the student if there was anything they had questions about or struggled with. If not, ask students what they think the most important/ interesting part of the DLA was.

5. Have a conversation about the concept, reviewing the student's responses as you go. Try to ask the student how the concepts connect to what they've been working on in class, what they anticipate in class, or past writing experiences.

6. In the last couple of minutes of the session complete the DLA Session Verification form. The survey will be sent to the student, and they will need to submit it to their instructor to verify they completed a DLA.

• Where are DLAs located?

Students can find DLAs on the Chaffey Student Hub via the Language Success Center. Also, just follow this link: https://canvas.chaffey.edu/courses/13019/pages/other-english-1a-dlas?module_item_id=661319.

• How can I complete my supplemental learning requirement (aka. LSC visits/ stamps/ hours)?

Students can complete the 3 hour learning requirement by completing a DLA worksheet and review session or an English workshop. All of these activities will give students a verification for their instructor.

• Can I do a PAL group session instead?

Unfortunately, PAL Group Sessions cannot count toward the supplemental learning requirement. Most successful students attend both LSC activities and PAL sessions.

• If I did it last semester does it still count?

No. The requirement is required when enrolled in an English 1A every semester.

• Can I send the DLA to Smart Thinking?

Students can meet with with a PAL or a SC tutor for DLA tutoring. You cannot send DLAs to a Smart Thinking Tutor.

• What's the point?

DLAs provide students with the opportunity to practice specific writing skills and get feedback from an experienced tutor. DLAs can help fill in the gap between the writing skills a student has and the writing skills that are necessary to turn in successful written assignments. If a student needs help with a writing skill that won't be discussed in class, DLAs can give that student needed practice.