OUR
MODEL
The overall vision for DISCOVER is this: a program where students can get advice and help that is directly applicable to them. Post-secondary students and recent alumni are well seasoned in the many different experiences university and college life can bring, and are therefore often great sources of advice, support, and guidance for students who find themselves unprepared in the face of their transition into post-secondary life.
Our learning model is focussed on skill-building and goal orientation. We believe these are the pillars of self-discovery and self-efficacy.
The Discover Model, adapted from the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction as presented in the Palmer & Wehmeyer (2003), is supported by and developed from educational and pedagogical research on the best methods to support students in building their own foundations for academic success.
Goal orientation involves the facilitation of self-discovery through the use of achievement goals. Van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes (2014) reported that approach goals were positively correlated with performance attainment in their meta-analysis of self-reported achievement goals. More specifically, Palmer & Wehmeyer (2003) demonstrated how teachers can facilitate self-determination by guiding students, utilizing a specific model in which the child specifies a certain goal they would like to attain. As a student realizes their defined goals, this in turn builds self-efficacy which is correlated with further development of achievement goals (Liem, Lau, and Nie, 2008).
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Rather than tutoring becoming a crutch for students to rely on, we want it to be an experience they can learn from. Through DISCOVER, we want students to begin to build their toolkit of the skills they will need to continue succeeding academically, to set goals for themselves, and to carry out their plans to achieve their goals.
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Read the President's statement on our pedagogical model here.
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