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This article gives an interesting insight into a meeting between some trainees of a peer tutoring in writing class and some active peer writing tutors, who are still working in tutoring. In this meeting, the trainees have the chance to ask for lots of information about peer tutoring in writing, and they learn more about the beginning and the development of the peer tutoring program at the University of Bielefeld. Furthermore, the experienced peer writing tutors explain how they work and what kind of concerns the students bring to them. The tutors also describe the characteristics of their tutoring in pairs. Finally, the group of trainees and active tutors talk about their experiences and the benefits of working as a peer writing tutor. ‘skript.um’ – The Peer Tutoring Program in Bielefeld, Germany, Invites you to Take a Glance at our Work We are a group of peer writing tutors, working at Bielefeld University for a student tutoring program named ‘skript.um’, which is part of the Writing Lab. In our team, there are 11 tutors plus a coordinator, who is a member of the Writing Lab. We offer a walk-in service and three writing groups for students. At German universities, it is highly unusual to talk about writing. Unlike in most English-speaking countries, German students do not get weekly assignments but rather writing tasks, most of which are due by the end of the term. We have different types of texts to write, such as research papers of 15 to 25 pages, written final exams and master's theses with 60 to 100 pages. During the Bologna Process, academic teaching was reformed, i.e. by restructuring degree programmes, creating transparency of studies and qualifications, and refocusing universities towards lifelong learning. Overall, there is now an orientation to competence – called ‘a shift from teaching to learning’ – in German academia. In the course of this reform, the exam methods and the demands made of the students changed. For example, new genres such as the essay were established at German universities after the Bologna Process. Students need help finding a research question, narrowing down the topic, structuring the project, managing their time and organizing themselves – in short, planning the entire writing process. We offer help for students from all faculties, so you could say it is a ‘writing–across-the-disciplines approach’. As peer writing tutors we try to create an environment of interactive and collaborative learning. Opening a new space for exchange about the writing process is our main task. We can offer different support but we cannot establish new thinking. Every second term, new potential tutors take part in an orientation session. These newcomers have a lot of questions and like to hear about the experience of the ‘old-timers’. Now imagine the following situation: a meeting between some trainees of the peer tutoring in writing class and some peer writing tutors from ‘skript.um’. We have three writing tutors − Jantje, Annika and Anna – and some tutors-to-be, called trainees here. So let us jump into the exchange between trainees and tutors: Trainee: So, how did you start peer tutoring at Bielefeld University? Jantje: Well, we started out in autumn 2008, when we offered the first ‘skript.um’ walk-in service four days per week. That was an amazing start, but it took a long way to get there. First, we invited colleagues from the U.S. who helped us to get an idea of peer tutoring. With University funding, our director Christiane started to develop a peer writing tutor program. The first step was to hire five students to work together as tutors. Annika and I were two of them. To develop new skills in tutoring writing, we took part in a European writing conference. Furthermore, we shadowed writing consultation sessions, read books about peer tutoring and practiced mock tutorials with feedback on each other ́s performance. Mostly, it was learning by doing. Trainee: What about the name ‘skript.um’? What does it mean? Journal of Academic Writing Vol. 2 No. 1 Autumn 2012, pages 138–164 Peer Writing Tutors’ Narratives 149 Jantje: The name ‘skript.um’ combines two different meanings. On the one hand, it is the Latin word for ‘writ’ or ‘composition’. That is the base of our work: the written text. On the other hand, it implies the combination of the words ‘skript’ and ‘um’. They appear in the German sentence ‘Das Skript geht um.’ which means ‘The script goes around.’ That is the aim of our work: share the texts for discussion. Trainee: How do you work? I daresay many students come with the expectation of you finishing their papers for them. Annika: Actually, some do. At first it was hard for me to say no. We do support them and provide feedback on their texts, if it is sought. During the tutoring session, we do writing exercises, ask questions about their texts (like ‘How did you solve problems like this before?’) or give some input about writing processes. But every student is responsible for his or her own text. When tutoring, we work on the text together; we work on every single step and help them to develop their own writing strategies. It is like taking them by the hand to lead them on their own way to finish the paper. Trainee: How does it work to help students from disciplines other than yours? Anna: Actually, most of the time it works just fine. Central aspects of writing – such as the writing process or writing exercises to find a topic – don ́t differ between the fields. Jantje: Yes, it is basically the same questions in all academic fields: How do I start? How do I work with literature? Which step follows next? To answer these you don ́t need to know about the topic itself, but rather about different methods to help students into writing. Trainee: What is special about the peer tutoring approach here in Bielefeld? Annika: I think our specialty is tutoring in pairs. We have two tutors in one peer tutoring session. This is helpful for us, since we can complete each other’s ideas and get feedback on our tutoring. And of course, two tutors might come up with more good questions and a broader view on the topic of the individual tutee. Trainee: What do you do if you’ve got different opinions in your tutoring in pairs? Anna: It depends. Most of the time, I find it very helpful to share different opinions with the writer. Often, in writing there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but rather alternatives between which the writer has to choose. So if the tutors have different opinions, the discussion between tutors and writer – which alternative he prefers and why, or what other alternatives might exist – can give the writer an insight into the writing process and himself as a writer. In this way, our discussion is a really scientific dialogue where positions differ. Trainee: Do you benefit from your work as a peer tutor in any way? Jantje: Well, we are still students just as the tutees are. We have to complete the same academic tasks and have to write exams. Therefore, we are familiar with the tutees’ problems, because even we have these problems. Over time, we develop our ability to address these problems, a skill that is useful for our studies and our prospective professions. During my work as a peer tutor, I’ve learnt to reflect my learning and writing process. I figured out which kind of writer I am and how I can structure my writing projects. Trainee: It sounds as if working as a peer tutor will improve my own student experience. Is that right? Annika: Yes, it can. From my point of view, you acquire many tools and techniques that can facilitate your writing. Above all, we benefit enormously from our teamwork. It helps us to understand how to give and receive criticism. Working in a team requires agreement and reliability. All of these qualities are helpful in my everyday life as a student, because I can work together with other students in a productive atmosphere. ‘Skript.um’s’ offering helps to create a culture of learning, which isn’t very common at German universities. The tutoring exposes students to the process of giving and receiving feedback. If the tutees have a positive experience, maybe their perception of academic studies changes Trainee: How do you act during tutoring? Are you a fellow for the consultee? Anna: I don ́t see myself as a fellow student in my role as a tutor. In their book The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors (2006), Leigh Ryan and Lisa Zimmerelli speak about ‘the many hats tutors wear’. I think this text describes a tutor’s role during tutoring very precisely. You cannot define the role of a tutor in a single word because it changes with every tutee. Your role can even vary during the same session. Annika: In most cases, we take the role of the Questioner. People are often able to solve some of their problems on their own, when they find themselves in a situation where they have to describe their projects and interests very precisely to an outsider. And even if a problem is not solved in that moment, we just have to know what kind of issues we are confronted Journal of Academic Writing Vol. 2 No. 1 Autumn 2012, pages 138–164 Peer Writing Tutors’ Narratives 150 with. The best way to start working on texts together with the authors is to let people point out some very detailed problems and questions which we can address step-by-step. Trainee: So, does that mean that once I ́ve learnt the techniques about writing, I know everything in a moment? Anna: First, there is so much to learn about the writing process and tutoring – helpful questions, exercises, theories, research, etc. – so learning never stops. Second, every writer is different. Just because an exercise worked just fine with one writer, it doesn ́t mean it will work with another. Jantje: You live and learn. We improve our skills during ongoing trainings, which we organise ourselves or for which we invite experts of several topics to share their experience with us. Trainee: But you also got training like us in this class? Jantje

The Role of the Student Experience in Shaping Academic Writing Development in Higher Education: The Peer Writing Tutors’ Perspective