Can Course Dependency Be Added to a Knack Program?
The goal with Knack’s approach to course-specific tutoring is that a near peer who has aced the same course can help their fellow students navigate it as well. That said, there are select courses where setting up course dependency can make sense for your program.
What to Consider Before Adding Course Dependencies
We understand that enabling a course dependency can feel like a go-to solution to quickly improve tutor coverage in select courses that need it. However, adding dependencies just to add dependencies is not advised. In short, adding dependencies doesn’t serve as a replacement to building a strong network of peer tutors who took the course; it should be used intentionally to fill in known gaps.
As such, we encourage you to consider the below options first:
Strengthen or diversify your efforts as the Knack Program Administrator to network with faculty and advisors for the select course(s) in need. Tutor recommendations submitted to Knack from faculty and advisors are the primary way to supplement tutor recruitment. Consult with your Partner Success Manager for ways to garner support from these groups so no stone is left unturned here, since these two stakeholder groups are a key ingredient in building a successful Knack program.
Enable transfer credit approval for your program. New tutors on Knack are often interested in tutoring their current peers in equivalent courses your institution has already approved as transfer credit for students. Why not approve them to tutor based on this as well? If interested, please let your Partner Success Manager know.
How to Evaluate If Course Dependency is Needed
Review your Weekly Report with a focus on your top 10 courses in demand. If any of these need more tutors, we recommend the above options first. Upon implementing those and continuing to review your Weekly Reports thereafter, you may determine course dependency is also needed. Your Partner Success Manager can help you evaluate this as well.
Faculty may ask you about establishing course dependency for their course, perhaps because they’ve heard from a student that they weren’t able to connect with a tutor. In this case, please review your Weekly Report to understand the supply and demand for this course in particular. It may be that one student asked for help in that course and didn’t connect with a peer tutor at that time. If so, pursuing tutor recommendations may be a better first step. For example, the faculty asking about course dependency can help enable more tutor coverage for their course by recommending tutors to Knack.
How Course Mapping Works at Knack
Knack can process course equivalency mapping requests at the program level, enabling any eligible tutor who meets the program’s grade requirement in one course to be able to tutor in the other course. Once this program update is made for a course, the system will notify those tutors that this has been added to their profile. Tutors are able to remove a course from their profile at any time.
The below outlines what Knack can (and cannot) approve for course dependency:
Knack can approve this for a program
If approved in Math 200, can also tutor in Math 100
If approved in Math 300, can also tutor in Math 100
Knack cannot approve this for a program
If approved in Math 200 and Math 300, can also tutor Math 100
The latter above cannot be approved because it implies a tutor can only tutor in Math 100 if they’ve taken both Math 200 and Math 300 and that having completed either course alone is not sufficient to tutor in Math 100.
To request course equivalency mapping for select courses, please see the Help Content section of your Engagement Plan. Once the form is submitted, it goes to the right team at Knack to update your program. Your Partner Success Manager will let you know when this process is complete and your program is updated for this course dependency.
For more information and support, check out our Help Center or reach out to your dedicated Partner Success Manager.