The Center for Learning, Education and Research in the Sciences

CLEAR Mentors

CLEAR offers a variety of ways for students to engage with their peers so that they can learn, support, and grow with each other in STEM courses!

Students inside K100, photo taken from outside where CLEAR is spelled out.

Mentorship through CLEAR has served thousands of students across several departments since its inception with OWLS in the early 2010's. Mentorship opportunities have expanded beyond just the OWLS program since then, growing to include HOOTs and QUAILs as well. These positions are essential in supporting STEM courses ranging from the introductory to upper level classes. Click below to learn more about each individual position. Click here to see the other academic resources offered by Oberlin.

We maintain a list of our current CLEAR mentors and their session times and locations on the CLEAR Wiki.

Oberlin Workshop and Learning Sessions (OWLS) enhance your learning experience through interactive activities, group work, and collaborative problem-solving. OWLS are modeled after the Supplemental Instruction (SI) approach, offering support specific to a course. Sessions are facilitated by OWLS Leaders—students who previously completed the course. They attend the class again with current students to stay connected with the content. They tailor each session to reflect what is being covered in class.

OWLS Leaders also create worksheets, practice exams, and other study materials to help you succeed. Sessions are interactive and integrate both course content (“what to learn”) and effective study techniques (“how to learn”) in a collaborative environment. This proven approach makes learning more enjoyable and effective.

OWLS is for everyone. Those doing well in the course benefit by sharing what they’ve learned in their own words to their peers and reviewing topics. The skills you'll gain through OWLS, such as collaborative problem-solving, will not only support your current coursework but also be valuable in other classes.

OWLS Leaders themselves are often called OWLs.

Many courses offer peer mentorship in the form of Hybrid OWLS and Tutoring (HOOT). HOOTs are dedicated tutors for a specific course and offer drop-in opportunities for students enrolled in foundational STEM courses. HOOT sessions, like OWLS, are facilitated by students who have previously completed the course. However, HOOTs emphasize direct homework support, ensuring students get assistance with specific assignments and problem areas. In contrast, OWLS sessions encourage a broader exploration of course concepts, integrating supplementary activities and materials to deepen understanding.

HOOTs provide comprehensive support for all students enrolled in the course. By attending HOOT sessions, students can receive timely help, address challenge areas, and build confidence in tackling course material. HOOT sessions ensure a supportive learning environment where students are empowered to succeed.

In response to the growing number of STEM and quantitative Oberlin faculty utilizing a variety of pedagogical structures that integrate collaboration, in Fall 2022 CLEAR began to offer a new type of CLEAR mentors: Quantitative Undergraduate Assistants for In-class Learning (QUAILs). QUAILs are appropriate for course structures where students are engaged in collaborative work throughout most of the in-class sessions. Some examples of these course structures include but are not limited to:

  • Flipped courses with students working in small groups on in-class problem solving
  • Problem based learning 
  • Project-centered courses

QUAILs provide in-class support for students as they work individually or in small groups on these problem solving activities. They also  host drop-in support sessions outside of class time.