PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv
What's Old Is New: Improved Learning from Small-Group Tutorials
Abstract
The ubiquity of Large Language Models poses a challenge to student learning in homework-based college courses, where access to easy homework answers devalues the intended productive struggle. To address this concern, we propose Oxbridge-style weekly tutorials, where students present homework problems without notes in a small group with an instructor or TA. We conducted a randomized experiment in an introductory probability class to evaluate the effectiveness of tutorials, finding a significant positive effect of tutorial enrollment on exam grades. We discuss the implementation, challenges, and opportunities in this style of course design.
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BibTeX
@misc{duchi2026whats,
title = {{What's Old Is New: Improved Learning from Small-Group Tutorials}},
author = {John C. Duchi and Will Hartog and Dennis L. Sun},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.39538},
eprint = {2610.39538},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39538},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - What's Old Is New: Improved Learning from Small-Group Tutorials
AU - John C. Duchi
AU - Will Hartog
AU - Dennis L. Sun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.39538
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39538
AB - The ubiquity of Large Language Models poses a challenge to student learning in homework-based college courses, where access to easy homework answers devalues the intended productive struggle. To address this concern, we propose Oxbridge-style weekly tutorials, where students present homework problems without notes in a small group with an instructor or TA. We conducted a randomized experiment in an introductory probability class to evaluate the effectiveness of tutorials, finding a significant positive effect of tutorial enrollment on exam grades. We discuss the implementation, challenges, and opportunities in this style of course design.
ER -