IRP

Initiaiation-Reply Pattern (IRP) consists of combinations of initiation and reply moves. Either the tutor or the tutee may be initiating and thus either can be replying.

Characteristics                                                          

Tutor initiates, tutee replies.

– Tutors initiations are generally intended to provide an opportunity for the tutee to explain.

Tutee initiates, tutor replies. – A tutee may initiate by saying something to the effect of: “This is what I need to know.” Here the tutee is a actively involved in defining what is to be learned. First, it helps direct you to what the tutee needs to know and second, a tutee initiation seeks clarification or direction from you.

Advantages.

1. You can attend carefully to the explanation to assess the tutee’s knowledge. – “Maybe you could review functions before working on the next section.”

2. Initiation helps you focus the session on what needs to be done.
“Your first question to me concerned the economic recession. Shall we go over that first?”

3. Your questions can model a thinking process.
“What is subject of the sentence?” “What is the verb?”

4. Your initiations can direct attention to a new task or back to the task at hand.

Disadvantages

You may be asking yourself “If IRP has so many advantages, why don’t tutors use it all of the time?” There are 5 disadvantages to this pattern.

1. Good initiating is difficult
2. Continued unsuccessful initiating is awkward
3. Cultural differences
4. Feelings of resentment or inadequacy
5. Sometimes inappropriate

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