Monitoria

Monitoria is a term used in Portuguese to describe the act or system of monitoring, supervision, or tutoring. In educational contexts, monitoria refers to a program in which advanced students assist instructors and help their peers. The word derives from monitor, via Latin monitor, meaning someone who observes and guides.

In Brazilian higher education, the programa de monitoria is common in universities and colleges. Monitors are typically undergraduate students selected for their academic performance and communication skills. Their duties may include holding supplementary classes, tutoring students during office hours, assisting with laboratory sessions, supervising study groups, and helping with assessment tasks such as grading or feedback under professor supervision. Programs may offer academic credit, a stipend, or a combination, and aim to improve learning outcomes, promote peer learning, and relieve instructors of repetitive tasks. The approach varies by institution; some programs emphasize formal, curriculum-aligned activities, others are more informal.

Outside universities, monitoria can refer to general supervision or oversight of processes, projects, or experiments in research labs, industry, or government programs. The term is widely used in Portuguese-speaking countries and appears in education policy, management, and information systems to denote the ongoing observation or oversight activity.

Related terms include monitor, monitoring, and mentoring. While the term can be translated as tutoring, it is not exactly the same as professional tutoring or teaching staff participation, because monitors are usually students under supervision.