Peer Assisted Learning

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Peer Assisted Learning

• PAL

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PAL

• Trained Student Leaders meet with groups of first
  year students
• One hour timetabled session each week or
  fortnight for each seminar group
• PAL is for ALL first year students, it is not
  targeted at weak or problem students

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PAL is designed to help students.

• adjust to university life
• get to know fellow students
• develop appropriate study skills
• discuss course content
• prepare for assignments and exams
• feel more confident about the course

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PAL Leaders DO NOT.

• Teach students
• Tell students what to write in assignments
• Read or give feedback on assignments

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Benefits to PAL Leaders

• Develops personal and professional skills e.g.
  communication, leadership, facilitation and
  presentation skills
• Provides valuable work experience for CV
• Provides a better understanding of subject and
  course content
• Paid
• Register for accreditation through the
  University

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PAL in BMS

• Piloted on two courses from 2002
• Rolled out to all but one remaining programmes in
  2005
• 2006-7 all BMS programmes will include PAL
• Potential for franchised programmes

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PAL challenges in BMS

• Originally designed for difficult units with
  high failure and dropout rates
• So how can PAL be applied to a range of very
  different programmes in BMS?
• By offering opportunities to practise
  professional skills as well as study skills

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PAL in BMS

• Challenges to tutor contacts
• Scheduling at an appropriate time
• Setting time aside to meet with PAL leaders
• Providing guidelines for appropriate course
  specific topics for PAL sessions
• Gaining support from all tutors to promote PAL
  and provide unit guides / relevant course
  materials

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PAL in BMS

• Challenges for PAL leaders
• Not experienced PAL themselves
• Course content changed
• Interface between students and staff
• Concerns about dips in attendance

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PAL in BMS

• Reflections on 2005-6
• Formal evaluation not yet completed, but feedback
  so far is generally positive from staff and
  students
• All PAL leaders observed, many excellent
• Settling in and study skill issues worked well
  in the first term
• A number of PAL leaders had excellent ideas for
  practising professional skills
• Attendance generally high, but varied across
  courses

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PAL in BMS

• Proposals for 2006-7
• Further encourage students to suggest ideas for
  PAL sessions
• Identify successful term 1 topics
• Course contacts to write a menu of course
  specific potential topics for term 2
• Develop practical professional sessions but
  availability of rooms/resources
• Continue to promote PAL during induction and
  throughout the year

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PAL - Benefits

• Enhances student support by
• providing a safe environment to admit to not
  understanding something
• improving subject understanding through group
  discussion
• practising professional skills
• helping students to settle in to university
• understanding the expectations of the course
• talking to someone who has experienced the first
  year of the programme

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Discussion questions

• What are the gains of PAL for staff and students
  in the new L T environment?
• What do you see as the potential benefits of PAL
  to your course?
• Can you foresee or have you experienced any
  specific challenges with PAL?