Peer Support: Enhancing the Student Experience
Setting up and managing a PAL Scheme
Steps to Success
•Examine the Projects Aims, Objectives and Purpose
•Initially look at the identified need of the students,
leaders, staff and schools
•Consult with the relevant parties on how we deliver on
these goals
•Identify key features of success and areas of
development
•Ensure a comprehensive training package: Covering
key concepts, behaviours and guidelines
•Role out, monitor and evaluate Pilot Projects
•Make recommendations for future developments
Key Elements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student-led and discipline-owned
Academic responsibility and administrative support
Voluntary and non-remedial
Supportive and non-threatening
Diverse and reflective group of Peer Supporters
Formal Application & Interview process with
compulsory training
• Continuous support, supervision and development
• Robust monitoring and evaluating mechanisms
Common Challenges
• Logistics: Timetabling & room bookings
• Ensuring each Scheme has appropriate academic and
administrative support
• Running appropriate and comprehensive training as
the Schemes grow
• Advertisement and marketing
• Creating and maintaining a robust and organised
management system
• Ensuring a small, local budget is allocated to each
Scheme
• Generating initial and sustained student attendance
• Maintaining the motivation of Volunteers
Aligned to Strategic Goals
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Academic Performance
Student Experience
Feedback
Transition
Employability
Personalised and Autonomous Learning
Student Engagement
Global connections
Purpose of PALS Session
• Support the student learning experience by
encouraging collaborative, exploratory discussion in a
safe environment
• Provide an additional mechanism for communication
and feedback between teaching staff and students
• Improve academic performance and achievement
• Encourage a student centred approach to learning
through greater peer interaction
• Enhance the learning experience and Personal
Development of PALS Leaders
PALS Approach
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trained Student Leaders facilitate study sessions in pairs
Quality assured comprehensive, interactive, practical training
Small group collaborative rather than competitive learning
Regular, timetabled, voluntary and confidential
Safe place to admit not understanding
Content is based on course materials
Students set the session agenda
PALS Leaders are engaged in sharing their experience
PAL encourages fun interaction between year groups
PAL benefits all students regardless of academic performance
Students compare notes, clarify what they read and hear,
analyse, criticise, question and seek verification of ideas
Break the Dependency Cycle
Tell them
Tutor
Students
Break the Dependency Cycle
Get them to tell each other
Students
SI leader
Training Leaders
• Initial facilitator training; Comprehensive, interactive and practical
– Experiential
– Managing group dynamics
– Developing tools and techniques
• Areas we cover
– PAL background
– Facilitation – what and how?
– Communication
– Managing group dynamics
– Questioning and redirecting
– Learning Theory (not lots!)
– ‘Doing PAL’
– First session preparation
– Ongoing debriefs and supervision
Co-ordination Roles &Functions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supervisor:
Leadership in developing and implementing PAL Project
Guidance in selection of courses/modules
Training and supporting Leaders development of session activity
Staff support
Motivating PAL Leaders, recognition & reward
Quality Assurance
Academic Support
Communication of course/unit content/structure
Responding to feedback
Recommending and promoting PALS
Administrative support
Logistics
Marketing
General Support
The International Network
• International Center for SI/PAL
– University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)
• National Centers for SI/PAL
–
–
–
–
–
–
United Kingdom (The University of Manchester)
Australia
Sweden
South Africa
Mexico
Canada
Budget Considerations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What funds/grants are available?
Will you pay your Leaders?
Do you need to buy out staff time?
Do you have to pay for rooms?
What will be the training costs?
What resources will you/leaders need?
What will be the ongoing costs?
Evaluating PALS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Quality assurance
Stage 1: Why are you introducing?
Stage 2: How or what to measure?
Stage 3: Motivating those collecting the data
Stage 4: How to collect
Stage 5: Collating results
Stage 6: Analysis
- consultation/ implementation support
- training (staff/students)
- observations
- debriefs/ongoing support
- Evaluation