Inspired by the Learning of
other students
Rob Vierendeels
OOF-Project Pal scoort op vele velden
Leonardo ELVET VEDU
PAL -classification
• People (students), who are not
professional teachers, help and support
the learning process of others, in an
interactive, purposeful and systematic way
(Topping)
• PAL as a coaching instrument (student &
learning support)
PAL -classification
• Peer Assisted Learning: a definition
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is a scheme
that fosters cross-year support between
students on the same course. PAL
encourages students to support each other
and to learn co-operatively under the
guidance of students from the year above.
PAL -classification
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Peer Assisted Learning / Peer Tutoring
e-PAL / face-to-face/ BLENDED
TUTOR: Compulsory/ integrated in curriculum/ volunteer/ paid
TUTEE: Compulsory / advised / free
Same-age / cross-age
Reciprocal / fixed
Matching:
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Tutor-tutee (fixed),
tutor- group (sessions),
tutor – tutee (free, demand driven)
Group tutors- tutees
20 Principles of PAL
(Bournemouth University)
1. It supports student learning.
2. It fosters cross-year support for students.
3. It is facilitated by more experienced students who provide a point of
contact for new or less experienced students
4. It enhances students' experience of university life
5. It is participative: (in small groups, engaging in discussions and
interactive learning activities)
6. It is timetabled
7. It encourages collaborative learning rather than competitive
learning
8. Both what students learn and how they learn.
9. It creates a safe environment : to ask questions and receive
guidance about the course and its content.
20 Principles of PAL
(Bournemouth University)
10. It uses the language of the subject discipline
11. It helps students gain insight into the requirements of
the course and their lecturers' expectations
12. It involves active rather than passive learning
13. It does not create dependency
14. It encourages independent learning
15. It helps students to develop a more positive attitude
towards learning, keeping up with their studies and
completing their course
20 Principles of PAL
(Bournemouth University)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
It gives students opportunities to improve their academic
performance.
What is discussed is confidential and remains within the PAL
Group
It benefits all students regardless of their current academic ability
It gives students a place and a time to practice the subject, learn
from mistakes and build up confidence
It gives PAL Leaders opportunities to revisit their prior learning.
Aims of PAL
5 intended outcomes for PAL
PAL is intended to help students:
• integrate quickly to academic life
• improve their learning and study skills
• enhance their understanding of the subject matter of their
course through collaborative group discussion
• prepare better for assessed work and examinations
• gain insight into the requirements of their programme,
programme direction and their lecturers’ expectations from the
perspective of a more experienced student from the year
Pal types (Fleming)
Explain,
advice
Think
logical
PAL
•Research shows
tutoring can be highly
effective…
• To teach is to learn
twice…
• Learning to work in a team
PAL effective?
Compared to professional teaching, it can give:
• more practice;
• more activity and variety;
• more individualized help;
• more questioning;
• simpler vocabulary;
• more local relevant examples;
PAL effective?
Compared to professional teaching, (2):
• higher disclosure of misunderstanding;
• more prompting and self-correction;
• more immediate feedback and praise;
• more opportunities for generalization;
• more insight into learning (metacognition); and
• more self-regulation
PAL effective?
Compared to professional teaching (3):
•While a tutor can offer a greater quantity of individual
support, the quality of that support can be poorer
•The detection of errors and misconceptions by tutors might
be less reliable
•Tutors might tell their tutees something which is actually
incorrect, reinforce mistakes or misconceptions
•Tutors might become impatient and just tell their tutee the
right answer, or do the task for them, in which case the
tutee will learn very little.
PAL: introducing
Recruit and match learning tutor and tutee with care:
•to receive course credit or payment for tutoring?
•voluntary tutors might be assumed to be better motivated?
•Tutoring by very able tutors in the subject is more
beneficial to the tutee – Motivation Tutor?
•Students often prefer less able students (Peter Caris)
•smaller difference in ability seems to be much more
challenging and engaging for the tutors
•in the project “PAL scores on many fields, we recognise
the self-selection: students only want to become tutor in a
discipline in witch they feel themselves strong.
•the best way seems to have an informal talk with students
you think they are able: intelligence, social skills.
PAL: introducing
Recruit and match learning tutor and tutee with care:
• Schedule contact time
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How often will the pair meet each week?
Where?
How long will each session be? Over how many weeks?
Both tutor and tutee must be clear about their time commitment.
Global estimation of number of tutors you need
• Handling absence
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Consider how to deal with the absence of tutor or tutee.
You might wish to name a ‘standby’ tutor as back-up.
PAL: introducing
•Specify tutoring method, provide training
and access to materials
• Consider general or specific tutoring skills
– Or some of both?
– Structured by specific materials, or not?
• Training of tutors
• Access to materials
PAL: introducing
•Monitor, give feedback and intervene to
maximize effectiveness
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Goals of monitoring
Self-help guide
Self-referral - coach
Self-recording (log book)
Direct observation
Tutor formation
Small group discussions with focus on:
• What PAL is all about
• How to run planned, structured and purposeful PAL sessions
• Activities and techniques PAL Leaders can use to encourage
small group interaction in their PAL sessions
• Practising the above in simulated sessions
• Meeting with experienced leaders from previous years
• Issues relating to the boundaries of their role
• Planning time for their first PAL session
• Assertiveness / working with international students
• Didactical setting (theory)
Tutor formation
• Redirecting questions
• Students will expect the tutor to provide answers to their questions.
It is appropriate for the tutor to answer when students want to know
about the university or the locality.
• PAL sessions should be about sharing and discussion of ideas, and
improving students' understanding.
• People learn best through practicing, testing out their ideas, getting
feedback from others, and reflecting on their experiences. In other
words when they make the effort to be active in their learning, take
responsibility for their own learning and relate and apply new
information to their own or a new context.
• So students should be discouraged from taking the easy option of
asking the tutor to tell them the answers to all their questions.
Redirected questions means the group has to answer.
Tutor formation
• Redirecting questions
Some useful, general redirection questions:
• "Can anyone help X answer that question?"
• “What was said in the lecture about this?
• “Where do you find this in the course material?”
• “What information would you need to be able to answer that?”
• “Does anyone have any hints about this is their notes?”
• “What is the first thing you would need to do …? What do you need
to do next …?”
• "What is it?" (i.e. definition)
• "What is its purpose?"
• "When would you use it?"
Tutor formation
• What PAL is all about
• How to run planned, structured and purposeful PAL sessions
• Activities and techniques PAL Leaders can use to encourage
small group interaction in their PAL sessions
• Practising the above in simulated sessions
• Meeting with experienced leaders from previous years
• Issues relating to the boundaries of their role
• Planning time for their first PAL session
• Assertiveness / working with international students
• Working with e-Pal
• Didactical setting (theory)
Boundary setting activity
Some typical questions we as PAL Leaders were asked:
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Is PAL compulsory?
Can we look at the assignments you did last year?
Can you check our assignment for quality?
These “assessment criteria”, what is that all about?
Can you explain this lecturer’s handout to me?
Do you fancy having a drink with me?
E-Pal (M. De Smed)
Concepts:
• e-tutoring,
• online mentoring,
• e-coaching,
• e-moderating
The specific structure of the Salmon model is helpful in
training student tutors in discussion groups.
E- PAL Salmon (2000)
E-Pal (M. De Smed)
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‘access and motivation’
Welcoming
Offering technical support to get online.
Online e-moderators pay attention to the participants’
readiness to learn in a digital environment. When
participants feel comfortable with the medium, they start
submitting contributions.
• Getting to know each other, sharing empathy,
• Having a clear sense of the ‘discussion group
E-Pal
2 audience’ is the priority 1 in‘online socialisation’.
• e-moderators help establishing a feeling of ‘community’
• guarantees that everyone feels respected and heeds
respect for the input of others
• A pleasant and constructive atmosphere is fundamental
for further learning
E-Pal
3 ‘information exchange’,
• learning is the prominent objective
• The role of the e-moderator is giving direction by
submitting plenty of messages.
• help to focus on the task or problem
• shed light on the most relevant topics
• provide supportive content-related information.
E-Pal
4 ‘knowledge construction’
• social negotiation and task-related engagement
• knowledge construction: explore issues, take positions,
discuss their positions in an argumentative format, and
reflect on and re-evaluate their positions.
• e-moderators: a facilitator, not a transmission role.
• They ask questions, reformulate input, keep an eye on
the structure of the debate, and summarise what has
been stated thus far.
• Purpose is sharing meaning and building common
understanding.
E-Pal
5.‘development’,
•Participants reassess their own thinking and explore the
social learning processes.
•Key ingredient :reflection and being responsible for one’s
own learning.
•e-moderators: challenge learners’ thoughts, for example
by playing the devils’ advocate and by encouraging critical
thinking.
•The more participants rethink and reconsider their
contributions, the more stage five has been reached.
E-Pal
5.‘development’,
•Participants reassess their own thinking and explore the
social learning processes.
•Key ingredient :reflection and being responsible for one’s
own learning.
•e-moderators: challenge learners’ thoughts, for example
by playing the devils’ advocate and by encouraging critical
thinking.
•The more participants rethink and reconsider their
contributions, the more stage five has been reached.
Examples
• Information exchange
• Modelling and illustrating the contents with
• examples, personal views, and concepts
• The theory of PDP describes the following idea . . .
• Bringing in other content information
• You can draw inspiration from the media mentioned
in the course book and on the Internet.
• I would like to advise this website
• Explaining the learning task
4 Knowledge construction
• Asking for content explanations and clarification:
Can you give an example? So, the point is that . . ., can you
rephrase . . .
•Asking to summarise:
It would be nice that someone makes a scheme of the
arguments.
•Giving feedback about learning and social processes, giving
suggestions
During this discussion theme you all have done the best to
motivate each other, to cooperate, to answer my questions, to
add extra information, and to present experiences.
PAL: Literature
Annis, L.F. (1983). 'The processes and effects of peer tutoring', Human Learning, 2(1), 39-47.
Benware, C.A. & Deci, E.L. (1984). 'Quality of learning with an active versus passive motivational set', American Educational Research Journal, 21(4),
755-765,
Bevers A., Verschueren N., Verfaillie K., (2007), ‘Studentassistentie als middel tot probleemgestuurd onderwijs in een integratieve setting binnen de
bachelor psychologie’, Intern rapport, Faculteit psychologie en pedagogische wetenschappen, KULeuven
Bossaerts, B. (2007), Student tutoring. Good practices in België, Koning Boudewijnstichting.
Committee on Undergraduate Science Education, Ch4, (1997), Misconceptions as Barriers to Understanding Science,
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/str/4.html
De Boeck, P. (2003). Student-assistentie bij probleemgestuurd onderwijs in werkcolleges en practicumvakken van de tweede kandidatuur psychologie.
Eindrapport OOI project (vijfde ronde)aan de KUL.
Greenlee, G. (1999), Moving Beyond Black and White, http://www.nwrel.org/learns/tutor/spr1999/spr1999.pdf
Greenwood, C.R., Carta, J.J., & Kamps, D. (1990). 'Teacher-mediated versus peer-mediated instruction: a review of educational advantages and
disadvantages', in Foot, H.C., Morgan.
Goodfellow, P., & Schofield, E. (2001). Peer tutorials amongst medical students. Med.Educ. 35:1001-1002.
Hoel, T.L., & Haugalokken, O.K. (2004), Response Groups as Learning Resources when Working with Portfolios, Journal of Education for Teaching; 30
(3), 225-241.
M.J. and Shute, R.H. (eds.), Children Helping Children. London and New York: John Wiley.
Mynard, J. & Almarzouqi, I. (2006); Investigating Peer Tutorship, ELT Journal; 60 (1), 13-22.
National Service Projects (2007), http://www.nwrel.org/learns/tutor/index.html
Moseley, T et al. (2002). Clinical skills center attending: an innovative senior medical school elective. Acad.Med. Nov; 77(11):1176.
Perkins, G. et al. (2002). Peer-led resuscitation training for healthcare students: a randomized controlled study. Intensive Care medicine, published
online 24 april 2002).
Ramsden, P. (1991). A performance indicator of teaching quality in higher education: the course experience questionnaire, Studies in Higher
Education, 16 (2), 129-150.
Saunders, D. (1992). Peer tutoring in higher education, Studies in Higher Education, 17 (2).
Schaffer, J. (1990). Students teaching students: a medical school peer tutorial programme. Medical Education, 24, 336-343.
Talentontwikkeling De Haagse Hogeschool, (2008), Basismodel Tutoring, Intern document, De Haagsche Hogeschool.
Topping, K.J. (1996), The Effectiveness of PAL in Further and Higher Education: A Typology and Review of the Literature, Higher Education, 32 (3), p.
321-345.
Topping, K., (2000), Peer Assisted Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.
Topping, K., (2000), Tutoring, Educational practices series, International Academy of Education (IAE), Brussels, Belgium
De Smet, M., Van Keer, H., & Valcke, M. (2007). PAL in het hoger onderwijs - Een studie naar tutorgedrag binnen een online en face-to-face setting,
Tijdschrift voor Hoger Onderwijs, 2007/1.
Wadoodi, A., & Crosby, J. (2002). Twelve tips for peer-assisted learning: a classic concept revisited. Medical Teacher, 24 (3), 241-244.