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Peer Assisted Learning (PAL): an overview
Information about this web siteThe purpose of this web site is to provide a first point for information about Peer Assisted Learning (PAL). The site provides an overview of PAL, the principles upon which PAL is based, the main purposes and benefits of PAL together with some further information on implementing the PAL scheme. This web site also provides contact details for those who would like further information about PAL. We offer a consultancy service which includes workshops for staff, training for students to become PAL Leaders, manuals, a DVD and additional support and advice. Peer Assisted Learning: a definitionPeer 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 trained students, called PAL Leaders, from the year above. PAL at Bournemouth UniversityThe PAL scheme has operated at Bournemouth University since 2001, after we had obtained funding for 3 years under the Fund for Development of Teaching and Learning Phase 3 (FDTL3) from the Higher Education Funding Council for England . Our main Project Goals were to promote awareness, enhance understanding, and encourage the effective implementation of Peer Assisted Learning as a scheme that fosters cross-year support for students. You can find more information about the FDTL3 PAL Project and sustainability elsewhere on this site. Aims of PALAt Bournemouth University PAL has five main aims and is intended to help students:
Of as much importance are the `intangible´ benefits of PAL, such as increased cohesion of the student group, reassurance about study concerns and increased confidence. PAL offers benefits to students and staff at all levels: to the School, the course, Student Leaders, as well as first year students. How PAL operatesAfter receiving training the more experienced students, called PAL Leaders, facilitate weekly or, on a few courses, fortnightly study support sessions for groups of students from the year below. Usually this involves second year undergraduate students supporting first year students from the same course although we are starting to use final year students in the same way to support second year students. These groups are the same as the students normal seminar group, comprising between 16-25 students, depending on the course. For the larger groups, PAL Leaders often work in pairs – planning sessions together, sharing the workload, and supporting each other. PAL is supplemental to teaching. Content for PAL sessions is decided upon by the group rather than the Leader and content for discussion is based on existing course materials - handouts, workbooks, lecture notes, text books and set reading. PAL sessions are intended to be structured, organised and purposeful while also being informal and friendly. In PAL, the emphasis is on everyone in the group working co-operatively and interdependently to develop their understanding. PAL is therefore about exploratory discussion led by the PAL Leaders. The more everyone in the group joins in these discussions, the better the sessions work. This interdependent learning between the students who form the PAL group, and between the group and their PAL Leader, are essential if PAL is to work effectively and are likely to have longer term benefits as well. In his Evaluation Report on the original PAL Project, Professor Paul Light wrote:
What PAL is not intended to doPeer Assisted Learning is NOT:
Student empowerment and ownershipPAL is run by students for students. Student empowerment and ownership are essential to the successful implementation of the scheme. This empowerment takes two forms: First, student recipients of PAL are encouraged to identify the topics for discussion in their next PAL session. During the early stages of the academic year it isn’t always easy to get students to do this and this reluctance to be forthcoming can be a source of frustration for PAL Leaders. However we believe that this responsibility, both to choose the topics to be discussed and to come to the PAL session prepared to engage in the subsequent discussion, forms an essential part of student ownership of PAL. This interdependency, learning with one’s peers, marks a significant stage in the journey from being a dependent learner towards becoming an independent learner. Second, PAL Leaders are responsible for planning their PAL sessions; they are not given session plans. Once Leaders have received an indication from the students about the topics they would like to discuss in their next PAL session, PAL Leaders are encouraged to plan their PAL sessions in advance with a clear focus on the group techniques and activities they will use to ensure collaborative discussions take place. We have observed some very creative sessions. We encourage Leaders to plan their early sessions with other Leaders from the same course. It should however be noted that, at Bournemouth, some Course PAL Contacts will suggest topics for discussion or practise in PAL sessions. These frequently make use of self-learning activities contained in the first year students’ course workbooks. We believe that this staff input should be limited to working with their Leaders to guide them. For example it is most helpful when the Course PAL Contact, as an experienced teacher, can provide guidance on the timings required for various activities. It has proved particularly important to guide Leaders on the amount of time to be set aside for plenary feedback – Leaders frequently underestimate the time to be allowed for this activity and .as a result, the most valuable part of the PAL session can be lost. We do not however consider that it is appropriate for Course PAL Contacts to be overly prescriptive, or to produce timed session plans themselves, because not only can this reduce the Leaders’ autonomy and ownership of their sessions, it can increase their levels of dependency on their Course PAL Contact. Basic requirements of PALAt Bournemouth, PAL operates as a partnership between the academic Schools and the central service unit called Academic Services. Input from Academic Services focuses on training, co-ordination of recruitment, general support, observation of PAL sessions and formative feedback to Leaders following observation. Additionally, staff from Academic Services will sit in on some of the meetings between Leaders and their Course PAL Contacts, to advise and share examples of good practice between different courses. All PAL Leaders are trained in their role by the Senior Lecturer and Learner Support Tutor (Student Development) from Academic Services. Training comprises an initial, compulsory 2-day course, which takes place before the Autumn term starts, with further follow-up training sessions being offered to provide further resources, share experiences and consolidate or add to their skills. Each PAL Leader receives a copy of the “Peer Assisted Learning Student Leader Manual” which contains:
Follow-up training sessions take place during the remainder of the first term and these sessions are intended to both consolidate and add to the skills the Leaders started to develop during their initial training course. Additional materials are also provided at these sessions which also provide opportunities for further discussion, support and problem solving. PAL Leaders are observed at least once while running a PAL session and formative feedback is given afterwards. The purposes of observation are to ensure that Leaders are doing what they’re supposed to be doing! More specifically this means:
During PAL sessions we are keen to avoid situations in which the PAL Leader might dominate discussion or provide too much guidance on, for example, what students should put into a piece of assessed work. This means that issues such as boundary setting and plagiarism need to be discussed during the Leader’s initial training course. Input from Schools: In order to run effectively PAL requires the support and involvement of the course teaching team and administrative staff. One member of the teaching team, the Course PAL Contact, meets regularly, every 2-4 weeks, with the PAL Leaders to guide them, provide them with course timetables and assignment briefs, and obtain feedback from them. This input is essential in order to fine-tune the general principles upon which PAL is based to the more specific requirements of the course. This Course PAL Contact will normally report on PAL to their Course Committee. PAL works best when it appears as a normal part of course activities and is timetabled at times students will find convenient i.e. immediately after a lecture. There are a number of variants and synonyms of PAL, but all utilise students from the year above who facilitate understanding and learning among a group of students from the year below on the same course. PAL sessionsThe PAL session is the place where PAL `happens´. Usually, PAL takes place in a seminar room with one or perhaps a pair of Leaders facilitating discussion and co-operative learning with their group. The group will meet for around an hour to review course material, analyse assignment requirements, discuss lectures or project work or to air other matters, such as finance or accommodation issues, which may be of concern to the students. The agenda for a session should be chosen by first year students according to current course and assessment demands. However, particularly early on in the year, the Leader may use some resources from their “Peer Assisted Learning Student Leader Manual” to focus the session. Examples include: running a discussion on plagiarism and how to avoid it, explaining how to use the library for research, or giving the students an opportunity to practise citing references correctly. The session is a chance for first years to consolidate their knowledge of a subject, and share problems or worries within a supportive, informal environment. Although students may do so, the primary aim of a PAL session is not to learn new information. During their PAL sessions, Leaders are expected to facilitate group discussions and they are discouraged from trying to re-teach course content. This balance is sometimes a fine one to maintain and this is probably the most frequent area for discussion and re-tuning after an observation has taken place. Based upon their experiences and using resources from their “Peer Assisted Learning Student Leader Manual”, Leaders might offer help with skills such as essay writing, giving presentations, revision and exam techniques or note-taking. However, they are very strongly discouraged from providing specific answers to questions on course content or answers to assessed work. PublicationsDuring the years in which we have been operating PAL, we have generated several internal publications and links to some of these are included below: Green, A. (2007) Peer Assisted Learning: empowering first year engagement with a formal curriculum through the educative Capstick, S., Fleming, H., and Hurne, J. (2004 ) Implementing Peer Assisted Learning in Higher Education: The experience of a new university and a model for the achievement of a mainstream programme Capstick, S. and Fleming, H. (2004) The Learning Environment of Peer Assisted Learning Capstick, S. (2004) Benefits and Shortcomings of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) in Higher Education: an appraisal by students Any comments or questions contact pal@bournemouth.ac.uk |
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