General techniques for Peer Assisted Learning Sessions
The following are some ideas for Leaders on how to help PAL sessions run smoothly.
Greater details are included in the “PAL Student Leader Manual”, particularly the sections called ‘How to run PAL sessions', “What to do in your PAL sessions', and the various ‘Materials to use with your PAL Group'. The DVD called “How to run PAL sessions”, which we use during Leader training, demonstrates these techniques being used.
Both the Manual and the DVD are available for purchase. Please email pal@bournemouth.ac.uk for further information.
Contents
Preparation
We advise our Leaders to aim to take about 20 minutes each week to plan the activities that will take place in their PAL sessions. Early in the academic year when Leaders are adjusting to their new role this may take a little longer and during this period we recommend that they prepare their PAL session with a least one other Leader from the same course.
We suggest that Leaders give some thought to the following questions:
- What was the topic the group asked to discuss?
- What did you and fellow students find difficult about the topic area last year? What ways can you think of to lead discussion around this particular area?
- Is there any information you need to check with your Course PAL Contact or another member of the teaching team before the session?
- Have you emailed the group to remind them to bring along appropriate resources (books, notes, lecture handouts, etc.) to the PAL session?
- What will be the main activity e.g. lecture review, note review, quiz, or assignment preparation?
- Are there any particular study skills you should consider integrating into the session?
- What small group techniques will you use to ensure that individuals talk with and share ideas with one another?
- How will you arrange seating and tables in the room?
- Do you plan to lead from the front or sit with the group?
- If cliques form how will you handle the situation?
- What will be the anticipated structure for the session - the beginning, middle and end?
- How will you organise the plenary feedback? Will you do all the writing/summarising or will you ask students to `scribe´ while you manage the feedback?
- If only a few students turn up, how will this affect your plans?
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The first PAL session of the year
Some extra considerations for the Leader to consider prior to the first PAL session should be:
- How will you introduce yourself to the group?
- How will you ensure the group know each other?
- How will you introduce PAL to the group? Will you use the OHT in the “PAL Student Leader Manual” or devise something yourself?
- How will you get students to identify the benefits of PAL and engage with it?
- Do you need to agree any group norms or ground rules with the group so that everyone has a say in how their PAL session operate?
- What will you do if students expect you to teach them?
- How can you make the early sessions feel enjoyable and friendly, yet focussed and purposeful?
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Suggestions for PAL sessions
Early in the year PAL Leaders can help their students settle in to university by:
- Taking your group on a campus tour pointing out staff offices, the course notice board, assignment hand-in locations, lecture theatres, labs and studios, etc.
- Ensuring that students can locate student support services and the Student Union
- Discussing going out and sharing advice on places to go, transport, local bus services, tips on personal safety, etc.
- Discussing accommodation and comparing ideas on healthy eating, shopping, cooking, cleaning and other domestic arrangements.
Leaders can help their students prepare for their studies by:
- Helping students find their way around the library and how to locate e-journals, etc.
- Exploring the different ways in which students learn
- Getting students to practise referencing
- Discussing what plagiarism is, and how it can be avoided.
- Analysing note taking techniques
- Discussing how to get the most out of lectures
- Helping students feel more confident accessing information and communicating via Blackboard, Web CT or other e-learning tool.
Later on, Leaders can focus more upon:
- Sharing news items of relevance to the course
- Reviewing the contents of lectures
- Practising giving presentations
- Discussing how to structure essays or reports and analysing assignment questions
- Preparing for exams.
Ideas, advice and activities for the above are included in the “PAL Student Leader Manual”.
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Conducting sessions
There are some general tactics which we recommend PAL Leaders use to help make sessions run well:
- Personally invite students to sessions if you see them around the campus
- Email your group a couple of days before the session to remind them of the agreed topic and to bring along relevant resources e.g. lecture notes, workbooks, textbooks, etc
- Welcome students to the PAL sessions when they enter the room
- Use lots of pair or small group work
- Be patient, friendly and offer lots of positive reinforcement
- Maintain eye contact with students when you are talking to them
- Try out some of the suggestions in the “PAL Student Leader Manual” yourself, so that you can speak from your own experiences
- Try to `model´ how successful students learn because this can be more effective than `telling´ students what they need to do
- Make use of the language of the discipline and encourage your students to use it too
- Allow for ‘wait time' between asking a question and expecting students to provide an answer
- If students are unable to answer a question, go back to the source for the information, e.g. the lecture notes, and ask students to check their notes for the answer. If you feel uncomfortable waiting, join students in looking through notes.
- Encourage students to summarise the main points in lectures and let other students fine-tune the responses
- Avoid interrupting student answers
- Protect students from interruptions, laughter or from those with more extrovert behaviour
- Try to encourage quieter or less confident students to participate without them feeling uncomfortable
- Refer regularly to the syllabus in the Course Handbook or Unit/Module guide and draw attention to the importance of recognising, and working towards the successful achievement of the various specified learning outcomes.
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Redirecting questions
There will be times, especially during early PAL sessions, when students will expect the Leader to provide answers to their questions. There may be times when it is appropriate for the Leader to answer these questions especially early on when students want to know about the university or the locality.
However, PAL sessions should be about sharing and discussion of ideas, and improving students' understanding. People learn best through practising, 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 Leader to tell them the answers to all their questions. Redirected questions meas the group has to answer, not the Leader.
Some useful, general redirection questions:
- "Can anyone help X answer that question?"
- “What was said in the lecture about this?”
- “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?"
There is much more on questioning techniques in the section on ‘How to run PAL sessions' in the “PAL Student Leader Manual”.
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Gathering feedback
We advise Leaders to set aside the last 15 minutes of the PAL session to gather plenary feedback from each pair or small group. When gathering feedback, Leaders should ask one person from each pair or small group in turn to explain the outcomes of their discussion. These points can be further expanded by other members of the group.
Key points are written down on the whiteboard or on an OHT as this reinforces what is being said and provides tangible evidence of each group's work.
- Either Leaders can write down each key point on the board
- Or , preferably, Leaders will find it involves the students more if one member from each group writes down the key points while other members of their group provide the information.
Leaders should concentrate on managing the feedback process, prompting for examples, and asking questions for further clarification.
- Leaders will find facilitating easier if they have asked group members to record key points on the board or OHT.
- Make a conscious effort to give each group plenty of encouragement and positive reinforcement.
It will help students develop their active listening skills if Leaders encourage students to ask questions or supply further information where possible.
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Closing sessions
- Having gathered feedback the Leaders should set aside the last few minutes for closing the session:
- The leader should ask students if anything still puzzles them and try to deal with it then and there either by clarifying it themselves or by asking if any member of the group can provide the information.
- If neither the Leader nor any member of the group can resolve this issue satisfactorily, ask for someone to volunteer to find out this information and to report back in the next session. The Leader should try to avoid doing this themselves because this could encourage dependency.
- Ask the students what they would like to cover in their next PAL session.
- Check that the attendance register is completed.
- End the session by thanking everyone for their time and contributions.
- When the students have gone, the Leader should use the “PAL Session Review(PDF 15kb)” form to review the session and reflect on how they managed and facilitated it.
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Any comments or questions contact pal@bournemouth.ac.uk
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