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Peer assisted learning improves learning outcomes
for undergraduate students Judi
Homewood Faculty of Human Sciences Macquarie
University 2109 Sydney Australia
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acknowledgements

• My research colleagues
• Dr Theresa-Winchester-Seeto, Learning and
  Teaching Centre
• Assoc Prof Mike Jones, Department of Psychology
• Funding body Macquarie University Learning and
  Teaching Performance Fund
• PAL coordinator Mr Scott Barnes
• The many students who were PAL leaders and
  attendees

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Peer assisted learning

• Peer assisted learning is a learning and
  teaching strategy where students who have
  excelled in a unit of study (course) in the
  immediate past conduct weekly study sessions for
  currently enrolled students
• The defining principles are that it is for
  all students, not those at academic risk it is
  used in courses that have poorer grade
  distributions, for whatever reason it is not
  reteaching (it is used to supplement lectures,
  tutorials and existing on-line discussion groups)
  the group itself is the learning resource

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• What happens in the weekly study sessions
• Held in small groups (maximum 15, who may split
  into smaller groups to do activities) who have
  access to the textbook, their lecture notes and
  ideally to the internet
• Led by the PAL leader who facilitates discussion
  and is the model learner
• Driven by group members

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Whats covered in the two day workshop training
for PAL leaders

• Training emphasises
• how to facilitate discussion and learning
• PAL is not re-teaching or a pick-the-brains of
  the tutor Q A session
• breaking the cycle of dependency and assisting
  students to become independent learners
• modelling the strategies that can be used in PAL
  sessions, but also making student leaders aware
  of these processes
• not answering assessment tasks directly, but
  assisting students to do similar/related tasks
• creating a warm, supportive atmosphere

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• PAL leaders are paid for attending lectures and
  for conducting the 60 minute PAL sessions but not
  for the training workshop
• 28 (AUS) or approx 14 GBP per hour
• Blackboard site to swap resources, tales of woe
  and to archive same
• In 2008 PAL was conducted in 5 undergraduate
  courses

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What did the data show ?

• At beginning of the course, PAL attenders had
  marginally lower UAIs (a numerical index of
  achievement at high school) than non attenders
  (diff of 0.7/100 ) but higher GPAs (2.5 vs 2.65
  in a 4 point scale)
• Analysis based on 1240 complete record sets from
  five courses where we had data on attendance at
  PAL (none or more sessions) , GPA on entry to the
  course, UAI and grade (SNG) in the course

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What did the data show ?

• average SNG of those who attended PAL was 3
  points (range 1- 4.33) higher than non-attenders
  
• on average each PAL session added 0.82 to the
  final SNG (p lt 0.0005)

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What did the data show ?

• Controlling for prior GPA alone or prior GPA and
  UAI diminishes the size of the effect but not the
  conclusion average SNG was 1.06 higher for
  attenders (p 0.07), and each session attended
  was associated with additional 0.32 to the final
  SNG (p 0.001)

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Two comparable units with different outcomes

• Courses X and Y have the same cohort of students
  and similar broad sub-discipline
• Conducted in different semesters
• At risk courses for different reasons (high
  fail rate vs conceptually unfamiliar/unwelcome)
• Both lecturers-in-charge were delighted to have
  PAL and vigorously promoted it
• No sig effect in X (increase in SNG per session
  0.27)
• Bigger effect in Y (increase in SNG per session
  0.60)

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Two comparable units with different outcomes

• X
• 26 attended at least once
• Assessment
• Two exams

• Y
• 33 attended at least once
• Assessment
• Two exams and a research report
• Award winning lecturer

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Challenges

• Getting students to the first PAL session and
  then to return regularly
• Mismatch in expectations of students and staff
  about PAL