Using peer assisted learning to empower first-year students and helping them experience success

The workshop will focus on what first-year students to higher education needs to be successful and how a peer learning programme might address those needs. (~5 min for introduction)

The workshop will start with a brainstorm session where participants in small groups will share thoughts and ideas on the question (~20 min for activity):
“What would you like to affect with your new students? Provide skills, strategies, other? The workshop leaders will collect and summarize the participants ideas and thoughts.

Thereafter a well-established peer learning programme will be presented – Supplemental Instruction/Peer Assisted Study Schemes (SI-PASS). (~20 min for activity)

What is then SI-PASS? SI-PASS is an academic assistance program that provides help for students in “difficult” courses, often introductory courses for first-year students. The idea behind SI is that learning a subject is enhanced by an exchange of thoughts and ideas between students. The goal is to make the students become active and independent learners that sees peers as a learning resource. SI-PASS is connected to a “difficult” course and consists of weekly scheduled sessions led by an older student. The older student acts as a facilitator and receives prior and ongoing training. (The senior student should not be a teacher but help in clarifying tough questions within the subject by asking questions, initiating work in small groups, and coordinate presentations of conclusions). The session is open to all students (heterogeneity is encouraged) and usually has 5-15 participants. The session agenda is decided by the participants and the course material is processed using collaborative activities. SI-PASS as a concept is spread widely and is used at more than 2000 university colleges and universities in nearly 30 countries. SI-PASS has shown to reduce failure rates and increase reenrollment numbers. The programme has also been shown to benefit all students with different prior academic ability.

After the description of the programme, the participants in the workshop will be invited to discuss their thoughts on the possibilities of SI-PASS and peer support more generally to address their initial thoughts on what they would like to affect with their new students. (~15 min for activity)