1. Creative peer and teacher led
strategies that promote active
learning and enhance the first year
experience.
Dr Carina Ginty & Evelyn Moylan,
GMIT, Galway, Ireland.

2. Agenda
• Background to FYE Initiatives Development
• Literature Review
• The Peer Assisted Learning Programme – PAL/PASS
- Student Led Creative Learning Strategies
• Learning to Learn Module
- Teacher Led Creative Learning Strategies

4. FYE Initiatives Development Background
Strategic Innovation Funding (SIFII) from HEA
Project Themes:
• Student Led Learning
• Curriculum Reform
Project Outputs:
• Peer Assisted Learning Programme – Study
Sessions for First Years led by Student Leaders
from Senior Years
• Learning to Learn (L2L) module – personal
development and study skills module led by
lecturers.

5. Literature Review
- Transition to Higher Education - Moving to a New Community
“College students are, after all, moving from one community or set of communities (most
commonly those of the high school and the family) to another. Like other persons in the
wider society, they must separate themselves, to some degree, from past associations in
order to make the transition to eventual incorporation in the life of the college. In
attempting to make such transitions, they too are likely to encounter difficulties that are
as much a reflection of the problems inherent in shifts of community membership as they
are either of the personality of individuals or of the institution in which membership is
sought.” (Tinto 1988)
- Student Engagement – Student Experience
“Most of these studies of the student experience are driven by the need to improve
student learning in the face of declining levels of student involvement with university.”
(McInnis 2004)

6. - New way of learning
driving adaption of active learning teaching
techniques
“Active learning practice focuses on a variety of tools used to cognitively engage
learners with exploring ideas, accumulating knowledge, and developing schema in a
way they, to some extent, decide. This has several proven advantages, including
increased personal motivation, reduction of strategic learning behaviour, improving
deep understanding, development of critical thinking and development of reflexive
abilities that support life-long learning. These have become part of the articulated
outcomes for higher education worldwide”
(MacVaugh & Norton 2011)
There are many approaches to active learning and these include:
Action learning (Revans, 1998)
Experiential learning (Kolb, 1984)
Work-based learning (Gibbs, 1988)
Inquiry-based learning (Healey, 2005) and PBL (Savin-Baden, 2003)
In the classroom these are manifested in the techniques of: group work, case studies,
worked examples, field research, peer teaching, project work, debate and the use of

7. Creative Peer and Teacher Led Strategies
PAL/PASS Programme
that Promote Active Learning and Enhance
the First Year Experience, from Different
Perspectives Student Led
Dr Carina Ginty & Evelyn Moylan,
Creative Learning
GMIT, Galway, Ireland.
Strategies

8. PAL/PASS – Peer Assisted Study Sessions at GMIT is a study
session scheme that offers cross-year support between
students on the same programme.
It encourages first year students to support each other and
learn co-operatively under the guidance of a trained student
(a Leader) from the 2nd, 3rd or 4th years of the programme
A PASS session is not a Lecture/Tutorial however, it supports
Lecturers
• Our PAL Model adopted in GMIT was informed by
Bournemouth University and University of Manchester
and International Centre for Supplemental Instruction.

9. Rationale and Key
Objectives
To assist First Years to:
Integrate more quickly into college
life
Get a better understanding of the
expectations of lecturers
Develop learning and study skills
to meet the requirements of their
chosen programme
Improve their understanding of the
subject matter of their programme
Prepare better for assessments

10. Training of Leaders (Module -5 ECTS):
Intensive 2 day training – active
learning
Leaders trained as facilitators
Paired usually with someone from their
own year
Given a training manual and tools –
to help them create learning
environment for FY’s
Meet with course co-ordinators
to discuss issues on a regular basis
Observation session
Leader Journal – session plan and review forms, reflections,
technique analysis.

11. Example 1 Creative Output
Student Stars - Development of a PAL Training
Video to Support PAL Leadership Training

12. Example 2 Creative
Output:
PAL Leaders
Creative Learning &
Promotion Strategies
+ UK & IRE
LEADER CONFERENCE
POSTER AWARD 2012

13. PAL Leader
Promoting active learning
and programme
involvement

14. Example 3: Leader Classroom Strategies
•Adapted Strategy cards to suit the requirements of their
own groups
•Formed groups from within their disciplines to support
each other.
•Changed sessions from classrooms to Labs to facilitate
learning
•Developed list of engaging activities to encourage
participation
•Organised social activities with 1 st years
•Developed Facebook sites to share information with
students
•Use of Moodle to chat/forum with Leaders in other
schools and campuses

15. Example PAL Leader Classroom Strategies
‘Icebreakers… we had the opportunity to learn a number of new ice-
breakers to learn in PAL sessions. Ice breakers helped to set the
atmosphere and provided an opportunity for individuals to bond. I
took it upon myself to research Icebreakers that related well to the
outdoor course and were age appropriate for the group’
‘3:2:1…. I often used this strategy as it got the participant thinking of
all the elements within the topic – 3 items they know very well; 2 items
they wanted to learn more about , we worked in pairs for these and
presented in pairs, and then 1 thing they were confused about…as a
group we researched and cleared any confusion successfully’
Jeopardy – I made this game visual and it helped a lot to get the group
enthusiastic before an exam, questions were rated with different
scores in order of difficulty and it added an element of fun to studey.
Qeustios the group didn’t know , they were given bonus points to find
the answers.

16. Changes Led by Leaders
• New PAL Leader and PASS Session Mid Term Networking Events
• Hotel School, Galway – Cooking Workshops
• Art & Design Workshops
• Outdoor Education Programme, Castlebar - Outdoor Pursuits Workshops
• Sessions Name Change on timetable to
– PASS Peer Assisted Study Sessions
• New slogan …Pass the class? The class is PASS!
• Ongoing Creativity in Classroom Techniques

17. Creative Peer and Teacher Led Strategies
Learning to Learn Module (L2L)
that Promote Active Learning and Enhance
the First Year Experience, from Different
Teacher Led Creative Learning
Perspectives
Dr Carina Ginty StrategiesMoylan,
& Evelyn
GMIT, Galway, Ireland.

18. Rationale for ‘Learning to Learn’ Module
• Help students adjust to 3rd level learning demands.
• Excite the learner about his/her chosen field of study.
• Foster an independent learning mindset at an early stage in
the programme.
• Reinforce and develop key academic skills such as ICT,
creativity, innovation and teamwork.
• Facilitate a students’ transition into third level through
reflection and investigations of learning methodologies.
• Prepare and motivate a student for a lifetime of independent
and reflective learning.

19. Most popular Most popular
(individual) (group)
Essay (88%) Presentation – Poster/PPT.
(67%)
Reflective Journal (85%) Class discussion participation
(63%)
Open book test (80%) A Photography Project (64%)
Log Book (79%) ‘A Treasure Hunt’ (62%)
Paper/book/ webpage Role Playing (55%) & Making
review (78%) Models (54%)

20. Example 1 Teacher Led Creative Strategies Promoting
Active Learning and Enhancing FYE
Sample 1 ‘A Piece of Me’ Active Learning Project
GMIT Humanities Lecturer
Paul Gosling
-Idea came from the popular
two page spread in
‘The Guardian’ Newspaper
-Select 10 objects which are
important to you in terms of
Family history, personal
development, identity etc.

21. Teacher Led Creative Strategies Promoting Active
Learning and Enhancing FYE
Play Teacher Experience Video

22. Example 2 Teacher Led Strategies Promoting Active
Learning and Enhancing FYE
Sample 2 Active Learning Project
Declan Sheridan
Lecturer in Film & Documentary
Get to Know Galway &
Classmates - Photo Hunt Project
“The students were given two weeks to do the project and had to meet
up and organise a time which suited everyone. The feedback from the
project was very positive and they all saw it as a great ice-breaker. It
really promoted a team building and problem solving environment which
they really enjoyed exploring.”

23. Photo Hunt Project Instructions
Be creative and use the following list as a guide to capture interesting places, people or
circumstances with your cameras:
A red car
A green bicycle
The biggest tree
A group photo with someone wearing a hat
A fast food employee
The most relaxing place you can find
The funniest thing you can find
A group picture in a park
The best graffiti you can find
1.A picture of all of your group members together next to the group name, only using objects to write
out the letters in the word. (* use your imagination here, don’t just write it on paper)
2.Each group will have to present their selection of 10 digital photos in class.
3.All team members must participate in the project, so organise a time that suits you all to meet up
and plan your strategies.
4.One point will be awarded for each successful photo item on the list and bonus points for use of
creativity and effort.
5.Each group member must submit a 1 page account

24. Photo Hunt Project Sample Photos

25. • Suggestions to change L2L module name in future should include
Creativity in the title
• Ongoing Teacher Training Development – (L9) Post Graduate Modules
in Learning & Teaching (LIN)
• Current Research (CGinty, M.Litt. Education, NUIG)
Supporting the first year experience in higher education;
impact on student engagement and on academic practice.

27. THANK YOU
QUESTIONS
carina.ginty@gmit.ie and
evelyn.moylan@gmit.ie