Ruth Lefever (Student Experience & Success Manager) & Leanne Hunt (final year BSc Psychology)

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Supporting transition through Peer
Assisted Learning (PAL)
Ruth Lefever (Student Experience & Success Manager)
&
Leanne Hunt (final year BSc Psychology)
SEDA May 2018

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Overview
• This session will explore how PAL at Bradford offers a
model of practice
• Context, aims and aspects of our approach
• Potential impact of PAL for students and for institutions -
transition
• Staff and student perspective – practical and personal
• Drawing from this it will then offer the chance to focus on
how attendees might go on to establish or develop peer
learning at their own institutions
• Focus on those without schemes – but can share and
learn even if you have something similar
SEDA May 2018

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Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) at Bradford
• PAL strives to enhance the student learning experience by
utilising and enabling peer interaction
• Cross-institutional model that operates over a wide range of
disciplines
• Key principles underpin each scheme, flexibility offered
• Based on good practice from the HE sector
• Led centrally, in partnership with programme teams
• Evaluation part of scheme design
SEDA May 2018

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Bradford context
• 11,000 students with a large number of international students as well as
home local students
• STEM courses and those accredited by professional bodies
• All our PAL schemes are managed by the Student Experience & Success
Team (SEST) which is based in the Student & Academic Services
Directorate
• SEST works with Faculties and other services to offer expertise with regards
to student engagement, retention and student success, and to develop a
range of initiatives to enhance and develop these (based on research)
• The context of PAL therefore lies within a broader approach to student
engagement
• A wider peer support approach alongside other academic peer learning,
including peer mentoring and student-led skills workshops
• PAL now forms part of our Learning and Teaching Strategy and features in
the Access Agreement and TEF submissions.
SEDA May 2018

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Theoretical underpinning
• Experiential learning and application of knowledge
• Situated learning and ‘communities of practice’ (Lave and Wenger 1991,
Wenger 1998 and Jaques and Salmon 2007)
• Developing partnerships and student engagement in educational
enhancement (QAA 2008, HEA 2014).
• Building ‘partnership learning communities’ (Healey et al. 2014) for
membership, connections, ownership, responsibility and influence.
• Students themselves play an integral role in their own learning and can
work together to improve understanding
• PAL offers a cross/multi-disciplinary framework in which to operate and
‘nurture’ students (Barnett 2007) to realise their strengths.
SEDA May 2018

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Development
• Set up in 2012/13 using National HE STEM funding
• Internal Learning & Teaching Enhancement funding
• Resource and funding is now provided via a central team
comprising currently of two members of staff
• Open to all programmes. For 17/18 – 22 schemes across
multiple disciplines (UG, PGT & PGR)
• Every Faculty has at least one scheme
• Currently150 PAL Leaders fully trained and supported
• Over 1750 students will have had the opportunity to engage
peer led support this year
SEDA May 2018

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Aims
PAL has two broad central aims:
1. Support the transition of new first year students into university
life and study
2. Provide an opportunity for students in higher levels to develop
employability skills
• Develop a sense of community and belonging
• Student centred and determined
• Collaborative and inter-level interaction
• Learning environment that is personalised - informal space to
work through materials, ideas and questions
• Inclusive – open to all on the programme (where possible)
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Core principles
• PAL sessions must be timetabled as part of the programme of study for
new students and be scheduled for when the PAL Leaders are also free
• PAL sessions are student only spaces and students set the agenda
• PAL Leaders are not expected to teach, but to facilitate and support
new students to search for their own solutions
• PAL Leaders work in pairs with small groups of new students
• The PAL Leader role is voluntary
• All PAL Leaders are trained and supported by the central team and
receive University recognition for completing the role (HEAR).
• Ongoing evaluation part of the design
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Flexibility
Can be tailored to suit particular programmes/cohorts:
• Length (both semesters or just one)
• Frequency (weekly, fortnightly etc.)
• PAL Leader stages (stage 2 and/or 3 etc.)
• Number of groups - aim for whole cohort (approx. 15-20 per
group), but can be ‘opt in’ with less groups/Leaders
• Links to specific modules, projects, practitioner skills
• Non-standard (e.g. pre-sessionals outside of semesters)
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Process
• Recruitment usually begins in February
• Central application form and process
• Compulsory two day training programme (May and September)
• Timetable requests from February
• PAL introduced to new students as part of induction and can be reinforced
over the scheme via communications from programme staff, the central
team and PAL Leaders
• All schemes have scheduled ‘debrief’ sessions for PAL Leaders following
each PAL session to share practice, receive support and focus on
employability development (scheduled and run by the central team)
• PAL Leaders complete an e-portfolio over the role to record their activity,
reflections and track skills development.
• VLE is used for PAL community space, both for PAL Leaders to
communicate and share items with their student groups, and for PAL
Leaders to liaise with each other within and across schemes and with SEST
SEDA May 2018

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Types of support
• Campus and city familiarisation
• Referencing
• Note taking
• Essay writing
• Library and finding resources (journals
etc.)
• Using Blackboard
• Understanding key course concepts
and skills (e.g. java programming,
pharmacy calculations, accounting,
SPSS)
• Time management
• Group work
• Presentation skills and practicing
presentations
• Pebblepad
• Reflections/ reflective writing
• Preparing for assessments, revision
and exam techniques
• Understanding marks and feedback
• Support with project work
• Providing peer feedback
• Placement & careers
• Extra curricular activity & HEAR
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Typical sessions…? 
SEDA May 2018

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Evaluation
Evaluation framed by the key aims of the scheme and is embedded
in to the design of PAL:
• Regular debrief sessions
• Specific mid-way and end of scheme evaluation activity
• e-portfolio enables the team to see how schemes are going and
offer support based on student needs. Also gives access to a
range of evidence (activity, feedback etc.) for ascertaining and
reporting on impact
• Those receiving PAL are surveyed once a year to understand
how the scheme is of value and what enhancements could be
made.
• Feedback from programmes teams is also gathered
• Monitored for the Access Agreement
SEDA May 2018

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Impact
New students
• Support with early transition
• Sense of belonging
• Course and study skills
• Employability and future
focus
PAL Leaders
• Confidence and
employability development
(graduate attributes)
• Future focus
• Engagement with studies
• Sense of belonging
SEDA May 2018
Transition – into university – through levels – beyond (after graduation)
Delivering our 2 key aims:

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“…we got to talk to PAL Leaders about their first year experience
and alleviate some concerns…and it was really helpful because
we could ask questions based on what we needed help with
regarding each module. The help we gained…we were able to
input then in our work
I benefited from enthusiastic PAL leaders and working through
problems as a group. It can be easier to talk to other students
than staff
PAL has benefited both myself and other first year students as it
has gotten us to work with other students and get to know them
and not just worked with our friends
I have a lot of passion for this scheme and I genuinely do believe
it works. As a student last year, it was the leader and the scheme
that stopped me from dropping out of university and the help I
gained was priceless. I am still good friends with my leader
We really needed PALs because when you're a first comer into
university, we don't know where things are, what to do, or how to
do it, they've been our buddies, helping us…so for me I found it
very beneficial
I have benefitted [from] so many skills like communication,
problem solving, use of initiative, time management,
planning, organising, leadership, team management,
patience, interpersonal skills, commitment, responsibility
and reliability”
I feel a lot more confident in myself and my own abilities. I
feel that I have a lot more to offer as a graduate
My increasing confidence has helped me to feel quite
positive about my understanding and my own work and my
own ideas. It has helped me to believe in myself
PAL brings people together. It brought us together as
leaders, it brought our friends groups together and it
brought us together with the first year students
I find that I am happy and comfortable on campus. I know
,like I was a student before, but now I see it in a much
bigger way. I am not just a University student; I am a PAL
LEADER, like I’m making a contribution to the University
Student Experience & Success Team
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Sector Evidence
• Reinforced by evidence from the sector, with peer schemes being
increasingly noted as good practice
• Aiding academic and social confidence, greater student ownership of
learning and community/belonging.
• Those involved in PAL can show greater engagement, improved grades
and better retention (Keenan 2014)
• Importance of building peer relationships for retention & success (Thomas
et al. 2017)
• More broadly, students who are engaged and have a greater sense of
belonging are more likely to stay on their course and to achieve success
(Foster et al. 2011 and Thomas 2012).
• Various – depending on aim (e.g. attainment, employability etc.)
• All of the above can aid transition – at different stages
SEDA May 2018

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Other key successes
• PAL noted in 2014 QAA Higher Education Review
• Discipline based accreditation reports (e.g. Psychology and
Pharmacy
• Won Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2015
• PAL Leader at 2017 SEDA conference as one of only three
student presenters – topic on PAL and the importance of rapport
in teaching excellence (now joint student/staff session today!)
• PAL specifically noted in the University’s TEF Silver award 2017
Statement of Findings
• Athena swan submissions
• TEF subject submissions
SEDA May 2018

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Student Perspective…
• First year
• PAL – student led
• Support- research
• Second and third year
• Transition
• Employability
• Following graduation
SEDA May 2018

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Activity
Possible aims and approaches of academic peer learning
• What do they want to achieve? What kind of scheme/ model would they
develop?
• What could PAL align to in your institution? (what strategies, priorities,
approaches - e.g. student retention, employability, transition, student
engagement, personalised learning, students as partners)
• Evidence? Why should this be developed? How can I convince others?
• Other
• A few mins on your own and then discuss as a group
• Whole group discussion of ideas/sharing of practice - how do you get buy-in?
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Activity
Group scoping activity:
• Now you’ve thought about aims, hooks and evidence…
• What resources and networks could be used to establish
peer learning at your institutions?
• Use activity 1 and the paper/pens/post-its – create a visual
network
SEDA May 2018

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Session summary
• Overview of one way to develop and run a PAL scheme
• Staff and student perspectives
• Looked at what to think about in terms of setting up a scheme
Next steps?
• Set up your own PAL (or academic peer learning scheme)
• Network or community of practice – in your institution and…
• Across institutions – new starters from today (‘newcomers’) and/or
existing practitioners (‘old timers’)
• Regional networks and JISC mail
• Academic Peer Learning network
 Website – under development
http://www.academicpeerlearning.ac.uk/index.php
SEDA May 2018

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Networks
• London and the South East – Catherine McConnell –
C.McConnell@brighton.ac.uk
• North of England – Ruth Lefever r.lefever@bradford.ac.uk
• South West England/ Wales – Carolyn Gentle
Carolyn.gentle@plymouth.ac.uk
• Scotland – Jessie.Paterson@ed.ac.uk
• Ireland – Melanie Giles ml.giles@ulster.ac.uk
• Midlands – to be developed (welcome at the North group)
• JISC – ACADEMICPEERLEARNING@jiscmail.ac.uk
SEDA May 2018

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References
Ahmed, U. and Lefever, R. (2016) The impact of PAL in developing a sense of belonging and establishing communities of learning, Association of Learner Developers in Higher
Education Conference, Heriot Watt University, March 2016
Barnett, R. (2007) A Will to Learn: Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty. SRHE/ Open University Press. Buckingham
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2007) Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does (Third Edition), SRHE and Open University Press. Maidenhead.
Ford, N. et al. (2015) Peer learning leaders: developing employability through facilitating the learning of other students. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education,
Special Edition: Academic Peer Learning, November 2015. Available online:
http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ojs/index.php?journal=jldhe&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=373&path%5B%5D=pdf
Foster et al. 2012 The HERE Project: Higher Education and Engagement, Final Project Report, York: The Higher Education Academy. Available online:
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/here-project-0
Healy, M. et al. (2014) Engagement through partnership: students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. Higher Education Academy. York. Available online:
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/engagement_through_partnership.pdf
Higher Education Academy (2014) Framework for Partnership in learning and teaching in higher education. Higher Education Academy. York. Available online:
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/hea_framework_for_partnership_in_learning_and_teaching.pdf
Jaques, D. and Salmon, G. (2007) Learning in Groups: A handbook for face-to-face and online environments (4th Edition). Routledge. Oxon
Jarvis, P. (1995) The Theory and Practice of Teaching (Second Edition). Routledge. Oxon
Kolb, A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice-Hall. Englewood Cliffs
Keenan, C. (2014) Mapping student-led peer learning in the UK. The Higher Education Academy. York.
Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge
Prosser, M. and Trigwell, K. (1999) Understanding Learning and Teaching: The Experience in Higher Education. Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press. Buckingham
Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2008) The Framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Quality Assurance
Agency.
Ramsden, P. (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. RoutledgeFalmer. London and New York.
Thomas, L. (2012) Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: a summary of findings and recommendations from the What Works?
Student Retention & Success programme. The Higher Education Academy. York. Available online: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/building-student-engagement-
and-belonging-higher-education-time-change-summary
SEDA May 2018

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Thank you!
• Ruth and Leanne
r.lefever@bradford.ac.uk
l.hunt@bradford.ac.uk
SEDA May 2018

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