This presentation was prepared for EdMedia2013 to present a paper: Online peer assisted learning using a synchronous multi-client collaborative software platform by Olivia Billingham and Makis Mallaris

1. UWE Bristol, UK
Online peer assisted learning using a
synchronous multi-client collaborative
software platform
Dr Olivia Billingham, Education Innovation Centre
Makis Mallaris, Leader of Peer Assisted Learning

2. What is peer assisted learning
(PAL)?
Student-to-student
Used in 29 countries (Power 2010)

3. The PAL format at UWE
• In-class
• Timetabled
• Up to 12 students in one class
• UK academic year 2012 – 2013
• 450 PAL leaders
• 6000 PAL students
http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/peerassistedlearning.aspx

4. During an in-class PAL session
at UWE
• Confidential
• Safe
• Collaborative
• Participative

5. Why pilot online PAL?
• Accessible to more students
• Convenience
• Preference for online formats

6. What did we want to find out?
Could we create an equivalent, synchronous
experience using an online platform?

7. The collaborative software
platform: Microsoft (MS) Lync

8. Training PAL leaders and
students
• PAL leaders
training and guides
• PAL students
trained by PAL leader

9. Data collection
• Observations
• Questionnaires
• Focus groups
• Computer-mediated discourse analysis
(CMDA) (Herring 2004)

10. Results
“It was like being there really [in an in-class
PAL session]...except probably easier”

11. Results: focus of PAL sessions
Computer-mediated discourse analysis (Herring 2004)

12. Results: learning was facilitated
“it’s a conversation with all of us”

13. Results: MS Lync features
“Yes there is definitely enough ways to impart
information from their [the PAL Leader’s]
perspective...I don’t think there was ever a point
where they couldn’t explain...there was some way
to explain it...”

14. Conclusions
• Academic focus
• Collaborative learning
• Safe
• Easy to use
• Sufficient tools

15. Future directions
• Expanded pilot
• Knowledge exchange
• PAL leader characteristics
• Recruitment to online PAL
• Group dynamic
• Blended approaches
• Methods of analysis
• Accessibility

16. Researching in a similar area?
The authors would be interested to hear from any groups working on
similar projects who would be interested in research collaboration.

17. References and
Acknowledgments
References:
Herring, S., (2004) Computer Mediated Discourse Analysis: An approach to
researching online behaviour. In Barab, S., Kling, R., Gray, J., Eds. Designing
for virtual communities in the service of Learning. New York: Cambridge
University Press. pp. 338-376.
Power, C., (2010). Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): through a complexity
lens. Journal of Peer Learning, 3(1), pp. 1-11.
Acknowledgments:
The authors would like to thank the participants in this study for their willingness
to take part and their open and honest feedback and all those staff who
supported the pilot.