1. Peer Learning Assistants –
Promoting Student Retention and Success in STEM
USG STEM Grantee Meeting – May 17th, 2017
Cole Causey – UGA Office of STEM Education
Addressing STEM Initiative Goal 2: Improve performance and retention in STEM core courses and majors
Snapshot of Peer Learning Assistant (PLA) Program at UGA:
BIOL1107 – started fall 2016; 270-seat large lecture; BIOL PLAs participate in discipline-specific pedagogy training course
CHEM1312H/1412 – program adapted from existing student intern program; PLAs assist in lab sections and also provide assistance grading lab reports; interdisciplinary pedagogy training
CHEM1210 – starting fall 2017; PLAs will support instruction in SCALE-UP classroom
CSCI1301 – started fall 2016; PLAs support instruction in SCALE-UP classroom as well as lab sections under supervision of graduate TAs; interdisciplinary pedagogy training
ENGR2120 – starting fall 2017; model in development
MATH2250 – started spring 2017; PLAs lead one meeting per week in intensive model which includes five classes per week; 19-seat small classes; interdisciplinary pedagogy training
PHYS1112 & PHYS1211 – started spring 2017; PLAs support active learning exercises in large lecture format; interdisciplinary pedagogy training
Built Infrastructure:
Learning Community – 20+ faculty members participate in monthly meetings to share strategies and discuss experiences
Faculty Training – Faculty representative was sent to attend International Learning Community Conference at CU-Boulder; Program director at CU-Boulder was brought to UGA campus as part of national speaker series for presentation and workshop on using Learning Assistants
PLA Recruitment System – Uniform application instruments have been developed
Pedagogy Training Courses – Two upper level courses have been developed to provide pedagogy training to new PLAs
Impact Measurement – evaluation survey tools have been developed to measure perceived value for both students and PLAs

2. Beneficial Impacts on All Participants:
Students – receive additional help in the classroom, and are often more comfortable asking questions to PLAs that they might not otherwise ask their instructors.
Faculty – extra layer of support for instruction, as well as valuable perspectives from PLAs who can help diagnose learning obstacles, increase classroom communication, and reduce expert blind spot.
TAs – receive assistance supervising labs, answering questions, grading, etc.
PLAs – reinforce their own content knowledge, learn valuable communication and interpersonal skills
Results to survey item administered to PLAs: “After serving as a PLA, I am more confident in my communication skills.”
Results to survey item administered to students: “Having PLAs helped me learn in this course.”
“The PLAs were very helpful especially in such a large lecture class. Without them I do not think I would have been as successful.”
“I think this program was very beneficial to my success this semester. Having a peer help me understand certain problems I couldn't figure out on my own and was too intimidated to ask the professor.”
“The PLAs were extremely helpful. They offered a more relatable perspective to the material as students/peers.”
“The PLA service enabled every student to ask questions. This is a big help for professors of large lecture classes.”
Additional information on the PLA program at UGA:
Additional resources via Learning Assistant Alliance national network:
LA model graphics courtesy of LA Alliance: