1. PEER ASSISTED STUDYING An Untapped Resource for Student Success Presented By Susan Easton easton@siast.sk.ca

2. Building Bridges to a Student’s Success by Partnering with Knowledgeable Peers

3. PASS – Peer Assisted Study Sessions Also referred to as Supplemental Instruction (SI) Put into place to increase student performance, as well as student retention. Designed to have peers helping peers.

4. Can play a vital role in a student’s success. Helps to build bridges between what students know and what they don’t know. Builds relationships between the students, their peer leaders, their instructors, and Learning Assistance.

5. Students who have a support system are more successful.

6. Encourage students to access all the resources that are available to them. PASS -well received -allows students to learn in a safe, comfortable and nonjudgmental environment.

7. Who Are PASS Students? Not only for at-risk students. Open to all students enrolled in the course who would like to increase their grade by 5 – 10%. PASS attendance - voluntary.

8. Which Courses? Target at-risk courses. Must meet the following criteria:  High withdrawal rates  High failure rates  Low averages

9. PEER LEADERS Will have mastered the course content with at least an 80% average. Will have an aptitude to be a peer leader. Recommendations from applicants’ former instructors.

10. SIAST Programs & PASS Anatomy & Physiology – Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (degree) (4 semesters) Statistics 120 – various programs require this course (3 semesters) Anatomy & Physiology – Practical Nursing program (1 semester)

11. Looking Ahead to 2007/08 AY Anatomy & Physiology  Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan  Practical Nursing  Health Information Management  Dental

12. Statistics – various programs Nutrition – Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan Child and Adolescent Development – Early Childhood Education

13. Facilitator’s Duties Consult with course instructors Recruit student leaders Consult with program heads (mine & programs we target) Work with peer leaders Book rooms

14. Attend PASS sessions periodically Mentor peer leaders Troubleshoot any issues peer leaders may encounter Market PASS to students in targeted courses Develop postings

15. Gather stats for semester end reports Review student evaluations Solicit feedback from instructors & peer leaders Write reports

16. Peer Leaders’ Duties Take attendance Encourage students to take an active role in their learning through discussions Collect study materials/aids Clarify concepts, etc. Share strategies they found useful

17. “The brain that does the work is the brain that learns.” David Sousa

18. Training of PASS Leaders Emphasis will be placed on the following: 1. Encouraging students to be active learners rather than passive learners by facilitating group discussions rather than offering lecture style sessions. 2. Keeping in contact with Learning Assistance instructors as well as course instructors – at least biweekly.

19. 3.Leading discussions on what to learn in relation to the peer leader’s experience of the course. 4.Keeping the study session on track and clarifying any misconceptions or misunderstandings of course content. 5.Assisting students to focus on important aspects of the course.

20. 6.Rephrasing content in less technical terms. 7.The peer leader is part of the collaborative process. 8.Creating an atmosphere where students will feel confident in posing questions as well as contributing to the discussions. 9.Modeling the behavior of a successful student.

21. ISSUES Begin PASS at the very beginning of the semester. Fall semester challenge - the job posting goes up quite often when the students are done their program for that winter or spring session and are no longer on campus.

22. SUCCESS OF PASS Comments by Students “I found PASS sessions incredibly helpful. It gave a second way of doing things and more examples.” “Thanks for the PASS sessions. I would not be passing this class without the regular PASS sessions.” “Very impressed/happy PASS sessions were available.”

23. “Good program, worth the time. Very helpful in reinforcing class content/concepts.” “Valuable resource.”

24. Comments by Instructors “PASS is VERY important for students. I really appreciate your help with this.” “I completely understand that Statistics is one of the most difficult subjects for SIAST students and PASS helped a lot.”

25. “Thanks for setting up the sessions. I think they are a great help to those that take part!!” “We noted that some students were ‘regulars’ at her sessions, and overheard some positive comments from students about how helpful the sessions were.”

26. “Any effective teacher will tell you that if you share your knowledge with others, the very act of trying to help someone understand a new concept will increase your own understanding. The teacher generally learns more than the student.” Hyrum W. Smith

27. Comments by Study Group Leader “I really enjoyed working as the Peer Assisted Study Session Leader, both personally and professionally. The position was flexible, fun and most of all educational for both the students and myself.”

28. “I thought it was a good experience. Not only did it help me review my A&P, but I thought it was good for the students to have another peer share the material because I understand what to focus on and how to study because I’ve been there myself.”

29. “I think being a group leader helped me gain a deeper understanding of Statistics as it is much harder to convey concepts to others than it is to understand them. I highly recommend this experience to anyone with a math background as it will help to reinforce their understanding and will improve their communication skills.” “Great overall experience and I thank you for the opportunity!”

30. PASS Considerations: 1. Hiring a student who is well-versed in the subject area. 2. Meshing the peer leader’s schedule with the students’ schedules. 3. Booking rooms. 4. Keeping in contact by phone &/or email with leaders about any issues that may arise.

31. 5. Making sure leaders have any equipment, supplies, etc. they might need to run the study sessions. 6. Keeping instructors informed of what is happening with PASS. 7. Having instructors keep Learning Assistance and PASS leaders abreast of what is happening in the class.

32. Statistics Without exception, each semester where we offered PASS to Statistics 120 and NEPS A&P, the students who attended PASS had a higher grade average than the class average. In only one instance, did the PASS attendees have a lower average (72.6%) than nonPASS attendees (74.2%).

33. Average Grades

34. Training for Supplemental Instruction University of Missouri-Kansas City www.umkc.edu/cad/SI/index.htm

35. Questions?