Au secours!Au secours!

Au secours!Au secours!Nicole Duplain & Sylvie TemplemanSchool of Humanities

Nicole Duplain & Sylvie TemplemanSchool of Humanities

“Au secours!: a peer assisted learning scheme to enhance the enjoyment, confidence and learning strategies of beginners language students”

Aims & objectivesAims & objectives

Au secours was designed to: Au secours was designed to:

Au secours was designed to: Au secours was designed to:

• develop learning partnerships between students and between students and staff

• support students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel

With the following key objectives: With the following key objectives:

With the following key objectives: With the following key objectives:

• to promote the practice of language skills beyond staff led sessions and refine beginners’ learning strategies

• to encourage the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, driving up attainment, reducing level 4 referrals and promoting higher continuation rates into level 5

The project also aimed to: The project also aimed to:

The project also aimed to: The project also aimed to:

• provide a framework for participating students to demonstrate graduate attributes such as professionalism, intellectual adaptability, respect for others and social responsibility

• create opportunities for second and final year students to reflect on their language learning experience, share their successful strategies and support the learning of beginners

• offer second and final year students practical experience as peer educators enhancing their CVs and contributing to their employability

Language learning delivery

Language learning delivery

Staff led sessionsStaff led sessions

Staff led sessions

Language staff Beginners

++

Staff led sessions

Language staff Beginners

++

Directed &independent learning

Staff led sessions

Language staff Beginners

++

Directed &independent learning

?

Beginners

Peer Assisted Learning

Peer Assisted Learning

Staff led sessions

Language staff Beginners

++

Staff led sessionsStaff led sessions

Language staffLanguage staff BeginnersBeginners

++

Directed & independent Peer Assisted Learning

Staff led sessionsStaff led sessions

Language staff Beginners

++

BeginnersSecond / final year partners

++

Directed & independent Peer Assisted Learning

Learning partnerships

Learning partnerships

Language staff+

Beginners

Language staff+

Beginners

Language staff+

Second / final years

Language staff+

Beginners

Beginners+

Second / final years

Language staff+

Second / final years

ImplementationImplementation

‣ Recruitment and training of 21 second and final year students as peer educators for Peer Assisted Learning scheme

‣ Production of Logbooks and Teaching Resource Packs

‣ Recruitment of 31 beginners to participate in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ Organisation of beginners and second / final year student pairs

‣ Peer Assisted Learning sessions initiated

‣ Monitoring and support

Semester ASemester A

‣ Recruitment and training of 21 second and final year students as peer educators for Peer Assisted Learning scheme

‣ Production of Logbooks and Teaching Resource Packs

‣ Recruitment of 31 beginners to participate in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ Organisation of beginners and second / final year student pairs

‣ Peer Assisted Learning sessions initiated

‣ Monitoring and support

Semester A

‣ Peer Assisted Learning sessions

‣ Monitoring, support and problem solving

‣ Failed partnerships replaced

‣ Production and completion of online surveys for participants and non-participants

‣ Assessment of logbooks and reflective analysis

‣ Analysis of online survey responses

‣ Presentation and report

‣ Award of peer educator certificates to second and final year participants

‣ Recruitment and training of 21 second and final year students as peer educators for Peer Assisted Learning scheme

‣ Production of Logbooks and Teaching Resource Packs

‣ Recruitment of 31 beginners to participate in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ Organisation of beginners and second / final year student pairs

‣ Peer Assisted Learning sessions initiated

‣ Monitoring and support

Semester ASemester B

OutcomesOutcomes

Developing learning partnerships between students and between students and staff:

Developing learning partnerships between students and between students and staff:

Beginners + Second / final year partners:

Developing learning partnerships between students and between students and staff:

‣ 20 beginners plus 19 second / final year students actively engaged in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ On average 78% of partners met for between half an hour and an hour to over an hour per week

‣ In addition to arranged meetings Peer Assisted Learning was conducted via text, e-mail, skype and phone

Beginners + Second / final year partners:

Developing learning partnerships between students and between students and staff:

‣ 20 beginners plus 19 second / final year students actively engaged in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ On average 78% of partners met for between half an hour and an hour to over an hour per week

‣ In addition to arranged meetings Peer Assisted Learning was conducted via text, e-mail, skype and phone

Beginners + Second / final year partners:

Staff + Students:

Developing learning partnerships between students and between students and staff:

‣ 20 beginners plus 19 second / final year students actively engaged in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ On average 78% of partners met for between half an hour and an hour to over an hour per week

‣ In addition to arranged meetings Peer Assisted Learning was conducted via text, e-mail, skype and phone

Beginners + Second / final year partners:

‣ Beginners were encouraged and supported to participate in Peer Assisted Learning

‣ Second and final year students were recruited, trained and supported as peer educators for Peer Assisted Learning

‣ Ongoing support was provided for beginners and partners actively engaged in Peer Assisted Learning

Staff + Students:

Supporting students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel:

Supporting students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel:

Beginners:

Supporting students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel:

‣ 82% stated that they had definitely been helped to some extent

‣ 36% that they had been helped a lot or a great deal

Beginners:

Supporting students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel:

‣ 82% stated that they had definitely been helped to some extent

‣ 36% that they had been helped a lot or a great deal

Beginners: Second / final year partners:

Supporting students to make an effective transition to university study and maximise their opportunities to succeed and excel:

‣ 78% felt that they had definitely helped to some extent

‣ 17% that they had helped a lot or a great deal

‣ 82% stated that they had definitely been helped to some extent

‣ 36% that they had been helped a lot or a great deal

Beginners: Second / final year partners:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

Beginners:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

‣ 91% stated that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had definitely been enhanced to some extent

‣ 50% that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had been enhanced a lot or a great deal

Beginners:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

‣ 91% stated that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had definitely been enhanced to some extent

‣ 50% that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had been enhanced a lot or a great deal

Beginners: Second / final year partners:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

‣ 91% stated that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had definitely been enhanced to some extent

‣ 50% that their motivation, confidence and enjoyment had been enhanced a lot or a great deal

Beginners: Second / final year partners:

‣ 83% felt they had helped enhance their beginners motivation, confidence and enjoyment to some extent

‣ 39% that they had helped enhance their beginners motivation, confidence and enjoyment a lot or a great deal

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

‣ 50% stated that they had been inspired and encouraged to continue French

‣ 46% stated that they had been inspired and encouraged to learn more about other cultures, countries and traditions

‣ 23% stated that they had definitely been inspired to study abroad

Beginners: Second / final year partners:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

‣ 50% stated that they had been inspired and encouraged to continue French

‣ 46% stated that they had been inspired and encouraged to learn more about other cultures, countries and traditions

‣ 23% stated that they had definitely been inspired to study abroad

Beginners: Second / final year partners:‣ 65% felt that they had helped

encourage their beginner to continue French

‣ 29% felt that they had helped encourage their beginner to learn more about other cultures, countries and traditions

‣ 71% felt they had encouraged their beginner to study abroad

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

Beginners continuation rates from level 4 French into level 5:

Encouraging the motivation, confidence and enjoyment of beginners in language learning, promoting higher continuation rates into level 5:

Beginners continuation rates from level 4 French into level 5:

‣ 2011-12 : 49% continuation

‣ 2012-13 : 60% continuation

68% continuation rate from participants in peer assisted learning

49% continuation rate from non-participants in peer assisted learning

What beginners had to say:What beginners had to say:

What beginners had to say:What beginners had to say:

“My mentor was always there for me! She would drop anything to answer my text or come and help me. She is going to visit me next year in Canada!”

What beginners had to say:What beginners had to say:

“My mentor was always there for me! She would drop anything to answer my text or come and help me. She is going to visit me next year in Canada!”

“I asked the questions I didn’t dare to ask in class. Even in seminars, there isn’t enough time to ask.”

What beginners had to say:What beginners had to say:

“My mentor was always there for me! She would drop anything to answer my text or come and help me. She is going to visit me next year in Canada!”

“I asked the questions I didn’t dare to ask in class. Even in seminars, there isn’t enough time to ask.”

“Overall, it was a good and beneficial experience and I will stay in contact with her as I have made a friend for life.”

What beginners had to say:What beginners had to say:

“Having a mentor has really improved my confidence in French, having some one who was once like you and has now managed to really get a grip of the language is so inspiring. It has made me want to continue the language.”

What second and final years had to say:What second and final years had to say:

What second and final years had to say:What second and final years had to say:

“You really feel you made a difference to them and I wished we had had that for the first year.”

What second and final years had to say:What second and final years had to say:

“You really feel you made a difference to them and I wished we had had that for the first year.”

“Nice to give something back because we benefited so much from the support of the Language department.”

What second and final years had to say:What second and final years had to say:

“You really feel you made a difference to them and I wished we had had that for the first year.”

“Nice to give something back because we benefited so much from the support of the Language department.”

“a two-way thing: I learned and he learned.”

What second and final years had to say:What second and final years had to say:

“It exceeded my expectations as I didn’t realise how much it helped myself: verbs, tenses. It made me revise before so that I could answer questions during the session.”

Kay & Odel

Rebecca & Daniel

ConclusionsConclusions

What has ‘Au secours!’ achieved?What has ‘Au secours!’ achieved?

Findings from preliminary analysis of the data currently available indicate ‘Au secours!’ has been of significant benefit to participants and instrumental in:

Findings from preliminary analysis of the data currently available indicate ‘Au secours!’ has been of significant benefit to participants and instrumental in:

‣ developing productive new learning partnerships between first, second and final year students and also between students and language staff

‣ supporting first year students in their transition to university study

‣ promoting beginners’ language skills practice beyond staff led sessions

‣ enhancing beginners’ motivation, confidence and enjoyment in language learning

‣ increasing continuation rates from level 4 into level 5 (data not yet available regarding impact on level 4 referrals)

Findings from preliminary analysis of the data currently available indicate ‘Au secours!’ has been of significant benefit to participants and instrumental in:

‣ enabling students to demonstrate graduate attributes most notably professionalism, intellectual adaptability, respect for others and social responsibility

‣ offering practical experience to second and final year students as peer educators enhancing their CVs and contributing to their employability

RecommendationsRecommendations

‣ incorporate Peer Assisted Learning into all beginners language delivery from semester A

‣ formalise process for beginners with ‘application’ and ‘contract’

‣ recruit more second years as peer educators and offer UH certified Peer Coaching / Mentoring Training

‣ complete full analysis of survey data and consider BME perspective

‣ extend Peer Assisted Learning to second years

‣ promote Peer Assisted Learning to other Humanities subject areas

Language group to:Language group to:

Latino, J. and Unite, C. (2012) ‘Providing Academic Support Through Peer Education’, New Directions for Higher Education, vol. 2012, issue 157, pp. 31-43 [Online], Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.v2012.157/issuetoc (Accessed 1 March 2013).

“Peer collaboration in academic settings has a ‘robust’ positive effect on educational outcomes such as academic achievement, student retention and liking the subject matter.” Cooper (1997)

Au secours!Au secours!

‘Au secours!’ is a project run by the Languages Subject Group in the School of Humanities, funded through a Small Scale Innovation Award from The Learning & Teaching Institute at The University of Hertfordshire.

Janette Bradley: Learning & Teaching advisorNicole Duplain: Project ManagementSylvie Templeman: Student Monitoring & Liaison