Taking Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) out of the classroom: An
exploration of the interpersonal in the on-line space
Taking Peer Assisted Learning out of the classroom
Makis MallirisDean of Students OfficeUniversity of the West Of
England
Raphael NagelPAL Leader
Presentation OutlineCurrent Research Case Study for STEM SWPAL
Leader skills for Online Peer SupportFindings from Online-PAL pilot
in 2009-10 at UWEAims of the STEM-SW ProjectResearch into the
particular benefits of PAL for students studying HE STEM programmes
with an emphasis on the benefits for students from Widening
Participation backgrounds into the benefits for mentors for
example, in confidence building, acquisition of graduate attributes
and enhanced employabilityInvestigate different models of PAL
including the development of an On-line approachHow PAL operates at
UWEPAL leaders are trained PAL leaders are supported both centrally
and by a member of the module teaching teamEmbedded: PAL sessions
are timetabledAcademic focus: supports learning through small group
discussions where content is drawn from existing course materials
(lecture notes, workbooks, textbooks etc..)Academic
recognition4Literature reviewJournalsInteractive media in
EducationComputer assisted learningInnovations in Education and
Teaching InternationalAsynchronous Learning NetworkEducational
Computing ResearchEducational Technology SystemsDistance Education
( American)Adult Learning ( Australian)Instructional
ScienceArtificial Intelligence in Education
Why worry about the intricacies of peer interaction?Who is
learning?Conceptualisation of the role of peers How can we know
what occurs in groups? What has been learnt?What changes as a
result of the interaction?
Aims of the case study
To evaluate whether PAL can be delivered effectively in an
online format.To evaluate the suitability of the chosen software
for online PAL delivery. To evaluate the impact that online PAL
delivery has on the work load of the PAL leaders. To investigate
whether online delivery affects the group dynamic during a PAL
session.To investigate how online delivery of PAL might affect how
knowledge is transferred amongst the group. To determine the
scalability of online PAL for future roll out.
Microsoft Lync
The Online Approach at UWEIdentify the skills needed for
effective peer learning through online forumsCompare these with
skills needed for effective face-to-face peer learningExplore the
onward implications for assessment of these skillsOnline-skills for
PAL LeadersSocio-affectiveInitiate, participate, share ,
acknowledgeOrganisationalPlan, draw on course, draw on
experienceInteractive process managementRole clarification,
request, give feedback, reinforceCognitive interactiveGenerate
ideas, guideReflective evaluativeReflect, assess, summarise,
meta-cognition
