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With a little help from my PAL

8 January 2008

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Peer Assisted Learning serves as a revision tool, a social network and general mentor ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/case-studies/peer-assisted-learning" target="_self">Peer Assisted Learning

Students have described it as "my best experience at UCL" and simply "brilliant". High praise for an activity that requires extracurricular academic commitment and revisiting fresher anxiety.

'PAL' is the apt acronym of the Peer Assisted Learning programme that has been spreading across UCL departments and faculties for the past ten years. Officially defined by the UCL Centre for the Advancement of Learning & Teaching as 'a student-to-student support scheme for academic and personal development', it serves as a revision tool, a social network and general mentor for those new to the intellectual rigours of the university environment.

Once a week, for at least two terms a year, groups of second-year (and occasionally third-year) students set aside an hour to talk through degree content with those in the year below. The aim is to provide a forum where challenging concepts can be discussed and elucidated, thanks to the insight and empathy of people who have grappled with the work and come out the other side.

Judith MacBean, PAL coordinator at UCL, emphasises that the PAL volunteers do not teach new topics, but can help reinforce and embed ideas that are likely to have been imparted with more speed in the lecture hall than students were used to at A-level. All volunteers undergo training that helps them prepare sessions and how to bring the best out of students with different learning styles and weaker areas. At least two volunteers are allocated to each group, so that they can share ideas and effort, and provide mutual back-up.

Judith stresses that the PAL coordinators provide a framework for this type of peer support, but faculties are free to make use of the resource as they see fit - with quite a variety of approaches in evidence across more than a dozen departments that are involved in the scheme.

She explains: "Sometimes we are approached by a department who would like to use the scheme to support teaching on a specific course that is known to stretch students, for example the analysis course in first-year Maths. History of Art volunteers have made use of the sessions to prepare the new students for their first slide assessments, whereas French encouraged those who have returned from their year abroad to help ready those in the years below for the experience. We helped Laws set up a scheme several years ago, and the department now runs the scheme itself primarily as an additional debating forum."

It's not just those attending the sessions who reap the benefits. PAL volunteers have the chance to revise areas covered earlier in their degree, with their knowledge properly tested by searching questions from their group. Planning and leading the sessions give an insight into responsibilities that are useful on any CV.

Sarah Mauthoor, a PAL volunteer 2006-07, attests to the value of the programme: "Last year I was in my final year of my maths degree and helped first-year maths students through PAL. I was interested in being a volunteer because I have a passion for teaching and believe that the best - and most fun - way to revise is by explaining what you've learnt to someone else. I did find it challenging to know all the material covered in the first year thoroughly enough to be able to explain the content. The other third-year students and I, who led the sessions together, overcame this by focusing on the branch of maths we prefer and are best at. I'm now doing a masters at UCL in modelling biological complexity. I found being a volunteer extremely rewarding. It has improved my communication and teaching skills, both of which will be invaluable in my future career, which I hope will include a combination of research and teaching maths."

According to Judith, students, volunteers and departments all reap rewards from PAL. Are there really no downsides? She admits that departments sometimes have initial concerns that subject matter won't be conveyed accurately, or that the group will gain an unfair advantage in coursework from their mentors, but the coordinators are very firm that volunteers always cover material that they themselves have studied. Also, in terms of coursework, it is often much more a question of confidence that the students are seeking, than 'the answers'. All departments interested in running a scheme are asked to designate a member of staff with whom Judith and the volunteers can liaise over matters such as syllabus, timetabling and room bookings. Occasionally this contact will also feed back to lecturers if the need for support in a course area is particularly widespread.

Dulani Mendis, a second year Maths undergraduate who was in Sarah Mauthoor's PAL group, cannot praise the programme highly enough. "I first heard about PAL when the leaders of the programme came into one of our first-year lectures and told us about it. I didn't really have any expectations but I went to the first session as at the time I needed any help I could get! The sessions were really informal, making it easy to ask for help when necessary. They were really useful; not only did the PAL leaders help me grasp difficult areas, but speaking to people who had already done the first year really gave me confidence. Knowing how much I gained from the sessions has meant that I have already decided to become a PAL leader as I would like to try and help the first years in the way I was supported."

If you are interested in running a PAL programme in your department, or becoming a PAL volunteer, follow the link above or contact Judith MacBean.

Image: Peer Assisted Learning can serve as a revision tool, a social network and general mentor

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