PS I did not go to the session at the 09 LDHEN symposium by Marcia Ody and William Carey (from the University of Manchester) "Demystifying Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): What...? How...? Who...? Why...?" - but I have just found and read their paper - they report significant improvements in grades as well as other benefits from involvement in peer-assisted study sessions.
You can download the paper from the ALDinHE website: - go to
http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/symposium09/player.html
Then choose Session 4.6
(NB this post-conference resource is being put together by Carol Elston - and is still under construction. It will be properly 'released' next week - all presenters are invited to submit their material there but some may not have done so yet ... apologies if I've upset anyone by sending this link prematurely - it just seemed appropriate in view of the discussion. The resource will be better populated as time goes by ... )
John
Thanks Ann, Kathleen, Kim, David, Michelle and all who have responded so far.
It's clearly a rich area for discussion with a number of dimensions - context and situation, modes of provision, the forms in which 'information' comes, and its timeliness or otherwise ... and as we've said before on this list, some sustained, in-depth ethnographic research work in Learning Development in the UK (looking at a broad range of students, disciplines and institutions - their study practices and perceptions of academic work) would really be exciting ... could we forge such an initiative collaboratively, and seek some 'proper' research funding ... ?
I too am keen to learn more about PALS and how it might work best. I'm also wondering about the ESCalate research in this area ("research on first year undergraduate student peer support and/or mentoring") there was a call for participation from Ginny Saich on this list in May last year. Does anyone else know of this project and how it is progressing? It was being undertaken at Stirling.
John
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kim Shahabudin
Sent: 28 April 2009 12:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Listening to advice?
It's a good example of how research (and experience) informs practice - and how LD advice has to shift with student practices. I used to say to Freshers, "Keep your handbook in a safe place, you will need to refer to it throughout your course". Now I say, "Like 80% of students, you will probably have erased the whereabouts (or even the existence) of your handbook from your memory by the end of Week 4. But it will be one of your best sources of information in future. So either have an efficient paper filing system, or find it online now and bookmark the URL."
Kim
________________________________
Dr Kim Shahabudin, Study Adviser & LearnHigher Research Officer
Room 107, Carrington Building, Whiteknights, University of Reading, RG6 6UA| ( 0118 378 4218|
: www.reading.ac.uk/studyadvice : www.learnhigher.ac.uk <http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/>
________________________________
From: learning development in higher education network on behalf of Michelle Verity
Sent: Tue 28/04/2009 12:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Listening to advice?
I have to say that we were surprised at how many students stated that they referred to their course handbooks as a source of information but perhaps less surprisingly this did vary depending on their content and how often tutors referred back to them.
Michelle
LearnHigher Manager
Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning
Gateway Building
Liverpool Hope University,
Hope Park
Liverpool,
L16 9JD
t: 0151 291 3848 f: 0151 291 2033 m: 07917 781393
>>> Pat Hill <[log in to unmask]> 28/04/2009 12:02 >>>
Hello everyone
With regard to Michelle's point about 'most accessible study advice' such as handbooks, some recent research of my own supports that of Hartley and Chesworth (1999) which suggested that around 80% of students deny having received information in handbooks, and many lose them or forget to use them. Having stowed that staff handbook in a safe place that I can't remember I know how they feel (Thank goodness for on-line resources).
On a more positive note, a comprehensive review of peer assisted learning by Keith Topping in 1996 suggested that overall it resulted in marked improvements and 'raised deadline attainment rates, reduced failure rates, and self report of improved writing in the tutors' . I would only add that there has been some tension in the US about assuming that simply because they are peers, students will have equality (Fernsten, 2006) and Bishop, Blythman and Orr (in Devet et al, 2006) also comment that it is dangerous to assume that students have equal 'social capital' and point out that they are just as likely to develop 'meaningful collaborative relationships' with study support staff given the right pedagogical approach.
Best wishes
Pat
Pat Hill
Academic Skills Tutor
School of Music, Humanities and Media
University of Huddersfield HD1 3DH
West Yorkshire UK
Tel + 44 (0)1484 472170
e-mail [log in to unmask]
Room WG20 West Building
Leaders in student-centred academic excellence www.hud.ac.uk/mh/
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