I did go to the Manchester PASS session and it was excellent - so highly
recommend a look at their paper. My colleague Catherine McConnell has
attended their training and two Brighton students recently went to one
of their introductory sessions as we are planning to introduce a pilot
PASS scheme here this autumn.
-----Original Message-----
From: learning development in higher education network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Hilsdon
Sent: 28 April 2009 14:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Listening to advice?
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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