Best Practice Essentials in Peer Led Learning Programs

(1)

Best Practice Essentials in Peer

Led Learning Programs

Sally Rogan,

University of Wollongong &

Catherine Unite,

University of Texas Arlington

FYE Conference, San Diego

February 15 – 18, 2014

(2)

University of Wollongong,

Australia

• 30,516 students

• Ranked in the Top

2% of universities in the world • Globally ranked as one of Australia's best modern universities • 5 Star Rating

• Top 100 in the world

(3)

University of Texas at Arlington

• Situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth

Metroplex

• 4 year, public institution founded

in 1895

• 33,311 students (Fall 2013)

• 25,678 undergraduate • 7,633 graduate

• Ranked #7 by the Chronicle of

Higher Ed nation’s fastest growing public research institutions

• US News and World Report

ranks UT Arlington as the 5th

most diverse university in the nation

(4)

Peer led programs at a glance

PASS @ UOW

• Peer Assisted Study

Sessions (PASS)

commenced at UOW in 2002

• Most awarded peer

learning program in the world!

• Mainstream and voluntary • 4 FT PASS staff members • Over 100 PASS Leaders • Flagship FYE Program

UTA

• Housed within Academic Affairs

• Division - Academic

Programs and Curriculum • 1 FT Coordinator – SI and

Tutoring

• 2 FT Learning Specialists • 100 peer educators

• Situated in UTSI within

University College Learning Center

(5)

Transferable elements

Other Peer Led Programs

Start Strong Spanish Lab Athletics Lab Library Tutor Center ARC Supplemental Instruction Online SI E-Tutoring TRiO Student Support Services At UOW: • Global Communicators Program • UOW Wellbeing At UTA:

(6)

Outline for the Workshop

Best practice within:

– Marketing

– Recruitment of Leaders

– Training and Supervision of Leaders

– Evaluation and Reporting

(7)

Best Practice: Marketing

(8)

PASS@UOW:

• Has traditionally had high attendance / awareness:

• Staying Connected survey for FY students recorded

PASS@UOW had the highest awareness & usage for services / support on campus (2011-2013)

• 29,000 contact hours in 2012

• But we thought we could do better!! Conducted a comprehensive marketing review in 2013

• As a result:

• Level of participation – 35,000 contact hours in 2013

• Contact hours for Semester One 2013 increased by 25%

Best practice: Marketing

(9)

Best practice marketing includes:

1. Establishing a strategic marketing plan:

• Conduct a marketing review/audit of all activities

• Outline clear outcomes and objectives/KPIs

• Analyse the timing, target audience, costs/benefit and key

message of each marketing activity

• Measure all outcomes/KPIs where possible

2. Weekly monitoring of attendance

3. Incorporate Leader involvement in marketing:

• Ongoing collaboration/communication between staff and

Leaders

• Can provide incentives for Leaders

(10)

(11)

Example of a marketing matrix. Used to complement the marketing plan and to identify the ideal time to

implement a marketing

(12)

Examples of successful marketing activities:

• Incentives to encourage regular attendance to maximise benefits:

• 10 + times competition for participants

• Additional Exam Prep Study Sessions (7+ times) • Leader buy in via attendance competition

Direct communication to encourage engagement: • All to be timely and targeted

• Sending ‘no show’ emails in week 3

• Discreet individual ‘at risk’ emails in second semester

(13)

A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013

(14)

A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013

…2013 end of year marketing review:

• Identified gaps for improvement to further increase attendance for 2014

(15)

Most successful marketing practices

at UT Arlington

• Referrals:

• Faculty & current peer educators (prizes for

most referred)

• Students who have utilized SI

• Innovative displays:

• Sandwich boards (outside UCOL/UTSI

building)

• Display case (central locations – student

center)

(16)

• Information sharing:

• Creative peer educator presentations in class

& online

• Blackboard announcements

• Information tables (orientation, events,

library, res, etc.)

• Campus newspaper and radio

• Customized e-mails

Most successful marketing practices

at UT Arlington

(17)

Examples of Marketing Activities

In groups discuss:

• Whether you have a strategic

marketing plan?

• Your most effective marketing

activity.

(18)

Best Practice: Recruitment

A case study – UT Arlington

UTSI SPECIFIC -

Post peer educator positions online Check Qualifications/Recommendations Screen applicants

Interview schedules

Select interviewers & venues Targeted interviews

Submit CBC’s to HR

Compile short list & referrals for SSS Notify successful applicants

SSS SPECIFIC -

Post peer educator positions online Check Qualifications

Screen applicants Interview schedules

Select Interviewers & venues Targeted interviews

Submit CBC’s to HR

Compile short list & referrals for UTSI Notify successful applicants

RECRUITMENT COLLABORATION Marketing = Strengthen Outreach & Build Pool Peer Educator Qualifications = Ensure Quality

Applicants

Standardized Interview Questions = Consistency Selection Panel = Sharing of Peer Educator Lists &

Referrals

(19)

A case study – UT Arlington

Application Guidelines:

• Only online applications are accepted through the UCLC website

• Applicants complete:

• University SNAP Job Application

• UTSI Application (preference of peer educator position must

be indicated)

• Professors complete:

• Professor Reference/Online Recommendation Form (upon

applicant’s request – information card)

• All completed application packets are screened, and qualified individuals are contacted for interviews.

(20)

Applicant Checklist

 A current student at institution

 Completed at least one semester at institution

 Completed course (preferably the course with the current professor)

 High performing student (studied at UT Arlington, an overall GPA of 3.0 and an A or B in the respective course is required)

 Fluent in English with demonstrated exceptional communication skills

(21)

Best Practice: Training & Supervision

A case study – UT Arlington

Three tiered approach: 1. Pre-online training

2. Peer Educational Conference (2 days)

• Co-facilitation with departments & mentors 3. Ongoing training

• Mentorship of session plans

• Bi-weekly seminars presented by mentors • Observations & Peer Observations

• Online Portfolios

(22)

A case study – UT Arlington

Pre-online training:

• Repository of online modules and

resources

• Mass e-mailing

• Announcements

• Discussion board

• Introduction of Blackboard Collaborate

platform – online session

(23)

Peer Educator Conference

(24)

A case study – UT Arlington

Three documents:

• Observation Form (Observer completes)

• Observation Code (Information on how to complete obs.)

• Feedback Review (Improvement plan) Observation Form - 7 Sections:

• Beginning of the session

• Frequency count of behaviors during the session • Checklist of strategies used

• Session interaction diagram • End of the session

• After the session summary • Additional comments

(25)

(26)

(27)

PASS @ UOW Professional

Development Model

PASS Participant PASS Leader PASS Senior Mentor PASS Leader Leaders facilitate PASS for students Participants are recruited as leaders Leaders are promoted to senior mentors Mentors support and develop new leaders

(28)

Best Practice: Evaluation and Reporting

Checklist

Strong data collection:

 Strong attendance record keeping process

 UOW example – PASS Information Management System (PIMS)

 UOW example - Performance Cube Evaluation of:

 Leader performance via mentoring

 Level of student engagement via surveys/ regular attendance and retention

 Performance of students via analysis of grades  Contact hours

(29)

Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting

Checklist

 End of semester reports provided to:  Faculty

 Other key stakeholders  Leaders

 Continuous review and improvement of processes and procedures

 Ongoing research:

 Example - Journal of Peer Learning  UOW current research – Randomised Encouragement Design

(30)

Analysis of data – UOW examples

Average Final Marks – FY Accounting, S1, 2013

(31)

Analysis of data – UOW examples

Year N um ber of par ti c ipant s

(32)

Analysis of data – UOW examples

*This chart illustrates the retention rates of regular PASS participants (those that attended 5+ times for a single subject) vs non-PASS participants (0 attendances).

Schools Schools F inal M ar k R et ent ion R at e n= 59,027 n= 58,891

(33)

UT Arlington

―Fall 2012 over 11,400 contact hours

―82% first-time, full-time freshmen returned in Fall 2012

_{SPRING 2013} SECTIONS SUPPORTED 56 STUDENTS SERVED 2,043 TOTAL CONTACT HOURS 10,719 Surveys

─ Mid/End of semester Student Surveys: Spring 2013

─ 93% agreed/slightly agreed that the SI sessions were helpful, while 91.4% agreed/slightly agreed they would recommend SI to other students.

─ Faculty Surveys: Spring 2013

─ 94% indicated that they would like SI to continue in their respective course.

(34)

Critical Reflections

• Streamlining practices

– “doing more with

less”

• Capacity building – peer leadership

• Sustainability – systemic, “no single shot

interventions … in the water supply”

• Learning Communities – integrated support

• Quality driven – “pruning the rose bush”

• Accessibility and availability

–

geographic

location “go to the students”

• Students as partners in change process

(35)

Questions or Comments.

(36)

Contact Information

Sally Rogan:

Director Peer Learning and The National Centre for PASS, UOW

E: [email protected]

P: +61 2 4221 5588 Catherine Unite:

Director - University College Learning Center, UTA

E: [email protected]