Steve Parton and Victoria Noad, The Sir Michael Cobham Library, Bournemouth University

Abstract

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) at Bournemouth University (BU) is a peer mentoring scheme that fosters cross-year support between students on the same course.

Coordination of PAL, including leader training, is run centrally within Student and Academic Services by the PAL Coordination Team. Successful applicants attend two days of compulsory training in June or September with optional follow up training sessions offered throughout the autumn term.

As with other training programmes for peer learning schemes, including Supplemental Instruction (SI), upon which PAL is based (Arendale 1994; Jacobs et al. 2008), the concept of modelling is integral to the training. Trainers employ small group learning techniques and frequently re-direct questions. Leaders can then use these approaches in their own sessions. Crucially, all attendees lead a simulated PAL session.

Weekly follow up training is delivered in collaboration with other support staff, providing information on various academic skills, support services and ideas for related PAL sessions.

Like PAL itself, leader training has evolved gradually since it began in 2001. Changes include:

• training on new online community areas on the University's Virtual Learning Environment;
• streamlining of initial training in response to trainee feedback.

However, the overarching principles of the training, established by the founders of the scheme, remain (Capstick et al. 2004). Qualitative feedback from 2011-2012 trainees after completing training, and from a later survey delivered to them towards the end of their role, has further confirmed the continued power of this training while revealing potential ways to strengthen it.

Keywords: Peer Assisted Learning; training PAL leaders; Bournemouth University; mentoring; undergraduate students.

PAL at Bournemouth University

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is a peer mentoring scheme run centrally from the department of Student and Academic Services for five of the University's six academic schools. PAL has been running successfully at Bournemouth University (BU) since 2001.

PAL leaders are generally second year students recruited to facilitate regular sessions for 1^st year students from the same course. In PAL sessions leaders encourage discussion, collaborative learning, and share experiences of the first year of their course from the student perspective (Fleming 2009a). The content of sessions is largely student driven, but leaders also meet with PAL course contacts (usually first year programme leaders from their academic school) who are able to steer them in the right direction and contextualise the sessions they run. Leaders are paid for each hour long session they run, along with 30 minutes of preparation time. Leaders may also gain points and develop transferable skills towards earning the BU Student Development Award (Bournemouth University 2012A). Leaders are not paid for any training they receive.

In its first pilot year, 2001-2, five students studying Hospitality Management within what is now the School of Tourism '…were recruited and trained for the role of Student Leader' (Capstick & Fleming 2001 p. 72). By 2011/12, PAL supported virtually all courses or frameworks at full-time undergraduate level at BU, with 151 trained leaders supporting 2,435 first year students. For 2012/13, 180 leaders have already been recruited. PAL has been embraced across the university, is highlighted in the University's Strategic Plan (Bournemouth University 2012b) and is a strong selling point to potential students applying to BU. PAL continues to perform an important role for students, not just in supporting academic development for 1st years but also in easing their transition to university life. The timeline below shows how PAL at BU has developed over the past decade and will continue to expand into 2012-13 supporting the University's commitment to providing coaching and mentoring support for all students.

PAL leader training at BU

As with the PAL scheme itself, the roots of the training lie within the original Supplemental Instruction (SI) Model, pioneered at the University of Kansas-Missouri City in the 1970s (Arendale 1994; Jacobs et al. 2008). Approaches used in the centre for SI training programme including modelling of group and active learning activities by the trainer, encouraging listening skills, and specific facilitation skills such as the redirection of questions, have featured in PAL Leader training since it first began (Capstick & Fleming 2001). However, BU and other UK institutions have adapted training to suit the PAL model of peer mentoring, which tailors SI more to the UK Higher Education system (Wallace 1992; Fleming 2009b).

Embedding PAL into first year timetables has proven to be successful because it is not viewed by students as a 'deficit model' of student support (Andrews & Clark 2011). So, Leaders at BU for example are not expected to be particularly academically strong in their subject, and the scheme does not target historically difficult subjects, struggling students, or specific units/modules. Therefore the focus of the training reflects this. Leaders support all students in a particular seminar group with every module of that course and in adapting to university life. As the PAL scheme has expanded to courses university-wide, incoming first year students view attending PAL sessions as part of the BU first year experience.

Leaders must therefore develop group facilitation skills, encouraging the group to formulate the answers through collaborative discussion and if this is not possible, know which department or staff member of the University to refer students to.

As the content of the training is moulded to fit BU, it can be argued that there is no 'one size fits all' model for training of PAL leaders. Some of the training content will inevitably be shaped to suit the needs of the institution that it fits within. A number of universities, including the University of Manchester, University of West England and the University of Birmingham, take a staggered approach to delivery. For example, Manchester's Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) leaders complete four half-day training components which become increasingly subject specific (University of Manchester 2012). A number of universities have also developed accredited PAL or SI courses with leaders being assessed and achieving credits for undertaking their training (University of West England 2012).

At BU, the initial training is delivered over two consecutive days. Several two-day slots are offered in June or September prior to the start of their role. This is compulsory for all recruited leaders to attend. The progress of the trainees is monitored by the trainers to ensure all are suitable for the role. Additional training is offered throughout the autumn term. Leaders are also observed running at least one of their sessions by a member of the PAL Coordination Team during the autumn term. Feedback is discussed with the leader(s) after the session and a typed copy of the feedback is sent to them.

Aims of PAL training at BU

The founder of the scheme, Hugh Fleming (2007), set out the aims of the initial training and to a large extent these remain unchanged:

'The aim of our initial training programme is to provide new PAL Leaders with:

• an overview of the main ideas upon which PAL is based;
• an introduction to a range of activities and techniques Leaders should use to help them run their PAL sessions effectively and structure group discussions;
• opportunities to discuss these ideas with the trainers and with each other;
• opportunities to put these skills and techniques into practice;
• opportunities to meet with experienced PAL Leaders' (Fleming 2007).

Content of Initial PAL Leader Training

Tables 1 and 2 outline activities of the initial training. The content closely follows the natural arc given in the aims listed above. Initially, the focus is on the nature of the scheme itself and the facilitation skills students will need to use as Leaders, as well as the resources and support available to them including PAL Central, a community area developed for Leaders on my BU, the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). A video, How to run PAL Sessions, developed by the former PAL Coordinator and Television Production students and presented by former leaders, stresses the importance of structuring and planning PAL sessions is also played.

Table 1: PAL Leader Initial Training Programme 2011: Day 1

Table 2: PAL Leader Initial Training Programme 2011: Day 2

The focus then shifts to the experience of running PAL, including the opportunity for all trainees to lead a simulated PAL session. Visiting speakers come in to talk about Additional Learning Support and Cultural Awareness, which performs the function of sign-posting important support services to Leaders so they can direct their student to them in the future (Boyle 1998). Leaders are also given the opportunity to meet former Leaders and talk with them more informally over lunch. There is emphasis on the specific nature of PAL in their discipline with the opportunity to meet with their academic course contacts; as well as plan their first PAL session with leaders from similar disciplines. Once Leaders have all had a chance to run a mock session, the training seeks to address the realistic challenges leaders may face with their groups, including the need to set boundaries with peers. Finally, their employment paperwork is issued to them and guidance on how to complete the forms provided.

A key component of the training at BU, as with many peer mentoring training programmes, is the simulated PAL session. This is where trainees get the chance to prepare and deliver a pretend PAL session to a small group. Leaders are selected for each simulated session, normally in pairs, and watch the opening minutes of a

documentary/lecture before being sent away to plan a 20 minute PAL session. They then lead a PAL session to their group, who have watched and made notes on the

entire video, thus replicating a real life lecture. Afterwards, the leaders, their groups, and finally the trainers give feedback on how the sessions went in order to provide the leaders with a 360 degree perspective. This helps them to further reflect on their facilitation skills, and to develop and gain confidence.

Recent Modifications to the Training Content

In recent years, additional elements have been incorporated as the scheme has evolved. Given the increasingly blended approach taken to the delivery of PAL, guidance and the use of online support materials has been incorporated into the initial training. Advice on using the online community areas of the University VLE (developed in 2010 by a BU Learning Technologist, Tamsyn Smith) have been added for example. Leaders are given an overview of PAL Central, a community which includes guidance information for leaders such as session ideas, resources for different learning techniques, and other material previously distributed in a large printed manual. Leaders also get the chance to explore the programme communities accessible by first year students and leaders, and post an introductory announcement for their new group. This part of the training is important so that leaders are comfortable working with technology and once they are in their new role they can take advantage of these communication channels. It also ensures they can answer basic IT enquiries.

Appendix 1: Boundary Setting Role Play Activity

Appendix 2: Critical Incidents Activity