Peer Assisted Study Sessions:

2010/11 EvaluationCatherine McConnell & Lucy Chilvers

Centre for Learning and Teaching

Evaluation outline

• What is PASS?• PASS at Brighton• Quantitative Evaluation • Qualitative Evaluation • Summary of findings• Future Developments

What is PASS?

• Informal, small group study sessions facilitated by students from higher year groups

• Exploratory discussion, revisiting lecture material and developing collaborative and independent learning skills in context of discipline

• Sessions integrate student life and transition issues, learning skills and subject content

The PASS Approach

• PASS is an additional opportunity for students to interact with one another

• Typically embedded within challenging subject areas, not targeting specific students Not remedial: proactive, not reactive

• Regularly scheduled, 1hr session once every week, approx. 6-12 students and 2 leaders

• Leaders: trained & supervised to facilitate, lead, encourage student involvement

PASS at Brighton2009/10

• School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences: 34 leaders, 17 groups, covered 2 courses (peer to peer vs. higher to lower)

• Chelsea School: 1 graduate leader, Top-up Sport Coaching BA degree

• School of Languages: 2 second year leaders, 2 groups, Creative Writing Module

PASS at Brighton 2010/11

• School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences: 40 leaders, 20 groups, all 1st yr students

• School of Applied Social Sciences: 8 leaders, 4 groups, 1st yr Social Policy module

• Chelsea School: 2 (post-grad)leaders, Top-up Sport Coaching BA degree

• Northbrook College: 4 leaders, 11 Business 1st yr foundation degree students

Quantitative: School of PABS Questionnaire Results

• 116 responses: 67 Male, 44 female

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 150

5

10

15

20

Number of PASS Sessions attended

Number of students

Number of PASS sessions attended1 (lowest) 2 3 4 5 (highest)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Overall rating of PASS Experience

Number of students

Rating of experience

Num

ber o

f stu

dent

s

Quantitative: School of PABS Questionnaire Results

• 74% of students believe that PASS has helped them in their studies (n=106)

• 59% of students agreed/strongly agreed that they were more comfortable asking questions at PASS (n=105)

• 50% of students agreed/strongly agreed that PASS helped make more friends on course (n=104)

• 44% of students agreed/strongly agreed that PASS helped them make contact with students from higher years (n=104)

Quantitative: School of PABS

Grades vs. Attendance

whole group averagen=110

Non PASS average

n=69

PASS group average

n=41

48

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

BY129 - Average Mark

whole group averagen=110Non PASS averagen=69PASS group averagen=41

whole gro

up avera

ge

n=173

Non PASS av

erage

n=99

PASS gr

oup avera

ge

n=74

62

64

66

68

70

72

BY130 - Average Mark

whole group averagen=173Non PASS averagen=99PASS group averagen=74

0-9% 10-19%

20-29%

30-39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70-79%

80-89%

90-100%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

BY129 – PASS Attendance vs. Grades

Non PASSand PASS <3n=69PASS >3n=41

0-9% 10-19%

20-29%

30-39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70-79%

80-89%

90-100%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

BY130- PASS Attendance vs. Grades

Non PASSand PASS <3n=99PASS >3n=74

Quantitative: School of PABS

Grades vs. Attendance

University of ManchesterPASS attendance vs. grades

Impact of PASS on BL1521 results (genes and evolution)

4247

6

4542

7

53

22 22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

mean mark % % of students with mark<40% (fail)

% of students with mark>=70%

n=158, PASS not offered n=178, PASS <4 n=54, PASS >=4

Figure 1: This graph presents the results obtained for BL1521 in January 2006 - mean mark (%), fail rate (%of students with mark < 40%) and 1st

class rate (% of students with mark m 70%)(Fostier and Carey, 2007)

University of ManchesterPASS attendance vs. grades

Impact of PASS on BL1521 mark distribution (genes and evolution)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

n=158, PASS notoffered, mean = 42

n=178, PASS <4,mean = 45

n=54, PASS >=4 ,mean = 53

% o

f st

ud

ents

0-9%10-19%20-29%30-39%40-49%50-59%60-69%70-79%80-89%90-100%

Figure 2: This graph compares the mark distributions obtained for BL1521 by the regular PASS attendants at the University of Manchester

(Fostier and Carey, 2007)

Quantitative: student achievementChelsea School data

1st 2:1 2:2 3rd Unclassified Not yet complete Withdrawn0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Without programmeWith programme

Top-up degree outcomes with (n=18) and without (n=29) transitions programme

Qualitative: School of PABS Questionnaire Results

Organisational issuesTrainingCommunication – between leaders and attendeesIdeas for other initiatives

• advertise times and rooms better• be more organised - have a clear plan of what will do in the session• make it easier to find groups on SC. Have better communication between

leaders and attendees• Making groups on facebook etc. may help• One to one private classes would help greatly especially these that work and

study on their own well• Possibly a series of 'bank' members who could be pulled in to support particular

issues such as Maths and Stats where their knowledge is required by particular groups.

• put sessions directly before or after lectures so more people turn up

Qualitative: student attendees experience

“I think it made me feel more confident – at the start I felt like I didn’t know anything and by the end I felt like I knew what I was doing a bit more” 1st yr Biology student

“....topics have been beneficial, ie. writing essays planning presentations, being confident to speak in front of peers” 1st year Social Policy student

“PASS did motivate me to do work..... when they give you a pass topic you don’t want to look stupid in the pass session so you had to read up to contribute and I wouldn’t normally do that so it helped me to revise .....it was the only way I could get up and do work. It was help for my revision, most of the stuff I remembered from pass – when I was doing my revision and ...using the flip paper for my revision” 1st yr Biology student

“I found the pass sessions very useful and insightful, having past students of the same course leading the sessions was particularly beneficial,” 1st year Social Policy student

“I am more confident after practising presentation skills....topics have been beneficial, i.e. writing essays, planning presentations, being confident to speak in front of peers. I found the PASS sessions very useful and insightful, having past students of the same course leading the sessions was particularly beneficial.” 1st yr Social Policy student

“It was a lot easier because the third years were like your peers rather than someone who’s gonna tell you you’re wrong, you’re stupid. PASS was good...it kept you on track really…with the lectures…they were enjoyable” 1st yr Biology student

Qualitative: student attendees experience

Qualitative:leaders experience

“I enjoyed being able to mix with other years, make more friends throughout my course, come up with team bonding ideas and going through work with them and seeing things click in peoples’ minds as the group discussed a topic. It was really rewarding watching the group bond and friendships emerge. We helped them on how to reference and where to find guidance on referencing. One of the sessions we did also involved a presentation and we gave feedback about making eye contact and keeping the audience engaged and things like that.”

Charlotte Sealey, PASS Leader

“Its fun as well as you get to go back and do what we did a year ago and it helps you remember and understand things you’re doing now...some of the work I am doing at the moment is connected to what we’re doing in PASS so it’s good revision.”

Kay, PASS Leader, Pharmacy course

“I’ve personally benefitted from being a PASS Leader through the recognition from tutors. Useful as a means to revising and testing retained knowledge.

Learning facilitation skills. Improved presentation skills and public speaking confidence.” Mark Gaddes, Northbrook PASS Leader

Qualitative:Staff experience

Anecdotal feedback:

• A reduction in student enquiries within personal tutor sessions

• Helpful feedback about the module• Students who were most engaged with PASS

gained highest grades

Future Developments

• Evaluation developments: impact on retention and leaders’ grades

• Form a PASS Student Union Society/ PASS committee– Fresher’s Fair– Open days– Social events

• PASS Leader Module – additional credits

• National PASS Leader Conference

• New pilots – Resourcing

Any questions?

PASS videos

• PASS at Brighton: http://vimeo.com/8896073

• PASS at West of England: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/inPictures/pal-animation.shtml

• PASS at Manchester: http://www.pass.manchester.ac.uk/

References

Arendale, D. R. (1994), Understanding the supplemental instruction model. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1994: 11–21. doi: 10.1002/tl.37219946004

Blanc, R., DeBuhr, L. and Martin, D., 1983. Breaking the attrition cycle: the effects of supplemental instruction on undergraduate performance and attrition. Journal of Higher Ed

Boud D, Cohen R and Sampson J (2001) Peer Learning in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page

Burmeister, S., Kenney, P., & Nice, D. (1996). Analysis of effectiveness of SI sessions for college algebra, calculus, and statistics. In Research in collegiate mathematics education II (pp. 145–154). Providence, RI: American Mathematical

References

Coe,E.M., McDougall, A.O. and McKeown, N. B. (1999), Is Peer Assisted Learning of benefit to undergraduate chemists?, University Chemistry Education, 3, 2, 72-75

Cook A, & Rushton B (2008) Student Transition: Practices and Policies to Promote Retention. SEDA Paper 121

Fostier, M. and Carey, W. (2007), Exploration, experience and evaluation: Peer Assisted Study Scheme (PASS), sharing the experience of The University of Manchester: 480 1st year bioscience students

Yorke, M. and Longden, B. (2004). Retention and Student Success in Higher Education. Open University Press, Berkshire