This miniproject resulted in a good practice guide for those interested in developing or supporting formal and/or informal peer-assisted learning in HEIs.
The project aimed to establish the nature of current undergraduate peer support in HEIs and to identify and disseminate good practice.
In peer support, both undergraduates and postgraduates support other students: either in the same or different year groups, in informal or formal situations and via face-to-face or e-support. Within mathematics, research has shown that peer-assisted learning can motivate and encourage students to engage with the subject.
During the life of the project, data had been gathered from an online survey to HEIs in the UK, from visits to HEIs and Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) and through focus group and one-to-one interviews with university students and staff.
The guide presents a rationale for peer support and examines the various models of peer-assisted learning adopted by HEIs. It discusses the findings of the MSOR project and goes on to explore the benefits and challenges of peer support practice. The guide provides background information to the area of peer support and offers advice and the experience of those already familiar with the territory. It is hoped that that the guide will engender debate and encourage others to explore the issues presented.
Research has shown that peer support or peer-assisted learning can motivate and encourage students to engage with mathematics.
Robinson et al [1] refer to students as ‘junior partners’ who progressively become ‘senior’ as they move through their years at university. In order to ensure that students feel valued and positive about their HE experience, mechanisms need to be in place to provide additional support for students where needed and an environment nurtured that will allow informal peer support to flourish.
The data presented from the project’s survey and from the interviews held in HEIs have shown that peer support is taking place both informally and formally within many institutions. In some cases the formal schemes in place – often led by academic staff – have encouraged other, informal groupings as off-shoots and these are then run by students for students.
Many different systems are in place to support students: from the structured PASS/PAL approach to department-initiated schemes to facilitated informal gatherings. Within these different schemes, the training given to academic staff, mentors and mentees varies from institution to institution and some challenges and areas of concern still need to be addressed. The main area of concern within current peer support provision, and evidenced in the data gathered by this study, is that departments are reluctant to consider the ethical questions that might arise from the process; this area is then largely omitted from any training provision.
[1] Robinson, M., Challis, N. and Thomlinson, M. (2010) ‘Maths at university: Reflections on experience, practice and provision’, more maths grads.