IDS 105: Peer Educators Perspective—Rev. December 17, 2011 1

Course Outline School of Arts and Sciences

Course Name: The Peer Educator Perspective

Course Number: IDS 105

Credits: 3

Contact Hours: 3

Catalog Description: This course is designed to teach students how to be effective peer mentors. Students will gain hands on experience with understanding the mentoring process as well as techniques for effective communication and peer support. The course content will consist of theoretically-based skills and strategies associated with peer leadership in an academic support program, including active and collaborative learning, critical thinking and problem solving, interpersonal communication, and assisting peers with how to effectively and efficiently learn subject-related content.

Prerequisites/Co-Requisites: none

Current Textbooks, Materials, Equipment (software/hardware requirements):

Lipsky, S. A. A Training Guide for College Tutors and Peer Educators. Boston:

Pearson Education, Inc., 2011. Print.

Newton, Fred B. and Steven C. Ender. Student Helping Students. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print.

Course Outcomes: This course will…

1.) create a hands-on experience for students to mentor, tutor, support, and encourage other students.

2.) emphasize theoretically-based skills and strategies associated with peer leadership within an academic support program.

IDS 105: Peer Educators Perspective—Rev. December 17, 2011 2

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will…

1.) employ valuable strategies for working with diverse mentee populations. 2.) develop effective group problem solving skills. 3.) assist mentees with implementing appropriate college learning/study techniques. 4.) utilize appropriate resources and agencies for referring mentees. 5.) create effective peer-led mentoring, tutoring, and supplemental instruction

sessions. 6.) synthesize active and collaborative learning techniques and critical thinking and

questioning into peer-led sessions. 7.) employ effective online peer assistance techniques. 8.) evaluate performance as a peer educator.

Course Outline

Week Topic Week One • Peer Educators on the College Campus—Suggested topics include

but are not limited to the history of peer education, role of college students serving as peer educators, principles of a helpful relationship, active process model of learning, and importance of role modeling.

Week Two • Student Maturation and the Impact of Peers—Suggested topics include but are not limited to the maturation process, including key terms and principles, common student crises, change and personal development in the college environment, environmental conditions on student development, and positive growth and development strategies.

Week Three • Enhancing Cultural Proficiency/Valuing Diversity—Suggested topics included but are not limited to cultural proficiency discrimination, stereotyping, prejudices, majority privilege and impact on cultural proficiency, and individual and institutional discriminations.

Week Four • Interpersonal Communication Skills: Creating the Helping Interaction—Suggested topics include but are not limited to differences between ordinary, daily conversation and specials qualities of interpersonal communication, core conditions of helping, physical and psychological attending, listening and responding skills that encourage.

Week Five • Problem Solving w/ Individuals—Suggested topics include but are not limited to characteristics of successful goals, behavioral objectives to goals setting and problem solving, and formulate action plans which include monitor progress and achieving goals.

Week Six • Understanding the Group Process—Suggested topics include but are not limited to group environments, commitment levels, promoting involvement commitment, cooperation, and action to achieve personal

IDS 105: Peer Educators Perspective—Rev. December 17, 2011 3

and collective outcomes. Week Seven • Leading Groups Effectively & Community Engagement—

Suggested topics include but are not limited to personal qualities and competencies for leading group activities, most effective leadership styles in certain situations, theories of leadership, leader planning process from initiation to evaluation.

Week Eight • Strategies for Academic Success—Suggested topics include but are not limited to influences of learning, internal motivation and self-awareness, active and passive learning differences, assessment interviews, learning plans, self-regulation, personality style, prioritizing, balanced lifestyle, and self-efficacy.

Week Nine • Using Campus Resources and Referral Techniques—Suggested topics include but are not limited to pre and post follow-up and support techniques.

Week Ten • Promoting Active Learning—Suggested topics include but are not limited to active learning methods, active learning exercises, support research, and planning active learning sessions.

Week Eleven • Incorporating Critical Thinking and Questioning Skills—Suggested topics include but are not limited to etymology, skills, principles and dispositions, critical thinking exercises, and critical thinking sessions.

Week Twelve

• Assessing Students’ Learning—Suggested topics include but are not limited to formal and informal assessment, assessment strategies, assessment tools and instruments and CATS, and designing informal assessments to gage student learning in sessions.

Week Thirteen

• Collaborative Learning—Suggested topics include but are not limited to examples of collaborative learning, collaborative scripts, and creating learning exercises.

Week Fourteen

• Tutoring as a Proactive Process—Suggested topics include but are not limited to tutoring cycle, active listening, and verbal communication.

Week Fifthteen

• Ethics and Strategies for Good Practice—Suggested topics respect, privacy, and confidentiality in peer assistance work and appropriate conduct to specific helping responsibilities.

Week Sixteen

• Examples of Peer Education Programs in Higher Education—Suggested topics include but are not limited to programmatic and organizational peer education strategies, peer education training strategies, and real-world benefits.