sally rogan - uow - case study: utilising pass (peer assisted study sessions) to engage and retain...
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Utilising PASS to Engage & Retain your Students
Sally Rogan Director of Peer Learning and The National Centre for PASS
University of Wollongong, Australia
University of Wollongong, Australia
• 30,516 students • Ranked in the top
2% of universities in the world
• Globally ranked (33) as one of the world's best modern universities (THE 100 under 50)
• 5 star ratings • Top 100 in the world
for global graduates
Peer Learning • Understood internationally as:
“The use of teaching and learning strategies in which students learn with and from each other without the immediate intervention of a teacher”(Boud et al. 1999)
Although various forms of structured peer learning have existed for decades within the education sector (Hilsdon 2013), the implementation of peer learning as a highly impactful support service to enhance student learning has grown dramatically (Topping 2007).
Defining Peer Educators
“Students who have been selected and trained to offer educational services to their peers. These services are intentionally designed to assist in the adjustment, satisfaction, and persistence of students toward attainment of their educational goals. Students performing in [these] paraprofessional roles are usually compensated in some manner for their services and are supervised by qualified professionals.”
(Newton & Ender, 2010, p. 6)
Characteristics of a HIP: • Creates an investment of time and energy • Includes interaction with faculty and peers about
substantive matters • Real-world applications • High expectations • Includes frequent feedback • Exposure to diverse perspectives • Demands reflection and integrated learning • Accountability (Kuh & O'Donnell 2013)
Peer Educators as a High Impact Practice
The Peer Learning Unit at UOW supports a number of peer-based initiatives as high impact practices: • Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) –
Flagship FYE & transition program • Peer Academic Coaches (Learning Co-op) • ResPASS • Global Communicators Program
Peer Educators as a High Impact Practice
Peer Assisted Study Sessions
What is PASS? • Super group learning! Voluntary sessions
facilitated by Peer Leaders – high achieving senior students
• Aims to help students master subject content while gaining discipline specific study skills
• Attached to challenging subjects or used in some disciplines to promote development of learning communities
• Avoids remedial stigma by targeting subjects rather than students
• Based on Supplemental Instruction
Benefits of PASS for Students
• Enhancement of independent learning skills • Deeper understanding of key subject content • Non-threatening learning environment • Student-driven session • Mainstream support embedded into the FYE • Improvement in grades & engagement with
subject material • Improved transition into university life
Benefits for PASS Leaders
• Enhances leadership, communication & teamwork skills
• Adds significant value to resume • Greater sense of community and campus
integration • Engagement with faculty and staff • In 2014, 100% of PASS Leaders agreed that
PASS had assisted in developing their personal and professional skills
PASS Leader Lifecycle
PASS Participant
PASS Leader
PASS Senior Mentor
PASS Leader
Peer Educators facilitate PASS for students and model best practice for incoming recruits
Participants are recruited as leaders
Peer Educators are promoted to senior mentors
Mentors support and develop new leaders
Institutional Benefits • Improving retention & reducing failure rates in
targeted subjects • Enhancing the student experience &
satisfaction • Assisting transition at multiple entry points • Development of transferable study skills &
independent learning • Provides seamless integration of academic &
social support for both international & domestic students
Some key success factors
• High level “champion” or support
• Teaching staff willing to support program & encourage their students to attend
• Accredited Co-ordinator or Manager if using central coordination
• Funding or other reward system for Leaders
• Effective marketing to maximise attendance!
Evaluation of PASS PASS has experienced extensive evaluation through: • Research on PASS/SI • Quantitative data:
• Retention benefits • Improvements in grades
• Qualitative feedback: • Staff • Students • Leaders
PASS Research • Students who attend SI/PASS succeed &
graduate at a higher rate and fail & withdraw less even when demographic differences, ethnicity & prior academic achievement are accounted for (USA Dept of Ed. 1995)
• On the Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction. A Systematic Review of SI and PASS Literature Between 2001 and 2010, Dawson et al, 2014, Review of Educational Research
Everyone Benefits
50
55
60
65
70
75
low (0 to 69) mid (70 to 84) high (85+)
Average sub
ject m
ark
Australian Ter4ary Admissions Rank Group
Average student mark by ATAR rank and PASS par4cipa4on, 2003 to 2013 (no unique student = 31864)
Non-‐ParEcipant (5< aIend) ParEcipant (5+ aIend)
This chart shows the percentage of PC, PR and F final subject grades for regular PASS parFcipants (aHended 5+ Fmes) and non-‐PASS parFcipants (0 aHendances).
UOW Data: 2003-‐ 2013, n=73299 parFcipants (HumaniFes data collected from 2007 – 2013)
Percentage of Participants Receiving a PC, PR or F
Retention Benefits
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
Business Engineering and InformaEon Sciences
Law, HumaniEes and the Arts
Science, Medicine and
Health
Social Sciences
Student Reten4on Non-‐ParEcipants
Regular ParEcipants
This chart illustrates the retenFon rates of regular PASS parFcipants (aHended 5+ Fmes) and non-‐PASS parFcipants (0 aHendances).
UOW Data: 2003-‐ 2013, n=67219 parFcipants (HumaniFes data collected from 2007 – 2013)
Participant Feedback What I like most about PASS…
“Challenged to think rather than just being spoon fed”
“The hours of study that I don’t have to do at home”
“Opportunity for everyone to contribute”
“No pressure collaboration”
“The best thing if you want good marks”
Participant Feedback
Results from the UOW PASS Participant Survey indicate that students receive multiple benefits by attending:*
• 98% agreed PASS had improved their understanding of the subject content
• 94% agreed PASS assisted them when preparing for exams • 93% agreed PASS had been an enjoyable learning experience • 91% agreed PASS helped them to work collaboratively and
productively • 86% agreed PASS encouraged them to take responsibility of their
own learning * 2675 students responded to survey, data collected in 2013
Growth of PASS@UOW
• Commenced at UOW in 2002 • Periods of expansion then consolidation • Since 2007, supports students in all Faculties • 100 PASS Leaders on team • Over 40,000 contact hours delivered in 2014 • Over 4,000 unique students engage in PASS
each year at UOW
Growth of PASS@UOW
Growth of PASS in Australasia • Since 2005 UOW has been The National
Centre for PASS for the Australasia region • Trained PASS staff for 37 of the 39 Australian
universities • Over 500 accredited trained staff from some
70 institutions across Australia, NZ, Fiji, Malaysia, HK, Singapore and PR of China – very engaged community of practice
Australasian PASS and Peer Learning Conference
Exploring Excellence and Innovation in PASS and Peer Learning
29th – 30th September 2015, Melbourne
www.uow.edu.au/student/services/pass/conference
Reference List Boud, D., Cohen, R. and Sampson, J. 1999 ‘Peer Learning and Assessment’, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, volume 42, issue 4, pp.413-426
Hilsdon, J. 2014 ‘Peer Learning for Change in Higher Education’, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, volume 51, issue 3, pp.244-254
Topping, K.J. 2005 ‘Trends in Peer Learning’, Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experiment Education Psychology, volume 25, issue 6, pp. 631-645
US Department of Education (1995) ‘Supplemental instruction (SI): Improving student performance and reducing attrition’ in G. Lang (Ed.) Educational programs that work (21st ed., pg14.4) Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
QuesFons or Comments?
Contact: Sally Rogan E: [email protected] W: www.uow.edu.au/student/services/pass/centre