FYE Conference, San Diego
February 15 – 18, 2014
Best Practice Essentials in Peer
Led Learning Programs
Sally Rogan,
University of Wollongong
&
Catherine Unite,
University of Texas Arlington
University of Wollongong,
Australia
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30,516 students
Ranked in the Top
2% of universities in
the world
Globally ranked as
one of Australia's
best modern
universities
5 Star Rating
Top 100 in the world
for global graduates
University of Texas at Arlington
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Situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex
4 year, public institution founded
in 1895
33,311 students (Fall 2013)
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25,678 undergraduate
7,633 graduate
Ranked #7 by the Chronicle of
Higher Ed nation’s fastest
growing public research
institutions
US News and World Report
ranks UT Arlington as the 5th
most diverse university in the
nation
Peer led programs at a glance
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PASS @ UOW
Peer Assisted Study
Sessions (PASS)
commenced at UOW in
2002
Most awarded peer
learning program in the
world!
Mainstream and voluntary
4 FT PASS staff members
Over 100 PASS Leaders
Flagship FYE Program
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UTA
Housed within Academic
Affairs
Division - Academic
Programs and Curriculum
1 FT Coordinator – SI and
Tutoring
2 FT Learning Specialists
100 peer educators
Situated in UTSI within
University College Learning
Center
Transferable elements
Other Peer Led Programs
At UTA:
At UOW:
• Global
Communicators
Program
• UOW Wellbeing
Start Strong
Spanish Lab
Athletics Lab
Library Tutor
Center
ARC
Supplemental
Instruction
Online SI
E-Tutoring
TRiO
Student
Support
Services
Outline for the Workshop
Best practice within:
– Marketing
– Recruitment of Leaders
– Training and Supervision of Leaders
– Evaluation and Reporting
Best Practice: Marketing
“Thinking Outside the Box”
Best practice: Marketing
A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013
PASS@UOW:
• Has traditionally had high attendance / awareness:
• Staying Connected survey for FY students recorded
PASS@UOW had the highest awareness & usage for
services / support on campus (2011-2013)
• 29,000 contact hours in 2012
• But we thought we could do better!! Conducted a
comprehensive marketing review in 2013
• As a result:
• Level of participation – 35,000 contact hours in 2013
• Contact hours for Semester One 2013 increased by 25%
Best Practice: Marketing
A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013
Best practice marketing includes:
1. Establishing a strategic marketing plan:
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Conduct a marketing review/audit of all activities
Outline clear outcomes and objectives/KPIs
Analyse the timing, target audience, costs/benefit and key
message of each marketing activity
Measure all outcomes/KPIs where possible
2. Weekly monitoring of attendance
3. Incorporate Leader involvement in marketing:
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Ongoing collaboration/communication between staff and
Leaders
Can provide incentives for Leaders
Example of a marketing strategy snapshot
Example of a
marketing
matrix.
Used to
complement the
marketing plan
and to identify
the ideal time to
implement a
marketing
activity
Best Practice: Marketing
A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013
Examples of successful marketing activities:
• Incentives to encourage regular attendance to maximise
benefits:
• 10 + times competition for participants
• Additional Exam Prep Study Sessions (7+ times)
• Leader buy in via attendance competition
Direct communication to encourage engagement:
• All to be timely and targeted
• Sending ‘no show’ emails in week 3
• Discreet individual ‘at risk’ emails in second
semester
Best Practice: Marketing
A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013
Examples of awareness building marketing activities:
Best Practice: Marketing
A case study – PASS@UOW, 2013
…2013 end of year marketing review:
• Identified gaps for improvement to further increase
attendance for 2014
Best Practice: Marketing
Most successful marketing practices
at UT Arlington
• Referrals:
• Faculty & current peer educators (prizes for
most referred)
• Students who have utilized SI
• Innovative displays:
• Sandwich boards (outside UCOL/UTSI
building)
• Display case (central locations – student
center)
• Chalk writing on pavement
Best Practice: Marketing
Most successful marketing practices
at UT Arlington
• Information sharing:
• Creative peer educator presentations in class
& online
• Blackboard announcements
• Information tables (orientation, events,
library, res, etc.)
• Campus newspaper and radio
• Customized e-mails
Examples of Marketing Activities
In groups discuss:
• Whether you have a strategic
marketing plan?
• Your most effective marketing
activity.
Timer
Best Practice: Recruitment
A case study – UT Arlington
UTSI SPECIFIC Post peer educator positions online
Check Qualifications/Recommendations
Screen applicants
Interview schedules
Select interviewers & venues
Targeted interviews
Submit CBC’s to HR
Compile short list & referrals for SSS
Notify successful applicants
SSS SPECIFIC Post peer educator positions online
Check Qualifications
Screen applicants
Interview schedules
Select Interviewers & venues
Targeted interviews
Submit CBC’s to HR
Compile short list & referrals for UTSI
Notify successful applicants
RECRUITMENT COLLABORATION
Marketing = Strengthen Outreach & Build Pool
Peer Educator Qualifications = Ensure Quality
Applicants
Standardized Interview Questions = Consistency
Selection Panel = Sharing of Peer Educator Lists &
Referrals
Best Practice: Recruitment
A case study – UT Arlington
Application Guidelines:
• Only online applications are accepted through the
UCLC website
• Applicants complete:
• University SNAP Job Application
• UTSI Application (preference of peer educator position must
be indicated)
• Professors complete:
• Professor Reference/Online Recommendation Form (upon
applicant’s request – information card)
• All completed application packets are screened, and
qualified individuals are contacted for interviews.
Best Practice: Recruitment
Applicant Checklist
 A current student at institution
 Completed at least one semester at institution
 Completed course (preferably the course with the
current professor)
 High performing student (studied at UT Arlington, an
overall GPA of 3.0 and an A or B in the respective
course is required)
 Fluent in English with demonstrated exceptional
communication skills
 Available to attend program-specific required training
Best Practice: Training & Supervision
A case study – UT Arlington
Three tiered approach:
1. Pre-online training
2. Peer Educational Conference (2 days)
• Co-facilitation with departments & mentors
3. Ongoing training
• Mentorship of session plans
• Bi-weekly seminars presented by mentors
• Observations & Peer Observations
• Online Portfolios
• Mentor Training & Virtual Meetings
Best Practice: Training & Supervision
A case study – UT Arlington
Pre-online training:
• Repository of online modules and
resources
• Mass e-mailing
• Announcements
• Discussion board
• Introduction of Blackboard Collaborate
platform – online session
Peer Educator
Conference
Example: Day One
Best Practice: Training & Supervision
A case study – UT Arlington
Three documents:
• Observation Form (Observer completes)
• Observation Code (Information on how to complete
obs.)
• Feedback Review (Improvement plan)
Observation Form - 7 Sections:
• Beginning of the session
• Frequency count of behaviors during the session
• Checklist of strategies used
• Session interaction diagram
• End of the session
• After the session summary
• Additional comments
UOW Resource
Best Practice: Training & Supervision
PASS @ UOW Professional
Development Model
Leaders facilitate
PASS for
students
PASS
Participant
PASS Leader
Mentors support
and develop new
leaders
Participants are
recruited as leaders
PASS Leader
PASS Senior
Mentor
Leaders are
promoted to senior
mentors
Best Practice: Evaluation and Reporting
Checklist
Strong data collection:
 Strong attendance record keeping process
 UOW example – PASS Information Management
System (PIMS)
 UOW example - Performance Cube
Evaluation of:
 Leader performance via mentoring
 Level of student engagement via surveys/ regular
attendance and retention
 Performance of students via analysis of grades
 Contact hours
Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting
Checklist
 End of semester reports provided to:
 Faculty
 Other key stakeholders
 Leaders
 Continuous review and improvement of processes and
procedures
 Ongoing research:
 Example - Journal of Peer Learning
 UOW current research – Randomised
Encouragement Design
Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting
Analysis of data – UOW examples
Average Final Marks – FY Accounting, S1, 2013
n=541
Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting
Number of participants
Analysis of data – UOW examples
Year
Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting
Final Mark
Retention Rate
Analysis of data – UOW examples
Schools
n= 59,027
Schools
n= 58,891
*This chart illustrates the retention rates of regular
PASS participants (those that attended 5+ times for a
single subject) vs non-PASS participants (0 attendances).
Best Practice: Evaluations and Reporting
UT Arlington
SPRING 2013
SECTIONS
SUPPORTED
56
STUDENTS
SERVED
2,043
TOTAL CONTACT
HOURS
10,719
―Fall 2012 over 11,400 contact hours
―82% first-time, full-time freshmen returned in Fall 2012
Surveys
─ Mid/End of semester Student Surveys: Spring 2013
─ 93% agreed/slightly agreed that the SI sessions were helpful, while 91.4%
agreed/slightly agreed they would recommend SI to other students.
─ Faculty Surveys: Spring 2013
─ 94% indicated that they would like SI to continue in their
respective course.
Critical Reflections
• Streamlining practices – “doing more with
less”
• Capacity building – peer leadership
• Sustainability – systemic, “no single shot
interventions … in the water supply”
• Learning Communities – integrated support
• Quality driven – “pruning the rose bush”
• Accessibility and availability – geographic
location “go to the students”
• Students as partners in change process
(PASS Model - University of Manchester)
Questions or Comments.
Thank you for attending!
Contact Information
Sally Rogan:
Director Peer Learning and The National Centre for
PASS, UOW
E: [email protected]
P: +61 2 4221 5588
Catherine Unite:
Director - University College Learning Center, UTA
E: [email protected]
P: 817-272-2617