Peer Learning & Support Leaders' Activities Toolkit by Edinburgh University Students' Association

CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION

ICE-BREAKERS

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

22 WRITING SKILLS 28 PROBLEM SOLVING 34 INTERROGATING INFORMATION 38 COMPUTER SKILLS 42 ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE 46 RESEARCH SKILLS 50 EVENT MANAGEMENT 60 FEEDBACK 64 IMPROVISATION 68 EXAM PREPARATION 74 ONE-TO-ONE ACTIVITIES 76 BLANK TEMPLATES

INTRODUCTION We love hearing about all the different creative ways you’re approaching material in the PAL and Peer Support schemes, so we decided to create this toolkit to help you share ideas with each other and find even more exciting sessions to run with your groups! The toolkit is divided into thirteen sections, centred around the core skills students need to cultivate at university, and many of the activities are those used by current and past Student Leaders in running their schemes. For example, Group Close Reading and the Essay Writing Recipe are favourites with LitPALS, and PIRPALS love to use mock debates in their sessions. We’ve also included some blank sheets at the back of the booklet for you to use when planning your sessions. If you would like more you can find them on your Peer Support LEARN page! Thanks to all of you who shared your session ideas. Enjoy planning! Peer Learning & Support Team Edinburgh University Students’ Association

ICE-BREAKERS

ICE-BREAKERS Ice-breakers are essential at the start of your session, especially if you’re leading a new group of students or if a new student has joined your group. It’s important that students feel comfortable with one another, and with you, before they begin approaching difficult academic problems. Here are some great activities which will help you to break that ice and get the discussion flowing!

NETWORKING BINGO This activity is a great way to create a comfortable and relaxed learning environment at the start of your session. Before the session you should prepare bingo sheets with around six or seven generic questions or tasks which will help your students get to know one another, for example, ‘find someone who speaks two languages fluently’. The students will have to talk to their peers and ask them questions to fill out their sheet with their names. The only rule is, no repeating names! They cannot put the same name down for more than one question. The first student to fill out their sheet should shout “Bingo!”. You should then check that their answers are all accurate.

ICE-BREAKERS

CLAPSTORM

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

CORNERS AND MINGLING

Going around the circle, ask each student to share one aspect of their course they are confident approaching and a part of their studies which they find more difficult. This can be a really great way to help students to share their knowledge; for example, you can then pair up the students confident in certain areas with those who are less sure of themselves when running your activities. It also provides students with a space to verbalise their worries while reinforcing confidence in their strengths, and can be a fantastic way to set the agenda for your session!

Corners and Mingling is an excellent way to wake up your students and get them moving around the room. It’s very simple: shout out questions like “cats or dogs?” or “chocolate or crisps?” and ask the students to move into different corners of the room in accordance with their answers.

A TRUTH AND A LIE

SHARED INTERESTS

This activity is truly as simple as it seems! You should ask each student to come up with a truth and a lie about themselves. Then, going around in a circle, each student should tell the group their truth and lie, and the rest of the group should decide which is which. The student should then reveal which statement was true, and which was the lie. This can then be used when testing “truths” or answers to a subject.

This ice-breaker is a great way to help your students to get to know each other. You should divide your group into equal subgroups and ask them to come up with six things they have in common, other than the fact that they are studying the same course. The first team to come up with six win the game! You should then ask them to share with the rest of the group their six common traits or interests.

MARSHMALLOW TOWER

The students and leaders should stand up in a circle. The leaders should start the clap and inform the students of the session’s topic and each individual should take turns clapping and facing the person to their right. As they clap, each person should shout out a word which they associate with the topic. Once a rhythm has been established, the facilitator can say “NOW” which means the claps and words can be aimed at anyone in the circle and therefore everyone has to pay attention to the activity and the words.

After doing this for a while, you can mix things up a little: simply shout out a topic, and ask students to mingle and find others who share their view on the subject. This is great for debates in humanities subjects.

There’s nothing like a little competition to get people bonding! For this activity, you should challenge your students to work in teams to build a tower using marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti. You will also need scissors and cellotape for this task. The team which builds the highest tower wins!

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS These activities are designed to help students to cultivate the necessary knowledge and understanding skills required for their course. Using these activities, you can help your students to break down, contextualise, and remember key concepts and vocabulary terms. They are highly flexible and can be applied across a broad range of disciplines, from the sciences to the humanities and expressive arts. They are all fun and aim to get students learning interactively, outside of the library!

APPLYING BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

ARTICULATE

BRAINSTORM

BUILDING TIMELINES

COMPILING TIPS

CUPCAKE MANIA

ELEVATOR PITCH

IDENTIFY THE ‘BIG IDEA’

INCOMPLETE OUTLINE

JEOPARDY

K.W.L.

LEARNING CELLS

MEMORY

MEMORY CARDS

MOCK DEBATE

OUTLINE TEXT CHAPTER

PICTIONARY

POP QUIZ

RECIPROCAL QUESTIONING

RELAY RACE

SUMMARISE THE LECTURE

THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

APPLYING BLOOM’S TAXONOMY Aim: Bloom’s Taxonomy is an invaluable resource to consider when you are guiding students’ learning. This activity uses it as a template, helping students to evaluate their own learning process. Group size: 1+ Time: 20-25 minutes Resources: Individual cards labelled with the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, create), pens, and paper Preparation: With your co-leader, prepare a few sets of your cards

Method: 1. If you have a large group, divide your students into smaller subgroups. 2. Hand out your cards, and ask the groups to order them in what they regard as the stages of the learning process from beginning to end. Give up to five minutes for this. 3. Show the students Bloom’s Taxonomy, and explain the rationale behind it (as detailed in your training booklets). Ask the students to reconsider their ordering of the learning process in light of the taxonomy, and either change or validate their versions. Allow five minutes for this. 4. Bringing the students back into a group as a whole, ask them to explain the rationale behind their processes. 5. Divide the students into their groups again, and ask them to consider the different questions or tasks which can be categorised in the different levels of the taxonomy in relation to the session topic. Give five to seven minutes for this. 6. Bring the groups back together, and ask them to share their ideas.

Variations: This activity is an excellent way of helping students to consider the different ways in which they develop knowledge throughout the term. It can also be applied well in exam preparation sessions. You could take it further by asking the groups to devise their questions in step five as a quiz to be put to the other groups in the room.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

ARTICULATE

BRAINSTORM

Aim: Articulate is a fun way to help students memorise key concepts, and explain them in a concise and cogent manner.

Aim: Brainstorming is an excellent way to aid students in breaking down complex concepts.

Group size: 4+ Time: 20+ minutes Resources: Concept cards Preparation: Use the concept cards you created for the Memory Cards activity

Method: 1. Divide your group into at least two teams. 2. One member of each team must take turns selecting a card and describing the concept to their team. Their team will have one minute to come up with the answer. 3. Remember to keep a scoreboard! The team with the highest number of concepts recognised win.

Variations: You can change this activity by asking the students to read the term to their team, and wait until they have had a fully satisfactory definition.

Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Flipchart paper and pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Select a topic, perhaps a topic raised by attending students. Ask the students to write it at the centre of the paper. 2. Ask the students to pool their ideas in building branches around the topic. With a little colour coding, they can also consider the different ways in which the branches are connected. 3. Remember to select one student from the group to scribe. Be careful with your selection; it can sometimes be helpful to pick a slightly overbearing student in order to give others space to talk, or to pick a quiet student who needs more encouragement to get involved. 4. If things go quiet, remember to ask the right questions to keep the discussion going.

Variations: This activity can be used at the start of a session to gather knowledge on a particularly difficult concept or lecture, but it can also be an excellent way of summarising the information covered during your session, and checking for understanding. It can also be used to break down essay or exam questions.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

BUILDING TIMELINES Aim: This activity aims to support students in developing a solid understanding of the processes/ events surrounding specific concepts. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Dividing students into equal groups, hand out pens and paper. 2. Ask the students to map out a timeline of the key events/ processes surrounding the topic at hand. 3. Once they have completed their timelines, select one student to be scribe and ask each group to share their ideas in creating a larger timeline, and explain their conception of the process in doing so.

Variations: This activity can be used for many subjects across the humanities and sciences, including historical topics, scientific processes and political developments, to name a few.

COMPILING TIPS Aim: This activity aims to pool the group’s knowledge to create a list of ‘top tips’ on any given subject. Group size: 2+ Time: 15+ minutes Resources: Flipchart paper/ whiteboard, pens, past papers, course handbook, assignment feedback and any other materials offering advice for the course Preparation: Prepare the selection of documents offering advice for the course detailed above, and remember to remind your students to bring their assignment feedback!

Method: 1. If you have a large group, divide the students into equal subgroups. 2. Divide your flipchart paper/whiteboard into two columns titled ‘things to do’ and ‘things to avoid’. Ask each group to consider their assignment feedback alongside your selection of past papers and the course handbook, and work together to fill in the columns. Give around seven to ten minutes for this. 3. Bring the students back together and ask each subgroup to share their results.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

CUPCAKE MANIA Aim: This activity is a great way to get students to explain and make connections between discrete concepts. Group size: 4+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Cupcakes Preparation Bake some cupcakes, and ice them with key topics/ vocabulary terms

Method: 1. Place the cupcakes at the centre of the table. 2. Going around the table, ask each student to select a cupcake and explain the correct meaning of the term. 3. Whenever a student correctly defines a term, they get to eat the cupcake! Variations: This activity can be a great way to break the ice at the beginning of the session, or to reward the students for their hard work at the end of a session. You do not necessarily need to use cupcakes! You can label any foodstuffs, from healthy snacks to sweeties.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

ELEVATOR PITCH Aim: This activity is an excellent way to help your students summarise and retain information. Group size: 2+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Ensure that your students bring along their lecture notes. Preparation: None

Method: 1. Give your students five minutes to read their lecture notes individually, highlighting the key concepts and themes. 2. Once they have done this, give them a further three minutes to prepare a one minute summary of the topic. Ask them to imagine that they have one minute in an elevator to explain the subject to a friend. 3. Ask the students to pair up, and designate a student A and student B. 4. Ask each student A to deliver their one minute pitch, ensuring that you time them. 5. Switch over, and ask student B to deliver their pitch. 6. Ask the group as a whole who found the student A summaries useful. Ask them to explain why, and reflect upon which material needed correction or refining. 7. Repeat for student B.

Variations: This activity can be used for knowledge retention, but also for tasks like essay planning. For example, you could ask each student to come up with a pitch based on their answer to an essay question. (Be careful to ensure that any questions you use are not used for their coursework!) The students can thus practice devising arguments, and explaining them persuasively.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

IDENTIFY THE ‘BIG IDEA’ Aim: This activity can help to consolidate students’ understanding and ability to analyse and prioritise information. Group size: 2+

Method: 1. Select a scribe.

Time: 5+ minutes

2. Ask each student to share the most important concept they learned during a lecture with the group, while the scribe writes these concepts on the flipchart.

Resources: Flipchart, pens Preparation: None

3. Ask the students to select a new concept from the board to take home with them, and explain why they think it is so important.

Variations: This simple activity can be applied to close reading sources, articles, statistics, and several other different kinds of media. It can be used at the start of a session, as a means of setting the agenda or at the end of the session in order to return to and highlight the session’s learning objectives.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

INCOMPLETE OUTLINE Aim: Incomplete Outline helps students to consolidate and summarise their knowledge. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Create a set of incomplete lecture notes

Method: 1. Divide the students into equal groups. 2. Hand out pens and lecture notes. 3. Ask the students to work together to fill in the missing parts of the lecture notes. 4. Once the groups have finished go through the answers collectively, asking each group to explain and validate their answers. 5. Appoint a scribe to collect all of these answers, and record them for the group as a whole.

Variations: You could rework this exercise, giving the students a series of answers and asking them to come up with a lecture outline. This would require the students to think in terms of the bigger picture, and consider the ways in which they contextualise their information.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

JEOPARDY Aim: Jeopardy is a really fun way to check for knowledge retention at the end of a session. A little light competition can help to make the learning process more fun! Group size: 4+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Selection of answers, scoreboard Preparation: You should devise a set of answers before the session. Be aware that you will get through the material quickly, and prepare around 30-40 of these

Method: 1. Divide the group into smaller teams. It does not matter how many teams you create, but they should be of even numbers. 2. Ask each team to choose a buzzer sound. Each team should have a different buzzer, enabling you to distinguish between teams during the game. 3. Explain the rules of the game: the Student Leaders will read out the answers, and the teams will come up with the correct question. The team which buzzes first and answers correctly will gain a point. 4. Begin the game: one Student Leader should act as Quizmaster while the other mark up the scoreboard. 5. The team with the highest score at the end will win. Variations: This activity works best with larger groups, but can still be used with groups of four students (in teams of two). You can extend the game, and give your group a little more autonomy, by asking them to come up with the questions and answers. This would work according to the same principles: dividing the group into smaller teams, you can ask each team to come up with 10 sets of answers on a different topic or aspect of the session theme, and then allow each group 5 minutes to run their quiz, maintaining a scoreboard.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

K.W.L. Aim: ‘What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned’ is designed to help students come to terms with the information they already have on a given subject. Map out what they need to know, and track their learning through the PAL session. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Students may like to print out templates in advance of the session, but this is not necessary

Method: 1. Hand out pens and paper/templates. 2. Ask the students to separate their paper into three columns, and write the following as headings to each column (‘What I Know’, ‘What I Want to Know’, and ‘What I Learned’). 3. Ask the students to fill out the first two columns in accordance with the subject of the session. Allow five minutes for this. 4. Going around the circle, ask the students to share one item from each column. This will help you to organise the session around their concerns, and to redirect questions within the group to those who have stated that they are confident in certain areas. 5. At the end of the session ask students to return to their sheets and fill out the final column. 6. Remember to ask for feedback at the end, if there is anything that students still feel unsure of. This will help you to plan future sessions.

Variations: This format can be changed in many ways, simply by altering the headings. Here are a few examples: 1. For sessions on organisation, or events planning: ‘What I have done so far’, ’What I need to do’, ‘What I have completed’. 2. For testing knowledge retention: ‘What I know’, ‘What I need to learn’, and ‘What I can remember’. 3. For keeping track of research: ‘What I know’, ‘What I need to read up on’, ‘What I have researched’.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

LEARNING CELLS Aim: Learning Cells are a great way to get students to engage critically with course material. Group size: 2+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Ensure that students bring their lecture notes Preparation: None

Method: 1. Give the students five minutes to look through their lecture notes individually and devise a series of questions. 2. Ask the students to divide into pairs, and assign themselves as A and B. 3. Student A should ask Student B their first question. 4. After Student B gives their answer, Student A should offer any corrections, amendments or additional information. 5. They should swap roles, and continue the process until they have come to the end of the material.

Variations: Have no fear if an odd number of students turns up! You can alter this activity to fit a small group of three, asking the students around the circle to take turns asking questions.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

MEMORY Aim: This is a fantastic activity to use at the start of a session, to ascertain the areas in which students are confident, or at the end of a session, to test knowledge retention. Group size: 2+ Time: 5-10 minutes Resources: Selection of note cards Preparation: You should prepare a set of note cards: half of these should be labelled with vocabulary terms, and the other half should have the relevant definition

Method: 1. Shuffle the cards and place them face-down at the centre of the table. 2. Each student should take turns turning two cards over, to try and find a match. If they do not find a match, the cards should be turned face-down again. Thus, the students should try to remember which cards contain the various vocabulary terms and definitions, in order to match the cards. 3. When the students find a match, the pair of cards should be removed from the table. The student should explain the reasoning behind each match to the group as a whole. Variations This activity can work well with smaller groups as well as large groups. It is extremely flexible, and can be applied to historical events, scientific terminology, literary movements and terms, statistical analysis and many other areas of study.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

MEMORY CARDS Aim: This activity is designed to help students come to terms with and remember key course concepts. Group size: 2+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Concept cards Preparation: Prepare several packs of double-sided cards with vocabulary terms written on one side, and their definitions on the other

Method: 1. Split the group into pairs. 2. Ask each pair to assign a ‘Questioner’ and an ‘Answerer’. 3. Give the Questioner a pack of cards. 4. Ask each Questioner to read out the term on each card and ask their partner to describe it in full. 5. Halfway through their pack of cards, the students should swap roles.

Variations: This activity can be altered in many different ways. For example, the Questioners can read out the definitions, requiring the Answerers to give the term. You could even develop the game further throughout the term, and create a game of Trivial Pursuits based around your subject.

MOCK DEBATE Aim: This is a great way to get students to apply their knowledge, and to add a little bit of fun competition into your sessions! Group size: 4+ Time: 20-30 minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Select a topic for your debate

Method: 1. Divide your group into two equal teams, and assign one as pro and the other as anti. 2. Give each group ten to fifteen minutes to discuss the issue, and come up with their arguments. Remind them that they can use their lecture notes and any other materials they have with them. 3. Get the debate underway! 4. Ask the students to vote at the end. 5. Count the votes, and ask the students to explain the reasoning for their votes.

Variations: This activity is ideally suited to humanities subjects such as Politics, Sociology and Law. However, it can be applied to STEM subjects: for example, you can ask each team to argue in favour of different experimental processes.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

OUTLINE TEXT PICTIONARY CHAPTER Aim: Pictionary is a really fun way to help your students memorise key course concepts!

Aim: This is an excellent activity to help students read for, and prioritise, information. Group size: 2+ Time: 20 minutes Resources: Lecture notes or the course textbook Preparation: None

Method: 1. Divide your group into subgroups of two to four. 2. Ask the groups to work together in devising an outline based on the headings used in the textbook or lecture. Give five to seven minutes for this. 3. Then ask the students to re-read the chapter or lecture notes, and write the most central points down under these headings. Give another five to seven minutes for this. 4. Once the individual groups have finished this, pair up the groups and ask them to share their ideas, adding anything new into their notes. Allow five minutes for this. 5. Bring all the groups back together, and ask them to share their key points.

Group size: 4+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Flipchart/ whiteboard, pens Preparation: In advance of your session, you and your co-leader should prepare a set of notecards, with concepts on one side and definitions on the other. You could use the cards you prepared for the Articulate activity

Method: 1. Ideally you need at least four students for this game. Divide the students into two teams, or more if necessary. 2. Each team should take turns nominating a student to select a card and draw the concept on the flipchart/whiteboard, while their team guesses the term being described. Make sure that every student takes a turn to draw. 3. Use a timer to ensure that each team only gets one minute to guess the concept, and remember to keep a scoreboard! 4. Once you have run out of cards the team with the most points wins.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

POP QUIZ Aim: To support students in putting their knowledge into practice, and recognise areas which need further work. Group size: 1+ Time: 20+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Student Leaders should prepare questions in advance of the session, using past papers, lecture notes or advice from appropriate tutors

Method: 1. In the session, hand out pens and paper. 2. Hand out the question papers, and ask the students to go through them alone. 3. Once all of the students have completed their papers, come together as a group, and as a group answer each question, feeding back their methods. 4. At the end of the activity, ask students to share the areas in which they did well, and the areas which need further work. These areas for improvement may provide the topic for the next session, or for coming activities. Variations: Designed to highlight areas which need further work, this is an excellent mid-semester activity. However, it is also ideal for exam preparation sessions.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

RECIPROCAL QUESTIONING Aim: This activity is designed to help students develop stronger comprehension and critical skills. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Student Leaders should read around the subject the students will be covering and identify any areas of difficulty before the session. You should also prepare some questions on these topics in advance of the session. Remember to remind the students to bring their textbooks and/or lecture notes!

Method: 1. Ask them to read and review the material individually, giving a few minutes of reading time depending on its length. 2. Bringing the group together again, ask the questions you prepared in advance, being sure to give enough time for the students to develop answers. 3. Ask the students if they found any other parts of the material problematic, and if so, redirect these issues back to the group as a whole as questions. 4. Ask the group to predict the subject of the next lecture on the basis of this material. Be sure to take note of their predictions and keep them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they may be useful for future sessions. 5. To check and consolidate the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding, ask them to summarise the article/lecture, explaining their view on the topic and thought process in analysing it. 6. Finally, remind them that they can adapt this process to fit with their own reading. Variations: This study technique can be adapted to work for various materials, including lecture notes, statistics, articles, literature, historical sources, and timelines to name only a few! If you like, you can ask the students to select the material for review themselves, giving them a little more autonomy and scope to highlight material which they found challenging.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

RELAY RACE Aim: Relay Race is another great way of helping students to consolidate information and establish connections between topics. Group size: 1+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Question paper, pens Preparation: You and your co-leader should work together to prepare a question paper for this activity. The answer to each question should be a term the students need to add in to complete the following question; the questions should thus flow

Method: 1. You can divide your group into small subgroups, or ask them to work individually. 2. Hand out the question papers and explain the rules. Remind the students that they must answer the questions in order! 3. Once the students have completed their question papers, bring the group back together as a whole, and ask them to share their answers. Variations: You can mix this activity up by turning it into a game. Split your group into teams, and ask each team to hand their answers to the leaders as they complete them. The first team to finish wins!

SUMMARISE THE LECTURE Aim: This activity can be used to check studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; understanding of the course, and consolidate information. Group size: 2+ Time: 5-10 minutes Resources: Ask students to bring their lecture notes Preparation: Read over the lecture slides in advance, so that you have a good knowledge of the material

Method: 1. As a group, summarise the material from the lecture. If you have a large group of students, break them down into smaller subgroups. 2. Using your notes from the PowerPoint, guide the students through the material. If you and your co-leader are supporting several subgroups, move between them as a pair, asking the right questions to spark autonomous conversations. 3. Remember when asking questions to leave enough wait time for students to refer back to their notes and devise their answers.

Variations: You could alter this activity by asking students to summarise the lecture without their notes. You could also apply this activity to a wide range of materials, including articles, books, sources, and statistics.

KNOWLEDGE & VOCABULARY TESTS

THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS Aim: This activity is a fun and challenging way to help your students develop their understanding through different perspectives. Group size: 2+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: None Preparation: None

Method: 1. If you have a large group, divide it into smaller subgroups. 2. Give your students two minutes to come up with a ‘stupid question’ connected to the subject of the session. For example, ‘Does the novel Middlemarch feature an alien invasion?’ 3. Go around the circle and ask each student to put their question to the group. The group must then try to validate the most outlandish answer. Using the example above, this would be yes, and the students would have to consider the ways in which they can read an alien invasion into the nineteenth century novel. For example, they may highlight the entrance of the stranger, or the stigmatisation of the ‘other’.

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Aim: This activity is a great way to help students group terms and vocabulary in meaningful ways. Group size: 1+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Several sets of key terms Preparation: Along with your co-leader, you should select the key terms

Method: 1. If you have a group of more than four, divide them into smaller subgroups. 2. Hand out your packs of key terms. 3. Ask each group to arrange them into meaningful categories. 4. Ask each subgroup to feedback to the main group as a whole, explaining the rationale behind their categorisation.

Variations: This activity can be applied to many subjects. If you would like to get your students thinking outside the box, you could give them their key terms already in pre-arranged categories, and ask them to consider different ways of grouping/connecting them.

WRITING SKILLS

WRITING SKILLS Students across all disciplines are required to hand in written assignments at university, whether these be essays, dissertations, lab reports, or exams, and essay writing sessions are often the most popular with the student body. These activities will help to make your writing sessions fun and educational. They have been collated to deal with the varied aspects of the essay writing process, from planning to writing and editing.

BUILDING AN ARGUMENT

GRAB BAG

NEGOTIATING THE EVIDENCE

ONE MINUTE PAPER

PLAYING THE MARKER

THE ESSAY WRITING RECIPE

VERBAL VOLLEYBALL

WRITING SKILLS

BUILDING AN ARGUMENT Aim: This activity is an excellent way to get students reflecting on the different ways in which they can build and develop arguments in essays. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: Note cards Preparation: You should prepare several sets of note cards containing examples of the different kinds of statements you would use in an essay (e.g. topic sentence, quote, paraphrase, critical summary, close analysis, and conclusion)

Method: 1. Depending on the size of your group, divide into subgroups and ask them to define the different statements, and reflect upon the different roles which they play in an essay, the various ways in which they develop an argument. 2. Ask each subgroup to feedback to the group as a whole, explaining the rationale behind their thoughts. Variations You could take this activity a step further by asking the students to place the statements in the order which they would expect them to appear in an essay, and asking them to reflect upon their reasoning.

WRITING SKILLS

GRAB BAG Aim: This activity is a great way to help students practice their referencing skills. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: A large bag, a selection of sources (e.g. books, journal articles, magazines, DVDs, etc.), flipchart/ whiteboard, course handbook Preparation: Other than gathering the materials, this task needs very little preparation. You may, however, also feel it is useful to bring along copies of your departmental citation guidance/ handbook

Method: 1. Going around the table, ask each student to take turns selecting one of the sources from the bag, and writing out the correct bibliographical citation on the flipchart/whiteboard. 2. Students need not be required to come up with the correct citations alone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this may be too challenging and intimidating. Instead, the group should be asked to help and offer guidance based on the referencing instructions in the course handbook. Variations: Like Verbal Volleyball, this activity can be adapted to address knowledge and vocabulary information simply by changing the objects in the bag into objects connected to your course, or concept cards.

NEGOTIATING THE EVIDENCE Aim: This activity is designed to get students thinking outside the box in selecting their primary and secondary evidence for essays. Group size: 4+

Method: 1. Divide your group into subgroups.

Time: 20 minutes

2. Give each subgroup a source to read, and ask them to discuss and make notes on the different ways in which they could use this source.

Resources: Selection of secondary sources Preparation: You should carefully select a broad range of sources related to your topic, such as theory, criticism, historical evidence, statistics, scientific findings etc

3. After six minutes, ask each group to swap their source with another group, and repeat the process. 4. Bringing the group back together as a whole, go through each source, asking the students to feedback the different ways in which they would engage with the material. 5. Ask the students to reflect on the ways in which they can engage with a broad range of material. Variations: This activity is ideal for subjects in the humanities, in which students are often required to consider a broad range of materials, from historical artefacts to political theory and literary productions. It can, however, also be applied to STEM subjects, in which students similarly have to juggle a broad range of materials.

WRITING SKILLS

ONE MINUTE PLAYING THE PAPER MARKER Aim: One Minute Paper is another great way to help students break down the essay writing process, consolidate their knowledge, and work out which concepts they need to read up on!

Aim: Playing the Marker is an excellent way to cultivate studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; critical reading skills, and to highlight the many varied and useful essay writing styles out there!

Group size: 1+

Group size: 2+

Time: 5-10 minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Decide on a topic with your co-leader

Method: 1. Ask the students to write a paper on a given topic. 2. Emphasise that they only have one minute to write their paper, and that the main point of the exercise is to get them putting ideas down on paper. 3. Ask the students to explain their papers to the group.

Variations: You can use this activity at the beginning of a session, to establish the key concepts which you will need to cover and set the agenda, or you can use it at the end to check your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; understanding of the topics addressed.

Time: 20+ minutes Resources: A selection of short critical sources, pens, paper, and post-its Preparation: In advance of the session you and your co-leader should prepare a selection of short critical sources, such as newspaper articles, essays, books, and blog posts

Method: 1. If you have a group of more than three, divide them into equal subgroups. 2. Give a selection of sources to each subgroup and ask them to consider aspects of its composition such as writing style, use of quotation or paraphrase, introduction of statistical material, introduction, conclusion, and any other aspects of the source which they think are significant. They can use the pens and paper, or post-its to make notes. Give around five minutes for each source. 3. Then ask the students to compare the sources, and rank them in accordance with which they believe to be most effective or applicable to their own work. Give another five to seven minutes for this. 4. Bring the groups back together, and go through each source, asking the students to explain their analysis and the rationale behind their ranking.

WRITING SKILLS

THE ESSAY WRITING RECIPE Aim: This activity helps students devise a clear approach to the essay writing process, from research and planning to drafting and editing. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 -15 minutes Resources: Cut outs detailing the various stages of essay writing. In case a large number of students turn up, bring a few packs of these Preparation: You will need to prepare cut outs with the various stages of essay writing. Work with your fellow Student Leader to devise these, and use your own experiences to come up with as many as possible

Method: 1. If you have a large group, divide them into sub-groups. 2. Give each sub-group a pack of your handouts, and ask them to work together to put the different stages in the order they think best. 3. When all of the groups have completed this (depending on size, it should take around 5-10 minutes), bring them back together. 4. Ask each group to explain the rationale behind their processes. Remember to ask them if everyone agreed, and on what points (if any) there was disagreement. 5. Highlight that there is no correct answer, that this activity illuminates the various ways in which the essay writing process can take shape, and can help them to reflect upon their own processes. Variations: This activity is highly adaptable, and can work with large and small groups. It can also be easily applied to specific topics, such as historical events and scientific processes.

WRITING SKILLS

VERBAL VOLLEYBALL Aim: This activity is a great way to get students reviewing the materials from lectures, and considering the different ways of approaching any given essay question. Group size: 2+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: Flipchart/ whiteboard, pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. With your students, select a topic to cover. This can be either a pre-selected essay question or any key area of the course. 2. Divide your group into pairs. 3. Ask each pair to assign themselves as ‘Student A’ and ‘Student B’. 4. Each student will take turns shouting out a key concept relating to the topic, and explaining it. They are not allowed to repeat concepts. Remind the students that they can refer back to their notes for inspiration. 5. After around eight minutes bring the group back together. 6. Ask each pair to select one concept they covered and explain it to their peers. While this goes on, assign a scribe to record all the concepts covered on the flipchart or whiteboard.

Variations: This activity is a really great way to break essay questions down. However, as you have probably noticed, it could as easily have been categorised within Knowledge and Vocabulary, and really highlights how flexible these activities are. If you would like to adapt this activity to suit a larger group, you can divide your students into two teams, giving each side a sheet of flipchart paper/whiteboard and asking them to assign a scribe. The teams can then take turns shouting out concepts and explaining them to their scribe, who will record them on the paper. The same rules apply – no repeating concepts! You can then bring the groups back together and ask them to explain each their concepts to one another.

PROBLEM SOLVING

PROBLEM SOLVING Problem solving is a core skill necessary for success in all disciplines. These activities are designed to help students to think outside the box in approaching problems, and to support them through working as teams, using one another as their greatest resource. They also help students apply information to different frameworks, concepts, and situations, and encourage them to continually explain and verbalise their thought processes to one another as a means of retaining information.

BOARD WORK MODEL

JIGSAW

PAIRED PROBLEM SOLVING

PEER LESSON

ROLE PLAYING

ROTATING CONCEPT MAPS

SEND A PROBLEM

PROBLEM SOLVING

BOARD WORK MODEL Aim: This is a great way to help students build an awareness of their problem solving strategies. Group size: 3+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: Flipcharts/ Whiteboard Preparation: None

Method: 1. If you have a group of more than seven students, divide them into two smaller groups. Divide your board (or each board) into four categories: • Prerequisite knowledge • Sequential steps • Narrative of the steps • Additional sample problems 2. Invite one student to fill out section one on the board, in relation to your chosen subject. 3. Ask another two students to complete sections two and three at the same time. 4. Finally, ask another student to fill out column four. By projecting this new sample problem, they will show their mastery of the subject.

Variations: This activity can be applied to just about every subject! If you would like, you can extend it, repeating the activity with the new sample problem as the subject.

PROBLEM SOLVING

JIGSAW Aim: Similarly to the Peer Lesson activity, this is a great way to get students to come to terms with and summarise complex concepts. Group size: 4+ Time: 15+ minutes Resources: None Preparation: Considering the lecture series, devise several key concepts/ aspects of the session’s topic

Method: 1. Divide your group into subgroups, with a minimum of two students. 2. Assign each group one of your key concepts. 3. Give each group five to ten minutes to explain to one another and collate everything they know about this concept. 4. Create new groups, each containing one member of the previous groups. 5. Ask each student to teach the material discussed in their previous group to their new group.

Variations: This activity can meet the needs of any course or subject area!

PAIRED PROBLEM SOLVING Aim: This activity really helps to get students to break down and understand their thinking process, so that they can apply it to different problems. Group size: 2+ Time: 10 + minutes Resources: Selection of questions/ reading material Preparation: Prepare a selection of resources appropriate to your subject (for example, literary analysis, equations, etc.)

Method: 1. Divide your group into pairs. 2. Ask each pair to assign themselves as ‘Student A’ and ‘Student B’. Student A will be the problem solver, while Student B is the listener. 3. Hand out at least one resource to each pair (more than one depending on the length and nature of the resource). 4. Student A will have to verbalise each stage of their comprehension and analysis of the resource. If a literary resource, it is not allowed to simply read out the material! Meanwhile Student B, the listener, must ensure that they understand all of the information being presented. They can, if needs be, ask questions and encourage clarification. Allow up to five minutes for this. 5. Student B should then point out any errors, or areas where Student A should work to clarify their language. 6. Rotate resources and repeat, switching roles.

PROBLEM SOLVING

PEER LESSON ROLE PLAYING Aim: This activity is a great way to help students work together in breaking down complex ideas, and re-frame them with a more comprehensive framework in explaining them to their peers. Group size: 4+ Time: 20 minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Divide your group into subgroups, each with a minimum of two students. 2. Assign each group a different question or aspect of a lecture, and ask them to work together in devising a lesson on the subject. Remind them that they can use their lecture notes. Allow ten minutes of planning time. 3. Ask the groups to take turns in delivering their lessons. Depending on the number of students attending your session, this may take some time.

Variations: This activity, like many others in this toolkit, is highly adaptable, and can be used to address anything from mathematical questions to abstract concepts.

Aim: A little bit of role playing can really help students solve different problems! Group size: 2+ Time: 20+ minutes Resources: None Preparation: None

Method: 1. If you have a large group, break it down into smaller subgroups. 2. Assign each member of the group a role to play in the scenario (for example, if your topic is the credit crunch, assign one student to represent the bankers, another the politicians, etc.). 3. Ask the groups to work together to set out the actions of each player in their scenario, in accordance with their lecture notes. Allow ten minutes for this. 4. Bring the groups back together, and going through each role, ask them to explain their actions within the scenario. 5. Break down into groups again, and ask the students to reflect on the possible actions of each party in a new scenario. Allow another five to ten minutes for this. 6. Bring the groups together again, and ask them to share their ideas.

Variations: Although this activity perhaps works best with humanities subjects, it can be adapted to address scientific problems. For example, you can assign each group member a particle within a reaction or equation, and ask them to consider their role.

PROBLEM SOLVING

ROTATING CONCEPT MAPS Aim: This activity is an interesting variation of the traditional concept map, and is an excellent way to quickly gather all the information in the room on any given subject. Group size: 3+ Time: 10 + minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: Set out the central concepts for discussion in advance of the session

Method: 1. Divide your group into subgroups of an equal size. 2. Give each subgroup a central concept to create a concept map around. Give three minutes for this. 3. Rotate the concept maps, so that each group has a new concept to consider. Ask each group to add in their ideas, and to tick any branches they agree with. Give another three minutes for this. 4. Repeat stage three, and continue repeating until each group has seen every concept map. 5. Ask each group to go through the mind map they were left with, explaining the key ideas surrounding each concept. Variations: This activity can meet the needs of any subject!

PROBLEM SOLVING

SEND A PROBLEM Aim: Send a Problem embodies the spirit of peer learning, and helps students to use one another as their greatest resource in addressing problems, academic or social! Group size: 2+ Time: 20 minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Ideally, this activity requires you to split your group into at least two sub-groups. If this is not possible, however, it can still work with only two students. 2. Select a topic, and ask each group to collaborate in coming up with three areas which they find difficult or problematic relating to it. Allow between five and seven minutes for this. 3. Once each group has selected their three problem areas and written them down, rotate the paper, so that each group is faced with a new set of problems. 4. Give the groups another five and seven minutes to come up with solutions/answers to these problems. 5. Bring the groups back together, and ask each group to go through each problem, explaining their solution.

Variations: This activity is extremely flexible, and can be applied across all subject areas. If you would like to get your group working more independently, you can dispose of the team structure, and simply ask the students to work alone in devising, sending, and solving their problems.

INTERROGATING INFORMATION

INTERROGATING INFORMATION The ability to think critically and interrogate information is central to university level study, yet is often difficult for some students. We suggest these activities as means to support students in engaging with and questioning new information. They are all interactive, and designed to help students to challenge and support one another with their ideas.

CHALLENGING AUTHORITY

COLOUR-CODING THE EVIDENCE

GROUP CLOSE READING

INTERROGATING INFORMATION

CHALLENGING AUTHORITY Aim: Challenging authority is a great way to help students build confidence in arguing with and against critical and theoretical discourses. Group size: 2+ Time: 20+ minutes Resources: A selection of sources relevant to your course Preparation: Select your sources with your co-leader

Method: 1. Divide the students into two equal sized groups. 2. Hand the same source out to each group. Ask one group to devise a counter-argument against the material, and the other to validate the scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s argument using their own knowledge. Remind the students to use their lecture notes. Give around 10 minutes for this. 3. Bring the groups together, and ask them to present their arguments. 4. Ask the students to vote at the end as to whether they agree or disagree with the critic. 5. If you have time, repeat with another source.

INTERROGATING INFORMATION

COLOURCODING THE EVIDENCE Aim: Colour-coding the evidence is a great way of helping students consider the different kinds of evidence they are being confronted with. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 + minutes Resources: Flipchart/ whiteboard, a source appropriate to your subject, and different coloured highlighters Preparation: Select a source with your co-leader

Method: 1. Hand out your selected source. 2. Ask the students to use different colours to highlight the different kinds of evidence used by the writer, and to highlight any evidence which they feel is weak or problematic. Give five to seven minutes for this. 3. Bring the group back together, and ask the students to explain the different kinds of evidence they highlighted, and how they classified them. Assign one student as scribe to write these down on the flipchart/whiteboard. Variations: This activity works across the disciplines, and can be used to identify and interrogate any kind of evidence from statistics to historical events and statements.

INTERROGATING INFORMATION

GROUP CLOSE READING Aim: This activity is a great way to get students to think about the different ways they approach different kinds of information, and the broad range of sources which they can consider in their studies. Group size: 4+

Method: 1. Divide your group into equal subgroups.

Time: 20 minutes

2. Assign each subgroup a source material to analyse. Ask the groups to consider how they would integrate these sources into their studies. Allow around seven minutes for this, giving time to read the sources.

Resources: A selection of sources connected to your subject (e.g. theoretical, statistical, artistic, etc.), pens and paper Preparation: Take your time to select your sources, working with your co-leader to come up with a broad range of materials

3. Rotate the sources, and repeat step 2. 4. Continue this process, depending on how much time you would like this activity to take. If you would like to shorten it, bring the group back together at this stage, and go through each source, asking the groups to explain how they thought they might be useful. If not, do this once every group has seen every source. Variations: In many ways, this activity is a variation of the rotating concept map.

COMPUTER SKILLS

COMPUTER SKILLS Computers are essential resources for university study, yet getting to grips with the various ways they can be used can be difficult! We have collected some activities here for you to use in helping your students to get the most out of their electronic resources.

ADVERTISING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

BLOGGING

RESEARCH A PROBLEM

COMPUTER SKILLS

ADVERTISING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA Aim: Social media is a quick and effective way of getting students to engage with your scheme. Group size: Any Time: None Resources: Spaces on the appropriate social media platforms

Method: 1. Assign a Social Media Officer on your team. 2. Post regular surveys via Facebook, for example, to ask what students would like the next session to be on. 3. Create events for each session, and invite all the students to attend. 4. Post pictures of your sessions, to remind students how fun they are and to come along!

Preparation: None

COMPUTER SKILLS

BLOGGING Aim: Blogs are great ways to show students what your scheme is all about! Group size: Any Resources: A blog Preparation: None

Method: 1. Publish regular blog posts on subjects ranging from your sessions and events to your experiences as a student and a Student Leader. 2. The core team of Student Leaders should take turns to create content. 3. You could even ask students who attend your sessions to contribute! 4. Remember to brighten it up with some pictures, and direct your students to the blog after every post!

COMPUTER SKILLS

RESEARCH A PROBLEM Aim: Helps students understand different ways of researching questions using the internet. Group size: 2+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Computer or smart phones, a question Preparation: With your co-leader, devise a question or topic that might be challenging to research

Method: 1. Divide the group into equal subgroups. 2. Give the groups your pre-prepared question or topic, or let them come to you with a question or topic and split the groups into pairs. 3. Give each group a platform to search with (e.g. Wikipedia, Google Scholar, Wolfram Alpha, Jstor, DiscoverEd, or any others that you use yourself) 4. Ask the groups to work together and research using only the platform they are given. Allow ten minutes for this. 5. Ask the groups to share their results after ten minutes, and evaluate how reliable the sources were and how useful they are to their studies.

ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE

ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE Most students across the sciences and humanities will be required to engage in some form of statistical analysis during their university career. The activities outlined here can be used to support students who lack confidence in this area.

BUILDING YOUR EVIDENCE

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUZZLE

UNDERSTANDING STATISTICS

ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE

BUILDING YOUR EVIDENCE Aim: Students will look through statistics and evidence to work out which pieces are the most relevant to the different questions. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 + minutes Resources: Pieces of paper that can be stuck to Jenga blocks (optional!) Preparation: Find a question and lots of pieces of evidence or statistics. Optional to stick different ones onto Jenga blocks

Method: 1. Put the Jenga tower on the table with different pieces of evidence attached. 2. Give the group a question (either an essay question or a question where they will need to evaluate which statistics are most important) 3. Get each student to take turns picking a piece of Jenga, and if there is a piece of evidence or statistic stuck to it, they must evaluate whether or not that evidence is relevant in answering the question 4. As more and more evidence is picked by the group, they have to work together to agree on the most relevant pieces of evidence to answer the question. 5. They then build the tower by putting all the relevant pieces of evidence together in order of most relevant to least important. Variations: If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Jenga, just cut the pieces of statistics and evidence out and place them face down onto the table. You can do this activity with anything where you need to evaluate a lot of information in order to find what is most relevant to a question.

ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUZZLE Aim: Helps students understand proofs and the steps which need to be taken in order to solve specific formulae and data sets. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Cut up strips of steps to a proof Preparation: Find a mathematical proof or a step by step breakdown of a statistical set of data and produce strips of steps to the proof

Method: 1. Give the group an opportunity to solve the equation by putting the pieces in order. 2. Get them to explain why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve chosen this order. 3. After the activity, hide the pieces and just give the first line (or a random line in the proof) and ask the students to write the rest from memory and using their notes.

ENGAGING WITH STATISTICS & COLLATING EVIDENCE

UNDERSTANDING STATISTICS Aim: Students look at different graphs and data to evaluate important things to take from it and use. They will learn how to interpret statistics and graphs and what to look out for. Group size: 1+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: Different sets of data from exercises or the internet

Method: 1. Take a set of data and as a group talk about what would be important to get out of the data. 2. Split into pairs to create graphs. 3. Come back together to evaluate the different graphs. 4. Ask a set of questions to get them to use their graph and apply that information to real life situations and questions.

Preparation: Find graphs or tables of statistics to use in your session

RESEARCH SKILLS

RESEARCH SKILLS Research is integral to university study. Whether writing essays, conducting experiments, or studying for an exam, every action which a student takes to find out more about their subject is a form of research. These activities will help students to evaluate their research and engage with different kinds of research methods.

LIBRARY TREASURE HUNT

MOCK INTERVIEWS

RESEARCHING WITHOUT THE INTERNET

RESEARCH SKILLS

LIBRARY TREASURE HUNT Aim: Helps students learn how to navigate the library and understand how to find the materials they need for their studies. Group size: 4+ Time: 20-30 minutes Resources: A list of resources to find, with their library reference number, and a list of instructions Preparation: Prepare your list of resources for the students to find, and put them in an order to create a verbal map. Add in a question about the location for the students to answer when they find the source, for example, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the writings of ? can be found in this section of the library?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Method: 1. Divide your group into equal teams. 2. Give them your pre-prepared map, and send them off! 3. The Leaders should remain in a fixed location, so that they can be easily found by students on completion. 4. Once everyone has completed the hunt, go through the answers. Variations: This activity can be altered, for example, if library resources are exchanged with the key university buildings which the students will need to be familiar with throughout their time at Edinburgh.

RESEARCH SKILLS

MOCK INTERVIEWS Aim: Interviews are often essential to research, but without any experience of conducting them, they can be intimidating for students. This activity will help to familiarise the student with the interview situation, and test the different ways of gaining information in person. Group size: 2+ Time: 10-20 minutes Resources: Pens and paper Preparation: Select a subject with your co-leader, ideally something generic which all the students have a knowledge of, for example, university life

Method: 1. Divide your students into pairs. 2. Give the students five to seven minutes to devise a set of questions around this topic. 3. Ask each pair to assign an Interviewer and Interviewee. 4. The Interviewer will then have five minutes to use their questions to gain as much information from the Interviewee as possible on the subject, taking notes. 5. They will then switch roles, and go ahead for another five minutes. 6. Bring the students back to the main group and ask them to reflect upon the experience. As Interviewers did they feel that they gained all of the information which they needed? Were they able to make a clear record of this information, or was taking notes difficult? How did they cope with this? As Interviewees, did they see any way in which the interviews could have been improved? Variations: You can alter this exercise to suit sessions on entering the workplace. Most jobs require interviews, and there are few opportunities to practice and hone the communication skills necessary for success!

RESEARCH SKILLS

RESEARCHING WITHOUT THE INTERNET Aim: This activity is a fantastic way to alert students to the resources available to them outside of the internet. Group size: 4+ Time: One day Resources: Maps of the city, paper and pens Preparation: This is an all-day activity, so you and your co-leader will need to organise timings which will fit around travel and research needs. You will also need to prepare your topics in advance

Method: 1. Divide your group into equal subgroups, or teams. 2. Give each group a subject to research without using the internet. 3. Each group should be allowed an hour to consult with one another, and then will have the day to use all of the resources at hand in the city in researching their topic. Encourage your students to visit as many of the libraries, museums, art galleries, and all the other research centres and historical sites the city has to offer! 4. At the end of the day, have your groups come back together for an hour in which they will plan a presentation on their research. 5. Finally, the students will give their presentations. Variations: This activity is ideally suited for subjects in the humanities; Edinburgh is a rich cultural centre offering resources for those interested in history, politics, literature, and many other subjects. Edinburgh is also famous as the centre of the Scottish Enlightenment, and a leader in medical studies. As such, the city offers much for scientists, such as Dynamic Earth. This is a fun and educational activity for all to enjoy!

EVENT MANAGEMENT

EVENT MANAGEMENT Whether running a PALS or Peer Support Scheme, most Student Leaders will be involved in running some form of event during their time as a volunteer. We have outlined some event types here to get your ideas flowing, and offered some guidance on how to make them successful. From walking tours to conferences, anything is possible!

BOOK SALE

COLLOQUY

DAY TRIP

DINNER EVENT

GAMES NIGHT

PECHA KUCHA NIGHT

PRESENTATION MASTERCLASS

PUB QUIZ

WALKING TOUR

EVENT MANAGEMENT

BOOK SALE Aim: Get rid of your unwanted textbooks by selling them to lower year students. Students of different years get to mingle and share experiences on books and courses. Group size: 10+ Time: 2hrs+ Resources: Unwanted books, a venue with tables to display books, money box and change Preparation: Arrange a venue, find suitable tables for display, find book sellers, arrange some tea/coffee/ biscuits, advertise event

Method: 1. Find book sellers (including yourselves) among senior year students. 2. Identify a suitable venue (e.g. students’ common room) that has tables where books can be displayed. 3. Set a price system for books if desired (e.g. all books under £15) and ensure all prices are marked clearly. 4. Decide on a room arrangement. A pair of sellers could share a table with their books, giving them an opportunity to sell while also chatting to any buyers. 5. Consider having a ‘free books’ table with donations. 6. Group leaders can sell but they can also mingle and introduce sellers and buyers, facilitating conversations about book and course choices. 7. Ensure that sellers know that this is not just an opportunity to sell their books but also one to welcome new students and share experiences. Variations: You could mix this up by including other items alongside books, or occasionally having a ‘free shop’, where unwanted items are donated at no cost.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

COLLOQUY Aim: Colloquies are fantastic ways of sharing experiences and achievements through group presentations in your school. They will help you to spread the word about group activities and get support from staff. Group size: 15+ Time: 4+ hours (2 hours prep) Resources: Presentations from PALS/ Peer Support groups in your school, suitable venue for discussion and mingling, technical requirements for presentations if needed Preparation: Work with your key contact to invite other schemes in your school to present, and invite academic and support staff to attend. Prepare presentations to share with group. Organise catering, and funding for this

Method: 1. Invite PALS/Peer Support group leaders to make short presentations on their work. 2. Invite teaching and support staff interested in PALS/Peer Support to attend and ask questions. 3. Have a chair for the event who can introduce the groups and give an overview. 4. Arrange some catering during informal discussions after the presentations. 5. Design and advertise your schedule. e.g. three groups will speak for 10 minutes each, then we will have 45 minutes for refreshments and discussions Variations: You could hold your event in a cafĂŠ or other informal venue to keep the tone informal, or in a conference venue in the University for a more formal feel. You could also ask the groups to demonstrate what they do in sessions by running a short activity with the attendees, and invite schemes from other schools to share their experiences and knowledge.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

DAY TRIP Aim: Day trips are great ways to get people mingling and learning together outside of their usual setting. Group size: 3+ Time: One and a half days Resources: A suitable destination, transport, funds, schedule, special requirements for the destination Preparation: Decide on a place to visit and whether this will be a learning event or purely social. Find out information on transport, tickets, times etc. Survey group members to get an idea of numbers and ask for confirmations before making any required bookings

Method: 1. Select a place your group would like to visit. This could be a study-related excursion or a social event, ideally both. 2. Visits to museum or gallery exhibitions, conferences, film screenings, public lectures, historical sites, nearby hiking trips and exploring places of interest in and around Edinburgh could all be learning and social opportunities. 3. Research ticket prices and opening times (if any), costs and means of travel, and other requirements (e.g. walking boots, ID, food & drink etc.) 4. Plan your schedule to include breaks and meals. 5. Consider any accessibility needs for your group members. 6. Keep your staff key contact updated of plans and ensure all students are available for the trip.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

DINNER EVENT Aim: Sharing meals bring people together like nothing else. Organise a group meal early in the semester where people can meet and get comfortable with each other. Group size: 4+ Time: 3+ hours Resources: Recipes and ingredients for the food, any drinks, funding for this, a kitchen and dining space Preparation: Check for dietary restrictions, select your venue, choose a format for the evening, advertise and get confirmation of numbers in advance

Method: 1. Decide on the type of shared dinner you would like to have. Some options are: potluck (everyone brings a dish), making pizza together (everyone brings some toppings and group leaders prepare the base), picnic/barbeque (if weather is good!). 2. Remember to keep costs low or apply for the Peer Learning and Support fund so that everyone interested can participate. Consider offering each person a small amount from your funding for any expenses incurred. 3. If the venue is a student flat, make sure flatmates, neighbours, security etc. are okay with having guests over. 4. Arrange for drinks, dishes, cutlery, napkins, etc. in advance. 5. Promote your event through Facebook, emails and word of mouth. 6. Ensure you have a good estimate of numbers so that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t over/under cater. Ask people to confirm they are coming. 7. Clearly label all dishes and ensure everyone is aware of dietary restrictions.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

GAMES NIGHT Aim: This is a fun social which can be run in pub or a flat to bring people together. Group size: 4+ Time: 2+ hours Resources: Board games, refreshments, suitable venue Preparation: Find a venue and games, promote via social media, have refreshments. Keep in mind that some of your group may be less comfortable with alcohol and remember the boundaries of your role as leader are still important in social settings.

Method: 1. Playing games and having a laugh together breaks down inhibitions and helps people have relaxed conversations. Plan a games night when you know people need a boost of morale or chance to de-stress. 2. This can be held in many different locations depending on what games you have and what you would like to play. 3. Many pubs in Edinburgh have board games that patrons can use. This can be an easy option, especially as food and drink will also be available. 4. Have several tables with different games going. 5. Facilitate group discussions while playing so people are not left out. Variations: Outdoor games could work really well in good weather. Consider a picnic to go along with this. Going bowling together is a popular choice for many groups.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

PECHA KUCHA NIGHT Aim: Pecha Kucha Nights are a really fun way of helping students to cultivate presentation and communication skills. Pecha Kuchas are short presentations in which speakers are allowed only twenty PowerPoint slides, twenty seconds in length. Group size: 15+ Time: 10+ hours (6+ hours prep.) Resources: Venue, speakers, audience, food, drinks, laptop, projector and screen Preparation: You should organise funding and book an accessible venue as soon as possible. You will then need to decide upon a theme and then email the students within your department asking for participants. Once you have a list of participants, organise a timetable for the evening, including breaks for mingling and discussion. Remember to print the timetable, so that you can hand it out to everyone who comes along on the night. Set a deadline for all participants to send you a copy of their PowerPoint presentation and a synopsis of their subject. Remember to organise catering and drinks in advance!

Method: 1. Arrive at least an hour early to set things up for the night and make sure that all the catering etc. is in place. 2. Welcome speakers and attendees, handing out copies of the timetable. 3. Get the presentations going! 4. Ensure throughout that everyone is having fun! Variations: You can mix this up by adding some live music into the breaks, or organising prizes for the best presentations. If you decide to do this, you should put in place some way of judging which are the best, for example a judging panel or a democratic vote at the end; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to you!

EVENT MANAGEMENT

PRESENTATION MASTERCLASS Aim: Get practice presenting at academic conferences and talks, receiving feedback from peers and staff. Group size: 10+ Time: 3+ hours Resources: Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presentations, sufficient numbers to make up both presenters and audience, venue and refreshments Preparation: Collaborate with academic and support staff to organise this. Invite students to present their work to an audience of peers. Consider providing presentations in advance for accessibility reasons.

Method: 1. This is a chance to practice conference presentations skills in an informal environment, so keep the tone friendly and approachable. 2. Students give a talk on their recent work, presenting a paper or current research. 3. Peers and academic staff then give feedback to the student on what is working well and how they can improve their presentation skills. 4. Identify a staff member, alumni or external facilitator who can chair this event. It is crucial that students are encouraged and supported rather than criticised, so it is helpful to have someone in charge whose role it is to make sure this happens. 5. Keep to time limits, keep the atmosphere playful. Variations: It could be helpful to have a short workshop beforehand on how to give constructive feedback. School/Peer Learning and Support staff can help with this

EVENT MANAGEMENT

PUB QUIZ Aim: Pub quizzes are a great way to revise course content via a popular quiz format in an informal setting. Group size: 6+ Time: 3 hours (2 hours prep) 1 hour Resources: Suitable pub, questions related to topic, enough students to make 3 teams, quizmaster Preparation: Locate a suitable pub and book space, create questions, choose a quizmaster, and promote the event extensively!

Method: 1. Decide on your rules and announce them at the start. Will you allow mobile phones? Do you have a maximum number of people per team? Do you have one or more prizes? 2. Choose a quizmaster who can entertain and also be systematic. 3. Ask students to choose their teams and give each team an answer sheet. 4. Create your questions carefully, covering study topics, and include some light-hearted questions. 5. Make sure you have a range of easy questions and difficult ones, so everyone gets to score but there is also some competition. 6. Have questions in rounds based on different study topics. 7. Keep your scoring system simple and transparent. 8. Collect answer sheets at the end and score to find your winners. Variations: You could mix this up by including rounds that are only for laughs, such as insider questions on your school. You could also get teams to mark each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s answers. Rotate answer sheets and have them check off answers as you announce them. Keep in mind that some of your group may be less comfortable with alcohol and remember the boundaries of your role as leader are still important in social settings.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

WALKING TOUR Aim: Walking Tours are great ways to introduce new students to the campus and the city. Group size: 3+ Time: 2+ hours Resources: A map of important locations on campus and outside, shoes for walking and umbrellas just in case Preparation: Select some key locations that would be helpful for new students to know about. Collect maps for all attendees from the Peer Learning and Support team in Potterrow.

Method: 1. Plan a walking tour early in the semester to help new students get acclimatised to university and Edinburgh life. 2. Select important university buildings, offices, libraries, shops etc. as well as nearby cafes, bookshops, clothes shops, affordable eateries, pubs, cinemas, places with good students discounts and more. 3. Hand out maps to everyone. 4. Plan the tour at time when many students are likely to attend â&#x20AC;&#x201C; e.g. after the first big lecture. 5. Prepare for weather conditions and have a back-up-plan in case the conditions are too poor.

FEEDBACK

FEEDBACK When running PAL sessions and Peer Support events, it is important to continue seeking student feedback, in order to ascertain what is working, what needs to be improved, and what the students would like to see more of in the future. Here are some activities which will help you gain this valuable information. 61

ASSESS THE SESSION

STUDENT SURVEY

3: 2: 1

FEEDBACK

ASSESS THE SESSION Aim: This is a simple, relaxed way to get some feedback from your students on your session. Group size: Any Time: 2-3 minutes Resources: None Preparation: None

Method: At the end of your session simply ask the students questions, such as: 1. Do they feel that the session went well? 2. Were all of their questions answered, or is there anything that they would like to be addressed in the next session? 3. Could any aspects of the session have been improved? 4. Have they any suggestions on how you could cover more material?

Variations: This activity is also a great way to plan future sessions. By asking the students if they would like anything specific to be covered in the future, you are tailoring your sessions to fit their needs, and giving them a clear reason to come along for the next week.

FEEDBACK

STUDENT SURVEY Aim: Although perhaps more time-consuming, surveys are a simple and effective means of gaining feedback from your students. Group size: Any Time: 1 hour Resources: Survey, pens Preparation: As a team, the Student Leaders should devise a set of questions tailored to gain all the information which they need. For example, you might want to consider whether students enjoyed your sessions, how much they feel they learned, if they would like anything specific to be covered in the future. Remember to print out enough copies of your survey for your audience!

Method: 1. You can hand your survey out at the end or your session, or at the end of a class/lecture (with the permission of the tutor). This can be useful, as students will be required to fill it in then and there, ensuring a good response rate. 2. You can also email your survey to catch any students who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage to come along. Sending only an electronic survey can be risky, as there is no way of ensuring a good response rate.

FEEDBACK

3: 2: 1 Aim: This is a great way to conclude the session, and get students thinking about what they have learned, and what they would like to work on more in the future. Group size: Any Time: 2-3 minutes Resources: Paper and pens

Method: Ask the students to come up with: 1. Three subjects from the session that they are confident discussing and explaining to other students. 2. Two subjects from the session which they still do not fully understand, and would like further help with. 3. One question on the subject which may appear in the exam.

Preparation: None Variations: This feedback activity is also a great resource for future sessions. If, with the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; permission, the leaders collect and keep these, they can be used in sessions at the end of term. For example, when reviewing their progress throughout the course, students can return to the two subjects that they did not understand, and see if they can now explain them. Or, the predicted exam questions can be used in exam preparation.

IMPROVISATION

IMPROVISATION There will inevitably be times when you have to improvise when running PAL sessions. Whether because you have to cover a session for another pair of leaders, or because fewer or more students turn up than expected, these activities are great to keep in your back pocket, and require no preparation.

CORNELL NOTE TAKING

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

HANGMAN

QUESTION AND ANSWER: SPEED-DATING STYLE

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

TWENTY QUESTIONS

VENN DIAGRAM

IMPROVISATION

CORNELL NOTE TAKING

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Cornell Note Taking is a great activity to bring out at the end of a session if you have finished early. Hand out paper, and ask the students to draw a margin along the left hand side, and to draw a similar line at the bottom of the page. Explain that the margin to the left is a recall column, and the area blocked off at the bottom is a space for summarising information. Ask the students to use the main body of the page for note-taking at their next lecture. Then, at the next session, ask the students to return to their notes, and insert cues in the recall column, signposting the material. They should then use the space at the bottom of the page to write a summary of the information.

Divide and Conquer is an excellent way to break down a difficult activity or reading when your students are struggling. Divide the activity into smaller parts, and, similarly splitting the students into subgroups, give each subgroup one part of the activity or reading to consider and analyse together. When each group is satisfied, bring them back together and ask them to explain their own section to the other students.

HANGMAN Everyone knows this game! Divide your group into two teams, and assign each team a gallows on the whiteboard or flipchart. Alternate in asking each team a question related to the subject of your session. For every question answered wrongly, the team will have to add to an image of the hangman, beginning with the noose and ending with the feet. The first team to have a full man drawn loses.

This framework can really help students to get a grip on the information received at lectures, and reframe it in a meaningful and memorable way.

IMPROVISATION

QUESTION AND ANSWER: SPEED-DATING STYLE This activity is a really great way to ensure that your students have been able to vocalise all of their questions on a subject. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple really: pair up your students and number them one and two. Student one will then have one minute to ask student two a question and hopefully gain an answer before they have to change partners and meet another student two. They can then ask the same question to gain further information, or another take on the issue, or ask a new question. Continue this four or five times, and then ask the students to switch roles. Student two will now have an opportunity to ask their questions. Depending on how much time you have, you can play around with this activity, giving your students longer, or allowing increasing the rotations so that they can ask more questions.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE This activity is an excellent one to bring out when you are taking a group of shy students and conversation has died down. Simply pick a question or topic, and give the students three minutes to think about and analyse the subject. Then pair the students up, and ask them to explain their take on the subject to one another, and re-evaluate their views in light of their peerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Finally bring all the groups back together, and ask them to share their ideas and answers with one another. Giving students time to think individually, and then speak to a peer on the subject is a great way to help them to build confidence in their own analytical and communication skills.

IMPROVISATION

TWENTY QUESTIONS

VENN DIAGRAM

This is a fun activity which requires no preparation! Assign one student as the ‘answerer’. This student is to think of a concept related to your session or course. The rest of the students attending can then take turns asking questions to which the answerer can only reply “Yes”, “No”, or “Maybe”. Students may guess what the concept is on their turn, but if they are wrong they are disqualified from the round. Should any student guess correctly, then they will be the next answerer. Should no student get the answer, and the group reach their limit of twenty questions, then the next person in the circle takes a turn as the answerer.

Venn Diagrams are always useful for instigating conversation or rounding off a session if you finish early! Simply draw two large intersecting circles on your whiteboard or flipchart. Write two concepts at the centre of these circles, and ask the students to fill them in with definitions, associated terms, and any other related information. Remember to explain that any information common to the two concepts should go in the area where the circles intersect. The students will thus be able to visualise the ways in which these concepts are connected.

This can also be a great way to break the ice or conclude a session.

EXAM PREPARATION

EXAM PREPARATION Exam preparation is a big one across disciplines when it comes to study skills. Here are some activities which will help you to support students in preparing for their exams, and get them to take revision away from the textbook and into the outside world!

INTERACTIVE EXAM

MATRICES

NOTE REVIEW

PAST PAPER COLLATION

POST-EXAM SURVEY

PREDICT TEST QUESTIONNAIRES

STOP THE BUS!

EXAM PREPARATION

INTERACTIVE EXAM Aim: A fun and effective way to test your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; knowledge and help them prepare for exams! Group size: 2+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Quiz questions, pen, and paper Preparation: As with the Pop Quiz activity, you and your co-leader should prepare a set of quiz questions. You could use the themes and rubric highlighted in the Past Paper Collation activity for this

Method: 1. This activity requires students to work in teams. Divide your group into equal subgroups. 2. As in the Jeopardy activity, ask each team to choose a buzzer sound. 3. Read out your questions, and ask the students to shout out their buzzer sound once they know the answers. 4. Remember to keep a scoreboard! Variations: You could mix it up by asking your students to come up with the questions and run the exam!

EXAM PREPARATION

MATRICES Aim: Matrices are excellent ways of considering how topics are related during exam revision. This is like a comparison table where students can see similarities between topics and how certain topics work together. Group size: 1+ Time: 10 minutes Resources: Flipchart/ whiteboard, pens Preparation: You and your co-leader should create a grid with multiple topics relating to different subject areas. Usually, you would have the subject in the column and the features or characteristics in the rows. This works especially well when answering a “compare” question. For example, in a column you might have different authors and in the rows, you might note the differences between the writing style or topic

Method: 1. Get the group of students to look through the grid with the titles you’ve created. 2. Ask them to complete the grid based on their own knowledge. Variations: You can provide the framework and a few clues for completing the matrix, but eventually the students should be responsible for designing the framework and completing the entire matrix.

EXAM PREPARATION

NOTE REVIEW Aim: This is an excellent way of helping your students use their notes in revision. Group size: 2+ Time: 15+ minutes Resources: Ensure that the students come prepared with their lecture notes! Preparation: None

Method: 1. If you have a group of four or more, divide the students into smaller subgroups. 2. Within these subgroups each student should take turns reading out a section of their notes. 3. While they are reading out their notes, their peers should stop them when appropriate to add in any further information they may have on the subject. Should they desire, the student should add this into their notes. 4. Bring the groups back together, and as them to highlight any areas which they felt needed further work in preparation for the upcoming exam.

EXAM PREPARATION

PAST PAPER COLLATION Aim: This exercise is an excellent way to help students use past papers effectively in their revision. Group size: 2+ Time: 10+ minutes Resources: A selection of past exam papers, flipchart/ whiteboard Preparation: None

Method: 1. Divide your group into two subgroups. 2. Hand out the past papers. 3. Ask one group to identify the common themes which come up regularly in the past papers, and the other to look at the rubric, and identify the different ways in which they are being asked to show their knowledge. Allow around seven minutes for this. 4. Meanwhile, divide your whiteboard/flipchart into two columns, titled themes and rubric. Bring the groups back together, and ask them to share with one another the common themes. Assign a scribe to record these in the respective columns on your whiteboard/flipchart.

Variations: This activity is a really helpful way to familiarise students with university exams. You could extend it further by asking the students to come up with exam questions by pairing different themes and rubric, and then consider how they would go about answering such a question.

POST-EXAM SURVEY Aim: This is an excellent way to help students consider how well they revised for an exam, and how they could improve their revision in the future. Group size: 1+

Method: 1. Hand out the survey.

Time: 10 minutes

2. Read out the questions, asking students to write down the appropriate score.

Resources: The survey, pens Preparation: With your co-leader, you should create a survey with questions centred around revision practices (for example, were you happy with how much time you spent on revision?) The answer to each question should be a score of between 0 and 100

3. At the end, ask the students to total their scores and convert them into percentiles. They can then compare their score to their exam result.

EXAM PREPARATION

PREDICT TEST QUESTIONNAIRES Aim: This is another simple way of helping students consider the possible questions which may arise in their exams. Group size: 4+ Time: 10-15 minutes Resources: Whiteboard/ flipchart, pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Divide your group into equal subgroups. 2. Assign each subgroup a topic, and ask them to come up with as many exam questions on the subject as possible. Allow around seven minutes for this. 3. Ask each subgroup to take turns writing their questions on the board for the other groups to discuss and consider how they would answer. 4. Continue rotating around the groups until you have run out of questions/time.

STOP THE BUS! Aim: Stop the bus is a fun way of helping your students practice answering questions quickly within a restricted amount of time. Group size: 2+ Time: 15+ minutes Resources: Paper and pens Preparation: None

Method: 1. Hand out paper, and ask the students to divide it into columns with titles such as ‘What does this mean?’, ‘What other concepts is this related to?’, and ‘In what situation would you use this concept?’ Ask one student to go through the alphabet in their head, and let the rest of the students shout out “stop the bus” to stop them. 2. The student should then tell you the letter they stopped on and the group should come up with a concept related to the course beginning with that letter. 3. The group should then fill each column with entries on that concept in one minute. 4. They can then share their answers, and repeat the process again!

Variations: You can change the subject of this game in various different ways by changing the column titles. For example, you could use the headings from Bloom’s Taxonomy, simply ask them to write down any potential exam questions related to the subject.

ONE-TO-ONE ACTIVITIES

ONE-TO-ONE ACTIVITIES Some Peer Learning and Support schemes, such as those following the mentoring model, are entirely one-to-one. While many of the activities we have already described work well on a one-to-one basis, here are some more that you can consider using in this setting.

ONE-TO-ONE ACTIVITIES

MENTORING MEETINGS

MENTORING TIMELINES

Relaxed one-to-one meetings can be the best way to go about mentoring. Choose a comfortable, ideally nonuniversity, environment for your meeting, such as a café or restaurant. The meeting doesn’t need to have any structure; just give your mentee some space to chat and get used to speaking with you. Remember to ask open questions, and give your mentee the space and autonomy they need to set the agenda.

Setting timelines is a really simple and effective way of helping your mentee to set their own goals and track their own progress. Printing out a calendar of the next few months, and going through it to highlight important events and deadlines will help your mentee to visualise and take charge of the challenges coming up. From there, you can set out a timetable for their university work, and establish any key points in which they would like to meet certain goals, allowing them to take ownership of their work and social life.

SEND A LETTER This is another activity which helps students to use effective goal setting. Work with your student to set out a list of key goals and write them down on a piece of paper. Put this paper away in an envelope to be opened either at the next session or at the end of term – it’s up to them! When they open the letter, they can score off the goals they have met, giving themselves a pat on the back, and re-evaluate their other goals. Were they unrealistic or unimportant? Or would they like to keep them for another letter? This activity can also be used for students to set down their thoughts and feelings on certain topics or issues. In this case, they do not necessarily need to read it again, although they might like to look back and evaluate how their attitudes have changed.

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PEER LEARNING & SUPPORT POTTERROW | 5/2 BRISTO SQUARE EDINBURGH | EH8 9AL EUSA.ED.AC.UK/PEERSUPPORT PEER.SUPPORT@EUSA.ED.AC.UK

Edinburgh University Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association is a charity (SC015800) and a company limited by guarantee (SC429897) registered in Scotland. Registered Office: Potterrow, 5/2 Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL All information was correct at the time of print but is subject to change. Please refer to eusa.ed.ac.uk/peersupport for the most up to date information.