Peer Assisted Learning Leader Guide 2012/2013 by Vicki Noad

Table of Contents PAL Leader Initial Training Programme 2012........................................................................ 3 What PAL does: ........................................................................................................................ 5 What PAL is all about .............................................................................................................. 6 Experiences of PAL .................................................................................................................. 7 Questions on the video: “How to run your PAL sessions” ................................................... 8 Recognising the Similarities and Differences between PAL and Teaching .................. 10 Suggestions for PAL Sessions................................................................................................. 11 How to run PAL Sessions ........................................................................................................ 16 1 – Preparation ................................................................................................................... 17 2 – Starting your PAL Sessions ........................................................................................... 20 3 – Agreeing a Schedule .................................................................................................. 23 4 – Providing Structure ....................................................................................................... 25 5 – Encouraging Participation .......................................................................................... 27 6 – Working with your PAL group ..................................................................................... 31 7 – Gathering Feedback................................................................................................... 34 8 – Closing the Session and Reviewing it ........................................................................ 36 Asking and Redirecting Questions ...................................................................................... 38 Coaching Skills.................................................................................................................... 42 Quick checklist for PAL sessions ........................................................................................... 49 Simulated PAL Session Plan .................................................................................................. 50 What‟s available in PAL Central (myBU) ............................................................................ 51 What‟s available in your programme PAL Community (myBU) ...................................... 52 What‟s available in the Academic Skills Community (myBU) ......................................... 53 myBU for PAL Leaders (and related IT issues) .................................................................... 53 Boundary Setting ................................................................................................................... 55 Working with Students with a Disability ............................................................................... 57 SUBU: Student Representation ............................................................................................. 58 Q & A with Previous PAL Leaders ........................................................................................ 59 Top Tips from Previous PAL Leaders..................................................................................... 60 Meeting with your Course Contact .................................................................................... 61 PAL Leader Observations.................................................................................................. 61 Working in Cross Cultural Settings........................................................................................ 63 Cultural Awareness ............................................................................................................ 65 Critical Incidents .................................................................................................................... 66 Your First PAL Session (Importance, Planning, Promoting) ............................................... 68 First Session Plan ................................................................................................................. 72 The Essential bit! PAL Paperwork and Payment ................................................................ 73

The materials in this Guide have been based on resources produced by: Hugh Fleming; David Jaques; Stuart Capstick; Janice Hurne; Alison Green; Tamsyn Smith, Steve Parton, and Vicki Noad with grateful acknowledgements to the individuals and organisations whose materials we have adapted. These include: Jenni Wallace; University of Missouri Kansas City; Graham Gibbs' Learning in Teams; The Oxford Centre for Staff Development; and Trevor Habeshaw. Some of the resources on different learning experiences have been reproduced from the publication Learning to Learn with the kind permission of Imperial College, London. Copyright Bournemouth University 2012. Not to be reproduced without permission.

PAL Leader Initial Training Programme 2012 Before your training, you should have a look through this guide, paying particular attention to pages 15 – 36. Please answer the questions on p. 6 and note down any questions you have for previous PAL leaders on p. 58. Feel free to highlight the text and write notes. Make sure that you bring some pens and highlighters to the training with you; and a laptop if you have one. You must make sure that you are able to log into myBU and have checked your BU emails before training. You will also need a bag to take your resources home in. A buffet lunch will be provided on both days – email pal@bournemouth.ac.uk if you have any special dietary requirements.

Day 1 Scheduled Section Time

PAL Guide Page No.

8:45am

Coffee & Tea Available

9:00am

Welcome & Introductions

9:15am

Activity: What Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is all about

4–5

9:45am

Activity: Experiences of PAL

10:15am

FILM: „How to Run Your PAL Sessions‟ & Discussion

7–8

11:00am

Coffee & Tea Break

11:10am

Activity: Similarities and Differences between PAL & Teaching

11:40am

Asking Effective Questions & Coaching Activity

37 – 47

1:00pm

Lunch

1:30pm

Simulated PAL Session 1: Content Video & Preparation

2:00pm

Simulated PAL Session 1

2:20pm

Debriefing Simulated PAL Session 1

2:40pm

Coffee & Tea Break

2:50pm

Simulated PAL Session 2: Content Video & Preparation

3:20pm

Simulated PAL Session 2

3:40pm

Debriefing Simulated PAL Session 2

4:00pm

Intro to myBU Resources & Communities

50 – 53

4:50pm

Boundary Setting Discussion/Pairs for Role Play Activity

54 – 55

5:00pm

END 

10 – 14; 48 – 49

Day 2 Scheduled Section Time

PAL Guide Page No.

8:45am

Coffee & Tea Available

9:00am

Activity: Boundary Setting Role Play

54 – 55

9:40am

Working with students with a disability

10:40am

Coffee & Tea Break

10:50am

Simulated PAL Session 3: Content Video & Preparation

11:20am

Simulated PAL Session 3

11:40am

Debriefing Simulated PAL Session 3

12:00pm

Student Representation: SUBU

12:30pm

Q & A with Previous PAL Leaders; Top Tips from Previous PAL Leaders

58 – 59

12:45pm

Lunch

1:30pm

Meet with Course Contacts/Course PAL Session Observation

60 – 61

2:00pm

Cultural Awareness

62 – 64

3:00pm

Critical Incidents

65 – 66

3:20pm

Your First PAL Session (Importance, Planning, Promoting)

67 – 71

3:50pm

END 

10 – 14; 48 – 49

Follow up training sessions will be held throughout the Autumn Term. Further information about additional training opportunities can be found in PAL Central (under „PAL Essentials‟).

What PAL does:  Helps students adjust to university life and get to know other students  Helps students gain a view of their programme, its direction and staff expectations  Develops and improves learning and study skills to meet course requirements  Enhances students‟ understanding of programme content through collaborative group discussion  Helps students prepare better for assignments and exams  Makes students feel more confident about the programme and about working with each other  Fosters cross-year support between students on the same programme  Develops group and team-working skills  Enables a sharing of experiences  Encourages independent learning  Allows students responsibility for agenda  Encourages students to evaluate their learning

Day 1, 9:15am – 9:45am

What PAL is all about PAL is based upon the following principles and practices: 1. It supports student learning. 2. It fosters cross-year support for students (see 3 below). 3. It is facilitated by more experienced students, usually from the year above, who provide a point of contact for new or less experienced students. 4. It enhances students‟ experience of university life. 5. It is participative: students work in small groups, engaging in discussions and a variety of interactive learning activities. 6. It is timetabled. 7. It encourages collaborative learning rather than competitive learning. 8. It works on both what students learn and how they learn. 9. It creates a safe environment where students are encouraged to ask questions and receive guidance from other students about the programme and its content. 10. It uses the language and terms specific to the subject discipline. 11. It helps students gain insight into the requirements of their programme, and their lecturers‟ expectations. 12. It involves active rather passive learning. 13. It encourages independent learning. 14. It helps students to develop a more positive attitude towards learning, keeping up with their studies and completing their programme. 15. It gives students opportunities to improve their academic performance. 16. What is discussed is confidential and remains within the PAL Group. 17. It benefits all students regardless of their current academic ability. 18. It gives students a place and time to practise the subject, learn from mistakes and build up confidence. 19. It gives PAL Leaders opportunities to revisit their prior learning. 20. It enables PAL Leaders to practise and develop their personal and professional skills.

Activity 1) Which of the principles seem most important to you? Please mark each one on a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 is “not really important” and 5 is “very important.” Then identify which 4 are most important to you. 2) Share your ideas with a partner. Explain your choices and ask them to explain theirs. 3) Join another pair and share your ideas. 4) Between the four of you, identify the 3 which are most important to you as a group, and then prioritise them. Be prepared to explain your choices during feedback. 6

Day 1, 9:45am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:15am

Experiences of PAL 1. What did you feel like when you first came to university?

2. How did PAL help you settle in?

3. How did your PAL Leaders structure/organise sessions?

4. How did your PAL Leaders get everyone to participate?

5. What benefits did you gain from PAL?

6. What improvements would you like to make to the PAL sessions you lead?

7. What will you avoid doing in your PAL sessions?

Day 1, 10:15am – 11:00am

Questions on the video: “How to run your PAL sessions” (This video is available in PAL Central, under „Running PAL‟). 1. What are the most important things to consider when planning your PAL sessions?

2. Why is the layout of the room important?

3. What information will you ask the students to tell you at the start of your PAL sessions?

4. How will you remember students‟ names?

5. How will you encourage your students to participate?

6. After your students have started working in pairs/groups, why should you wait before moving around each group?

7. What should you be doing when you move around each pair or group?

8. What is wait time? Why is it important?

9. What can you do when you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer?

10. How long before the end of the PAL session should you aim to start feedback?

11. What will your role be during feedback?

12. In general, what was the most useful part of the short film?

13. What advice/information would you like to add?

Day 1, 11:10am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:40am

Recognising the Similarities and Differences between PAL and Teaching As a PAL Leader you will probably have to reiterate that you are NOT a substitute teacher several times. However, some of the skills involved with teaching and facilitation overlap. Within your groups, consider the information from the DVD together with your previous notes and experiences, and discuss the following: 1. Construct a list of what your group agree are the most important similarities and the most important differences between the role of the PAL Leader and teaching Similarities

Differences

2. How could you help your students to become independent/self-directed learners?

Suggestions for PAL Sessions There are useful materials in PAL Central and the Academic Skills Community in myBU to help you facilitate PAL sessions. You may want to refer to the sections “Lecture Review” (p.14) and “Activities making use of students‟ notes” (pp.15-17) when carrying out your simulated PAL session in PAL Initial Leader Training. Before you start you should tell the PAL group the purpose of the activity and explain what the activity will involve.

Settling in at University         

Help students find their way around the campus, for example lecture theatres, labs/studios, staff offices, admin offices, assignment room, notice boards, etc. Help students find their way around the Library, and learn how library staff can help Ensure students can locate student support services, e.g. Additional Learning Needs, Health Centre, AskBU, GES, IT Services, Counselling, Chaplaincy Tell students how to find out about the Student Union, clubs and societies and sporting facilities. Guide students in how to use myBU effectively Discuss accommodation and travel Compare ideas on healthy eating and other domestic arrangements Discuss going out in Bournemouth: places to go, tips on safety, etc. Share ideas: Hand out a piece of paper to each student to write down a question they would like answered. Ensure questions are anonymous then group or PAL Leader can answer.

Study Skills           

Explore what‟s in the Academic Skills Community. Explore the different ways students learn. Discuss ideas on good study habits, suggest some study tips and give advice on keeping a diary. Discuss plagiarism so your students are clear about what does and what does not constitute plagiarism. Referencing: Get students to practise referencing books, journals and web sites. (See PAL Central) Discuss how to get the most out of lectures. Analyse note taking techniques e.g. use of spider diagrams and Cornell system. Practise making presentations on a favourite topic, other students give feedback on each presentation. Explore guidelines for getting the best out of group discussions in classes. Discuss how to work collaboratively in groups.

Preparing for Assignments 

Use the assignment marking activity in “Session Ideas” in PAL Central. 11

      

Brainstorm what is meant by terms such as discuss, describe, compare, contrast, assess, etc. Discuss how an essay or report should be structured. Use activities to: Get students to rewrite the title in their own words Identify content-related key words and brainstorm what they mean Use jigsaw technique to get different groups to look at different areas in depth Feed outcomes back to the whole group, facilitated by PAL leader.

Lecture Review Purpose: To review material delivered in lectures and seminars  Write the lecture or unit/module titles on the whiteboard, leaving space underneath each.  Divide the students into pairs.  Ask each pair to share their notes and jot down a list of the main points from „the‟ lecture they have watched.  Suggest they also make a note of anything they found difficult so that other people can suggest solutions or give explanations during feedback.  Feedback: Under each title jot down the main points suggested by each pair.  After each pair has given feedback on the lecture, ask the other members of the group if they wish to add any further points.  Follow with a group discussion aiming to clear up problems or misunderstandings.  Ask the students to check their notes to ensure that information provided is accurate.  Make sure you redirect questions back to the group rather than trying to resolve any difficulties yourself.

Activities which make use of students‟ notes The following are some ideas for activities which make use of and emphasise the importance of students‟ notes. They can all be used to aid review of lectures and check for completeness of students‟ notes. See “Session Ideas” on PAL Central for further activities. A. Bullet point summary and mind mapping Purpose: To review notes and develop note-taking skills; to review the content of the lectures and seminars Ask each person in the group to work individually to produce a summary of their lecture notes clearly identifying the most important points made by the lecturer.  Ask half the group to produce a bullet- point summary of the lecture and the other half a mind map of the lecture.  Put the students in pairs, one bullet-point with one mind-map, and get them to compare their lecture summary.  Ask the students about differences they found between their own and their partner‟s summary.  Using the class‟s summary develop an overview of the lecture on the board.  Discuss effective note taking techniques (See “Session Ideas” on PAL Central for further information and ideas.) 12

If you want to make sure everyone gets involved in the following 3 activities, you could divide the group into at least three sub-groups: at least one group constructs an overview; another group writes a summary paragraph, and the final group generates some test or exam questions. In the last 20 minutes of the PAL session, you can get the whole group to discuss how they would answer the test or exam questions.

B. Constructing an overview of a lecture Purpose: to get students to understand the key ideas from lectures and seminars; to develop note-taking skills.  Divide students into pairs or small groups and tell them you want them to use their notes to summarise the lecture they have just seen.  Ask each pair to summarise the lecture as an overview. Tell them (and write on board) that they should summarise the lecture by using: o Headings o Sub-headings o Main points o Examples o New terms o Queries or things that confuse them  After 5-10 minutes ask each pair to share their overview with another pair who have also created an overview  To review content, ask a student to come to the whiteboard to summaries the main points from the lecture, encouraging other students in the class to provide the ideas to be written on the whiteboard. C. Writing a summary paragraph Purpose: to get students to understand the key ideas presented in lectures and seminars; to develop note-taking skills. This activity is similar to the above, except you are asking students to summarise the contents of the lecture in a paragraph rather than as a structured overview.  Divide students into pairs or small groups and tell them you want them to use their notes to summarise the lecture.  Ask each pair to write a one paragraph summary of the lecture they have watched.  After about 10 minutes or when completed, ask each pair to then share their summary paragraph with another pair in order to create a new improved summary.  The new groups can then read out their revised summary to rest of the class.  To review content, you may wish to ask a student to come to the board and summarise the main points from the lecture, encouraging other students in the class to provide the ideas to be written on the board. D. Generating test or exam questions Purpose: to get students to understand the key ideas of the lectures and seminars; to prepare for exams.  Divide students into pairs, or a small group of 3 or 4. 13



Show the students one or two typical exam questions from a subject area of your choice. Ask them to think carefully about what they think is required. (For examples of exam questions, you could check past exam papers on myBU or look at the generic questions available from “Session Ideas” in PAL Central.) Now ask them to write three possible exam questions from the lecture they have just watched. Encourage them to check their notes whilst doing this so that they can ask questions that will test what has been covered in the lecture. When they have written their questions, write these three column headings on the board: o Definition or summary questions (testing knowledge of facts) o Analytical questions (testing understanding of theory) o Evaluation questions (appraising or criticising)

(See “Session Ideas” in PAL Central or the Academic Skills Community in myBU for further explanation.) E. Quiz 1 Purpose: to review the material in light hearted manner  Ask everyone to write on a piece of paper 3 questions based on the lecture they have just seen, to include in a quiz.  Ensure that they also write down the answer to their questions.  Encourage them to refer to their notes to check for accuracy.  Ask each person to write their name on their question sheet.  Collect all the questions.  Split the class into two teams. Get each team to choose a team name and write these on the board.  Assume the role of quiz-master and read through the questions – each team has to write an answer to each question.  Allow the teams a short time to discuss answers.  When you have read through a fair sample of questions (i.e. about a third or half), go back to the first question and get each team to read out their answers.  You decide which team has given the best answer and score them on the board.  Continue with the remaining questions. Your decision is final on who has given the best answer. F. Quiz 2 Purpose: to review course material in light-hearted manner  Divide the group into two or more teams.  Get each team to choose a team name – write these on the whiteboard  Ask each team to confer and write down 10 or so questions and their answers: 8 of these questions to be related to the lecture they‟ve just watched, the rest to be news or general knowledge.  Encourage teams to refer to their notes to check for accuracy  Ask each team to write their name on their question sheet.  Collect the questions and act as a quizmaster. 14

ď&#x201A;ˇ

Score as follows: 3 points for a correct answer, 1 point if you feel the question is far too difficult (e.g. Who won the Lithuanian hockey league cup in 1946), 0 if question canâ&#x20AC;&#x;t be answered.

As Leader your decision is final! Encourage your students to take responsibility to set the agenda for their PAL session.

Additional Notes/Ideas for PAL Sessions ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

How to run PAL Sessions The following pages include a range of techniques and activities to ensure that your PAL sessions run purposefully and your students benefit.

Key topics: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Preparation Starting your PAL session Agreeing a schedule Providing structure Encouraging participation Working with your PAL Group Gathering feedback Closing the session and reviewing it

You may find yourself handling a diverse group in background, motivation and culture. You might find some people talkative and others apparently tongue-tied. So you might want to spend time getting them to be more open and building a friendly atmosphere. On the other hand there may be an immediate concern that they bring to the session which may need addressing before matters like “Agreeing a Schedule” are undertaken. Choosing what to do may not feel easy at the start but gradually you will slip into a more natural and easy approach where you focus less on your own performance and increasingly on what and how the students need to learn. Part of your job is to keep some sort of balance between what you have planned and what emerges as the students‟ needs and priorities. You will feel a great sense of achievement when things go well. Occasionally, when things go wrong (as in the real world they do!) you may feel less happy about yourself, but with the knowledge that you can learn from such experiences. The best way to do that is to review the session carefully afterwards and discuss issues with others such as your PAL Course Contact or other PAL leaders. For further resources and ideas, look in PAL Central in myBU and also check what follow up training is available. Why not look at some of the clips on PAL Central for comments from past PAL leaders on their experiences?

1 – Preparation (There is a short video on „Planning and preparing for your session‟ in „Running PAL‟ PAL Central). Planning and preparing your PAL sessions in advance will give you a sense of confidence when you come to run the sessions. Proper preparation will also help you to run focused, and purposeful PAL sessions in which you feel confident and relaxed enough to be at ease and friendly with your students. Inadequate preparation or, worse still, no preparation at all, usually results in PAL sessions that are aimless and unfocused. During past evaluations, students have complained that such sessions are “… a complete waste of time” and, as a result, they are likely to stop attending. Previous PAL Leaders have said that that, it can take between 30 minutes to an hour to plan the first few PAL sessions. However they also say that, once you have developed confidence and your own style, planning will only take about 10 minutes. A. Contact your Group before the session  At the end of your last PAL session, you agreed the main topic for discussion for your forthcoming PAL session with your group.  Post an announcement in myBU and e-mail it to your students 2-3 days beforehand to remind them of the topic(s) they agreed they wanted to discuss.  Check the discussion boards in myBU  Remind them to bring along relevant notes, handouts, text books, etc. so that they can refer to these during small group discussions.  Ask if there are any new topics, perhaps arising out of this week‟s lectures, they would also like to discuss. B. Use the “PAL Session Plan” and „Session Review‟ (available in „PAL Essentials‟ in PAL Central) to help you plan your session  Think back to how the last PAL session went. If you filled in a “Session Review” form read through it again. What were the positive and negative points in relation to: The session in general Group learning 



The activities used Your facilitation and management of the session

Remind yourself of the topic(s) your group want to discuss. Have a quick read through your notes from last year. However, as you are not going to try to reteach them, all you need to do is familiarise yourself with the topic(s) rather than try to relearn it all perfectly. As a rough guide you should try not to take more than 10 minutes over this. Check materials that are available in myBU and obtain any necessary information from the appropriate lecturer as this can be invaluable especially if you plan to discuss a piece of assessed work in your PAL session. 17

 

Consider planning your PAL sessions with another Leader. This can be useful as a means of sharing information as well as getting new ideas. Look in PAL Central and your PAL community for contact details. Planning together is particularly recommended when you are new to PAL.

C. Plan group work and activities  Consider what small group learning techniques you’re going to use such as pair-work, pyramid, or jigsaw (look in „Session ideas‟ in PAL Central for more ideas).  Think about the composition of the small groups or pairs you want people to work in. Are you happy for people to pick their own groups or do you want to put together students who don‟t know each other well? The latter can encourage students to operate outside their own personal comfort zone and will often result in students gaining new perspectives on a topic which they may not get if they always work with their friends.  Consider the sorts of learning activities you’re going to run. You might want to run a quiz, review the contents of a recent lecture, give students a chance to practise presentations, or analyse an assignment.  More information on structuring group discussion and possible activities can be found in PAL Central. D. Plan the structure for the session in outline  Think through a possible structure for the session and how much time you‟re going to set aside for each activity.  Allow enough time for each pair/group to feedback. This period of group feedback is usually the part of the PAL session from which students get most benefit, so try to set aside around 15 minutes for this activity. E. On the day  Try to get to the room before the session starts so you can move the tables into groups for discussion.  If this isn‟t possible, move chairs so that people will be sitting face-to-face across a table rather than being seated in rows or around the outside of a horseshoe arrangement. Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider: Key features?

The 3 most important things you learnt were. . . 1

How you might use this information?

2 – Starting your PAL Sessions (There is a short video on „Starting the PAL session‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). A. Getting started  Welcome your students to PAL and thank them for any responses they have made to the discussion board/blog/e-mail you sent them 2-3 days before this session.  Start with a quick „Round‟ asking people for useful/interesting news items of relevance to their studies. This is a good „warm up‟ activity so try to include as many people in this as possible.  Check that you are all agreed on topic for discussion.  Check also that people have brought along the appropriate lecture notes, handouts, textbooks, etc. to refer to during their discussions. Note: it may be that some people have forgotten to bring along their notes, etc. If resources can be shared out among everyone, this is fine. However, if you have too few resources or people persist in coming along unprepared, it may be necessary to discuss the issue with the group. Point out to them that, if they are to get the greatest benefit from their PAL discussions, they have a responsibility to come along prepared and with the right resources to engage in the discussions. It is useful to address this issue during the first PAL session as part of agreeing some ground rules. B. Check what they are doing  Take a few moments to check with your group how their studies are going. In particular you should ask students: o What they have looked at in their studies, lectures, seminars, workshops, reading, etc. since the last PAL session. o When particular pieces of assessed coursework are due to be handed in.  It can be helpful to have a look at the teaching scheme on myBU – if this is not available, please contact the relevant member of staff. C. Identifying possible issues to address  Start by focussing on current course issues.  Ask what lectures students have had in the last week, with the intention of getting them to identify and explain the key issues covered in each of their lectures.  This can either be a quick overview of each lecture which takes about 10 minutes or something much more detailed which takes most of the session. Feedback can be recorded in the blog in your PAL community. o Tell the students that you‟re doing this quick review process so that any misunderstandings are addressed at an early stage – before they become a real problem. o It often works best if you get your students into pairs or threes to go through their notes filling in gaps and explaining things to each other. o You could ask each pair to focus on a different unit or module, dividing up the units in such a way that the group reviews all units on the programme. o After a few minutes ask the students to tell you and the others, briefly, what they thought were the key issues covered by their lecturers. 20

   

  



Ask focused and specific questions such as “Tell me, what do you think were the 3 main points the lecturer covered in the Media Theory lecture this week?”. Encourage other members of the group to chip in with additional points they thought were important too. Avoid vague questions such as “Has anyone got any problems?”. Such questions will rarely get any useful responses. Other questions you could ask might include: o What lectures have you had during the last week? o What new ideas have you had presented to you? o What new theory has been presented? Can you outline the details? o What new factual information has been presented? o What were the most difficult issues that were covered? o Which lectures would you like to look at again? During this process it is important that the onus is on your students finding and suggesting answers to your questions or those questions asked by other members of the group. To help them do this encourage them to look through their notes to remind themselves of what has been covered, review the material or solve issues of dispute. Listen carefully to students‟ responses and watch their body language. If some members of the group are confused about some of the topics covered or concerned that they are finding some aspects difficult say something like “I think that some of you might be finding this lecture rather difficult”, then ask them whether or not they want to set some time aside in the PAL session to go over the contents of the lecture again. When you have done this for each section of the course you are now in a position to agree a schedule for the rest of the session with the group.

Warning: Some students may be unfamiliar with the process of deciding on issues to discuss. Don‟t be surprised if there is initially some reluctance and reticence to come up with concerns in the session. Things will improve as students recognise that it is okay to admit to have difficulty understanding something and to ask other students for guidance. Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider: Key features?

The 3 most important things you learnt were. . . 1

How you might use this information?

3 – Agreeing a Schedule (There is a short video on „Agreeing a schedule‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). Once you have welcomed students to the PAL session, checked the previously agreed topic with them and identified any other topics of concern or misunderstanding, you should agree a schedule to work through with them. A. Why set a schedule? Schedule setting is useful for:  Providing structure to the session - to enable everyone to have a clear idea of the topics they will discuss during the session.  Making sure from the start that your students have a say in what is covered in their PAL sessions.  Encouraging students to raise any issues of concern or interest to them.  Bringing the students together as a group. B. What should go into your schedule? Normally you would want to include the following:  The previously agreed topic the group asked to discuss during this session.  Requests for additional topics students have e-mailed back to you.  Any issues identified earlier in the session when you asked the students to review the content of recent lectures. C. Other things that could also be included in the schedule At certain times during the year, you may also find it necessary to take account of some of the issues in this section. Forums on each of these topics have been set up in your programme PAL Community discussion board.  Settling in (most relevant early on)  Finding their way around  Academic issues and study skills (You‟ll find notes on these in PAL Central and the Academic Skills Community.)  Assignments  Directed activities Some staff may also suggest some activities you could undertake with the students using either materials that students already have or resources that staff themselves provide for you. D. Agreeing the schedule  Write all down all the issues to be discussed on the whiteboard/blog  Ask the students in what order they would like to work through the list.  Make a mental calculation on how long it will probably take to cover each item on the list. Your schedule could look like: 1) Share news items 2) Review recent lecture on Law of Contract (identified as an issue to address) 3) Analyse Human Rights assignment (previously agreed topic) 4) Groups‟ feedback on different aspects of the Human Rights assignment 23

Now, with your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x; agreement, youâ&#x20AC;&#x;re ready to start the main part of the PAL session. Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider: Key features?

How you might use this information?

4 – Providing Structure (There is a short video on „Providing a structure to the session‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). As a PAL Leader, you will need to find the balance between providing enough structure to keep the session on track whilst allowing individuals the freedom to express their ideas. Planning your PAL sessions beforehand using a “Session Plan”, feedback from students (either via email/blog/discussion board) and using information acquired when meeting with your PAL Course Contact or other leaders can assist this process. Some ways of providing structure to sessions A. Work systematically through the agenda  Remember to set a schedule  Once this schedule has been agreed, stick to it.  Spend some time on each point. Ask open-ended questions to begin discussion. Summarise the main ideas that emerge before moving on to the next item – add to the blog.  Remember to close the session B. Use a variety of techniques to keep the session interesting  Use group discussions and pair work.  Reorganise the furniture in order to aid small group discussion.  Ask students to do the board/computer work rather than you.  Keep the session supportive and friendly, but also make sure you focus on course concepts.  Spend some of your time sitting with students and some time at the front.  Encourage students to refer to their textbooks and notes for specific answers.  Lead general open-ended discussions, aiming to involve everyone.  Provide information visually and verbally (see below). C. Emphasise definitions, principles and rules  Courses will vary in how definitions, principles and rules are used, but all courses comprise an element of this. Focusing on definitions of new terms, or summarising important principles, can provide structure to the session.  Reinforce this by encouraging your students to compile their own glossary of important terms. D. Provide information visually as well as verbally  Some students learn better visually, others verbally.  Some learn better alone and some through interaction with others.  Try to make use of all these approaches, e.g. by using pictorial representations (diagrams) and verbal illustrations (lists and mnemonics) and by mixing individual with group work, for example, by using „Pyramid‟ (see PAL Central). E. Provide analogies and examples  These can help make ideas more concrete and memorable. Ask students to come up with their own examples of a theory or idea. 25

F. Help classify content  Get the students to organise content in ways that make better sense to them. G. Emphasise process (how you arrive at answers)  Ask students how they arrived at an answer; why they think something to be the case. H. Emphasise „if-then‟ reasoning when this is appropriate  If they get stuck, ask them “If that were true, then what would happen if … ?”  Make a list of problem steps where appropriate. I.

Summarise important points  At the end of each schedule item ensure the main points are summarised, preferably by encouraging students to provide the summary for you rather than doing it yourself.

Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider:

Key features?

How you might use this information?

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ What you think students in your group will find difficult and why?

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 26

5 – Encouraging Participation (There is a short video on „Encouraging participation‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). As a PAL Leader, you are not a teacher. Your main job is to encourage active learning, to encourage students to participate in discussion. Some ways of encouraging participation: A. Divide your group into pairs or small groups  Students can feel intimidated asking or answering questions individually when in large groups. In your PAL sessions you can address this by dividing your group into pairs or small groups of 3 or 4 people.  Small group work encourages greater participation, discussion, cooperative working, and the sharing of ideas between students.  You might need to divide existing groupings by asking them to 'number off' 1,2,3,4,5; 1,2,3,4,5; 1,2,3,4,5 and ask all the 1s to go together, all the 2s and so on. B. Manage group discussions  Give each group a clear task and let them know how much time they have got.  Wait for a few minutes before you start to join groups otherwise your students are likely to start to ask you the questions they should be answering among themselves.  Move around each group when your students have settled to their discussions to listen, possibly challenge, and offer support and encouragement.  Monitor how each group is progressing, keep the students focused, and their discussions on track.  Try not to spend too much time with each group – no more than a couple of minutes – before you move on to the next.  Encourage the students to refer to their course materials, lecture notes, or textbooks.  Let them know when there are 5 minutes left so they can get their ideas together for presentation to the other groups. C. Use students‟ names  Using students‟ names can help you and your students to feel more at ease with each other and increase student participation.  Make use of the attendance sheet if you cannot remember names easily and take the risk of either getting them wrong or asking them to remind you: "I'm sorry, I can't remember your name", and when they remind you, immediately using it. D. Encourage independent learning  Emphasise the importance of the student‟s own resources such as lecture notes, work books, and textbooks. Encourage students to annotate and add to their notes whenever they come across further relevant and useful information. 27



Remember that notes students take on the same lecture or seminar can be very different. If there are discrepancies between students, ask them to compare notes and come to a consensus.

E. Refer to the syllabus regularly  Encourage students to bring their course handbooks or programmes to PAL sessions. Check that students understand the requirements of the reading lists, assignments and any tests/projects.  Encourage them to look regularly at the learning outcomes for each unit or module so they are well aware of what they should be able to do and can use these learning outcomes as a guide to what and how they learn. F. Be a role model by using “I” statements yourself  Think back on your first year experiences and be honest about them with the group. Acknowledge where you didn‟t do well and how you could have done better.  If you didn‟t understand something or can‟t remember, then say so. Your students will likely feel that you are involved as a participant.  If you can honestly say "Yes, I found that difficult too", it can create positive rapport. G. Tell them it is normal to feel anxious about parts of the course  Reassure the group that some parts of the course are difficult and will probably take some time and effort to understand.  Much of PAL is about passing on your experience so you should be open about what you/your friends found difficult last year and how you (or they) addressed these issues. H. Encourage student questions  Student questions form the raw material for PAL sessions. Always ask if students have questions and offer plenty of time to answer.  It will develop their confidence if you ask them just to check quickly with their neighbour first, before answering a question. I.

Encourage students to verbalise  When students put their ideas into words it enables them to process information – putting ideas together into the right sequence or to form a coherent whole.  When a student expresses an idea it encourages other students to share or contribute their ideas as well.  Sometimes a group can put original ideas together through talking - ideas they didn't realise they had!

J. Wait for student responses to questions  Consciously train yourself to wait for student answers. Students often need time to think through what they‟re going to say before responding to a question. After a while they will usually give an answer - or ask another question.  Waiting for answers is a difficult but important skill. It can be very tempting to answer questions for students or jump in with another question. 28

  



If you can learn to be patient this will usually lead to better discussions and more group involvement. An easy way to pace yourself in this is to count up to 10 (silently!) after asking the question. If nobody answers your question you should encourage them to find the answers in their notes. You should also wait for other students to comment after a member of the class has said something. Don‟t immediately label an answer right or wrong – wait to see if other students have anything to add. Often just looking calmly round the group will encourage others to add more information. If you are working as a pair with another Leader remember not to answer each other‟s questions or ask the group another question immediately after your partner has asked one.

K. Use positive reinforcement  This involves nods, smiles and general encouragement and has a very positive effect on learning and confidence.  Offer praise for an answer (even if only partially correct), using a posture of interest, maintaining eye contact, and making positive comments.  If you know an answer to be 'wide of the mark' it is important not to criticise or put the student down. It is better to say "OK, that's interesting; what do others think?" Note the use of the neutral word "OK" rather "Yes" or "No". L. Repeat student responses  If you summarise or clarify comments and enable others to hear them, this can act as positive reinforcement to their participation and learning. M. Get students to use the whiteboard  Physical activity helps prevent students becoming too passive or bored. It also encourages students to talk to and support one another. N. Avoid interrupting student answers  PAL should be a safe and comfortable environment for students to try things out, attempt answers and make mistakes. Remember it is often from making mistakes that our best learning comes about.  If a student does seem to be talking too much or too long, you can use a non-verbal signal like raising you hand.  If this doesn‟t work, you‟ll have to be more direct, saying something along the lines of "Chris, could you hold it there - I'd like to hear what some of the others think now." Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider: Key features?

The 3 most important things you learnt were. . . 1

How you might use this information?

6 – Working with your PAL group See also „Running Pal‟ in PAL Central (myBU). A. Facilitating the Group As you know, you are not there to give answers to the group. You are there to help your students get to their own answers and guide them towards acquiring their own understanding. This will enable students to develop a deep approach to learning. The notes below are intended to indicate ways in which you can facilitate sessions and guide your students towards acquiring their own understanding.  Initiating o Define the problem to be worked on and, with the group, agree procedures and ideas for solving the problem.  Seeking information or opinions o Request facts o Seek relevant information o Ask for ideas or examples o Elicit further suggestions (sometimes it may be useful to check: "Is that a fact or an opinion?")  Clarifying and elaborating Ask members of the group to: o Define terms o Clear up different interpretations or confusion o Indicate alternatives or applications o Identify key issues  Summarising You should try to: o Pull together related ideas o Restate suggestions after the group has discussed them o Offer a decision for the group to accept or reject  Seeking decisions o Test the group for their readiness to make decisions o Seek decision making procedures like “let‟s put that to the vote” or “give me some ideas and I‟ll see what‟s possible by next week” for example  Taking decisions o State the group's feelings in terms of a group decision o Invoke the decision making procedure B. An Effective PAL Group Successful group work depends on the group members being able to exchange ideas freely and feeing involved in the decisions of the group. No group can become fully productive until its members are willing to assume responsibility for the way the group acts. The most effective PAL Leaders realise, and help the group realise, that contributing to the total task of leadership is the responsibility of each member. An effective PAL Group:  Is not dominated by the PAL Leader. 31

       

 

  

Has a clear understanding of its goals and purposes. Channels its energy into effective work. Is flexible in its procedures. Provides for everyone to feel included, even reluctant, late or occasional members. Feels safe in terms of relationships and boundaries Achieves the balance between group productivity and the satisfaction of individual needs. Makes intelligent use of the differing knowledge and abilities of members. Provides for sharing of leadership responsibilities by group members -that all members are concerned about contributing ideas, elaborating and clarifying the ideas of others, giving opinions and testing the feasibility of potential decisions. Has a high degree of cohesiveness, but not to the point of stifling individual freedom. Has achieved a high degree of communication and understanding between group members. As well as ideas, personal feelings and attitudes are encouraged to be shared as they are considered important to the work of the group. Is able to initiate and carry out effective decision making carefully, taking into consideration minority viewpoints. Can be objective about reviewing its own processes. It can face its problems and adjust to needed modifications in its operations. Maintains a balance between emotional and rational behaviour, and channels emotion into productive group effort.

Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider: Key features?

How you might use this information?

7 – Gathering Feedback (There is a short video on „Gathering feedback from groups, board-work and questions‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). A. Benefits  The plenary session, in which each pair or small group explains the outcomes of their discussions to the group as a whole, is the time when your students will obtain the greatest benefit from their PAL session.  It is important not to rush this process but to set aside enough time for the presentation of ideas and for any further discussion arising out of the points each group makes – as a rough guide you should plan to set aside around 20 minutes, for this part of your PAL session.  The process of summarising outcomes encourages students to verbalise – to organise their ideas into a coherent and logical order, and to gain practise in explaining their ideas using the language of the subject.  It will also enhance both students‟ understanding and their presentation skills. B. What you should do  Go around each pair or small group in turn asking one person to explain the outcomes of their discussion. These points can be further expanded by other members of the group.  Ensure key points are written down on the whiteboard or on an OHT as this reinforces what is being said and provides tangible evidence of each group‟s work. o Either you can write down each key point yourself on the board. o Or, preferably, you will find it involves the students more if one member from each group writes down the key points while other members of their group provide the information. You may find this approach is easier for you to manage too.  As Leader you should concentrate on managing the feedback process, prompting for examples, and asking questions for further clarification. o You will find facilitating easier if you have asked group members to record key points on the board or in myBU rather than doing it yourself. o Make a conscious effort to give each group plenty of encouragement and positive reinforcement. o When you ask questions for probing or clarification, try to sound interested and curious rather than critical.  It will help students develop their active listening skills if you encourage them to ask questions or supply further information where possible. C. Write down recommended work/actions/reading  It will avoid confusion if details of recommended reading, actions, or useful web sites are written down on the board as part of this process. Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider:

Key features?

How you might use this information?

8 – Closing the Session and Reviewing it (There are short videos on „Closing the PAL session‟ and „Reviewing/reflecting on how the session went‟ in „Running PAL‟ in PAL Central). A. Closing the session Having gathered feedback from each small group, you should set aside the last few minutes for closing the session:  If you did not have enough time to work through all the topics on the schedule, ask the group if they‟d like to discuss them in their next PAL session.  Ask students if anything still puzzles them and try to deal with it then and there either by clarifying it yourself or by asking if any member of the group can provide the information.  If neither you nor any member of the group can resolve this issue satisfactorily, ask for someone to volunteer to find out this information and to report back in the next session. Try to avoid doing this yourself because this will encourage dependency.  Ask the students what they would like to cover in their next PAL session and make a note of this in your diary.  Check that the attendance register is completed.  End the session by thanking everyone for their time and contributions.  Return chairs and tables to their correct positions and wipe the board before you leave the room. B. Reviewing/reflecting on how session went  When your PAL session has ended take a few minutes to reflect on the session by completing a „Session review‟ sheet from your PAL manual. You will find that this period of reflection will improve the quality of your work as a PAL Leader.  First, jot down a couple of sentences which describe how you think the session went. Identify what you think went well as well as those aspects you may need to improve in future.  Next consider the positive and negative points in relation to: o The session in general o Group learning o Your facilitation and management of the session o The activities used o Your self development and understanding of the subjects discussed  Make a brief note of the topics covered so you have a record.  Make a note of any issues you need to discuss with your Course PAL Contact, other members of staff, or the PAL Leaders on your course.  Finally, make a note in your diary to e-mail your group 2-3 days before your next session to remind them of the agreed topic and to bring along relevant lecture notes, textbooks and other resources to refer to during discussions. Use this space and the additional pages at the back of this booklet to take notes on this section.

Consider:

Key features?

How you might use this information?

Day1, 11:40am – 1:00pm

Asking and Redirecting Questions The key to encouraging discussion in the group is asking questions of your students that make them do the thinking and talking - and then actively listening to them. Questions serve at least three purposes in PAL discussions: to test the students‟ knowledge, to clarify information, and to stimulate students into expressing ideas and constructing arguments. This section offers some general advice on the types of questions you might find useful to ask of students, to encourage communication within the group.

A. Redirecting questions Or … how to effectively turn questions back to the group and not give the answers yourself 

 



 



People learn through practising, testing out their ideas, getting feedback from others, and reflecting on their experiences. In other words when they make the effort, take responsibility for their own learning, and relate and apply new information to their own context. People do not learn very much if they are told the answers. During your early sessions students will probably expect you to provide answers to their questions and there are times when it is appropriate for you to do this, especially in matters which relate to settling into the University and the locality. However, PAL sessions should be about encouraging your students to learn interdependently and develop their understanding through collaborative discussions and exploration of their ideas. So it is important that you discourage your students from taking the easy option of you telling them what they need to know. When asked a direct question, try to turn this back to the group. This will allow more students to participate, and your students will become more confident when able to provide answers for the group. Examples of redirection questions: o "Well, what do you think?" o “Can anybody help X answer that question?" o "Does anyone know the answer to that question?" o "What information would you need to answer that?" o “What was said in the lecture about this?” o "Does anyone have any hints about this in their notes?" o "Let's try and work that out together … what is the first thing you need to do … what do you need to do next?" If students persist in wanting to hear the answers from you, you will need to address this issue, in the first instance perhaps by saying something along the lines of: o “Well it wasn’t my strongest subject so I wouldn’t like to mislead you”. o “The syllabus has changed since last year and we didn’t cover this in much depth”. If you think that the level of direct questioning is becoming a problem, show the group the “Main features of Peer Assisted Learning” that you displayed and discussed during your first PAL session. (It is available in PAL Central in „Running PAL‟.)



Remind the group that: o PAL is about exploratory discussion, not being told the answers. o PAL is about active learning – learning by discussing and thinking. o The PAL Leader is here to help you (the students) find the answers for yourselves through discussion and reference to your notes, etc. o Because you‟re not an expert the PAL Leader is not there to teach or tell students the answers.

B. Open-ended questions     

The best questions are usually open-ended (ones that require more than a yes, no or short answer). They require students to provide more considered responses. Open-ended questions will encourage your students to think back and draw on their experience, what they've read, what they recall. If students get stuck, you could break down more complex problems into smaller chunks that are more manageable. Ask “What is the first thing we need to do to solve this?”, followed by "Then what do you need to do next?", “And then what …”, and so on. The more students talk, the better the student leader and other students are able to understand their ideas and thinking.

C. Probing questions   

The task of the PAL Leader is to help students to begin to process information beyond the superficial level of delivering the 'right' answer. This will happen when students begin to genuinely interact with the material by clarifying it, thinking critically about it, putting it in their own words and relating it to their existing knowledge. Examples of probing questions: o "Where did that idea come from?" o “Take me through the steps you took to arrive at that answer” o “How does that fit in with …?” o “How can you be sure about that?” o “Are there any other possibilities?”

D. Clarification questions You should request further clarification or explanation when a student's answer is vague or unclear.  When you do this try to make your voice sound curious rather than critical.  Examples of clarification questions: o "Could you explain that in a little more detail?" o "Can you be more specific?" o "Anything else you would like to add?" o "How would you explain that in an essay or exam?" o “Can you tell me what you mean by X?” o E. Questions to improve critical awareness  Used when the leader suspects the student does not fully understand what they‟re saying or to get the student to reflect on their answer.  Examples: o "What are you assuming here?" 

o o o o

"Could you give an example of that?" "Do you have any evidence to support that?" "How might someone argue against that point?" "How have you come to that conclusion?"

F. Questions which encourage students to refocus  

These questions will encourage students to see a concept from another perspective by focusing on relationships. Examples: o "How is that related to…?" o "How does that tie into …?" o "How does that compare with …?" o "If that is true, then what would happen if …?"

G. Taking stock  

Used towards the end of the PAL session when you want students to reflect on progress made, to summarise information or suggest some ways forward. Examples: o “So, where are we in relation to …?” o “Whose turn is it to sum up this week?” o “So, between now and next week …”

As long as there is lively discussion… The suggestions so far are ideas to help sessions run smoothly don't worry too much about whether you are asking the perfect questions. Theory is all very well, but what is more important is that you and your students engage in lively and helpful discussion, that you all enjoy.

Activity: Practising Facilitation using Effective Questions In groups, one person will be the facilitator and another person will ask the question given. The rest of the group will help answer the student‟s question in response to the facilitator‟s questions. *Facilitator – think about how to effectively turn questions back to the group and be careful not to give answers out yourself. Try to use a range of questions (refer to the previous section if necessary). Activity Questions Group 1: How do I check my university email? Group 2: How do I reference this book? Group 3: How do I join a BU club/society? Group 4: What is myBU? Group 5: How do I print something in the library?

Our Question is___________________________________________________________________ Type of Question (Not all may be appropriate for your topic)

Question(s) asked by Facilitator

A. Redirecting Questions

B. Open-ended Questions

C. Probing Questions

D. Clarification Questions

E. Questions to Improve Critical Awareness

F. Questions Which Encourage Students to Refocus

G. Taking Stock

Coaching Skills Although you are not an expert in your subject, you are an experienced student who has just gone through similar things that this year‟s freshers will go through. This will enable you the confidence to coach and support 1st years, enabling them to become independent in achieving their best, improving their ability to solve their own problems, and make the most of opportunities.

So what is „coaching‟? Coaching in this context involves helping another person to improve awareness, to set and achieve goals in order to improve a particular performance. Coaches encourage coachees to find solutions. Skills for now and for the future Coaching will help you work through problems yourself and support others Coaching skills include awareness of. . . Potential – Achieving your best, making the most of opportunities Resilience – Believing you can take new opportunities – Finding solutions to problems as they arise Networking – Finding the right people or resources to give you support

The Skills of a Coach  

You will need coaching skills: at university, on placement, as an employee, as a manager Successful managers use coaching skills, and will expect employees to work out their own ways to solve problems creatively

Ability to ask questions KEY Coaching questions usually start with: What? Who? When? Where?

How?

(Why?)

The Grow Model Goal Where do you want to get to? Reality What’s the current situation? Options What could you do? Will What will you do? Confidentiality  Not only is confidentiality is a crucial responsibility of a PAL Leader, it is also an essential quality of a coach.  Coaching will only be successful where both parties trust each other, and have agreed to keep their conversation confidential 42



(!) Confidentiality applies to overhearing others

Coaching Activities In order to further understand the types of questions that can be used to enable others to help themselves; we are going to take you through a silent coaching activity. You need to think of 2 topics you would like to work on. They need to be current goals, or something you want to think through. These should be things in which you have significant control over, and ones which matter to you, e.g. an academic goal or personal goal. . . • How can I make the most of my seminar sessions? • How can I make the most of my lectures? • How can I improve my presentation skills? • How can I do better in the next assignment? • How can I further develop my CV to become more employable? • How can I find a suitable part time job? • How can I find a suitable placement? • How can I manage my time/money more effectively? • How can I meet more friends? • How can I get along better with my housemates? Some things may be more under your control than you think. For example you may find the teaching style of some lecturers less accessible than others. You cannot change the style of all the lecturers to suit yourself, but you can think about how to adapt your learning style to suit different approaches.

Activity 1: Silent Coaching    

You will be completely silent No-one need ever know what your topic is Choose the more sensitive topic first Answer as best you can in your head or you may write it down

You will get most from the process by… • Being honest with yourself • Being creative about options • Being realistic about actions • Getting and understanding feedback • Working out how to respond to that feedback • Planning and implementing that plan This will enable you to be more confident and independent in reaching your goals. You need to write down your answers.  If you are not sure about what to write for a question, make your best guess.  Because the session is silent, if you have any questions you would like to ask as we go through, then please make a note so you can ask them at the end.  Please do not speak while the process is going ahead because that would break the concentration of everyone else in the room, and concentration and focus is essential to the experience. 43

Use this space to record your responses for this section.

GOAL How much of this goal is within your control (percentage. If less than 80% then you may need to choose a different goal)? Which parts of the goal make it worthwhile to you?

How challenging is it?

What could be your first milestone?

How realistic is your milestone?

When do you want to achieve it by?

REALITY How important (how big) is this issue for you? (Scale of 1-10)

What makes it an issue?

What have you done so far, and what has been the result?

What do you have that you are not using?

What would a neutral observer say is happening?

OPTIONS What could you do (note down all your ideas)?

What else could you do?

If you had more time (or less time) what would you do? If you knew someone who had dealt well with this issue, what would they say?

WILL Look at all your options and rate them each on a scale of 1-10, including the option of doing nothing. Of all the options, on which are you willing to take the first step?

When will you take the first step (be specific).

Who needs to know?

How committed are you to taking this action (on a scale of 1-10)? If that answer was not 10, what stops it being a 10? If it is less than 8 you will probably not take the action.

Reflections 1) What did you notice about that experience?

Activity 2: Peer-to-Peer Coaching You need to work in pairs Choose a topic you want to work through and that you are happy to share Try not to be too loud so colleagues can think  We have 15-20 mins for this activity. The questions for each section will be put up on the screen, and we will move on to the next section after 4-5 mins • You may only need some of these questions GOAL  How much of this goal is within your control (percentage. If less than 80% then you may need to choose a different goal)?  Which parts of the goal make it worthwhile to you?  How challenging is it?  What could be your first milestone?  How realistic is your milestone?  When do you want to achieve it by? • • • •

REALITY  How important (how big) is this issue for you? (Scale of 1-10)  What makes it an issue?  What have you done so far, and what has been the result?  What do you have that you are not using?  What would a neutral observer say is happening? OPTIONS  What could you do (note down all your ideas)?  What else could you do?  If you had more time (or less time) what would you do?  If you knew someone who had dealt well with this issue, what would they say? WILL      

Look at all your options and rate them each on a scale of 1-10, including the option of doing nothing. Of all the options, on which are you willing to take the first step? When will you take the first step (be specific). Who needs to know? How committed are you to taking this action (on a scale of 1-10)? If that answer was not 10, what stops it being a 10? If it is less than 8 you will probably not take the action.

Reflections 1) What was it like to be the coach, or the coachee?

2) What did you learn from this experience?

Supporting students in planning an assignment; finding a good angle for an essay, or developing an argument; After a lecture to follow up on something that interests them or they want to understand better; Supporting students in responding and effectively using feedback received on an assignment

Example Below is a script that is geared to assignment planning that may be used as a guide to coach your PAL Group through an assignment: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Which assignment(s) are you currently working on? When is this assignment(s) due? How are you getting on with the assignment(s) you‟ve been set? What problems or issues that you have come across that are preventing you from completing the assignment/s? 5. What evidence do you have that you‟re answering the actual question you‟ve been set? 6. How are you getting on finding sources for the assignment (e.g. books, journals…) 7. What range of sources (e.g. books, journals, websites) have you currently referred to? 8. How reliable/relevant would you say the sources are that you have used? 9. How do you know your work meets all the requirements of the assignment brief? 10. How have you used any feedback from your last assignment/s that you can take into consideration when completing this piece of work? 11. How do you know all your sources been cited and referenced correctly?

Quick Checklist for PAL Sessions Timing

What you should consider doing

Before the session

Preparation  Check whether there is anything new on the discussion board in myBU  Post an announcement/email group 2-3 days beforehand to remind them:  Topic(s) agreed for discussion.  To bring along relevant notes, handouts, etc.  To ask if there is anything else they would like to discuss.  As a reminder, have a quick read through your notes from last year on the topic(s) (if relevant).  Plan your session in outline, including small group techniques you‟ll use.  Check whether there is anything else you need to confirm with staff or other PAL Leaders.  Check you have necessary resources e.g. whiteboard pens, note pad etc Welcome to the session and news round  Start with a quick round of interesting news of relevance to the programme.  Try to get as many people as possible to contribute. Getting started  Check the previously agreed topic for discussion.  Brief review of main points from recent lectures  Ask whether or not there is anything additional they would like to cover.  Write topics to cover on the whiteboard and agree a time for each.  When you have reached the end of that time slot ask whether or not they would like to continue or move on. Group discussions  Divide your students into pairs or small groups of 3-4.  Give everyone clear guidance on what they should be doing.  Let each group settle to their task.  Move around each group quickly, monitoring progress.  If people get stuck, suggest they check their notes, etc. rather than give an answer yourself.  Whilst groups are working, check that everyone has signed the attendance register. Gathering feedback  This is the most important part of the session so give it enough time!  Ask each group to present their ideas either verbally, on the board.  Make sure ideas are written down as tangible evidence – you could use a wiki or blog in myBU.  Be supportive and encourage everyone else to contribute ideas too.  Where necessary, ask open questions to explore things in greater depth or for clarification – ask: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?  Try to sound curious rather than critical when you ask questions. Ending the session  Ask the students if anything still puzzles them. Try to deal with it immediately either yourself or by asking the group.  Ask the group what they would like to cover in their next PAL session.  Thank everyone for their contributions.

X.00 – X.05 (5 minutes)

X.05 – X.15 (10 minutes)

X.15 – X.35 (20 minutes)

X.35 – X.50 (15 minutes)

X.50 – X.55 (5 minutes)

Simulated PAL Session Plan Time

Activity ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Day1, 4:00pm – 4:50pm

What‟s available in PAL Central (myBU)

PAL Leaders, Course Contacts and staff involved in supporting PAL can access PAL Central. There are seven main sections: Announcements PAL Essentials  PAL Leader Job Description  Forms for Planning, Review, Evaluation and Observation  Register of attendance  Pay Claim form  Information about further training Running PAL  Getting started  How to run PAL Sessions  What to do in your PAL Sessions  Your First PAL Session  Working with your PAL Group Contacts  Working with your PAL Course Contact Using myBU Session ideas  Resources for different Learning Experiences Discussion Board  Remember: You will be enrolled onto the same units in myBU as your PAL group

What‟s available in your programme PAL Community (myBU)

(This is an example of what the Events Management PAL Community looks like – each community will have some differences). You programme PAL Community is accessible by Level C students and PAL Leaders associated with that programme. Announcements  This is where you can post announcements for your group PAL Leaders  This is where you can place your contact details (and a photograph, if you want) Resources  This is where you can put resources and links that you want to use with your group Useful Contacts  This contains links to Library and Learning Support staff and the Academic Staff index. You can add other links. Discussion Boards PAL Groups  This is where you can have a private discussion board for your PAL group. You can also email your group (or individuals) from here.  Further myBU training will tell you how to get the best from your community  Please refer to the „Using myBU‟ section in PAL Central for guides about using your community to remind yourself of today‟s training 52

What‟s available in the Academic Skills Community (myBU)

Whether you are working on your first assignment or writing your literature review for your Master‟s dissertation, use the Academic Skills Community to access help, advice and resources to improve your academic performance and reach your potential. Resources include information on referencing and avoiding plagiarism, and you will find a range of workbooks, quizzes and multimedia materials to suit you. Access the Academic Skills Community via the My Communities box on the myBU Home page, or from the Academic Skills tab in myBU: https://mybu.bournemouth.ac.uk Follow us on Facebook for hints and tips visit Bournemouth University Academic Skills on Facebook. Please encourage your PAL group to „Like‟ this page!

myBU for PAL Leaders (and related IT issues)  IT Service Desk – 01202 965515 – available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year Logging in  Username and password – username cannot be changed  Password can be reset when logged in, or by calling IT Service Desk.  Password must be: 8 characters, mixture of numbers, capital letters, lowercase letters, symbols (3 of 4) Using a data projector  Handset and screen controls. How to blank the screen and switch between PC and video Email  Importance of checking email and ability to set up message rules Can‟t see correct PAL groups and units  Contact pal@bournemouth.ac.uk if it‟s your PAL group‟s units that you cannot see  Contact IT Service Desk if you can‟t see your own unit Library and Learning Support on Facebook  Make sure that people know what workshops are running and sign up for Bournemouth University Academic Skills Facebook page  Must not use Facebook for PAL if in HSC.  Can link to it… but not everyone uses Facebook.

PAL Central  Where resources are  Follow up training – under PAL Essentials  Doodle list – after getting your timetable Programme PAL Community  Create contact – including a photo 150 x 150  Post announcement  Setting up groups  Linking to facebook.  Using GradeCentre as a register – smart views  How to set up a sign up list  Blogs and wikis  Discussion boards 54

Day 1, 4:50pm – 5:00pm briefing; Activity Day 2, 9:00am – 9:40am

Boundary Setting It is possible that members of your PAL Group will put you under some pressure to advise or help them with their academic work. As a PAL Leader you may find it helpful to discuss and agree the point at which your responsibilities end and your students‟ responsibilities begin. For each incident stated, make notes on how you might deal with it.

Incident

How could you best deal with this?

1. You are running your first PAL session and your students ask you whether or not PAL is compulsory 2. Only a couple of students are participating in group discussions 3. Your students don't see the point of identifying and discussing the key issues that have been presented in their lectures during the past week 4. Your students have received their first assignment and want you to tell them what to put in it 5. Two of your students are aware that you did a similar assignment last year. They want to have a look at your assignment to get some ideas on how to structure theirs 6. One of your students is uncertain whether her completed assignment is of an appropriate academic standard. She asks you to read it and make suggestions

7. A student wants to borrow the list of references from one of your essays. She says that it will help her understand how to reference properly 8. The group is reluctant to suggest topics for discussion in PAL sessions and want you to decide what should be covered 9. Although you agree topics for discussion in advance with your group each week, very few of the students turn up with the relevant notes or resources to enable useful discussions to take place 10. Some students are being disruptive and ruining the session for others

11. A student comes to you at the end of the PAL session and asks if they can talk something through with you 12. An attractive member of your PAL group asks you out for a drink 13. Students rarely share ideas or participate in discussions and persist in wanting to hear answers from you 14. Members of your group rarely come to PAL with news items of their own and are overly dependent on you for this information 56

Day 2, 9:40am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:40am

Working with Students with a Disability ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 57

Day 2, 12:00pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30pm

SUBU: Student Representation ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 58

Day 2, 12:30pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:30pm

Q & A with Previous PAL Leaders You will have an opportunity to speak to some out-going PAL Leaders. Use this space to make a note of any questions that you have for them.

Top Tips from Previous PAL Leaders 1) Get to know your students‟ names. Use an icebreaker in your first session to help you with this. 2) Get everyone‟s email addresses (and remind them how to forward their BU emails if required) so you can keep in touch. 3) Take a friend or another Leader with you to your first PAL session. They‟ll help take the strain off you if you feel a bit nervous. 4) Always ask your group what they want to do in their next PAL session. 5) Plan your PAL sessions in advance, making sure they‟re structured with lots of small group activities. 6) It helps if you plan your sessions with other Leaders from your programme. 7) Encourage students to ask and answer questions themselves. If necessary ask them to check their notes for the answer - resist the temptation to be a subject expert or teacher. 8) Find out assignment hand-in dates and plan sessions around these – you can usually find this information on myBU. 9) Allow some time each session to address unanticipated concerns. 10) Use your PAL Guide and PAL Central (myBU) as reference guides; they contain lots of suggestions and good ideas. 11) If you don‟t know something, don‟t blag - ask for help. 12) Don‟t go on about PAL not being compulsory – just tell your group it‟s on their timetable. 13) Attend follow-up training sessions – they really help you. 14) Remember you‟ve got your own work to do – don‟t try to do theirs as well. 15) Keep registers on a weekly basis and give them in to your PAL Course Contact at the end of each month. Get your pay claims in on time too. 16) Don‟t be upset if only a few people turn up, but do talk this through with your PAL Course Contact. 17) Last, but not least, enjoy the experience and have some fun!

Day 2, 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Meeting with your Course Contact ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

PAL Leader Observations In order to support you in your role as a PAL Leader, a member of The PAL Team or your Course Contact will observe you running one of your PAL Sessions (most likely during the 1st term). You will know in advance when the observation will be, and you can view an example of the form used by the observer below (a blank form is also available under „PAL Essentials‟ in PAL Central). After the session, the observer will have a quick chat with you about your session, and provide you with feedback. This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions about your role or raise any issues you may have. You will receive a copy of your observation form including feedback shortly after your observed session. Example of Observation Form completed in response to a BA (Hons) Business Studies PAL Session: (Examples from your course/school may be provided during training and are also available in PAL Central under „Running PAL‟)

PAL LEADER OBSERVATION

PAL Leaders: Fred Flintstone & Barney Rubble Programme/Course: BA (Hons) Business Studies Day and Date: 17th November 2011 Time of session start: 11am Time of session end: 12pm Room number: DG02 Attendance: 15 students – 10 males; 5 females Summary of PAL Session: 5 min: Welcomed students and shared news on „Leg-it‟ Charity Event achievements 10 min: Asked students in groups to look up business news and share with everyone (5min given) & discussion 15 min: Quiz, in groups, on first 2 lectures about International Awareness and wider reading (test next week); Leaders read out questions and students discussion with those around them and write answer down individually (good variety of questions; leaders will email out quiz & answers to students afterwards); Showed answers to quiz and discussion for each answer 10 min: Reminded students of test next week; Went over revision planning – questions on revision planning handout to identify strengths and weakness in strategies 5 min: Checked on students „SIG‟ events and wikis; Leaders showed their „SIG‟ video from last year on YouTube and highlighted important things to include 5 min: Checked if everyone had started ethics report and discussed progress; Asked for requests for next week 10 min: Leaders open for any individual questions/work with group on „SIG‟ events projects; closure

Prompt Starting the session asks for summary of key issues covered in lectures identifies topics for discussion

Comments    

Group interaction



monitors each group‟s progress &

  

Gathering feedback

asks openEnding session

General

balance of leadership & empathy with

Encourages students to refer to notes if stuck and discuss with others around them, „quiz is not a competition‟ Encourages a student to say answer aloud to everyone Encourages students to take notes Encourages students to set goals and plan their revision with handout



Checks to see if everyone was ready before moving on to next question Asks if students are shocked by questions or comfortable answering them (gage how much revision is still required) Asks students to feedback revision techniques on handout

  

Encourages students to show them their wikis Asks questions to get students thinking Asks for further clarification/examples to support answers



Leader gives summary of today‟s session; asks for suggestions for next week Reminds students that they will be changing rooms Thanks students Reassuring; encouraging Friendly, relaxed environment Good balance between humour and focusing on course Good balance between leaders Spoke clearly and confidently; enthusiastic about course Gave tips based on experience (e.g. wikis; video; group work; exam preparation) Obvious that students see value in PAL sessions and benefit from these sessions

 

Asking questions

Welcomes students, shares personal news on charity event „Leg-it‟ Identifies topics for session and puts them up on screen Asks students to look up and share business news Takes Attendance Register

        

Recommendations for Future Sessions:  When you give a time for an activity (e.g. your news round) – stick to it (you gave them 5min and expected them to be ready in 1min)  Be careful about the wording on some questions on your quiz – make sure questions are clear  Always ask students for answers/guesses before you show them the correct answer; always repeat correct answer after student answers to ensure that everyone can hear as well as see it on projector

Reflections from Course/School PAL Session Observation Sheet ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 62

Day 2, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Working in Cross Cultural Settings Introduction Working in a multi-cultural setting is challenging and rewarding. It is also an opportunity to develop the wide range of intercultural competence skills that employers now seek. It is likely that some of the students in your PAL sessions will be students who come from outside the UK and who are used to studying in very different ways. Indeed, you may be an international student yourself in which case you will know how different our system of education is here in the UK! What follows are a few suggestions on how you might better overcome some of the challenges of working with a diverse group of students in PAL. These suggestions also apply to working in any multi-cultural setting.

Reflect on your own experiences First of all take five minutes to reflect upon your own experiences of working with people from other cultures. What observations have you made about the way that, for example, Chinese students differ from you in the way they learn and behave?  How do they greet each other?  How do they behave in the lecture theatre?  How they relate to the lecturer?  How they relate to each other?  How they relate to other non-Chinese students?

Be explicit The British (to generalise) are often very polite and afraid of stating the obvious. British people are very good at implying rather than explaining what we expect and what we mean. When helping students to learn new approaches, be explicit. Some examples: Assessment - Clarify the criteria lecturers use when marking (and what a „good‟ mark means). Planning - You may need to decode an essay title. What do the various „procedure‟ words mean? How is „evaluate‟ different from „justify‟, or „discuss‟ different from „describe‟. (Further information on Essay Writing is available in the Academic Skills Community in myBU.) Don‟t forget international students might take much longer to produce work if English is not their native language. About interpersonal relationships - Tell them how you wish to be addressed. Make your role and its limitations (or boundaries) absolutely clear early on. Be explicit about when and how you can help them. 63

Feedback – Your Important Role! International students who study in the UK are probably willing to change the way they have always done things (they chose to come here and expected difference), however this may be a difficult and slow process. It is useful to be aware of the importance of your role in this context. They can ask you things they might not wish to ask the lecturer and you can give them useful feedback and lots of examples of good practice in a non threatening environment.

Keep it Simple Students need time to think and digest what you say before they reach an understanding. Keep it simple! Avoid metaphors, puns, jokes, colloquial phrases and slang, or, if you do use them – BE EXPLICIT – explain what they mean! Be willing to repeat what you have said if necessary.

Speaking in Class Being expected to argue, articulate and share opinions can be difficult in a second language. Pair and small group work can help a lot and is a useful way of giving students time to practise a response before sharing their ideas with the whole group. (See PAL Central in myBU for more ideas.)

Increase Your Cross-Cultural Sensitivity Try to get to know something about your international students, where they come from and what their life is like back in their home country. Don‟t be afraid to ask questions! Exploring what others do and how they think will help you to become aware of your own rules, assumptions and conventions.

West is Best? Remember that the way we learn and the way we do things here is just one way of doing things and not necessarily the best way of doing things, just different. Be careful not to make value judgements. Remember, all students need to learn the rules and the way we do things here if they wish to succeed.

UK Home Students You will have a very important role in creating a supportive environment where discussion of cultural difference and things in common can thrive. You‟ll need to consider the following in relation to the other students in your group:  How do UK-based students perceive the international students?  How might you deal with any difficulties in communication or understanding?  How might you encourage more interaction and cross-cultural sensitivity?

Group work Groups that include a variety of cultures often find it hard to work effectively together. Tension may arise where group work is assessed in terms of outcome rather than process. 64

PAL sessions provide an ideal forum in which to analyse the process of working together in multi-cultural groups through discussing the difficulties and the positive aspects too. Use PAL as a tool to increase cross-cultural awareness within the group. PAL Central contains further information on ways you could encourage members of your PAL group to operate effectively in small groups or teams. Source: Carroll, J., 2002. Suggestions for teaching international students more effectively. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University. Available from: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/briefing_papers/international_st udents.pdf [Accessed 19 May 2010]

Cultural Awareness Use this page to take notes on issues that you think international students might encounter when living in the UK/studying at Bournemouth University.

Day 2, 3:00pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3:20pm

Critical Incidents As a PAL Leader, it is important to understand how to best deal with particular incidents as they arrive. You will be given a couple if incidents that may occur. Please discuss within your group which ways may be best to deal with these certain situations. Then chose one member of your group to read out the incident that you received and how you decided it was best to deal with the situation. For each incident stated, make notes on how you might deal with it.

Incident 1. The timetabled PAL Session is not at a convenient time for your group (i.e. scheduled on their day off) 2. Subgroups start forming and there are clear divides in the group 3. There is an assignment set that is different to what you were assigned last year and a student asks you to explain it 4. You think your co-PAL Leader is giving wrong information to the group

5. You are feeling unwell and are unable to run your next PAL Session

6. One student isnâ&#x20AC;&#x;t engaging/participating

7. Your PAL Session is timetabled in a Lecture Theatre

How could you best deal with this?

8. Your PAL Group was unable to suggest ideas for the next session and you can‟t think of anything relevant to cover 9. Attendance to your sessions is very low

10. Your students don‟t have any assignments due and say that, as a consequence, they don‟t think there is any point in meeting for their PAL Sessions until their next assignment is set 11. A student in your PAL group tells you about an online reference generator and says it‟s much easier than referring to the BU Harvard Referencing Guide 12. Other PAL Leaders from your course are struggling to come up with ideas for their PAL Sessions and ask you for help 13. The discussion you are leading goes off topic

14. A student asks you a question and you don‟t know the answer or are not entirely sure of the answer 15. There is a noticeable age difference between you and some members of your PAL Group, which is creating some awkwardness

Day 2, 3:20pm – 3:50pm

Your First PAL Session (Importance, Planning, Promoting) Your first PAL session is likely to be the most daunting (but be reassured that is perfectly normal!). This session plan provides some ideas to help it run smoothly. You may use it as provided or adapt parts of it to suit. Bear in mind that the first impressions you make are important and will do much to set the tone of your PAL sessions for the rest of the year. It will help you to create the right impression if you have a plan prepared for this session even if you don‟t actually follow this rigidly. Although this first session is the most structured you are likely to run, it can still be welcoming, supportive and friendly.

Aims of first PAL session:      

To get to know your students. To set expectations about PAL for the year. To give students an opportunity to ask for advice or information about the University, the local area, the library, accommodation, second-hand books etc. To agree some ground rules for future sessions To operate like a PAL session even though subject content will be minimal. See PAL Central in myBU for ice-breaker activities and other suggestions.

Welcome   

Welcome your students to their first PAL session Introduce yourself Briefly explain your role as PAL leader giving a clear sense that you are glad to be working with them; you look forward to what unfolds and emphasising that the sessions are designed to be collaborative with people helping each other.

Introductions  

It will be useful to spend some time just getting to know your students. You may want to use an icebreaker from the list suggested in PAL Central to ease people into the session.

You could also invent your own icebreaker or simply put the group into pairs to get people to find out about, and introduce, each other.

What is Peer Assisted Learning? Explain that, as PAL is probably not something they will have come across before, it will be useful to explain the aims and features of PAL.  Ask the class if anyone has come across PAL before or anything similar, e.g. mentoring at school. If so, what were its good points, what did they get from it, what could have been improved, etc? 68

    

Explain that PAL is intended to help students settle in to University, learn more effectively and do better in their coursework. PAL works by using group discussion to enhance understanding of programme material and by making it less risky to admit to problems and confusions. Now talk through the main features of PAL Stress that you are not there to teach, but to facilitate. Ask the group for their comments, reactions, thoughts, etc.

„Buying in‟ to the Benefits of PAL 

  

Based upon what they now know about PAL, ask students individually to write down: o 3 things they see as the benefits of PAL o 3 things that appeal to them about PAL o Any questions they might have After they have written these down individually, ask them to share their ideas with a partner. Go around the class, asking each pair to tell you one benefit and one appeal of PAL. Write these on the board. Attempt to answer any questions students might have about PAL. If you can‟t answer them, make a note of them and check them out for the next session.

General Issues   

Ask if there are any issues with settling-in they might be trying to solve. Ask if there are any issues with the programme or programme. Check to see if they need help with finding their way round, locating computers on campus, form-filling etc.

You don‟t have to deal with all these issues yourself - indeed it is probably better if you don‟t. Ask whether anyone else in the group knows the answer or can offer advice.

Group norms/ground rules (or „How do we want PAL to run?‟) Generally speaking, there are hidden and assumed rules about what students do and respect in lectures, seminars etc. However, PAL sessions run by a fellow student will probably require a bit more openness about what is and what is not acceptable. Experience of running PAL has shown that the time Leaders set aside at the very start to discuss and get general agreement on how their group should work together, and how its members should behave towards each other, is of considerable benefit in setting a standard of mutual purpose and associated behaviours in the group. Also, if you jot down the group’s ideas, this list can act as a reference point if the process becomes unproductive. The aim of the discussion should be for you and the group to reach a series of decisions which are binding, but in a way that is empowering rather than limiting. Plan to involve the group in suggesting ideas and agreeing upon issues such as:  What PAL is about  What we‟re trying to achieve 69

  

How we behave towards each other Who does what Who is responsible for what to ensure PAL sessions are beneficial.

Here are some ideas that you could introduce from the very start. However, remember that these ideas are more likely to be accepted if they emerge from the group rather than you:  Anyone has the right to suggest what the group should do next.  We are working collaboratively, not competitively.  Everyone turns up with appropriate notes and resources to refer to during discussion.  Everyone will be encouraged to contribute.  When anyone speaks they are addressing the whole group and not just the Leader, or a friend.  We listen to each other and respect other people‟s views.  Dominant and aggressive behaviour is not acceptable.  Racist and sexist comments are not acceptable.  Everyone has some responsibility for this process and anyone can point out if any of these rules are being ignored or broken You might ask them to talk briefly in pairs to check whether these ground rules are acceptable and if they want to clarify or add any more. Finally, note the ideas in your PAL blog in myBU (if you are using it) so you refer to it.]

Wrap up       

Tell them you are available to help if they see you around the campus, etc. Invite them to say hello if they see you around the campus, and indeed any other members of the group. Tell them you look forward to working with them over the year. If you wish to, write your own email address up on the board, as well as your BU email address Remind them of the date, time and place for their next PAL session (and suggest they write it in their diary). Remind students of where their PAL community is in myBU so that they can refer back to it Tell your students that you can also see their units in myBU. if they need you to refer them

And finally… thank everyone for their contribution to their first PAL session, and say that you look forward to seeing them next time!

Consider: 3 Ways I Could Promote PAL are. . . 1

The 3 most important things I need to consider when planning my first PAL Session are. . . 1

First Session Plan You can use this space to plan your first PAL Session. You need to consider which group techniques you want to use. To structure you session consider how long each activity will take. Date:

Aims of the session Timing Before the session

Introduction

Ending the session

Back-up plan(s)

Activities

Time:

From: To:

Location:

The Essential bit! PAL Paperwork and Payment To help you work effectively as a PAL Leader you should complete a Session Plan before each of your PAL sessions and a Session Review afterwards. (Copies of these are available in PAL Central under „PAL Essentials‟). When you are observed running you PAL sessions, the observer will want to see a copy of the current Session Plan and a copy of the previous Session Review.

PAL Session Plan This is for use when planning your weekly PAL sessions. You will need to consider aspects such as topics and study skills to cover, group techniques to use, review activities, etc. You should fill in this form on a weekly basis throughout the year, ideally when you meet with other PAL Leaders and your Course Contact.

PAL Session Review The purpose of this form is to help you to review and reflect upon your PAL sessions (positive and negative aspects of sessions), and to help develop and enhance your skills as a PAL Leader. Please complete a “PAL Session Review” after each of your PAL Sessions throughout the year. If you are working with a partner, then complete it with them. In addition to the above, all PAL Leaders will need to ensure that the Register of Attendance is completed each week and handed to your Course Contact at the end of the month.

Register of Attendance For various purposes we need to keep detailed records of the levels of attendance at PAL sessions. This provides information for your Course Contact and the Teaching Team. Please hand in your completed Register of Attendance forms to your Course Contact at the end of each month - ideally when you hand in your claim for the hours that you have worked. Note: you might not be paid if you fail to hand in your Registers of Attendance.

Payment You should submit your pay claims, together with the Attendance Registers for all your PAL sessions, to your Course Contact at the end of each month. Pay Claim forms are available in PAL Central under „PAL Essentials‟.  This claim can be completed electronically, but must be printed & signed by you  You will be paid monthly in arrears  Please contact your Course Contact or the admin of your school if you have any payment questions/issues

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 74