www.bournemouth.ac.uk the pal³ project aldinhe symposium, nottingham 2010 sherry jeary, suzy...

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

The PAL³ Project

ALDinHE Symposium, Nottingham 2010

Sherry Jeary, Suzy Atfield-Cutts & Heather Mayes

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Outline

• An overview of PAL• PAL in Bournemouth University• PAL on the Software Systems

Framework• The PAL³ project• Classifying PAL • Future work

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Background to PAL

• Introduced in the UK in 1990• Based on US model called Supplemental

Instruction (SI)• SI is an Exemplary Education Program in US

• Purpose in US is to target high risk, historically difficult courses

• Goals are to decrease attrition rates in target courses, to improve student grades and increase graduation rates

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

What is PAL?

• A scheme run by students for students• Active learning is encouraged• Participatory, collaborative group work

is facilitated by a student leader • UK National Centre of Peer Assisted

Study Sessions (PASS) at Manchester launched 2009

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL in Bournemouth

• Peer Assisted Learning • University wide• Used in all schools in most frameworks in

some form

• 2nd year students who have been selected via interview process, are employed to run timetabled session for 1st year students.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL in Bournemouth (2)

• Requirement of employment that PAL Leaders undergo initial training•Centrally provided for PAL Leaders from

all over BU Initial and Follow-Up training• Facilitates independent/peer learning• NO TEACHING• In period 2001-2007 - 700 PAL Leaders

trained and 8000 students benefitted.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL on Software Systems Framework

• Used informally in 1996 on BSc Business Information Technology (BIT) degree for two years

• More formal trial run on BSc Computing in 2001which was suspended after problems• Started 3 weeks into term• Did not include PAL on the timetable• Sessions were arranged, advertised and

promoted by PAL Leaders.• Was not taken seriously by all staff•

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Teething Troubles Resolved

• When PAL resumed 4 PAL Leaders were trained centrally.

• PAL was introduced from the first week.• PAL was timetabled and embedded into

the course.• Registers of attendance taken.• Staff were encouraged to participate by

providing notes, work etc to PAL Leaders for inclusion into PAL sessions.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL on Software Systems Framework

• Used on the BSc BIT degree in 2002 and resumed on BSc Computing in 2004.

• The courses have since evolved • Courses are now part of Software

Systems Framework with 220+ students.• Advertised to prospective students• Employer buy-in

• PAL is fully integrated into the Framework

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

More detail

• PAL Leaders work in pairs• Each pair assigned to 2 seminar

groups for the year• Regular meetings between PAL

Leaders and PAL Contacts• 2 PAL Contacts are course based and

are also 1st Year Tutors• In 2009/2010 200+ 1st Year Students

and 12 PAL Leaders

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Structure in SSF

PAL Contact PAL Contact

PAL Leader PAL Leader PAL Leader

Seminar Group Seminar Group Seminar GroupSeminar Group

PAL Leader

Seminar Group

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

The PAL³ Project

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Aims

• Provide useful support for PAL Leaders

• Provide a central repository to link all 3 aspects of PAL

• Give PAL Leaders autonomy over their own area

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Requirements

• A repository and communication systems for 3 levels of users. • Students• PAL Leaders• PAL Contacts

• 3 areas for these distinct sets of people which can be identified as:• Signposting • Repository of knowledge • Administration

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Students’ Requirements

• Students’ Requirements were to include:•All student access is read only.•Options available to include

•Info page •Links •Document Repository •Social

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Student View

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Student View 2

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Leaders’ Requirements

• PAL Leaders’ Requirements were to include:•Admin Area •PAL Session •Links •Social

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Leader View

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Leader View 2

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Contacts’ Requirements

• PAL Contacts• full access• administration• externally facing repository, of PAL/Peer

Mentoring/Supplemental Support info and documents etc. This will be a separate stage of development.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

PAL Contact View

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Implementation

• PAL Leaders – 1st week of Autumn Term• PAL Leaders then introduced the system to

their students• PAL Leaders then used BUPAL to plan for

sessions• Competition for facebook logo

• Poster – “Lessons Learned”

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Evaluation

• Interim questionnaire for PAL Leaders• 55% response rate• Overall PAL Leaders were positive about

the project despite some teething issues

• Focus groups held at end of term with each seminar group

• Focus group with PAL Leaders

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Conclusions

• Initial findings, corroborated later by the Forums, indicated:•A central storage point key•An external system seen as an

unwelcome, additional burden & a barrier to use

•Additional features were not used•E-mail remained key tool

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Continuing Work on PAL Contact View

• Audience input• Go through form

• Which institution• Do they have PAL• Is that person involved in PAL• Which categories apply• Have “other” option for them to fill in themselves

• Collect Forms• What problems did they have filling in the form?• Ask for missing categories

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Continuing Work on PAL Contact View

• What problems did they have filling in the form?

• Ask for missing categories

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

Factors & Catagories

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Why create Factors & Categories?

• To make PAL programs comparable.• Do relationships exist between implementation

factors and successful PAL programs?• Several factors are identified, each has its own set of

categories.• Using the categories in a matrix makes programs

comparable • Measuring the level of program success makes it

possible to identify the factors that make a program successful.

• We hope to contribute to the improvement and quality of learning

NB:- Measuring success is not part of our work currently.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Web Page of PAL Programs

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

7 Factors for Comparison

• PAL Leader Status• Course Scope • Rewards (for PAL Leaders)

• Staff Involvement• Session Integration• Timetabling• Subject

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: PAL Leader Status

• Natural Selection Peer Leader

• Elected Peer Leader

• Promoted Peer Leader

• Next Level Peer Leader

• Previous Level Peer Leader

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: Course Scope

• Often defined by the problem it is implemented to solve.

• In turn, often defined by the duration of topic or module as it is studied often in parallel in normal teaching sessions.

• Single topic• Single Module• Course Wide

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: Rewards (for PAL

Leaders)

• Employment

• Course Credit

• Prestige only

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: Staff Involvement

• Staff Directed Sessions

• Staff Topic Suggestion

• Staff Resource Provision

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: Session Integration

• Highly related to scope. • Taught sessions are often for short term

use of PAL and the session integration factor refers to the level of integration of PAL into taught sessions.

•Taught Sessions

•Additional Sessions

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor: Timetabling

• Highly influential factor on attendance• Eg: early days at BU - including PAL on

students’ timetables from the beginning of the year, improved PAL attendance dramatically.

•Timetabled

•Additional

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factor : Subject

• It may be that, for instance, PAL lends itself best to • Eg: science subjects rather than arts• Eg: practical subjects rather than theoretical.

• Currently, there is no information available • Identifying the areas in which PAL operates

most successfully will depend on the current and previous use and perceived success.

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Using Factors & Categories

• Multiple programmes within a matrix enables easy comparison

• Other criteria under consideration for inclusion as factors include • student to leader ratio• group size• whether attendance is optional• training in terms of type and duration

Software Systems Research Centre Supporting Process Oriented Requirements

Using Factors & Categories

Programme PAL Leader Status

Course Scope

Rewards Staff Involvement

Subject Timetabling

Session Integration

Bournemouth University Software Systems

Next Level

Course Wide

Employment

Resource Provision

Computing

Timetabled

Additional

School ofBiology andBiochemistry,University ofCentralLancashire(Tariq, 2005)

Promoted Peer Leader

Single Topic

Prestige Staff Directed

Bioscience

Timetabled

Taught session

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Factors & CategoriesFuture Work

• E.g.: current criteria would not differentiate between two implementations with the same attribute values across the board where • class sizes of 18 led by a pair of PAL Leaders jointly

( BU )• classes are split into groups of 5 students per PAL

Leader (University of Central Lancashire) (Tariq,2005). • We know of many examples informally which

pose questions for formal study• Categorising PAL programmes may create some

building blocks for future work• Need a means of identifying ‘successful’ PAL

programs

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Thanks

• Learn Higher• BU

Software Systems Research Centre The PAL³ Project

Questions?