Utilising PASS to Engage & Retain your Students

Sally Rogan Director of Peer Learning and The National Centre for PASS

University of Wollongong, Australia

University of Wollongong, Australia

•  30,516 students •  Ranked in the top

2% of universities in the world  

•  Globally ranked (33) as one of the world's best modern universities (THE 100 under 50)  

•  5 star ratings  •  Top 100 in the world

for global graduates  

Peer Learning •  Understood internationally as:

“The use of teaching and learning strategies in which students learn with and from each other without the immediate intervention of a teacher”(Boud et al. 1999)

Although various forms of structured peer learning have existed for decades within the education sector (Hilsdon 2013), the implementation of peer learning as a highly impactful support service to enhance student learning has grown dramatically (Topping 2007).

Defining Peer Educators

“Students who have been selected and trained to offer educational services to their peers. These services are intentionally designed to assist in the adjustment, satisfaction, and persistence of students toward attainment of their educational goals. Students performing in [these] paraprofessional roles are usually compensated in some manner for their services and are supervised by qualified professionals.”

(Newton  &  Ender,  2010,  p.  6)  

Characteristics of a HIP: •  Creates an investment of time and energy •  Includes interaction with faculty and peers about

substantive matters •  Real-world applications •  High expectations •  Includes frequent feedback •  Exposure to diverse perspectives •  Demands reflection and integrated learning •  Accountability (Kuh  &  O'Donnell  2013)

Peer Educators as a High Impact Practice

The Peer Learning Unit at UOW supports a number of peer-based initiatives as high impact practices: •  Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) –

Flagship FYE & transition program •  Peer Academic Coaches (Learning Co-op) •  ResPASS •  Global Communicators Program

Peer Educators as a High Impact Practice

Peer Assisted Study Sessions

What is PASS? •  Super group learning! Voluntary sessions

facilitated by Peer Leaders – high achieving senior students

•  Aims to help students master subject content while gaining discipline specific study skills

•  Attached to challenging subjects or used in some disciplines to promote development of learning communities

•  Avoids remedial stigma by targeting subjects rather than students

•  Based on Supplemental Instruction

Benefits of PASS for Students

•  Enhancement of independent learning skills •  Deeper understanding of key subject content •  Non-threatening learning environment •  Student-driven session •  Mainstream support embedded into the FYE •  Improvement in grades & engagement with

subject material •  Improved transition into university life

Benefits for PASS Leaders

•  Enhances leadership, communication & teamwork skills

•  Adds significant value to resume •  Greater sense of community and campus

integration •  Engagement with faculty and staff •  In 2014, 100% of PASS Leaders agreed that

PASS had assisted in developing their personal and professional skills

PASS Leader Lifecycle

PASS Participant

PASS Leader

PASS Senior Mentor

PASS Leader

Peer Educators facilitate PASS for students and model best practice for incoming recruits

Participants are recruited as leaders

Peer Educators are promoted to senior mentors

Mentors support and develop new leaders

Institutional Benefits •  Improving retention & reducing failure rates in

targeted subjects •  Enhancing the student experience &

satisfaction •  Assisting transition at multiple entry points •  Development of transferable study skills &

independent learning •  Provides seamless integration of academic &

social support for both international & domestic students

Some key success factors

•  High level “champion” or support

•  Teaching staff willing to support program & encourage their students to attend

•  Accredited Co-ordinator or Manager if using central coordination

•  Funding or other reward system for Leaders

•  Effective marketing to maximise attendance!

Evaluation of PASS PASS has experienced extensive evaluation through: •  Research on PASS/SI •  Quantitative data:

•  Retention benefits •  Improvements in grades

•  Qualitative feedback: •  Staff •  Students •  Leaders

PASS Research •  Students who attend SI/PASS succeed &

graduate at a higher rate and fail & withdraw less even when demographic differences, ethnicity & prior academic achievement are accounted for (USA Dept of Ed. 1995)

•  On the Effectiveness of Supplemental Instruction. A Systematic Review of SI and PASS Literature Between 2001 and 2010, Dawson et al, 2014, Review of Educational Research

Everyone Benefits

50  

55  

60  

65  

70  

75  

low  (0  to  69)   mid  (70  to  84)   high  (85+)  

Average  sub

ject  m

ark  

Australian  Ter4ary  Admissions  Rank    Group  

Average  student  mark  by  ATAR  rank  and  PASS  par4cipa4on,  2003  to  2013    (no  unique  student  =  31864)    

Non-­‐ParEcipant  (5<  aIend)  ParEcipant  (5+  aIend)  

This  chart  shows  the  percentage  of  PC,  PR  and  F  final  subject  grades  for  regular  PASS  parFcipants  (aHended  5+  Fmes)  and  non-­‐PASS  parFcipants  (0  aHendances).  

UOW  Data:    2003-­‐  2013,    n=73299  parFcipants  (HumaniFes  data  collected  from    2007  –  2013)  

Percentage of Participants Receiving a PC, PR or F

Retention Benefits

50%  

55%  

60%  

65%  

70%  

75%  

80%  

85%  

90%  

95%  

100%  

Business   Engineering  and  InformaEon  Sciences  

Law,  HumaniEes  and  the  Arts  

Science,  Medicine  and  

Health  

Social  Sciences  

Student  Reten4on   Non-­‐ParEcipants  

Regular  ParEcipants  

This  chart  illustrates  the  retenFon  rates  of  regular  PASS  parFcipants  (aHended  5+  Fmes)  and  non-­‐PASS  parFcipants  (0  aHendances).  

UOW  Data:    2003-­‐  2013,    n=67219  parFcipants  (HumaniFes  data  collected  from    2007  –  2013)  

Participant Feedback What I like most about PASS…

“Challenged to think rather than just being spoon fed”

“The hours of study that I don’t have to do at home”

“Opportunity for everyone to contribute”

“No pressure collaboration”

“The best thing if you want good marks”

Participant Feedback

Results from the UOW PASS Participant Survey indicate that students receive multiple benefits by attending:*

•  98% agreed PASS had improved their understanding of the subject content

•  94% agreed PASS assisted them when preparing for exams •  93% agreed PASS had been an enjoyable learning experience •  91% agreed PASS helped them to work collaboratively and

productively •  86% agreed PASS encouraged them to take responsibility of their

own learning * 2675 students responded to survey, data collected in 2013

Growth of PASS@UOW

•  Commenced at UOW in 2002 •  Periods of expansion then consolidation •  Since 2007, supports students in all Faculties •  100 PASS Leaders on team •  Over 40,000 contact hours delivered in 2014 •  Over 4,000 unique students engage in PASS

each year at UOW

Growth of PASS@UOW

Growth of PASS in Australasia •  Since 2005 UOW has been The National

Centre for PASS for the Australasia region •  Trained PASS staff for 37 of the 39 Australian

universities •  Over 500 accredited trained staff from some

70 institutions across Australia, NZ, Fiji, Malaysia, HK, Singapore and PR of China – very engaged community of practice

Australasian PASS and Peer Learning Conference

Exploring Excellence and Innovation in PASS and Peer Learning

29th – 30th September 2015, Melbourne

www.uow.edu.au/student/services/pass/conference

Reference List Boud, D., Cohen, R. and Sampson, J. 1999 ‘Peer Learning and Assessment’, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, volume 42, issue 4, pp.413-426

Hilsdon, J. 2014 ‘Peer Learning for Change in Higher Education’, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, volume 51, issue 3, pp.244-254

Topping, K.J. 2005 ‘Trends in Peer Learning’, Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experiment Education Psychology, volume 25, issue 6, pp. 631-645

US Department of Education (1995) ‘Supplemental instruction (SI): Improving student performance and reducing attrition’ in G. Lang (Ed.) Educational programs that work (21st ed., pg14.4) Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

QuesFons  or  Comments?  

Contact: Sally Rogan E: sally@uow.edu.au W: www.uow.edu.au/student/services/pass/centre