Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Group Facilitators
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Guide for Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Group Facilitators Image courtesy from renith kroshnan through DigitalPhotos.net Edited by David Arendale Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning College of Education and Human Development & Mary Lilly Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Program SMART Learning Commons University of Minnesota-Twin Cities http://z.umn.edu/facilitatortoolkit Revised August 27, 2014 Acknowledgments The following individuals and organizations are important sources of information directly or indirectly for the development of these training materials. You are encouraged to consult these sources for more information on peer assisted learning programs. Of special note are the case studies from interviews Image courtesy from renith with the PAL facilitators at the University of kroshnan through DigitalPhotos.net Minnesota that appear throughout this workbook. They are abridged to conceal how they solved the situations. Their stories are meant to spark conversation and problem-solving during the training workshops for new PAL facilitators. Read the complete stories in their storybook, Walker, L. (Ed.). (2010). Two (or more) heads are better than one: Adventures in leading group learning, a facilitator storybook. Minneapolis, MN: Peer-Assisted Learning Program, SMART Learning Commons, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. A copy can be requested through the following website, https://www.lib.umn.edu/smart/facilitator-storybook College Readings and Learning Association (The International Tutor Training Certification Program) http://crla.net/tutorcert.htm H&H Publishing Company (NADE self-evaluation guides: Models for assessing learning assistance/ developmental education programs. See section on PAL like activities called Course-based Learning Assistance) http://www.hhpublishing.com National Association for Developmental Education (Course-based Learning Assistance and Tutor Program Certification) http://www.nade.net/certification.html PAL Groups (Blog page with links to additional peer learning resources and interviews with student PAL facilitators on their experiences and suggestions) http://palgroups.org Peer Cooperative Learning Program Bibliography (Annotated Bibliography of major postsecondary peer learning programs. http://z.umn.edu/peerbib Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) (Articles, Web Links to Other PLTL Programs, Training Programs) http://www.pltl.org Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) (Articles) http://www.ferris.edu/sla/ Supplemental Instruction (Articles, Web Links to Other SI Programs, Training Programs) http://www.umkc.edu/ASM/si/index.shtml Image courtesy from the digital archives at the University of Minnesota Page -2- Table of Contents Overview of the PAL Program ......................................................... 6 A. Overview of the PAL program .................................................................... 6 B. Roles of PAL Facilitator and Traditional Discussion Leaders ..................... 8 C. PAL session principles ............................................................................... 9 D. Relationships of the PAL facilitator ........................................................... 11 E. Scenarios: Instructors/TAs ....................................................................... 15 F. Scenarios: Communications and relationships inside PAL sessions ....... 19 G. Scenarios: Communications and relationships outside PAL sessions ..... 21 H. Attracting attendance at voluntary PAL sessions ..................................... 23 I. Summary of overview of the PAL program ............................................... 30 Principle One: Theory Guides PAL Learning Activities .............. 31 A. Affective domain issues and self-regulated learning ................................ 32 B. Information Processing Model of Learning ............................................... 33 C. Summary of theories that guide PAL session activities ............................ 37 Principle Two: Express Multicultural Competency ..................... 38 A. Understanding ourselves .......................................................................... 38 B. Understanding culture .............................................................................. 39 C. First seek to understand: Improving listening skills .................................. 40 D. Learning preferences ................................................................................ 42 E. Culturally effective communication ........................................................... 43 F. Scenarios for communicating with PAL participants ................................. 45 G. Summary of expressing multicultural competency ................................... 49 Principle Three: Facilitate a Blend of PAL Session Activities .... 50 A. Tasks of the PAL facilitator ....................................................................... 51 B. PAL session process ................................................................................ 53 C. Planning the PAL session ......................................................................... 56 D. Reflecting on PAL sessions ...................................................................... 58 E. PAL facilitator observations ...................................................................... 59 F. Ice-breakers for PAL sessions .................................................................. 67 G. Educational competitions, games, and rewards ....................................... 75 H. Scenarios of rules and procedures for the PAL program ......................... 78 I. Summary of facilitating a blend of PAL session activities ......................... 81 Principle Four: Shift PAL Session Authority & Ownership ........ 82 A. Transition of learning control .................................................................... 82 B. Expanding the authority ............................................................................ 83 C. Using questions to organize PAL sessions .............................................. 84 a. Redirecting questions back to the group ....................................... 84 b. Probing questions .......................................................................... 85 c. Improving higher ordering thinking ................................................ 86 D. Scenarios of referring or resourcing PAL participants .............................. 88 E. Actions by PAL facilitator before the first PAL session ............................. 91 F. PAL announcement to the class and the first PAL session ...................... 92 G. Summary of shifting PAL session authority and ownership ...................... 98 Page -3- Principle Five: Model Productive Learning Behaviors ................ 99 A. Overview of modeling productive learning behavior ................................. 99 B. Scenarios of boundaries for helping PAL participants ........................... 100 C. Fostering independence throughout the academic term ....................... 101 D. Assessing students’ use of learning strategies ....................................... 102 E. Lecture review ........................................................................................ 105 F. Oral reading of lecture notes .................................................................. 107 G. Building readiness for future lectures and assigned readings ................ 109 H. Reciprocal questioning ........................................................................... 110 I. Examination preparation ......................................................................... 112 J. High stakes examination preparation ..................................................... 117 K. Visual strategies ..................................................................................... 120 L. Vocabulary development ........................................................................ 123 M. Reading textbooks and assigned materials ............................................ 124 N. Modeled Study Skills .............................................................................. 127 a. Lecture note taking ...................................................................... 128 b. Note cards .................................................................................... 131 c. Memory techniques ..................................................................... 132 O. Summary of modeling productive learning behaviors ............................. 133 Principle Six: PAL Sessions Vary in Different Content Areas .. 134 A. Mathematical and other problem-solving courses .................................. 135 B. Humanities courses ................................................................................ 150 C. Writing-intensive courses ....................................................................... 152 D. Social science courses ........................................................................... 154 E. Summary of PAL sessions vary in different academic content areas ..... 156 Principle Seven: Model Student Self-Monitoring Strategies .... 157 A. Post-exam review ................................................................................... 158 B. Informal quiz ........................................................................................... 162 C. Review session assessment techniques ................................................ 162 D. Summary of modeling student self-monitoring strategies ....................... 166 Principle