How far can peers go in supporting student learning? A Student’s Perspective

The benefits of peer mentoring are well documented (Behar‐Horenstein, Roberts, & Dix, 2010).
This presentation introduces the peer assisted learning programme from the perspective of a student as a peer mentor and reports on a small-scale study of the programme which took place during the 2012-13 academic year. For the study a representative sample of mentors and mentees participated in interviews which sought to gain insights into the impact that the changes had on experience at university.

The author, had experience of being mentees in a traditional peer assisted learning programme. However this new group of peer mentors felt that the programme could be enhanced in order to provide greater benefits. Traditionally the groups had met once a fortnight to discuss study issues. With the benefit of their first year experience the new mentors helped design a structured syllabus which introduced a variety of activities, including formative written assessment, presentations and group work which supplemented the previous approach.