Peer-Assisted Learing (PAL)

PAL stands for Peer-Assisted Learning. It is a voluntary student-to-student support scheme for academic and personal development. It is for students and run by students.  It is not teaching and it is not remedial.  No preparation is required. 

Trained 'student facilitators' meet regularly with small groups of students from lower years to help them better integrate into higher education, develop their study and learning strategies, and improve their understanding of the subject matter of their course. 

In the School of Law a PAL scheme will run in session 2008-09 offered to all first-year students and those students studying first year subjects (eg. exchange students). Trained second-year student facilitators will offer sessions to first-year students of law in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.  The purpose is to provide a voluntary and relaxed forum in which new students can meet, talk and learn from the experiences of second-year students and therefore, hopefully, settle into university life more easily. The scheme is designed to be of academic as well as personal benefit, offering the opportunity to develop study and learning strategies, and improve understanding of the subject matter of first-year law courses. Look out for details of the timeslots of PAL sessions on the noticeboards and these webpages. All sessions are confidential and voluntary — give one a try!

Recruitment Drive

We are currently recruiting PAL facilitators (who will be in their second year of study in session 08-09)  - please send an email to Maria Fletcher  by September 1 outlining why you would like to do this, what experience you have of this kind of thing (if any) and what first-year grades you received.

Should you have any suggestions or urgent queries about the PAL schemes please contact Ms Maria Fletcher or voice them on the PAL Forum.

Go to the PAL Forum for the latest.  Feel free to ask questions and offer feedback.

Where does PAL come from?

PAL derives originally from the American model of Supplemental Instruction, developed in the 1970s at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.  See -

• Supplemental Instruction at UMKC 

In the UK an increasing number of HE and FE institutions are adopting PAL (or similar student-to-student) schemes. The following institutions have web pages describing their programmes, each having its own individual characteristics and nomenclature.

• Kingston University  (Peer Assisted Learning Scheme)
• London Guildhall University  (Peer Support scheme)
• University of Manchester  (Peer Assisted Study Support)
• Nottingham University  (Proctoring)
• Oxford Brookes University  (Peer Assisted Learning)
• University of Sussex  (Student Mentoring)
• University College London  (Peer Assisted Learning)
• Bournemouth University  (Peer assisted Learning)

The 21 Principles of Peer Assisted Learning

The following 21 points were first developed as applied to the American model of PAL developed at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, but are equally applicable to Peer Assisted Learning.  

1. PAL is a methodology for learner support.
2. PAL is small group learning.
3. PAL is facilitated by other students acting as mentors.
4. PAL is confidential.
5. PAL is voluntary.
6. PAL is non-remedial.
7. PAL is participative.
8. PAL encourages collaborative, rather than competitive learning.
9. PAL is content-based and process-oriented.
10. PAL integrates effective learning strategies within the course content.
11. PAL works in the language of the discipline.
12. PAL does not create dependency.
13. PAL is pro-active, not reactive.
14. PAL targets high `risk´ courses, not high `risk´ students.
15. PAL encourages learner autonomy.
16. PAL decreases drop-out rates and aids retention.
17. PAL gives opportunity to increase academic performance.
18. PAL challenges the barrier between year groups.
19. PAL benefits all students regardless of current academic competency.
20. PAL gives privacy to practice the subject, make mistakes and build up confidence.
21. PAL enables a clear view of course expectations.