Introduction

This section of Deliberations deals with issues related to peer support among students and study skills. A separate section on Mentoring at this web site deals with peer mentoring among staff and other related groups, e.g. in the workplace.

In general, peer support is based on the premise that those students who have recently completed a course, or unit, are in an experientially advantaged position to help new students successfully cope with that unit. Learning and study skills gained can usually be employed across their course of study. Initially, peer support is akin to a Buddy system, helping students through the confusing first few weeks; later, peer support sessions become problem-solving discussions and practice sessions with a subject focus. The agenda is always decided by the level-one students and confidentiality must be assured. In addition to peer support many higher education institutions also have study skills programmes.

Resource Materials

• Getting Freshers Started: A Resource Pack of Ideas for Induction Week
  A resource pack produced from workshops at London Guildhall University Students' Union in 1998 and funded by STADIA. The pack aims to share ideas on activities and workshops that introduce students to the value of learning and learning how to learn. A flier for students, Getting the Best Out Of Being A Student, is available as a separate file.
  
  
• A Peer Support Model - An outline of the 1996 peer support model at London Guildhall university.
• A Peer Support bibiliography - Some suggestions for further reading. If you have any to add please let us know.

Readers' Comments: A lively and continuous process of debate on learning and teaching in higher education is a key aim of Deliberations. We invite you to share your thoughts on this topic with other readers. Comments are posted in the comments archive.

We would like you to share your experiences of peer support with other readers. If you have a model of peer support which you find especially useful, please let us know about it. This model may be the one which operates in your institution or it may be one which you have devised and use with your own group of students.