A Peer support model

Model Case Study

Notes on the Peer Support Scheme at London Guildhall University, 1996

The scheme at LGU grew out of discussions, in 1995/96, between University, Students' Union and Sir John Cass's Foundation staff. The Sir John Cass's Foundation agreed to fund the Scheme for an initial three years and the Students' Union was chosen as the vehicle for its implementation.

This is the first time that a Students' Union has been so involved and the choice reflects the emphasis that the Scheme places on students taking responsibility for their own learning, on projecting the Scheme as an additional resource to mainstream University support services and on promoting it from a student-friendly, informal, home base.

Perspectives

Peer Support at LGU does not subscribe to the ideas that there are 'problem units' or 'problem students'. Units that have been targetted are those with very large level-one enrolments. Rather it addresses the question of the level of confidence a student possesses in his/her ability to meet the demands of a unit. Related to this is the student's ability to transform vigour of purpose, when applying to University, into achievable objectives.

The model of Peer Support proposed for each unit is tailored to meet the unit's specific requirements and objectives. Unit Organisers, as well as peer supporters-in-training have, therefore, been involved in shaping these models.

Four units are initially being targeted:

• Accounting for Business
  (230 students, 4 Peer Supporters, 2 weekly sessions)
• Basic Communication Studies
  (300 students, 5 Peer Supporters, 4 weekly sessions)
• Information Technology for Information Analysis and Presentation
  (600 students, 13 Peer Supporters, 12 weekly sessions)
• Trends in Society
  (220 students, 2 Peer Supporters, 2 weekly sessions)

Peer Supporters' Role

Peer Supporters are expected to:

• run one one-hourly session a week and attend one-hourly Peer Supporters' Meetings (weekly, later fortnightly) with the development staff for further training and feedback. They are paid £4 for each hour
• help students focus on unit demands
• enable students to understand their own style of learning and to appreciate the value of in-depth learning
• offer extra opportunities for students to reflect on and practise their academic skills in an informal, unpressured atmosphere
• explore problems with students so that they work out their own solutions and hopefully can apply problem-solving techniques to future problems, by themselves

Selection and Training of Peer Supporters

In July 1996, a general appeal was mailed to all students who had gained at least a grade 9 in the targetted unit exams. Nearly 70 students replied, 48 of whom attended a two-day Induction training programme in September. The final selection was based on the following qualities and skills assessed during training which included leading simulated peer support sessions :

• Recommendation from Unit Organiser
• Proven capability to cope with his/her own study workload
• Motivation and commitment to the role of a facilitator
• Openess to working in teams and ability to work well in groups
• Appreciates that people learn in different ways
• Empathetic understanding of the first-year experience
• Ability to reflect on, and communicate, his/her own learning strategies
• Good listening skills
• Willingness to help others find their own solutions
• Clear communicator
• Ability to give and receive feedback
• Conducts him/herself in a mature and responsible manner

Thirty Supporters were selected, a few decided that the work would put too much pressure on their time, with the result that 1 third-year and 23 second- year students are now engaged.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Peer Support

Objectives include:

• Checking that Peer Supporters are using appropriate facilitation techniques
• Checking that they are neither teaching or introducing their own, or any other, new material; nor assuming a position of authority when encouraging others to get things done
• Gaining feedback about problems and achievements in peer support sessions
• Evaluation of the Scheme regarding attendance, level-one students' perceptions of what they gain and Peer Supporters' evaluation of the training offered at Induction and Peer Supporters' Meetings.

Monitoring involves:

• Observation of each Peer Supporter's sessions twice a semester, by the Development Officer and Assistant
• Questionnaires fielded to level-one students, and, Peer Supporters.
• The Steering Group, comprising members of the three interested bodies. They received monthly, semesterly and annual reports from the Development Officer.

Progress to Date

Since the first week of term, we have received enquiries from level-one students, mainly on QC10C, a distance-learning unit. However, start-up has been slower than expected with attendance ranging between 2 and 7 students per session and six sessions failing to attract any students. So, having only just sorted out the time-table we are preoccupied with possibly rescheduling some sessions and with new marketing ideas.

Janice Baker
Peer Support Scheme Development Officer,
LGU Students' Union
October 1996