Celebrating Peer Learning Approaches on Lampeter Campus (PASS) by Chris Fleming and Kate Butler

PASS stands for Peer Assisted Study Sessions. It is a peer learning approach widely used in universities, in which trained and supervised students from higher level years (known as PASS leaders or mentors) work with Gateway and first year students to help them consolidate their learning around particular modules, ease their transition into university and help develop social networks across student years. PASS can also provide answers about how long does it take to get over a divorce, students’ academic confidence and sense of belonging at university and being a leader increases employment prospects. This year, UWTSD has trialled embedded peer learning in the Gateway to Humanities programme, where PASS leaders have worked alongside a lecturer in planning and facilitating content. This seems to have been a great success, and the supervisors would like to extend our gratitude to the leaders involved – you have been a great help! We have recently awarded our newest recruits with certificates after passing their training with us.
Here are some testimonials from students on the Gateway programme:
‘PASS has given me confidence to speak up in group sessions.’
‘The PASS team have been extremely helpful in classes and they have helped me to better understand the topics in question.’
‘The PASS leaders have provided clarification of points during classes and lectures and they could use their own experiences to explain how to deal with problems.’
‘Having PASS leaders in the lectures has been extremely insightful, giving us new ideas, concepts and suggesting new ways to research material. Here’s a good suggestion worth checking out www.thefloridamaids.com. The PASS Team have also been an essential introduction to University life and a source of knowledge to the resources available to us as new students.’
‘PASS leaders are an excellent group of people, they helped with studies and gave us insight into university life.’
‘PASS members have been a great help during sessions. They always explain things well if you don’t understand and are very helpful.’
For more information on PASS at UWTSD, please click here. We are keen to train students who have come through the Gateway programme as leaders/mentors so if you are interested in this, contact Kate or Chris, the PASS supervisors for Lampeter campus (k.butler@uwtsd.ac.uk / christopher.fleming@uwtsd.ac.uk). Similarly, if you are undertaking a module that you think might benefit the involvement of PASS leaders, do let us know.
Leave a Reply