Students Teaching
Students
How an Innovative Peer-Led Study
Group Program Helps First-Year
Students Succeed in Introductory
Science Courses
Joe Salvatore – Director of Peer-Led Study Groups
Science Learning Center
University of Michigan
Peer-Led Study Group Program
At-A-Glance
• Small groups of up to 12 students
• Meet weekly for two hours
• Offered for 14 introductory courses in
biology, chemistry, and physics
• Led by a peer facilitator who has taken the
course successfully
• Emphasize students teaching and learning
from each other
Current Program (Winter 2006)
• 132 Study Groups
• 105 Study Group Leaders
• 1520 Study Group Members
Program Philosophy
The Peer-Led Study Group Program provides
students with opportunities to teach and learn
from each other in small, structured groups
guided by trained facilitators
Program Goals
• Improve learning by challenging students to explain
what they know
• Enhance critical thinking by providing opportunities
for students to explain their reasoning
• Encourage problem-solving and knowledge
application
• Expose students to diverse perspectives and new
ways of thinking
Staff
• One full-time director
• Four program assistants
– Undergraduates
– Former study group leaders
– Work four hours/week
– Earn $13/hour
– Provide administrative support, including
scheduling groups and basic office tasks
Study Group Members
• 41% First Year Students
• 39% Sophomores
• 19% Juniors and Seniors
• 1% Others
• 34% Male
• 66% Female
Study Group Leaders
• 95% Undergraduates
• Earned high B or A in course
• Many former study group members
• High percentage of Pre-Med students
– Helps students prepare for MCAT
• Recommended by faculty, GSIs, study group
leaders
Leaders (Con’t)
• Earn $9/hour
• Work 3-4 hours/week/group
– 2 hours/week meeting time
– 45 minutes/week preparation time
– Training time
• Lead 1-3 study groups/term
• Ten hour bank of preparation time/course
• Twelve group meetings/term
• Sign Leader Contract (H)
Hiring
• Advertising on SLC website, University student
employment postings, posters
• Leader interest forms submitted through website
• 20-30 minute interviews
• Facilitators chosen based on knowledge of
material, communication skills, understanding of
program philosophy and goals
Training Overview
• Three trainings per term for new leaders
– Two trainings per term for returning leaders
• Supports program philosophy & addresses
weaknesses
• Trainings last 2-3 hours (7-9 PM)
• Offered two consecutive weekdays to
accommodate student schedules (leaders
attend one of two days)
Training Overview
• Use rooms with large round tables that seat
7-8 to encourage collaboration among
leaders
• Refreshments provided
• Leaders paid for attending training
New Leader Training (H)
• Provide vision for program
• Model collaborative learning techniques
• Provide leaders with tools needed to facilitate
groups
New Leader Training
• Ask leaders to discuss what they
want to say to their group at the first
meeting
– Buzz Groups - smaller discussion
groups
– Encourages discussion at start of
training
– Leaders create own checklist
– Review checklist (H)
New Leader Training
• Planning study group structure (H)
– Write-Pair-Share - typical study group session
– Review sample structure
• Returning Leader Panel
– Experiences, challenges, and successes
New Leader Training
• Role Play Scenarios (H)
– Act out and discuss positive and negative ways
of dealing with typical challenges
• Case Study (H)
– Good summary activity
• Two Questions Feedback Form
Mid-Term Training
• Reciprocal teaching of collaborative learning
techniques
– Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook
for College Faculty by Barkley, Cross, & Major
• Gives leaders opportunities to work with
other leaders of the same course to apply
techniques to their discipline
Mid-Term Training
• Best Discussion Techniques
– Write-Pair-Share
– Round Robin
– Buzz Groups
Mid-Term Training
• Best Reciprocal Peer Teaching Techniques
– Note-Taking Pairs
– Learning Cell
– Jigsaw
– Test-Taking Teams
Mid-Term Training
• Best Problem-Solving Techniques
– Think-Aloud Pair Problem Solving
– Send-a-Problem
– Structured Problem Solving
End-of-Term Training
• Memory and Mnemonic Devices
– Overview of how memory works
– Explanation of multiple mnemonic systems
• Link System
• Story System
• Loci System
• Peg System
– Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It
by Kenneth Higbee
End-of-Term Training
• Self-Evaluations (H)
– Leaders complete self-evaluation and discuss
major challenges
• Self-evaluations copied and return to leaders
– Include their goals for the next term (if
applicable)
– Reviewed during feedback meetings following
observations
Other Training Topics
• Learning Theory
– Bloom’s Taxonomy
– Perry’s Scheme of Cognitive Development
– Knowing and Reasoning in College (Marcia
Baxter Magolda)
• Creating and evaluating worksheets and
activities
• Developing effective questions
Observations
• Provides snapshot of leader’s style and
group dynamics
• Focuses on new leaders for current term
• Program Director and program assistants
observe leaders for 20-30 minutes
– Observation form mirrors self-evaluation form (H)
Observations
• Use of Tablet PC with Webcam
– Allows observation form to be completed
electronically and linked with audio and video
– Easier to provide constructive feedback to
leaders when you can show them
– Camera can be focused on leader or members
Observation Feedback Session
• Occurs 24-48 hours after observation
• Begins with leader discuss whether session
was typical
– What did they think worked and didn’t work?
• Feedback given using sandwich approach
– Positive-Constructive-Positive
• Go through each question of observation
form, accessing video as needed
End-of-Term Surveys
• Provides feedback about members’ experiences in
the program
• 20 questions evaluating their study group leader
– Responses compiled and averaged for each group,
course, and program
– Subjective comments provided
• Each leader receives copy of evaluation
form (H)
– Program Director meets with leaders with serious
concerns
End-of-Term Surveys
• Survey data can point to leaders’
weaknesses individually or as a program
• Must consider number of members
completing survey
• Overall survey data positive
Fall 2004 and Winter 2005 Survey
Results
Effects of Study Group Participation
Effect Winter 05’ Fall 05’
% Reporting % Reporting
Positive Effect Positive Effect
Learning of Subject Matter 93% 90%
Understanding Difficult Material 93% 89%
Confidence in Mastery of Material 77% 78%
Exam Grades 75% 78%
n=379 n=653
Fall 2004 and Winter 2005 Survey
Results
Effects of Study Group Participation
Effect ’Winter 05’ Fall ‘05
% Reporting % Reporting
More Likely to More Likely to
Join Another Science S.G. 87% 86%
Recommend S.G. to Friend 91% 89%
Take More Science Classes 41% 40%
Major in Science 37% 37%
n=379 n=645
Training Challenges
• Difficulty in training all leaders during one
session
• Choosing relevant topics that engage all
leaders, particularly returning leaders
• Finding ways to capitalize on returning leader
experience
Observation Challenges
• Making time to observe all new leaders early
enough in the term
• Member/Leader discomfort with video
recording
• Difficulty in camera placement
• Audio problems
Conclusion
• Training should support program philosophy
and address program weaknesses
• Effective training engages leaders from the
start
• Observations provide supervisors with sense
of leaders’ strengths and weaknesses
• Feedback sessions allow leaders to
reestablish goals
Questions