Peer-assisted study proves popular

Third-year business student Curtis Morton helps first-year students with their business statistics paper as part of the University of Otago's peer-assisted study programme. From left are Natasha Muller, Chris Alsweiler (rear), Liza Wickramarachchi (rear), Charlotte Dyer, Krista Hegan and Catrin McFarlane. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

The programme involves a weekly session where groups of up to 20 first-years can ask a second- or third-year student who has already completed the same paper for help or study advice.

Participation is voluntary.

Last year's trial involving students taking the Business 101 paper showed participation was beneficial, student learning centre acting director Dr Jaques van der Meer said this week.

"The average final mark for students who participated in the pilot was 78%, compared to 62% for non-participants."

This year, the programme had been widened to cover all first-year business papers and one physical education paper, with 40 mentors working with more than 700 first-years.

The marks of this year's participants would again be evaluated, and Dr van der Meer said he expected they would show a "clear distinction" between those who participated in the programme and those who did not.

It was hoped to gradually expand the programme and offer it to every first-year student.

But that would take time as mentors had to be trained.

To the surprise of learning centre staff, all the places available in this year's programme were filled within three days and the centre ending up with a waiting list of more than 200, Dr van der Meer said.

"Word had obviously got round pretty quickly about the trial, and that participating was worthwhile."

He said the centre had to limit places this year because of the number of mentors and study spaces available, and because of cost.

Mentors received a small payment but attending the sessions was free.

The learning centre had contact with 7121 students last year, up from 5482 in 2007 and 2489 the previous year.

Dr van der Meer said the increase was "positive" and had resulted from a strategic decision that the centre become more actively involved with students and staff in order to maintain and enhance the university's student retention and course completion rates.

At close to 70%, Otago's course completion rates were already higher than the New Zealand average for universities of about 50%, he said.

As well as the peer-assisted study programme, academic skills workshops were offered on topics such as note-taking and essay-writing.

Postgraduate students were offered workshops on research methods and how to write research proposals.

The centre also assisted individual students, he said.