A celebration of PAL: nutrition students benefit from the continuation of a peer assisted learning scheme as it rolls out for year two.

Abstract

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) has been established at BU since 2001. It is now embedded across all full time undergraduate programmes and continues to develop. PAL was initiated at BU to improve retention, provide informal learning environments for widening participation, and to provide opportunities for developing employability. PAL achieves all of these aims. There is potential for continued growth as we understand more about the benefits of peer learning. Extending PAL beyond 1st year has been explored on a number of occasions with mixed results. A small, qualitative impromptu study with 2nd year Nutrition student’s partway through their Nutrition course in the School of Health and Social Care at Bournemouth University was undertaken to evaluate the continuation of a PAL scheme into their second year. Findings highlighted the benefits of continuing the PAL scheme into the second year of the Nutrition programme adding PAL was more in demand than when used for first year and continues to play a pivotal role in providing the students with a positive and supportive learning experience during their learning toward a career in Nutrition. In order to celebrate PAL’s success for the nutrition programme, findings are reported to the wider university to enthuse and encourage the uptake of PAL into the second year of all academic professional programmes in HSC. This workshop aims to identify critical factors that contribute successful use of PAL beyond 1st year study. The session will use PAL activities to engage participants in experiencing a typical PAL session.