Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is a series of weekly study sessions for students taking historically difficult courses at our university. PAL sessions are facilitated by students (PAL Leaders) who have already taken and done well in the course. 

PAL Leaders will guide you through class material in an environment where you are working with other students to discuss important concepts, compare notes, develop strategies for studying the subject, and test each other before you are actually tested by your professor.

PAL is based on the Supplemental Instruction model, which was developed by Dr. Deanna Martin in 1973 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, designed to increase student retention and academic performance. The program has been at Ohio University for more than 20 years and has proven successful in these areas.

My PAL Leader

"My PAL Leader helped me to not be so intimidated by the coursework and expectations of the class and my major. She made the materials digestible and easy to understand."- PAL participant

How PAL Works

PAL Leaders will contact students directly from class rosters to indicate that PAL is available for a course and to provide guidance on how to participate.

Courses & Schedule - TENTATIVE Fall 2024

SubjectCourse NumberPAL LeaderPAL Session Days & TimesLocation
AccountingACCT 1010Britton McCoy

Tuesday at 5 PM

Thursday at 5 PM

Copeland 007
AccountingACCT 1020Maia Soulis

Tuesday at 7 PM

Friday at 5 PM

Bentley 140
AviationAVN1100Nicole Hobert

Tuesday at 7 PM

Thursday at 7 PM

ARC 321
Biological SciencesBIOS 1030 - Professor Van BrocklynLauren Lietzke

Monday at 6 PM

Wednesday at 6 PM

Irvine 110
Biological SciencesBIOS 1030 - Professor MammoneHannah Kloppman

Tuesday at 5 PM

Thursday at 5 PM

Walter 245
Biological SciencesBIOS 1030 - Professor PerezEnzo Lewis-Baranyai

Tuesday at 5 PM

Thursday at 5 PM

Morton 219
Biological SciencesBIOS 1300Anna Stauffer

Tuesday at 7 PM

Wednesday at 7 PM

Walter 245
Biological SciencesBIOS 1700Jayanna Smith

Monday at 6:15 PM

Wednesday at 6:15 PM

Porter 105
Biological SciencesBIOS 1700Hannah Cabral

Tuesday at 5:30 PM

Thursday at 5:30 PM

Porter 105
Biological SciencesBIOS 1710Octavia Hogue

Monday at 6:30 PM

Wednesday at 6:30 PM

Ellis 114
Biological SciencesBIOS 2210Zoe Newcomb

Monday at 6 PM

Wednesday at 6 PM

Grover W125
Biological SciencesBIOS 3010/3015Michael York
&
Lucy Lutman

Monday at 4:30 PM

Wednesday at 4:30 PM

Irvine 194
Biological SciencesBIOS 3100Bridget Paton

Monday at 5 PM

Wednesday at 5 PM

Copeland 007
ChemistryCHEM 1205Corine Cannarozzi

Tuesday at 5 PM

Wednesday at 5 PM

Grover W115
ChemistryCHEM 1500Aidan Smith

Monday at 6 PM

Wednesday at 6 PM

Ellis 012
ChemistryCHEM 1510Olivia Went

Tuesday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

Walter 145
ChemistryCHEM 1520Julia Peter

Monday at 7 PM

Thursday at 7 PM

Walter 245
ChemistryCHEM 3050Eden Osborne

Tuesday at 5 PM

Wednesday at 5 PM

Tupper 107
Computer ScienceCS 2400Parker Corbitt

Monday at 6 PM

Wednesday at 6 PM

ARC 221
EngineeringET 2200Kevin Wedig

Tuesdays at 6 PM

Thursdays at 6 PM

ARC 315
EngineeringET 2220Kevin Wedig

Tuesday at 7 PM

Thursday at 7 PM

ARC 315
EngineeringET 2240Jake McCarthy

Monday at 8 PM

Thursday at 8 PM

ARC 102
MathMATH 1200Ali Ruple

Monday at 5 PM

Wednesday at 5 PM

Morton 218
MathMATH 1200Sofia Davis

Tuesday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

Morton 219
MathMATH 1300Roman Simkins

Tuesday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

Morton 215
Math MATH 1350Stuart Landry

Tuesday at 8:15 PM

Thursday at 8:15 PM

Morton 237
MathMATH 2301 (Prof. Shadik and Prof. Regan)Jake McCarthy

Monday at 7 PM

Thursday at 7 PM

ARC 102
MathMATH 2301 (Prof. Boczko)Ben Oldiges

Tuesday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

Morton 218
MathMATH 2302Maizy Ereditario

Tuesday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

ARC 102
PhysicsPHYS 2001Frankie Vostatek

Monday at 5:30 PM

Wednesday at 5:30 PM

Ellis 014
PhysicsPHYS 2054Myles Fox

Monday at 6 PM

Thursday at 6 PM

Walter 245
PsychologyPSY 1110Emma Krawiec

Monday at 5 PM

Wednesday at 5 PM

Morton 215
PsychologyOnline PSY 1110Taye Smith

Wednesdays at 6 PM

Thursdays at 6 PM

Online
PsychologyPSY 2110Julia Cooper

Monday at 7 PM

Wednesday at 7 PM

Bentley 140
PsychologyOnline PSY 2110Kiera Knuckles

Sunday at 3:30 PM

Wednesday at 7 PM

Online
Quantitative
Business
Analysis
QBA 1720Molly O'TooleTuesday at 5 PMBentley 220

 

Student Testimonials

  • "I benefitted from PAL sessions because they helped motivate me to study more. I did not do well on my first quiz in the class but after I began to attend PAL somewhat regularly my grades improved tremendously."
  • "It was awesome having a more in-depth discussion about the topics while they were still fresh in my mind. [The PAL Leader] did a great job of facilitating those discussions, was always prepared with handouts despite her hectic schedule, was always cheerful and kept the session light and fun, and covered a large amount of material, breaking sections into individual, small group, and class work."
  • "It was a comfortable environment to learn."
  • "Going to PAL truly helped me learn these math skills not just temporarily, but in a long-term way. I couldn't have made it through without the help of my wonderful leader."
  • "PAL brought my grade up 20%."
  • "I feel that PAL really helped my grade in the course this semester. On my first exam, I failed. I started going to PAL and got a C+ on my second exam."

Peer Assisted Learning FAQ

I’ve been asked to include Peer Assisted Learning (previously called Supplemental Instruction or SI) with my class. What does that mean for me?

Collaboration between the PAL leader and instructor is important and allows Peer Assisted Learning to attain its highest potential effectiveness for our students. The time commitment for instructors is minimal, usually less than 30 minutes a week. Instructor responsibilities are simply to communicate with the PAL Leader, provide resources as needed and endorse. Instructors are not expected to prepare materials or attend the PAL Sessions. More information about what can be expected from an instructor in a PAL partnership is as follows:

Communication

  • PAL leaders sit in on class (as their schedule allows) and are encouraged to communicate on a weekly basis with instructors. It is up to the Instructor and the PAL Leader whether these communications happen in meetings or via email – it is whatever works best for the instructor. If the instructor prefers meetings, they can be scheduled during office hours, or at a time that works for both the instructor and PAL leader. PAL leaders will keep the instructor appraised of what is happening in the sessions, inform on questions students are asking about, point out areas where the students are struggling, discuss the level of class participation, and offer advance review of session materials and study guides.

Resources

  • Instructors are asked and encouraged to share resources with PAL leaders at their discretion. Examples of resources are syllabus, handouts, practice tests, course textbooks, online course materials, etc. This will allow the PAL leader to be appropriately prepared for their PAL sessions.

Promotion and Endorsement of PAL

  • During the first week of classes, instructors are asked to allow the PAL leader a couple of minutes to introduce themselves to the class, explain what PAL is, and invite students to attend the PAL sessions.
  • Every few weeks, instructors allow the PAL leader to make subsequent announcements, reminding students that PAL is available, the day(s) and times of sessions and letting the students know of upcoming exam reviews.
  • Instructor periodically makes announcements reminding students about PAL and including the information on PAL and sessions in course announcements. The instructor should endorse PAL for all students, not just those who are struggling. This helps to eliminate the stigma that only those who are failing the course should attend. The combination of high-and low performing students in PAL sessions provides a collaborative and less threatening environment, where students learn from each other in a more intimate setting.

As you can see, the time involved and work commitment for instructors is minimal, but the results can be immense. Data shows that students at Ohio University who attend 10 or more PAL sessions a semester can get a full letter grade higher than if they don’t attend PAL. PAL provides a valuable resource for both student and instructor.