Education Commons^™

The 4c’S Of Pal – An Evidence-Based Model For Implementing Peer Assisted Learning For Mature Students, Nevan Bermingham, Frances Boylan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Peer Assisted Leaning (PAL) programmes have been shown to enhance learner confidence and have an overall positive effect on learner comprehension, particularly in subjects traditionally perceived as difficult. This research describes the findings of a three-cycle Action Research study into the perceived benefits of implementing such a programme for mature students enrolled on a computer science programming module on an Access Foundation Programme in an Irish University. The findings from this study suggest that peer learning programmes offer students a valued support structure that aids transition and acculturation into tertiary education whilst simultaneously improving their subject-matter comprehension and confidence. An …

Games Development Mentoring Programme, Bob Jackson

Case studies

The aim of the Games Development Mentoring programme is to provide students with access to professional advice on; workflows, project management, professional development and an awareness of current requirements in the Games industry.

The advantages of the Mentoring Programme are that it provides students with valuable access to mentoring from recognised industry experts. This real-world experience is essential in order to develop the student’s professional skills. It also inspires students and provides them with an opportunity to develop a network of professional contacts which ultimately improves their employment prospects once they graduate.

Learning From Mentoring Relationships Within And Between Higher Education Institute Staff, Sinead Mccann

Staff Articles and Research Papers

As part of the PERARES project, staff on the Programme for Students Learning with Communities (SLWC) in DIT have been formally mentored by staff at Queen’s University Belfast, with over 20 years experience fostering community-based research (CBR) projects. This paper shares both experiences of the invaluable support, insight and practical guidance emerging from this mentoring relationship, and considers early outcomes from a pilot of informal mentoring relationships in DIT between academic staff experienced in CBR and staff starting CBR projects with students for the first time.

Learning From An Irish Multidisciplinary Collaborative Project Where Students Are The Community, Catherine Bates, Jim Mcallister

Staff Articles and Research Papers

College Awareness of Road Safety is a collaborative course-based multidisciplinary CBR project between students and staff at Technological University City and the Garda [police] Road Safety Unit, begun in 2007/8. Both partners describe this collaborative research model, whose aim is to improve awareness of road safety among the target group of 17-24 year olds - i.e. students themselves - by engaging them in course-based research. This paper presents both perspectives on the benefits of mentoring in this model, where academic staff from various disciplines and the Road Safety Unit mentor students to creatively develop individual approaches to road safety-related research.

The Benefit Of Work Placement In Tertiary Design Education, Kerry Meakin

Conference papers

The aim of this article was to document a project in work placement in third level design education. Students studying visual merchandising display and design were surveyed on their work experiences, one cohort was in second year and undertook a two week placement, the other were in their third and final year and were undertaking a two day per week placement for the entire academic year. The aim of this project was to research work placement as part of a tertiary design degree to ascertain the benefit for the student cohorts, and whether or not work placement should be considered …

Peer Assissted Learning For Year 1 Students, Odette Gabaudan

Conference Papers

Peer Assisted Learning is a pilot project funded under the Teaching Fellowship scheme. It is aimed at students in the BA International Business and Languages, a programme run by the School of Languages in DIT. The project was initiated in September 2009. Second year students are acting as mentors to first year students by providing them with a broad range of support, from academic content to very practical queries. The School’s objectives in setting up PAL is to facilitate students’ integration into DIT, help first years acquire third level study skills and improve pass rates and retention. It is hoped …