Peer Mentoring Works Enhancing Your Undergraduate Class Through

Peer Mentoring Works Enhancing Your Undergraduate Class Through Peer-Assisted Learning © Smith, T. S. , Rosenau, P. , Welsh, C. , Khan, S. , Stowe, L. , Epstein, M. , Hanson, J. (2010)

Peer Mentoring Works Enhancing Your Undergraduate Class Through Peer-Assisted Learning Presented by: T. Smith, C. Welsh, S. Khan, L. Stowe, M. Epstein, P. Rosenau, J. Hanson. University of Calgary, March 2, 2010 & Webcast via Elluminate Sponsored by The Students’ Union Curricular Peer Mentoring Network and The Teaching & Learning Center

Peer Mentoring Works Enhancing Your Undergraduate Class Through Peer-Assisted Learning mp 3 audio files and slides synchronized with audio Available* at http: //peermentoring. ucalgary. ca * CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 2. 5 CANADA LICENSE

Network Leaders and Presenters Dr. Tania Smith Network Director Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts Bryanne Young Network Coordinator, MA student Dr. Margo Husby Ron Murch Faculty Mentor, Senior Instructor Haskayne School of Faculty of Arts Business Lisa Stowe Instructor Faculty of Arts Dr. Marcia Epstein Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts Cameron Welsh Rita Lisella Instructor, Haskayne Instructor Faculty of Nursing School of Business Sharaz Khan Instructor Haskayne School of Business No photo-- Kate Zier-Vogel, part-time Network Assistant Pat Roseneau Senior Instructor Faculty of Nursing Judy Hanson Instructor Faculty of Nursing

Workshop Objectives �Explore the benefits and unique features of undergraduate curricular “peer mentoring” and “peer leadership” programs in three faculties �Understand how it functions from the university, faculty and instructor perspective �Discover ways of adapting this system to various faculties and departments, especially for large classes

PROGRAM PURPOSES • Student engagement in courses • Teaching and learning communities • Peer mentor/leader development T. Smith and 4 senior peer mentors, Winter 2007 (Photo: Ken Bendiksten)

Curricular Peer Mentoring is NOT. . . � Not an individual matching program or Dr. Tania Smith Network Director Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts tutoring � Not focused primarily on struggling or atrisk students � Not limited to extracurricular study sessions � Not a type of teaching assistant (TA) or lab assistant � Not volunteer work or a job � Not a way to fix a poorly designed course

Values & Methods COURSE INTEGRATION Roles adapt to “normal” student learning activities Best design = some mentoring in “normal” class setting, and voluntary extracurricular or online engagement INSTRUCTOR COLLABORATION Instructors, TAs, peer mentors/leaders co-design roles Peer mentors/leaders experiment and adapt their roles PEER MENTOR EDUCATION “Service-learning” course design combines theory & practice Build both academic understanding & professional skills

Program Components �Peer Mentoring Course o o 1 -2 coordinator-instructors assigned Faculty expertise, philosophy, service-learning course design �Participants o o o 3 -15 Host instructors (Nursing “faculty-mentors”) per year 8 -30 Peer mentors/leaders per year 200 -900 students/yr (depending on enrolment in host courses) �Support and Structure o o Administrative advocacy Policies: faculty assessment, tenure and promotion Course listed in calendar, in program options Local staff support for recruitment, placement, orientation

Network Components �Faculty Learning Community Network leaders’ meetings Cross-faculty events Visibility, research & publication �Leadership Sustain existing programs, develop new �Shared staff support Student’s Union Quality Money funding – 3 year project Teaching and Learning Center office and staff

Network & Program Structure Network Director Network Coordinator (who is also one of the programs’ leaders / instructors) (research & support for all programs) Haskayne Student Mentoring Program Developers & Instructors Faculty of Arts Peer Mentoring Program Coordinator & Instructor MGIS 467 GNST 507 and 509 MGIS 317 Wide variety of Host courses Nursing Peer Leadership Program Leaders & Instructors NURS 503. 29 SIM lab N. 203

Panelists from 3 programs 1. Haskayne School of Business 2. Faculty of Arts 3. Faculty of Nursing Program began: Winter 2009 Fall 2005 Program leaders: Cameron Welsh Ron Murch Tania Smith Margo Husby Patricia Rosenau Rita Lisella Cameron Welsh Instructor MGIS 317, 467 Sharaz Khan Instructor MGIS 317 Lisa Stowe Instructor GNST 300 Dr. Marcia Epstein Asst. Professor GNST 500 Pat Roseneau Senior Instructor Faculty of Nursing Judy Hanson Instructor NURS 203

Haskayne School of Business Cameron Welsh - Instructor of Management Information Systems Developed Peer Mentoring pilot in collaboration with Ron Murch, Senior Instructor, (retired) MGIS 317 and 467 Winter 2009 & Winter 2010 involved in pilot

MGIS 467 28 Students 28 “Service-learning Team” Mentors MGIS 317 ~300 Students In 6 Sections taught by 3 Instructors. 58 Service-learning Project Teams 2 Technology Training TAs 1 ‘Uber’ Mentor 1 “Classroom Engagement” Mentor (for 2 sections) Faculty of Arts GNST 507/ 509 educates up to 3 Haskayne Mentors 1 (? ? ) Mentor FNCE 317 ~460 Students 1 Tutorial TA

Haskayne School of Business Sharaz Khan - Sessional instructor Management Information Systems MGIS 317 and 321. Hosted peer mentors in Fall 2009 & Winter 2010

Faculty of Arts Lisa Stowe - Instructor Has hosted 14 peer mentors since Fall 2006 General Studies* -- GNST 300 �With Dr. Ron Glasberg (Senior Instructor) � 8 -month required course. Heritage of Western Thought. � 220 students in 10 tutorial sections. 5 -member teaching team *General Studies = integrative/interdisciplinary courses

Peer Mentoring in General Studies 300 Ron Glasberg Instructor of Record Tutorial Instructors, graders 1 -6 Undergraduate Peer Mentors Main Lecturer Grading Assistants (1 -2 graduate students) Peer Mentor Lisa Stowe Shane Halasz Tutorial Instructor of 3 -4 tutorials Peer Mentor • 200 -240 students • All students are expected to attend lectures. • Each student enrolls in 1 Tutorial section of 36 -40 students. Peer Mentor

General Studies 300 Course Description GNST 300 L 01: Heritage of Western Civilization I: Perspective Fall 2008/Winter 2009 -- T/Th 11: 00 -12: 15 �Heritage I is a critical engagement with the evolving fundamental assumptions of Western Civilization from the Ancient World to the outbreak of the French Revolution (1789). �The approach is strongly interdisciplinary inasmuch as the fundamental assumptions are drawn out through an analysis and synthesis of ‘classic’ texts from diverse fields: myth, philosophy, political theory, literature (poetry, drama, satire), economics, theology, etc.

General Studies 300 Themes freedom via the growth of consciousness; the creation of cultural consensus; the relationship of that consensus to deeper levels of reality; the dynamics of discourse as a way of revealing inter-textual patterns of meaning.

General Studies 300 Objectives �Objectives thinking critically about the evolving cultural assumptions of Western Civilization by confronting the underlying questions and answers articulated by classic texts; gaining a 'perspective' on the whole by learning how to create overviews of the evolution of the West through a comparative analysis of fundamental assumptions; becoming more conscious through the development of skills associated with reading, writing, discussion, critical analysis, and imaginative synthesis.

Faculty of Arts Dr. Marcia Epstein - Assistant Professor Has hosted 6 peer mentors since Fall 2005 General Studies* -- GNST 500 � Continues GNST 300 from Enlightenment to the present � 8 -month required course, condensed into 4 months. � 25 -40 students. *General Studies = integrative/interdisciplinary courses

General Studies 500 Course Description �In Heritage I, "Perspective", you were presented with an overview of how Western and other civilizations developed their core beliefs. In Heritage II you will pick up the threads at the 19 th century and follow them into the 21 st. major socio-political events and structures. ideas, assumptions and decisions that shaped and followed from the events and structures. alternative futures that just might give you the tools you need to save the planet.

General Studies 500 Objectives �Comprehend, evaluate, retain, and comment meaningfully upon assigned readings Recognition of fundamental assumptions: cultural background of the writer/speaker; beliefs she/he holds; assumptions underlying those beliefs "Zooming out" (objective stance): Taking a wide comprehensive view of history "Zooming in" (subjective stance): Place yourself in the mindset of the writer and her/his cultural background. �Work effectively alone and in groups �Write clearly, coherently and grammatically in English.

Faculty of Arts Peer Mentoring Program Coordinator PEER MENTORS Other host course GNST 300 Other course Mentoring Instructor GNST 507 & 509 GNST 500 Other course

Faculty of Nursing Judy Hanson - Sessional Instructor o Teaches in simulation lab and clinical hospital environments o NURS 203 -- Faculty Mentor* of peer leaders * Host Instructor

Faculty of Nursing Pat Rosenau - Instructor o Established the Nursing Peer Leadership program and co-founded the SU Peer Mentoring Network o Includes some ideas from Aliyah Mawji, Nursing instructor, who had planned to speak on the panel. � NURS 501 – Peer Leaders’ Instructor o Assists “Faculty Mentors” and supports the learning of undergraduate Peer Leaders * Host Instructor

Nursing Peer Leadership -- Structure SIM lab Faculty Mentors Peer Leadership NURS 503. 29 Faculty Instructors NURS 203 Faculty Mentors Ø NURS 503. 29 has 8 -16 peer leaders. NURS 203 has 330 students per year. Ø 2 peer leaders assigned to a NURS 203 Lab or simulation Lab with 10 -16 students each Ø Peer leaders serve in labs and in extracurricular “Peer-Assisted Learning Sessions”

Question & Answer Period Dr. Tania Smith Network Director Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts Bryanne Young Network Coordinator, Arts MA student Dr. Margo Husby Ron Murch Faculty Mentor, Senior Instructor Haskayne School of Faculty of Arts Business Lisa Stowe Instructor Faculty of Arts Dr. Marcia Epstein Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts Cameron Welsh Rita Lisella Instructor, Haskayne Instructor Faculty of Nursing School of Business Sharaz Khan Instructor Haskayne School of Business No photo-- Kate Zier-Vogel, part-time Network Assistant Pat Roseneau Senior Instructor Faculty of Nursing Judy Hanson Instructor Faculty of Nursing

Question 1: Peer Mentor/Leader Qualifications Answer 1: Faculty of Arts Designer and Coordinator of the Faculty of Arts Peer Mentoring Program Dr. Tania Smith Answer 2: Nursing Designer and Coordinator of the Nursing Peer Leadership Program Pat Roseneau

Question 2: Peer Mentor’s Power & Authority Dr. Marcia Epstein Assistant Professor Faculty of Arts - General Studies 500

Question 3: Peer Mentors Assisting in Service-Learning Cameron Welsh Instructor, Haskayne School of Business - Management and Information Systems 317

Question 4: Nursing Peer Leaders assisting with Acute Care Pat Roseneau Instructor - Coordinator of Nursing Peer Leadership program

Question 5: Do peer leaders return to university as graduate students or instructors? Pat Roseneau Instructor - Coordinator of Nursing Peer Leadership program

Question 6: How does one get funding to support such an initiative? Dr. Tania Smith Director of the Curricular Peer Mentoring Network, funded by the University of Calgary Students’ Union, 3 years, $112, 800 CDN

Contact Us University of Calgary SU Curricular Peer Mentoring Network Dr. Tania Smith Network Director Asst. Professor Faculty of Arts C/O Teaching and Learning Center 5 th Flr, Biological Sciences Building http: //www. ucalgary. ca/peermentoring/ Dr. Tania Smith smit@ucalgary. ca Director, Curricular Peer Mentoring Network Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts University of Calgary Bryanne Young bhyoung@ucalgary. ca Bryanne Young Network Coordinator, MA student Coordinator, Curricular Peer Mentoring Network University of Calgary

Research & Publication – Slide 1 Scholarly publications � Smith, T. (2008). "Integrating Undergraduate Peer Assistants into Liberal Arts Courses: A Pilot Study. " Innovative Higher Education 33. 1 (Fall) Link to Article available in Springer Journal Database (U of Calgary access) Journal website: http: //www. uga. edu/ihe. html � Smith, T. (ed. ). (2010/11, in development. ) Enriching Courses with Undergraduate Peer Mentors: Theory, Research and Practice. [5 guest chapters contributed from authors in Canada, Texas, and India] Textbook � Smith, T. , Rabbitte, C. , Robinson, T. (2009). Curricular Peer Mentoring: A Handbook for Undergraduate Peer Mentors Serving and Learning in Courses. Trafford Publications. 141 pages. Available at Amazon. ca Scholarly presentations � Smith, T. (2009, October 13 -15). University peer mentoring using a service-learning model. [Scholarly presentation. ] International Association for Research on Service. Learning and Community Engagement. University of Ottawa, Canada. � Smith, T. Wilson, N. and Murray, M. (2006, June 15). Piloting an Undergraduate Peer Tutoring Course. [Scholarly presentation]. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of Toronto, June 15, 2006. Abstract

Research & Publication – Slide 2 News articles � Myers, J. (2007, January 12). Peer Mentors Share Wisdom. On. Campus. [Cover photo and inner 2 -page centerfold image & article about peer mentoring program] http: //www. ucalgary. ca/news/uofcpublications/oncampus/weekly/volume 4 � Smith, T. (2007). Piloting an Undergraduate Course-based Peer Mentoring Program. Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Newsletter 45 (Winter 2007), p. 6. 1 -page pdf file. Original in Newsletter issue: http: //www. mcmaster. ca/stlhe/documents/Number%2045. pdf Websites � Smith, T. (2006 -2010). Curricular Peer Mentoring Public Website. Faculty of Communication and Culture [soon to be amalgamated into the Faculty of Arts. ] University of Calgary. [Program information for the public, faculty members, and prospective peer mentors. More than 33 screens of information. ] http: //people. ucalgary. ca/~smit/Peer. Mentoring/index. htm � Young, B. (2009 -10). Curricular Peer Mentoring. Network Website. University of Calgary. http: //www. ucalgary. ca/peermentoring/