Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)
PASS derives from an American model, 'Supplemental Instruction' (SI) devised in 1973 at the University of Missourri, Kansas City. Manchester has adopted the '21 Principles' developed by Jenni Wallace when she adapted the SI model in the 1990s for use in British Higher Education.
In PASS sessions, higher year students facilitate lower year students, in groups, to help develop study and learning strategies. Sessions are voluntary and regularly timetabled enabling students to informally review material from historically difficult courses in a non-threatening, group situation. Whilst most PASS schemes support 1st Year students, vertical expansion is now being considered in exploring how the programme can support higher year students.
Purpose
- Support the first year student experience through collaborative exploratory discussion
- Enhance the learning experience and Personal Development of PASS Leaders
- Improve academic performance and achievement and increase retention
- Provide an additional mechanism for communication and feedback between teaching staff and students
Approach
- Learning enhancement through student to student support scheme
- Trained student PASS Leaders facilitate study sessions for groups of lower year students
- PASS is voluntary and intended to offer a safe, friendly place to help students:
- Adjust quickly to University life
- Improve their study habits
- Enhance their understanding of the subject matter of their course through collaborative learning
- Enhance their awareness of course direction & expectations
- Content is based on course materials & PASS leaders are engaged in sharing their experiences and facilitating discussion rather than re-teaching the subject.
Training
The initial training of all PASS Leaders takes place at the start of Semester 1 and, as required by UMKC, is delivered by SI Supervisors; it continues throughout the year through debrief sessions and additional workshops. The training is heavily based around group discussion and experiential learning. During extensive, initial period students cover the following topics through reflection, collaborative group work and interactive discussion:
| History of SI | Facilitation |
| Communication | Icebreakers |
| Structuring Group Discussions | Questioning Skills |
| Effective Listening | First Year Experience |
| Difficult Incidents | Communication Cycle |
| Benefits of Group Work | Thinking and Learning |
| Where now? |
The trainers model good PASS techniques throughout the session(s) and encourage the participants to practise drawing these individual skills together during Mock PASS sessions.
N.B. In all the training provided across Peer Support it is the experiences and comments made by the participants that shape the training session(s). As such, whilst structured, the session(s) very much depend on the needs of the particular group rather than merely talking through a series of slides and handouts. Therefore only a synopsis of the training has been presented; for a deeper understanding of the material Students as Partners staff and more than happy to engage with interested parties for a wider discussion. Please email studentsaspartners@manchester.ac.uk with any questions or queries.