• Staff home
• IT and online services
• Learning and teaching
  • Community Engaged Learning (CEL)
  • Technology
  • Programme Learning and Design
  • Quality assurance
  • Academic Practice
  • Inclusive-Learning@York
  • Student learning support
  • Contacts and committees
• Administrative hub
• Research
• Staff supporting students
• Health and safety
• Delivering change and projects
• Working at York
• Finance
• Legal Services
• Leisure and culture
• Support, health and wellbeing
• Policies and strategies
• External relations
• Community without Limits

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

In PAL, trained second, third and fourth year undergraduate students (PAL Leaders) facilitate small collaborative study groups of their first year peers. Sessions focus on reviewing content from lectures through a series of activities promoting discussion, clarification, analysis and critique. Sessions also include integrated study skills activities to develop learning strategies.

PAL also provides students with an opportunity to meet others within their department and make new friends. Both PAL Leaders and first year students have commented on feeling a greater sense of belonging within their department as a result of PAL sessions.

Why is it important?

PAL provides students with an opportunity to meet others within their department and make new friends. PAL is also vital for the development of integrated learning communities within departments, and open to students of all backgrounds and abilities to attend.

The contents of PAL sessions are created by students and led by students, and is a strong example of inclusive learning at York in practice. PAL encourages students to become partners in their learning, as well as take an active role in their learning. PAL also helps to provide vital teaching and learning support and can target specific modules as seen fit by individual departments.

PAL schemes can increase student involvement in their own learning, provide a valuable challenge for upper year students and enrich the department community by encouraging active engagement in learning across boundaries.

Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) is an excellent way to nurture a closer departmental learning community. A PAL scheme can be conducted online or in face-to-face settings.

PAL models

There are three main variations of PAL

• a ‘traditional’ module-aligned model
• an academic skills model which works with topics such as referencing or general assessment help
• an inclusive learning community model based on intercultural learning and language sharing.

Examples from departments: 

Show all / Hide all

How can the Inclusive Learning team help?

To support a PAL scheme, we can provide:

• Presentations and information about PAL for staff and student groups.
• Consultations about the logistics of establishing a robust PAL scheme.
• Training for PAL Leaders to lead face-to-face and/or online discussion sessions.
• Initial close support until your PAL scheme is established.
• Support with the evaluation of the PAL scheme.
• Funding through the Student-Led Learning Communities Fund.

For more information on how to set up your PAL scheme, email: inclusive-learning@york.ac.uk.