PLADawgs: Students Guiding Students

As we enter the homestretch of Fall 2019, the Office of Instruction announces the creation of the PLAdawgs program for Spring 2020 as part of the University System of Georgia (USG) STEM IV grant. PLAdawgs will facilitate learning by guiding students and supporting them inside the classroom environment.
 
Over the past three years, peer learning assistants (PLAs) have been assisting students in challenging introductory STEM discipline courses such as BIOL 1107 and CSCI 1301, thanks to a University System of Georgia STEM III grant. As a result of this work, we’ve consolidated best practices and developed the PLAdawgs program. We’re hoping to expand to multiple disciplines as the program grows.
 
How does it work? Students who excel in a course are recruited and enroll in a 1-hour course offered by the Division of Academic Enhancement (DAE) to learn about methods for effective teaching. They work with faculty teaching that course, meeting once a week to map out how to communicate key concepts for complex subjects and attending every class to help their peers learn.
 
The crux of the experience takes place in the actual classroom, where PLAdawgs assist the instructor to guide current students through the course material. PLAdawgs are not part of the curriculum development or grading process but instead are on-hand to facilitate dialogue with the students and provide immediate, in-classroom support as needed.
 
We found, through post-survey results of the initial courses, that participants felt comfortable approaching a peer to inquire about difficult concepts and to work through challenging problems. Students also felt more confident in their ability to pass and excel in the course when they worked with a peer who had succeeded in the same course as recently as the semester before them.
 
We also received feedback from the peer learning assistants that they valued the experience for solidifying the core concepts of the class, improving their communication skills, and building their leadership skills. PLAdawgs are paid after the initial training semester and may advance to become Master PLAdawgs.
 
I highly encourage students who are interested in becoming a PLAdawg to connect with DAE and new faculty who want to learn how to effectively incorporate a PLAdawg in their STEM course  to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning. I welcome comments as we continue to grow this program. You can contact me at [email protected].
 
Sincerely,
Rahul Shrivastav
Vice President of Instruction


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