Helping each other to learn--a process evaluation of peer assisted learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Peer Learning

Background:

• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) offers established benefits in medical education, including improved outcomes and development.
• Resource limitations drive the adoption of cost-effective educational strategies like PAL.
• Existing PAL research primarily focuses on student outcomes, necessitating an evaluation of underlying processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the processes involved in Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) within a medical education context.
• To understand the perspectives of both peer tutors and learners on this novel teaching method.

Main Methods:

• Fifth-year medical students, trained in communication skills, facilitated role-play sessions for second-year peers.
• Data collected via semi-structured interviews and focus groups at multiple time points.
• Framework analysis using N-vivo software, with themes debated by a multidisciplinary team.

Main Results:

• Three key themes emerged: Learning Environment, Educational Exchange, and Communication and Modelling.
• Concordance observed between peer tutors and learners regarding facilitators and barriers.
• Heightened awareness of the learning environment and educational exchange dynamics was noted.

Conclusions:

• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) demonstrates high acceptability among both tutors and learners.
• The study highlights the reciprocal nature of educational exchange within the PAL setting.
• Further qualitative research into peer learner and tutor experiences is recommended.