10th anniversary: The development, implementation, and evaluation of a novel peer-assisted learning (PAL) program

This brief report aims to elucidate the feasibility, effectiveness and sustainability of a peer-assisted learning (PAL) program, beyond traditional tutoring, as a part of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. The report analyzes a PAL program, Student Educational Assistance (SEA), started ten years ago at a public school of pharmacy in the northeastern region of the United States.

Researchers used administrative data to define the student population to assess. Then, they used a Qualtrics survey to collect information regarding the students' background, how they learn best, and specific questions about the SEA program. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from the open-ended student survey were thematically analyzed by two members of the research team. Discrepancies were resolved by a faculty researcher.

One hundred and thirteen students out of 178 students who have used the SEA materials submitted a completed survey (63.5% response rate). Of these 113 students, 81% agreed using SEA material increased their confidence before exams. Additionally, 69% agreed using SEA material improved their assessment performance. Responses to the open-ended portion of the survey highlighted the importance of SEA materials in supplementing student's studying, especially through clarifying knowledge gaps and memorization through active recall.

The outcomes of this report suggest that including various PAL modalities in the didactic pharmacy curriculum can increase student confidence in learning and perceived performance on assessments. The PAL program presented appears feasible, effective, and sustainable.