Study Buddy and more PAL-initiatives as extra support Study Advice Service Study Buddy and more PAL-initiatives as extra support 1. Background High inequality between students with and without migration background (OECD, 2015) Only 25% (EU) -33% (OECD) holds a tertiary education degree At KU Leuven: Students with migration background are less successful in the first year Big drop-out after 2 years of study without obtaining a degree Need for extra support 2. Goals of the project Avicenna fund ↗ Success ratio for students with roots in migration ↗ Social integration ↗ Academic integration Study Advice Service Extra coaching for students (with migration background) who already earned 40 credits Promote peer assisted learning (PAL) as extra support Benefits for tutor, tutee and institution . 3. In practice GOAL 1 What? Study Buddy Program organized by Study Advice Service (SAS) Who is involved? The academic teacher training program (the diversity internship) and the SAS How? The future teachers were trained by the SAS to be a study buddy and work with a group, based on the PAL-principles GOAL 2 What? Support of PAL-sessions in faculties How? Online module, face to face meetings, improve recruitment of tutors, focus on visibility… 4. Results Support of PAL PAL-network PAL online module: Goal 2 Study Buddy: tutors + +/- Study Buddy: tutees Goal 1 “My study skills totally changed!” “As transfer student, there wasn’t the same support as first year students have, so the buddy helped me a lot.” “If you have some difficulties with studying, even small things, it’s nice to be able to talk about this and to discover that other students have the same questions. Together we could change some bad habits.” “If you like to form a study group, it’s a good opportunity.” 5. Discussion PAL-tutoring as an inclusive approach, with extra communication to target groups? How can we make sure that people with roots in migration are reached? How can we stimulate them to participate in PAL (as a tutor or tutee)? Quality assurance especially for PAL-formats ? PAL-tutoring as voluntary tutoring, informal ↔ evaluation, tutor training Evaluation necessary ? And if yes, how? Can we train the tutors sufficiently, so they can handle a diverse group? Good idea to have PAL-formats with and without earning of credits in the same institution? Study Advice Service: M. Landsheere & J. Vanhoudt