Learners supporting each other: peer coaching for personal development Janet Finlay Dawn Wood Nick Halafihi Leeds Metropolitan University

Context: PC3 - JISC-funded Curriculum Design project Personal and professional development Self awareness Self reflection Self assessment/diagnostics Personalisation Curriculum Learning experience Assessment Through coaching

What does “coaching” mean to you?

What do we mean by coaching? “The coach works with clients to achieve speedy, increased and sustainable effectiveness in their lives and careers through focused learning. The coach’s sole aim is to work with the client to achieve all of the client’s potential – as defined by the client” (Rogers 2008 p7) 4

Coaching is student-led and supports the student to find his/her own solutions.

Differences between? CoachingMentoringTutoring

Coaching: the art of conversation Listening Language, tone, tempo, volume, inflections Observing Body language, gestures, eye movement Questioning What, How, When, Who, Where, Why? Self awareness Your values, beliefs, interests, agendas Building rapport Trust and commitment, awareness of others

GROW MODEL Goal Reality Options Way Forward

Useful questions Goals What would you like to happen? What is your priority in this? What does it mean to you? Reality Describe/explain where you are now with this? How important is this to you? What impact is this having on you? Options What has worked well in the past? What else could you do? How does option x make you feel? Way forward How will you do that? When will you do that? Who do you need to involve?

Peer coaching Level 5 Module “Planning for work based learning” Students are required to identify six learning outcomes for their placement Triad-based peer coaching used to support process of developing outcomes Students required to provided evidence of their coaching experience as assessment via any means! Chose various: Podcasts, Blackberry, Facebook

Triad coaching model Three roles: coach, coachee, observer Each student takes turns to take each role Use of observer Provides objective feedback Takes pressure off the coachee Aids reflection on the process Feedback suggests triad model helped students develop their coaching skills

Outcomes Those who used coaching perceived it improved the quality of their learning outcomes Those who didn’t do so much reported that they wished they had! Use of technologies such as Facebook allowed coaching to continue throughout placement Students transferred coaching practice to their other modules Students reported it improved their “self coaching”

Next Steps Coaching now being used on all three levels of the programme Aim to develop cross-level coaching (with volunteers) Recruiting student Ambassadors – promoting coaching to other students and staff Expand the coaching to other courses/Faculties Health - speciality choices and PDP Media – embedding change management in PDP Offer group coaching to students across the university on key topics – e.g. assessment

Resources Gallwey, W. T. (2000) The inner game of work. Random House Trade Paperbacks. Rogers, J. (2008) Coaching skills. A handbook. 2 nd ed. Berkshire, UK: McGraw Hill. Rogers, J. (2007) Adults learning. 5 th ed. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press. Megginson, D. and Clutterbuck, D. (2009) Further techniques for coaching and mentoring. Oxford, UK: Butterworth- Heinemann. Whitmore, J. (2002) Coaching for performance. Growing people, performance and purpose. Nicholas Brealey.