1. 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