Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The importance of peer-to-peer programmes in higher education as a means of support for students has continued to grow as higher education is accessed by increasing numbers of students. Typically, support is provided by students with proven skills in specific subject areas or in academic literacy. This paper outlines the basis for the success of a peer-to-peer support programme in an Australian university which deviates from these typical approaches. Peer support is provided by successful students who will not necessarily have understanding of the content or specific literacy requirements students present with. The approach adopted in this programme is dialogic (Bakhtin, 1986) and its success is based on the co-construction of understanding which both mentor and mentee engage in as they work through issues the mentee presents with. This paper outlines the nature of the success of this programme as disclosed by focus group discussions with students and responses to questionnaires, and discusses these in light of both dialogic and academic literacies (Lea and Street, 1998) approaches to the development of understanding and learning.