Peer-Assisted Learning & Support

Workshop Presentation
Dawit Rumicha,  Nima Madani  

The workshop will foster conversations on how to enhance student learning by the practices based off of the model from the Florida Atlantic University Peer Assisted Learning & Support Program (PALS). The workshop will take a deeper look at the power of peer mentorship, leadership dynamics of a course organization, and analyzing the learning dynamics of a university community. The goal outcome of this session is to have participants obtain the tools necessary in being able to utilize techniques to bring burgeoning growth in their student’s success through their ambitions of fostering an inclusive diverse learning environment. Following these proceedings participants will be brought together in an open forum on effective and non-effective teaching techniques in comprehensively bringing about student driven success. Specifically we will be visiting James Kouzes and Barry Posner, Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® Model to further how this can be applicable to student development. We will also engage in interactive activities in putting attendees in scenarios where they will be tasked to use problem based learning strategies in increasing student engagement and success. They will also be brought into a activity to describe their methods of instruction by utilizing visual cues. Participants will gather in small groups of about 5 to discuss each of the practices and how it applies to their goals and set academic standards. The target audiences of this session will be university officials, university students, university faculty, and professionals in the field of instruction.