Gogan Paper

8/11/2019 Gogan Paper

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Virginia Gogan,

The University of Western Australia

The Peer Assisted Study Sessions Program: Does PASS assist

frst year students in their transition to University?

Abstract

Emerging challenges in the Australian tertiary sector, such as lower

sta -to-student ratios and greater diversity in the undergraduate

student population, are leading Australian universities to see

innovative ways of improving the !rst year e"perience# This paper

focuses on students$ perceptions of the e"tent to which attending a

peer-assisted learning program, %eer Assisted &tudy &essions

'%A&&(, has contri)uted to their !rst year e"perience at The

University of Western Australia *usiness &chool )y fostering social

connections )etween students, engaging students more actively in

their studies and contri)uting to students$ development of study

s ills# &urveys of students indicate that the %A&& program has made

a contri)ution to students$ !rst year e"perience in these areas, and

indicates ways to enhance the program in the future#


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+eywords peer assisted study sessions, student engagement, study

s ills

Introduction

PASS programs have been introduced in over 25 Australian universities in the past

fifteen years, partially as a response to emerging pressures in undergraduate teaching

such as lower staff-to-student ratios, higher enrolments and greater number of

international students (O !onnell, 2""#$% &he PASS programs implemented in

Australian universities represents an adaptation of the Supplemental 'nstruction model

developed in the nited States by !eanna )artin at the niversity of )issouri in

*+ (S.alic.y, 2""/$% PASS programs involve non-compulsory wee.ly sessions in

which a PASS 0eader facilitates discussion and group activities between a small

group of students with the goal of improving their understanding of course concepts

()orrison, 2"" $% &he PASS 0eader is a student who has completed the unit and is

recruited on the basis of their academic record and interpersonal s.ills% &he role of the

PASS 0eader differs significantly from that of a teacher, as the PASS 0eader actively

avoids re-teaching material or answering students 1uestions, and instead aims to

empower the group to find their own answers and to ta.e responsibility for each

others learning ()orrison, 2"" $%

hile PASS does not operate as a remedial program, it targets units that are 3high

ris. in that they are compulsory units for progression or suffer from a high failure

rate ()orrison, 2"" $% &he PASS program at the A 4usiness School was


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established in 2""/, operating in core first year units which include accounting,

business statistics and economics% Significant change has occurred within the program

in the first semester of 2"*", as PASS 0eaders are re1uired to prepare activities for

PASS and to attend lectures in the unit fortnightly% &his represents a large increase in

the responsibility of PASS 0eaders, as in the first two years of the program the

content of PASS was driven by students raising 1uestions for discussion% &he

significant change to the program presents an opportunity to review the performance

of the PASS program at A and to drive further changes to the program if

necessary% &his perspective is consistent with O !onnell s argument that the

effectiveness of peer-assisted learning programs is highly sensitive to their local

conte t and that universities should use a process of e perimentation to adapt the

PASS model over time and optimi6e its effectiveness (O !onnell, 2""#$%

&he Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS$ program at the niversity of estern

Australia ( A$ 4usiness School has two overarching goals7 to improve students

academic performance, and to assist first year students in their transition to university

study (4irch 8 0i, 2""/$% hile there is a lot of research focusing on the lin.s

between PASS attendance and academic results, far less research has considered the

performance of the PASS program from other perspectives, including its contribution

to student engagement and the development of study s.ills (9an der )eer 8 Scott,

2""+$% &he study uses these findings in combination with the findings of research at

other Australasian universities to recommend changes to the PASS program at A

with the goal of continual improvement in the PASS program s contribution to the

1uality of the first year e perience at the A 4usiness School%


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Literature Review

Student engagement represents the e tent to which students are actively involved with

and committed to their own learning, and is often e pressed as the amount of time that

students devote to activities which enhance their learning ()ar.well, 2"" $% Student

engagement is recognised as a :prominent indicator of the nature and 1uality of the

first year e perience;, and more engaged students report higher levels of satisfaction

and have higher academic results and retention rates (ames 8

)c'nnis, 2""5$% hile improving student engagement is a significant priority for

Australian universities, the 2""+ ?irst @ear perience survey raises concerns about

the level of engagement among first year students (>ames, ennings, 2"*"$%

)any of the behavioural measures of engagement fell between surveys in 2""# and

2""+, including a decline in time spent on campus, time spent in class and time spent

in private study (>ames et al, 2"*"$% Some of the attitudinal measures of engagement

have also fallen, with only 5" percent of first year students feeling a sense of

belonging to their university community, and only 5 percent of students feeling li.e

part of a cohort of students committed to learning%

Bhanges in the tertiary sector in recent years present significant challenges to

improving student engagement, as declining staff-to-student ratios and decreased staff


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availability outside teaching hours leave fewer opportunities for students to have

valuable interactions with academic staff ()ar.well, 2"" $% &his may be reflected in

the survey finding that only 5/ percent of first year students were confident that at

least one of their teachers .new their name (>ames et al, 2"*"$% &he Australian

Covernment s Deview of Australian =igher ducation described the fall in staff-to-

student ratios as having :reached a point where the student e perience is being

threatened; (4radley, Eoonan, Eugent 8 Scales, 2""/$%

A .ey dimension of first year student engagement is social integration, the process

through which a student builds a social networ. and develops a sense of belonging to

their student cohort and to the university (4eder, *++ $% &he ?irst @ear perience

Survey in 2""+ found that only # percent of students had made one or two friends at

university by the end of their first year (>ames et al, 2"*"$% &he significant percentage

of students who fail to foster social connections can feel 3seriously alienated and

disengaged from the university, driving higher rates of attrition (4eder, *++ 7


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2""+, only half of the Australian first year university students entering as school

leavers felt that high school had provided a good preparation for university study

(>ames et al, 2"*"$% Some commentators have compared the transition e perience of

some first year students to moving to a foreign country, arguing that :in order to

survive you need to understand the language and culture of the discipline you are

studying; (0ewis, O 4rien, Dogan 8 Shorten, 2""5$% &hese problems are amplified

in the conte t of an increasingly diverse undergraduate student body, where many

students may have an inade1uate preparation for the demands of tertiary study%

ncouraging high levels of student engagement and developing students study s.ills

are widely recognised by A and other universities as .ey components of a high

1uality first year e perience ()ar.well, 2"" $% )any commentators have suggested

that Australian universities should review and reinvigorate their strategies for

improving the first year e perience, particularly in the conte t of contemporary

challenges such as declining staff-student ratios and increasing student diversity

(>ames et al, 2"*"$%


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&he PASS program could represent an effective response to


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lin. course concepts to their practical applications% hen the group encounters a

problem, the PASS 0eader aims to facilitate a collaborative process through which

students tap into the group s shared .nowledge and available materials to solve that

problem ()orrison, 2"" $%

&hese activities should produce an environment which is highly conducive to student

engagement, and in which students can develop a sense that they 3belong to a

particular cohort or group who are sharing the same learning Iourney together

()ar.well, 2"" $%


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their development of study s.ills and to their engagement with the university

community (9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$% &he authors found that the PASS program

could perform more effectively in these areas, and that PASS 0eader training should

focus on strategies through which PASS 0eaders can more effectively and

intentionally incorporate the development of study s.ills into PASS (9an der )eer 8

Scott, 2""+$% &he authors also concluded that PASS 0eader training should include a

greater focus on strategies that build social connections between participating students

(9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$%

Methodology

&his study focuses on the e tent to which students perceive that the PASS program

contributes to their first year e perience at the A 4usiness School by fostering

social connections between students, engaging students more actively in their studies,

and contributing to their development of tertiary-level study s.ills%

&he following research 1uestions guided this studyL

1. !o first year A 4usiness School students who attend PASS report

increased levels of social and academic engagement with the niversityM


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2. !o first year A 4usiness School students who attend PASS report

increased comfort and confidence in dealing with the teaching, learning and

assessment of niversityM

3. !o first year A 4usiness School students who attend PASS report ways in

which the PASS program could be redesigned to further increase their

engagement and their ability to manage the teaching, learning and assessment

re1uirements of the niversityM

&his study consisted of two surveys of PASS attending students at the A 4usiness

School, followed by brief interviews with four PASS 0eaders in the program% A

beginning-of-semester survey was conducted in hardcopy during the first three wee.s

of PASS, and the end-of-semester survey was conducted online in wee.s + to ** of

PASS% &he end-of-semester survey was conducted online in order to capture a more

reflective sample of PASS-attending students, including those who attended PASS

irregularly or who had discontinued their attendance (9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$%

&hirty five students completed the beginning-of-semester survey and + students

completed the end-of-semester survey, out of the *2* students who had attended atleast one PASS session by the ninth wee. of PASS% &wenty three students who

completed the first survey and 2 students who completed the second survey were in

their first semester of university% A limitation of the study is that the respondents to the

two surveys are li.ely to be comprised of different students, which limits the

comparisons which can be made across time from their responses%


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4oth surveys included 1uestions as.ing students to rate their levels of ability in a

range of tertiary-level study s.ills, and 1uestions that indicate their levels of academic

and social engagement with the niversity% )any of the student engagement

1uestions were drawn from the ?irst @ear perience Survey (>ames et al, 2"*"$% &his

survey design enables a comparison in student responses before and after attending

PASS, which could indicate whether PASS has contributed to students engagement

and confidence in their study s.ills%

&he beginning-of-semester survey also as.ed students to rate the importance of a

variety of benefits which could be gained from PASS attendance% &he end-of-semester

survey included 1uestions which were recommended by 9an der )eer and Scott as

appropriate to gauge students perceptions of the contribution of the PASS program to

their development of study s.ills and to their sense of engagement with the niversity

(9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$% &he end-of-semester survey also as.ed students to

report their suggestions to improve the program%

&he end-of-semester survey also included a 1uestion as.ing students to describe the

PASS program to a future student% 9an der )eer and Scott suggested using this

1uestion to evaluate how effectively the conduct of the sessions adhered to the model

of PASS, and how well students understood the intentions of the program (9an der

)eer 8 Scott, 2""+$% &he responses to this 1uestion raised the possibility that PASS

0eaders were e periencing difficulty in adhering to the PASS model by avoiding re-


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teaching course material or directly answering students 1uestions% &his issue was

investigated in brief interviews with four PASS 0eaders that were conducted after a

review of the survey responses% &he PASS 0eaders were also as.ed for their

suggestions to improve the program% &hese interviews were recorded with the consent

of the participants, who were guaranteed confidentiality and anonymity%

Results

What were students hoping to gain from PASS attendance?

&he beginning-of-semester survey as.ed students to rate how important each possible

benefit from attending PASS was to them on a #-point 0i.ert scale with the anchors of

(*$ least important and (#$ most important%

Ta le !" Percentage of students at the eginning of semester rating specified

potential enefits of attending PASS as important#

Possi le enefits of PASS attendance Percentage of students rating this enefit as

importantPracticing solving problems + N

Blarifying course content +#N0earning assessment techni1ues /FN

Pic.ing up tips on how to study at

university

F N

'ncreasing your motivation to study FFN)a.ing new friends N


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&hese results indicate that students highly value the aspects of PASS attendance that

can directly contribute to their success in their course, and there also appears to be a

demand from students to incorporate the development of their study s.ills into PASS

sessions% Bonversely, the social aspect of PASS was least highly valued by students%

$ow did first year students% reported confidence in their level of study s&ills

change over the course of the semester?

'n both surveys, students were as.ed to rate their tertiary-level study s.ills on a #-

point 0i.ert scale, with the anchors of (*$ low s.ill level and (#$ high s.ill level%

Ta le '" Percentage of first year students who assessed their study s&ill as a ove

average at the eginning and end of semester#

Study s&ill (eginning of

semester

)nd of semester

Wor&ing well with

others

+*% N /5%2N

Time management

s&ills

/ N 55%FN

*er al

communication

%+N %/N

+ritical thin&ing F %FN 5+% N


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s&ills),am preparation

and techni-ues

F"%+N 5+% N

Pro lem solving

s&ills

F"%+N F%+N

.rganisation of

notes

5F%5N #%*N

)ssay writing s&ills # %5N FF% NResearch s&ills +%*N 5+% N

At the beginning of semester, the first year students surveyed nominated research

s.ills, essay writing s.ills, organi6ation of notes and problem-solving s.ills as areas in

which they lac.ed confidence% 4y comparison, at the end of semester, the students

reported much higher levels of confidence in their s.ills in these areas% 'n some of the

areas in which students professed confidence early in the semester, such as time

management s.ills, the level of confidence reported declined by the end of semester%

&his may however be reflective of the pressures which students face at the end of

semester, in which deficiencies in students time management and e am preparation

s.ills may become more apparent%

$ow did first year students% reported level of engagement change over the course

of the semester?


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'n both surveys, students were as.ed to respond to statements indicating their

attitudinal measures of engagement on a #-point 0i.ert scale with the anchors of (*$

strongly disagree, (2$ disagree, ( $ agree, and (#$ strongly agree%

Ta le /" Percentage of first year students who agreed with engagement

statements at the eginning and end of semester#

Statements (eginning of semester )nd of semester0It has een difficult to

ma&e friends so far1

/% N #"% N

0I feel it is .2 to miss

classes in this course

ecause most of the notes

and materials are online1

2F%*N #/%2N

0I am finding this unit to

e intellectually

stimulating and engaging1

% "N /*%5N

0I feel comforta le in

as&ing -uestions or see&ing

advice from staff1

#N %/N

0I really li&e eing on

campus1

+5%FN +F% N

0I thin& I%m settling in well

at 3WA1

+5%FN +F%2N

't appears that the students surveyed had relatively high levels of engagement with the

university, a finding which was reflected in both surveys% =owever, the significant


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percentage of students reporting e periencing difficulty in ma.ing friends in the

second survey does represent a concern%

What were students perceptions o the per ormance o

PASS?

&tudents responded to statements on a -point .i ert scale with the

anchors '/( strongly disagree, '0( disagree, '1( agree, ' ( strongly

agree#

Ta le 4" What were students% perceptions of the performance of PASS?

Percentage of first year

students agreeing with

statement:PASS has helped me ma.e

connections with other students;

52N

:PASS has helped me to integrate more

1uic.ly into university life;

52N

:PASS has encouraged me to be more

engaged with the course material;

/N

:PASS helped me to develop study and

learning strategies that ' could apply in

other courses as well;

5+N


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:' would recommend the PASS

program to other students;

/5N

hile the results which see. to compare the students across the two surveys are

ambiguous, the students direct ratings of the effectiveness of the PASS program

appear to show that PASS has contributed to some students engagement with their

studies and with the university% )ost stri.ingly, /N of first year students agreed that

PASS had encouraged them to become more engaged with the course material%

=owever, only a slim maIority of the students agreed that PASS had helped them

ma.e connections with other students, and that PASS helped them integrate more

1uic.ly into university life%

Students% descriptions of PASS

'n their responses to the beginning-of-semester survey, students described their first

PASS session as :friendly;, :engaging;, :helpful;, :fun; and :useful;%

A representative sample of these comments followsL


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Very friendly and engaging. [The PASS Leader] encouraged teaching andexplaining from other students and made me feel confident in asking

uestions!

"ore engaging than tutorials# so that $ can ask more specific uestions and

get more focused help!%elaxed learning en&ironment. 'xperienced students leading ( canempathise!

$t is a fun )ay to learn and more informal than tutes# )e learn more and[are] not afraid to ask uestions.!

[The PASS Leader] used creati&e teaching styles )hich )ere interesting andapplica*le.!

+,ood discussions and $ learnt at an accelerated rate during discussions+

A representative selection of comments to this 1uestion is listed belowL

An interacti&e discussion )ith other students in )hich uestions can *easked# exam-structured uestions are examined and topics are discussed indetail# leading to a *etter understanding of the unit content o&erall.!

$t is a great )ay to clarify ans)ers and get help on anything you areconfused a*out. $t helped me so much )ith my confidence- $ hadn t donemaths since high school /0 yrs ago1 so it )as a great en&ironment to ask

uestions or 2ust sit and listen.!

3Teaching others is a great )ay to aid your o)n understanding of coursecontent and it tests ho) )ell you really kno) something!

3$t stimulates you to study further and engage more )ith unit material!

Some students described the program as :a friendly environment where you can as. a

tutor 1uestions freely with one-on-one tutoring in a small group;, and :a #5-minute

tutorial that gives you the answers for that wee. s assignment;, and a :tutoring

program;% &hese descriptions could reflect a lac. of understanding of the intentions of


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the PASS program, or it could reflect the role which PASS 0eaders too. in their

sessions%

&he 1uestion of whether PASS 0eaders had conducted themselves as 3tutors rather

than 3facilitators was investigated in brief interviews with four PASS 0eaders% All

four participants admitted that they had struggled to varying degrees to adhere to the

PASS model and avoid assuming the role of tutor% &he PASS 0eaders e pressed

significant discomfort with the silence arising where student discussion falters, and

felt that in many circumstances it was :Iust easier; to step in and answer 1uestions or

re-teach material% &he PASS 0eaders emphasised the :pressure; they faced from

students to assume this role, and felt they lac.ed sufficient strategies to re-direct

1uestions bac. to the student group for discussion% &hree PASS 0eaders also

contended that the low levels of attendance hampered their ability to maintain the

PASS model, as there were less students to contribute to discussion%

5iscussion

The contri ution of the PASS program to students% development of study s&ills

&he surveys indicate that the maIority of first year students attending PASS rate the

development of study s.ills as a valuable potential benefit of the program , and the

maIority of students reported that PASS had helped them to develop study and


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learning strategies that could be applied in other courses% &he improvement in

confidence that students reported in their research s.ills, essay writing s.ills,

organi6ation of notes and problem-solving s.ills also supports the argument that

PASS attendance has contributed to the students development of study s.ills% hile

these results are encouraging, there is a lot of scope for the A PASS program to

improve its effectiveness in assisting students development of study s.ills%

As 9an der )eer and Scott found in their study at Otago niversity, the development

of students study s.ills should be a more deliberate focus of A PASS 0eader s

session planning% ?or e ample, the PASS Activity Outline could include a grid

calendar that suggests a study s.ill to highlight during the session that will be relevant

to students at that stage of semester% hile one student commented that she has :no

desire to attend a class on how to write an essay;, PASS 0eaders should be able to

incorporate the discussion of study s.ills into PASS sessions in a way that does not

detract from the focus on course content% ?or e ample, PASS 0eaders can as. the

student group to construct answers to moc. e am essays in a session leading up to

their e aminations, and initiate a discussion of essay writing s.ills and e am

techni1ues in that conte t%

The contri ution of the PASS program to student engagement

't appears that students who attended PASS had relatively high levels of engagement,

particularly in terms of their levels of social integration% Students responses were


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mostly stable between the beginning and end of semester, implying that their

attendance at PASS did not contribute to their level of engagement% =owever, the

1uestions which directly as.ed for students perceptions of the PASS programs

effectiveness appeared to show that PASS has contributed to some students

engagement with their studies and with the university% &he most stri.ing result is that

/N of the first year students agreed that PASS had encouraged them to become more

engaged with the course material% =owever, only 52N of first year students agreed

that PASS had helped them ma.e connections with other students, and only 52N of

first year students agreed that PASS had helped them integrate more 1uic.ly into

university life%

Students comments describing their e periences of PASS added weight to the

theoretical arguments that PASS programs can contribute to first year student

engagement% &he comments focused on the characteristics which ma.e PASS stand

out from other learning environments at universityL the rela ed and informal learning

environment, the focus on active student discussion and the incorporation of creative

learning strategies% =owever, some of the comments described PASS in terms which

positioned the PASS 0eader in the role of a 3tutor , who e plains material and

answers students 1uestions% 0i.ewise, 9an der )eer and Scott found that responses to

their survey :could be interpreted as meaning that PASS 0eaders do indeed give

answers in a more or less straightforward way J GandH that some respondents seem to

e pect PASS 0eaders to provide answers; (9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$%


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&he performance of the PASS 0eader is :crucial to the success of the program;

(S.alic.y, 2""/$% &he survey responses revealed that students held misconceptions

about the role of PASS 0eaders, raising the concern that PASS 0eaders may have

adopted the role of 3tutor in their sessions% &his was confirmed through interviews

with four PASS 0eaders, who admitted that they had often failed to avoid re-teaching

the course material or directly answer students 1uestions% Although the role of PASS

0eader was a significant focus of the training session conducted at the beginning of

the semester, the PASS 0eaders highlighted the difficulty they e perienced in

adhering to the PASS model% PASS 0eaders found that it was often :Iust easier; to

revert to the role of tutor, citing low attendance, pressure applied by students, and a

lac. of strategies to :brea. the silence; as .ey obstacles they faced%

&he PASS 0eader s adoption of the role of 3tutor , rather than as the facilitator of

student-centered discussion represents a departure from the PASS model that

undermines the goals of the program in two ways (9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+$%

?irstly, the PASS 0eader is un1ualified to 3teach the unit% Secondly, the learning

theory behind PASS indicates that where the PASS 0eader acts as a 3tutor , the focus

shifts from the process of students actively constructing .nowledge through

collaboration to a process of students passively receiving information from the PASS

0eader% &herefore, the change in the role of the PASS 0eader undermines the uni1ue

characteristics of the PASS program that give it the potential to contribute

significantly to students engagement with their studies%


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&his appears to be a significant problem in PASS programs across different university

conte ts, and must be effectively countered to optimise the performance of the PASS

program ()urray, 2""F7 9an der )eer 8 Scott, 2""+a$% &wo strategies can be used

effectively in combination to mitigate this problem7 increasing student attendance at

PASS and providing PASS 0eaders with formal opportunities to reflect on the

performance of their role during semester%

&he strategies used by PASS 0eaders to avoid adopting the role of tutor, such as re-

directing 1uestions to the student group, are more difficult for the PASS 0eader to

implement in sessions with only a few students% A group si6e of *" to *5 students is

advocated by many commentators to lubricate student discussion and remove the

focus from the PASS 0eader (S.allic.y et al, 2""/$% Creater attendance in the PASS

program at A could be achieved by more effectively incorporating promotion of

PASS within orientation programs, and by ensuring that lecturers and tutors

consistently promote PASS across all units in the program% Alternatively, other

Australian universities have successfully increased attendance by giving the

responsibility for promoting the PASS program to the PASS 0eaders themselves

()urray, 2""F$%

PASS 0eaders must actively resist the temptation to slip into :a leader-centered,

passive-student mode of running the sessions; by s.illfully using strategies that

empower students to find their own answers, often while facing pressure to simply

provide the answers ()urray, 2""F$% S.alic.y argues that to perform most effectively,

PASS 0eaders should be given opportunities throughout the semester to :reflect

critically upon their role and their sessions, and to be responsive to their own


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reflections and others feedbac.; (S.alic.y, 2""/$% &he performance of the PASS

program at A would li.ely benefit from providing opportunities for PASS 0eaders

to meet or re-train during semester with the goals of reinforcing the understanding of

their role, discussing and practicing strategies to stay within the boundaries of their

role, and sharing advice on how to prepare engaging, creative and educationally

valuable sessions%

As )urray asserts, :the final step in ma.ing a PASS scheme truly successful is

embedding it into the thin.ing of both the study body and the School or ?aculty;

()urray, 2""F$% &he PASS program should be viewed as a part of a holistic approach

to teaching and learning within the units it operates, and the relationship between

PASS 0eaders and faculty should be strengthened% &he 1uality of PASS sessions as an

engaging educational e perience will be enhanced where the faculty effectively

communicates their e pectations for the PASS program in that unit, and suggests

resources that PASS 0eaders may use to prepare their session (4ur.e da Silva 8

KonnetIe, 2""+$%

&he research literature indicates that the PASS program has the capacity to ease thetransition of first year students into university study, by fostering social connections

between students, engaging students more actively in their studies, and contributing to

their development of tertiary-level study s.ills% Surveys of first year students

attending PASS indicate that the program at the A 4usiness School has

contributed to their first year e perience across these dimensions% =owever, there is a


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scope for improvement within the program, and recommendations to improve the

performance of the PASS program in these areas are summarised below%

Recommendations

1. 'mprove the communication of the boundaries of the PASS 0eader s role, in

order to align the e pectation s of faculty, PASS 0eaders and students with the

obIectives of the program%

2. Aim to improve attendance to at least *" students per session, which assists

the realisation of the obIectives of the program by enabling the PASS 0eader

to run a session that centers on student discussion%

3. pand opportunities for PASS 0eaders to critically reflect upon their role and

their performance within the sessions, and to share advice on how to prepare

engaging, creative and educationally valuable sessions%

4. 'mprove and formalise the focus on the development of study s.ills within the

PASS program, encouraging PASS 0eaders to incorporate study s.ills into the

program in ways which are relevant to students%

References

4eder, S (*++ $% Addressing the 'ssues of Social and Academic 'ntegration for


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?irst @ear StudentsL A discussion paper, Detrieved >une 25 th 2"*" fromL

httpL ultibase%rmit%edu%au Articles dec+ beder*%htmQSocial

4radley, !, Eoonan, P, Eugent, =, Scales, 4% (2""/$ Deview of Australian =igher

ducationL ?inal Deport, Detrieved April *" th from

httpL www%deewr%gov%au highereducation review pages reviewofaustralianhighe

reducation report%asp

4ur.e da Silva, une R * >uly$% &he development of a

structured :Peer Assisted Study Program; with re1uired attendance, Paper

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