Abstract
BackgroundStudent-led teaching has long been regarded as a useful ancillary educational method. It is also a valuable tool in the development of aspects of professionalism in student tutors and contributes to a sense of community within the student body. In 2014, a peer-assisted learning (PAL) program, organised by students at Sydney Medical School (Central), explored students’ experience of tutoring their junior peers.MethodsYear 3 and 4 students within Central Clinical School (CCS) were invited to be tutors for Year 1 and 2 students respectively. Tutorials centered on the application of clinical skills. All tutors were asked to complete an end of year questionnaire.ResultsA total of 40 % of senior students participated as tutors and 65 % of junior students as tutees. The end of year questionnaire response rate was 48 % (20/42). Most tutors (19/20, 95 %) felt confident to teach tutorials although one-third (6/20, 30 %) would have preferred more training in teaching. Tutors felt that the program better prepared them for their exams. Almost all tutors (19/20, 95 %) enjoyed teaching and felt it fostered a sense of community at CCS (17/20, 85 %). Tutors stated they were likely to be involved in teaching in the future (17/20, 85 %).ConclusionThis student initiated PAL program provided tutors with the opportunity for content and clinical skills revision and assisted in the development of professional competencies required on entering the medical workforce. The resultant sense of community at CCS will aid the expansion of the program in 2015 with an aim to review quality assurance measures.
Highlights
Student-led teaching has long been regarded as a useful ancillary educational method
This study aimed to explore students’ experience of tutoring their junior peers through the peer-assisted learning (PAL) program
Almost all students enjoyed the teaching experience and felt that the PAL program fostered a sense of community at Clinical School (CCS), with most students stated they were likely to be involved in teaching in the future
Summary
Student-led teaching has long been regarded as a useful ancillary educational method. In 2014, a peer-assisted learning (PAL) program, organised by students at Sydney Medical School (Central), explored students’ experience of tutoring their junior peers. Peer assisted learning (PAL) is described as “people of similar social groupings who are not professional teachers helping each other to learn and learning themselves by teaching” [1]. PAL has long been regarded as a useful educational method [2]. The notion of PAL in the medical student context resulted from the informal exchange of shared interests within peer groups [1, 3]. Peer-tutoring programs incorporate a wide range of medical skill sets, including case-based discussion [6], clinical examinations [2, 7], and student grand rounds [7].
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