PAL - Peer Assisted Learning

Student page

Student-led support to help you adjust to University life.

PAL is a student-led initiative that provides a study-session and space where participants can discuss their course, learning and student life in a friendly and informal environment with their peers and PAL facilitators.

PAL is a space where participants can feel comfortable to ask questions, review content, discuss knowledge, and receive advice and support from students who have been through the same studies.

What is PAL?

PAL stands for Peer Assisted Learning and provides regularly scheduled weekly review sessions for attendees to compare notes, discuss concepts, consolidate material and develop strategies for studying.

PAL sessions are informal and are a way to make sure attendees have understood their studies and material from that week.

Who can attend a PAL session?

PAL sessions will be running for the following departments in 2019/20:

Anthropology - Year 1
Sociology - Year 1
Psychology - Year 1
IMS - Year 1
Media, Communications and Cultural Studies - Year 1
Visual Cultures - Year 1
Art - Extension and Year 1
Computing - Foundation/Year 0 and Year 1
Open Book - Foundation/Year 0

Check your timetable, your PAL sessions will be scheduled with your classes. If your PAL session is not on your timetable please email: PAL (@gold.ac.uk).

Your Department and PAL leaders will also communicate information on the sessions with you during lectures, seminars and by email.

Ask a PAL sessions in 2019/20

Undergraduate Year 0 and Year 1 students that do not have PAL for their department will be able to attend Ask a PAL sessions in 2019/20. Ask a PAL sessions will cover student-life and academic skills, details of these sessions will be online in September 2019.

When is my PAL session?

Check your timetable, your PAL session will be scheduled with your classes. If your PAL session is not on your timetable please email: PAL (@gold.ac.uk).
Your Department and PAL leaders will also communicate information on the sessions with you during lectures, seminars and by email.

Art and Open Book students, please check the posters in your Department offices.

Spaces at PAL sessions are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If your PAL session is full, please try again in the following week or attend the Ask a PAL sessions.

Ask a PAL sessions

Undergraduate Year 0 and Year 1 students that do not have PAL for their department will be able to attend Ask a PAL sessions in 2019/20.

Ask a PAL sessions are not subject or department-specific, they will cover topics such as student-life, academic skills and learning.

When: Monday 5-6 pm and Tuesday 9-10 am during term time. Times are subject to change during the holidays.

Where: Prokofiev Room, Library.
Rooms are subject to change, please check the webpage before attending the PAL sessions.

Why attend a PAL session?

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is based on an internationally recognised and accredited scheme.

Research into PAL has demonstrated that if students attend regularly, their assessment grades and sense of belonging can improve significantly. It has also been shown a one hour PAL session can be equivalent to up to three hours of solo study.

If you are a busy student, PAL should help you make the most of your study time. It is also a really good way to build connections and make friends with other students on your course.

Who are the PAL Facilitators?

PAL Facilitators are continuing students who previously completed the same modules of study (or similar modules). They are a great resource as they have recently been at the same stage of their studies as you.

PAL Facilitators have been trained to facilitate PAL sessions. Facilitators encourage PAL session participants to improve their understanding of course material by reviewing, discussing and questioning in an interactive group setting.

PAL Facilitators are not Lecturers or Teachers and do not take the place of them.