Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)
What is PASS?
PASS stands for Peer Assisted Study Sessions and involves senior students leading weekly study sessions for first year students. This semester, 12 PASS leaders are running group study workshops for their peers - the largest number ever.
Leaders attend training and are paid to deliver their sessions, as well as attending some of the Year 1 lectures so that they are in tune with the course delivery and visible to the students. Programmes involved this year are Business, Computing, Electrotechnology, Engineering, Natural Sciences and Osteopathy.
Since 2008 PASS has helped students in Year 1 Osteopathy, Natural Sciences and Business cope with tough core courses, which are usually pre-requisites for later years. PASS also helps Year 1 students, whether mature students or school-leavers, get used to tertiary study.
PASS leaders don't re-teach the subject, rather they share the study strategies that have worked for them and review the input from lectures and readings by forming groups, doing activities and talking about the work.
Comments from 2010 PASS attendees:
"We felt free to ask questions in a more relaxed group setting."
"PASS helped my understanding of a subject I've found particularly hard."
Who runs PASS?
PASS is coordinated by Te Puna Ako Learning Centre, with great help from lecturers in the relevant department. Lecturers who are interested in talking about PASS for a course in their programme are welcome to contact Catherine Mitchell (ext 6076) or Caroline Malthus (ext 6077) for further info.
Members of the 2011 PASS Leadership team
Last edited: 21 March 2011
