Drop-in Study
Drop-in Study is a form of just-in-time peer tutoring that provides a welcoming and supportive environment in O’Connor 130 and 132 on evenings and weekends. This course-specific support is offered in collaboration with faculty, and facilitated by a cohort of peer educators who are trained in tutoring best practices, inclusive pedagogy, and metacognitive strategies.
Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) Study Groups
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is a form of supplemental instruction in which small groups of students enrolled in certain historically-challenging courses meet weekly to discuss course content and complete collaborative learning activities. Meetings are facilitated by a trained peer leader, who is charged not with teaching but with facilitating collaborative peer learning. SI aims to build a learning community and to help students learn “how to learn” as they work through course material. While Drop-in Study is ideal for just-in-time guidance, homework help, and informal group study; our PAL Study Groups are designed to target higher-order engagement with course material and cultivate deep learning throughout the semester.
Faculty Commitment for Drop-in Study and PAL
Our model for these peer-led programs involves close collaboration with faculty to ensure that our programs engage students in meaningful learning that is consistent with the learning outcomes of the course, even as they benefit from the peer mentorship inherent to the interactions. In order to facilitate this collaboration, we ask that faculty whose courses we support make the following commitments:
- Work with OASUS staff before the semester begins to identify the appropriate parameters for peer support and set mutually beneficial expectations;
- Support recruitment of Peer Educators by providing recommendations and advertising the position to potential candidates;
- Provide Peer Educators with access to the Canvas site and relevant course materials where appropriate;
- Invite a Peer educator to briefly introduce themselves and the program to the class during the first week of the semester;
- Communicate with their Peer Educator team regularly to ensure understanding of current course material and communicate about how students are relating to the material and assignments.
- For Drop-in Study, meet with their peer educators within the first two weeks of class and communicate with them biweekly throughout the semester;
- For PAL Study Groups, meet with their peer educators weekly to discuss the week’s structured activity. These check-ins are designed to guide peer educators as they select the week’s topic focus and prepare the learning activity.
- Provide feedback for the OASUS assessment efforts.
We welcome recommendations to our Peer Educator program. Each semester, OASUS takes applications for Peer Educators who facilitate Drop-In Study and Peer Assisted Learning. We are seeking students with strong interpersonal skills who are not only knowledgeable about subject matter but committed to supporting their peers in an inclusive environment.
Syllabus Language
We invite you to include the following language on your Syllabus or Canvas site:
Drop-In
For support with this course or other academic challenges, or if you're seeking a supportive learning community, check out the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students (OASUS). OASUS provides Drop-In Study—among other programs and workshops—as a resource for this course and many others.
You can find the schedule of support for this course on the Drop-In Study website. To stay up-to-date on OASUS Program schedules and events, add the OASUS Program calendar and join the Drop-in & PAL GroupMe. For any questions, you can reach out to oasus@rice.edu.
Drop-In and PAL
For support with this course or other academic challenges, or if you're seeking a supportive learning community, check out the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students (OASUS). OASUS provides both Drop-In Study and Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) Study Groups as resources for this course and many others.
You can find the schedules for Drop-In Study and PAL Study Group sessions on their respective websites. To stay up-to-date on OASUS Program schedules and events, add the OASUS Program Calendar and join the Drop-in & PAL GroupMe. For any questions, you can reach out to oasus@rice.edu.
PAL
For support with this course or other academic challenges, or if you're seeking a supportive learning community, check out the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students (OASUS). OASUS provides Peer-Assisted Learning(PAL) Study Groups—among other programs and workshops—as a resource for this course and many others.
You can find the schedule of support for this course on the PAL Study Groups website. To stay up-to-date on OASUS Program schedules and events, add the OASUS Program calendar and join the Drop-in & PAL GroupMe. For any questions, you can reach out to oasus@rice.edu.