Learning collectives are based off the concept of peer-to-peer learning that produces results greater than the sum of its parts as described by Douglas and Seely Brown (2011). In learning collectives, “people belong in order to learn” and the collective derives its strength from participation. These learning collectives provide learning support networks for students, through peer mentors who are trained in how to help students learn.
Peer mentors are upper level students who attend lectures, labs and/or recitations and hold office hours or review sessions outside of class time to assist students. Regular office hours are scheduled for meeting with individuals or groups of students to help with course content, but more importantly they are to help students better learn how to learn while developing better study skills and learning strategies.
Mentors are trained during August prior to the onset of the fall semester and in January before the spring semester begins. Their training consists of a series of sessions led by trained science educators. It is emphasized that mentoring is not to be equated with tutoring, but rather consists of working with teaching faculty in lectures, labs, and/or recitation sections and holding office hours with the goal of helping students work through content problems themselves by peers acting as a guide or by helping the students develop better study and learning strategies. In addition to the original training, peer mentors were required to attend a weekly pedagogical training session and meet weekly with content faculty.
Check the Peer Mentor Schedule and attend office hours held in our Peer Mentor Study Hall.