Student Success

Academic Success

Tutoring vs PAL


Tutoring

  • Identifies and helps individual students that need additional assistance in general course topics.
  • Provides academic tutoring by a tutor that is knowledgeable in specific course subjects.
  • Students schedule appointments to meet with a tutor.
  • Tutors are trained in collaborative learning and study techniques.
  • Tutors assist students by an individual case-by-case need request.
  • Tutoring is focused on helping students to understand general course content.
  • Tutoring promotes independent learning and individual confidence.
  • Tutoring extends the option of working in groups by a requested time for students to meet with a tutor together.
  • The goal of tutoring is to facilitate student success and resolve immediate academic crisis.

Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

  • Identifies historically difficult courses and provides group learning sessions with a leader that has successfully completed the course.
  • Provides PAL sessions by "PALs" who are also present in class lectures with students.
  • PALs set specific session times that are available to students on a voluntary basis.
  • PALs are trained in collaborative learning and study techniques.
  • PALs provide on-going assistance to students enrolled in the course throughout the semester.
  • PALs focuses on content, learning/study strategies and internalization of course content to ensure a passing grade in the class. 
  • Peer Assisted Learning promotes student interaction and mutual support between classmates.
  • The goal of Peer Assisted Learning is to help students improve their academic performance and improve graduation/retention rates.