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- Peer tutoring pilot builds community in health sciences
- Finding hope in climate education: Research reveals how to teach crisis without creating despair
Peer tutoring pilot builds community in health sciences
When students in a demanding genetics course met with peer tutors, the result was more than improved study skills. It resulted in stronger community connections and a model for scaling peer support across health sciences education at 911吃瓜.
The Project
Mark Lechner's pilot program in HSCI 324 recruited eight former students as peer tutors, creating the first peer tutoring initiative for an upper division course in health sciences, and possibly at 911吃瓜. Rather than focusing solely on academic performance, tutors were selected for communication skills and empathy. Peer tutors provided consistent weekly support for better studying, learning, and problem-solving strategies while also encouraging face-to-face relationship building.
The program emphasized community building alongside academic assistance, using shared physical space and regular interactions to create lasting connections among health sciences students navigating demanding coursework together.
Project Highlights
Strong community indicators emerged across the student body. Survey data revealed students felt they could trust peers, felt they could rely on other students, and believed students cared about each other, demonstrating significant community cohesion in a large required course.
Peer tutoring directly enhanced community connection. Students who used peer tutoring reported feeling greater connection to the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) community, citing feeling supported, welcomed, and reassured that their academic challenges were normal and manageable.
Both tutees and tutors experienced reciprocal benefits. Students gained different perspectives on course material and study strategies, while tutors developed professional skills and formed meaningful relationships. Half of surveyed students expressed interest in becoming peer tutors themselves, indicating sustainable program growth potential.
Looking Ahead
The program's success has inspired plans to implement peer tutoring in additional health sciences courses before scaling to program level. Lechner will share findings through FHS "lunch and learn" sessions and website features, contributing to broader adoption of community-building approaches in health sciences education.
The pilot demonstrates that academic support and community building are interconnected goals, with peer connections enhancing both learning outcomes and student belonging.