Peer Leadership in Higher Education E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: J-B HE Single Issue Higher Education
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 208

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Peers have always been an important influence on students'college experience. Peer leadership programs are not only pervasivebut also offer an effective means to advance students'adjustment, learning, development, and success. This issue coverspeer leadership as an emerging high-impact practice in support of21st Century Learning Outcomes. In it, you'll learn: * The benefits of peer leader programs * A history of peer education * How to provide academic support through peer education * Peer leadership in the cocurriculum * Integrating technology into peer leader responsibilities * Peers in doctoral education * The architecture of a high-impact and sustainable program. This is the 157th volume of thid Jossey-Bass series.Addressed to higher education decision makers on all kinds ofcampuses, New Directions forHigher Education provides timely information andauthoritative advice about major issues and administrative problemsconfronting every institution.

Leseprobe

Contents

Editor’s Notes

Chapter 1: The Benefits of Peer Leader Programs: An Overview from the Literature

Benefits of Peer Leadership from the Student’s Perspective

Benefits of Peer Leadership from the Peer Leader’s Perspective

Benefits of Peer Leadership from the Institution’s Perspective

Conclusion

Chapter 2: Where It All Began: Peer Education and Leadership in Student Services

History and Proliferation

Peer Leadership in the Field of Orientation

Expanding Roles Within Orientation

The Role of Peer Leaders in Residence Life

Evolving Specialization of Peer Leaders Within Residence Life

Future Implications for Peer Leadership

Chapter 3: Providing Academic Support Through Peer Education

First-Year Seminars

Supplemental Instruction

Other Peer Education Practices in the Academic Domain

Considerations for Supporting a Successful Peer Education Program

Conclusion

Chapter 4: Peer Leadership in the Cocurriculum: Turning Campus Activities into an Educationally Purposeful Enterprise

Theoretical Background

Supporting Educationally Purposeful Out-of-Class Activities

Peer Leadership in Campus Activities

Peer Leadership in Institutional Governance

The Future of Peer Leadership: Blending Curricular and Cocurricular Efforts Toward Leadership Development and Civic Engagement

Conclusion

Chapter 5: Integrating Technology into Peer Leader Responsibilities

Technology Use Among College-Age Students

Building Technological Competencies and Skills

Considerations for Peer Leader Training and Support

Conclusion

Chapter 6: Peers in Doctoral Education: Unrecognized Learning Partners

Doctoral Education in the United States: An Apprenticeship Model

What Do We Know About the Role of Peers in Doctoral Education?

New Research on Peers as “Learning Partners” in Doctoral Education

Conclusion

Chapter 7: The Architecture of a High-Impact and Sustainable Peer Leader Program: A Blueprint for Success

Creating a Blueprint for Sustainability in a Peer Leadership Program

Designing Expectations and Standards for Peer Leaders

What Is the Role and Responsibility of Peer Leaders in the Program?

How Can Peer Leaders Best Be Motivated?

Constructing the Peer Leader Team Through Recruitment and Selection

Implementing an Effective Training Program

Using Feedback and Assessment to Modify the Blueprint

Conclusions

Index

Peer Leadership in Higher Education

Jennifer R. Keup

New Directions for Higher Education, no. 157

Betsy Barefoot, Editor-in-Chief

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Editor’s Notes

At our core, we are all social creatures who rely heavily upon the companionship, communication, authority, and guidance of other people. Early in our lives and education, it is developmentally appropriate for these relationships to be more hierarchical and authoritarian. Over time, we each begin to develop our own areas of expertise as well as a more nuanced understanding of knowledge as relative, contextual, and shared. As such, our personal, educational, and professional interactions with others begin to resemble communities of equals. For many, college is the time when this transition is most salient and holds the greatest potential for personal development.

Peers have likely always been an important influence on students’ college experiences. In the early days of U.S. higher education, upper-class students would informally welcome and haze younger students in residential settings. Since that time, higher education has formalized peer involvement and support in order to harness the ubiquitous nature and positive potential of student-to-student interactions.

Initially, peer leadership opportunities were primarily social in focus and the sole province of student affairs divisions. However, peer leadership is now present in both the academic and cocurricular spheres of the undergraduate experience, covers a wide range of cognitive and affective topics and techniques, and engages a large number of campus constituencies. In fact, peer leadership programs typically cut across traditional boundaries of the academy such as academic and student affairs and often serve as a connective and collaborative force.

These programs are not only pervasive but also an effective and efficient means to advance students’ adjustment, learning, development, and success. Many programs that are fixtures on campuses across the country—student organizations and government, orientation, Supplemental Instruction, tutoring, advising, and residence life—are contingent upon the involvement of peer leaders. In truth, student leaders, educators, and paraprofessionals make it financially feasible to run large-scale programs and are likely to be an even greater component of campus life and academic support as higher education budgets at institutional and state levels continue to be cut and fiscal resources become scarcer. Peer leadership allows institutions to mine one of their most significant renewable resources: a talented pool of students.

Lest we sound opportunistic and utilitarian in a strictly tactical discussion of peer leaders, the chapters in this book repeatedly show overwhelming evidence of the positive impact of peer leadership at the student level as well as institutional savings and benefit. In addition, the student outcomes of peer leadership are mutually beneficial: the students who provide the mentorship, leadership, or education gain as much, if not more, from the experience than do the students they serve. Further, the range of positive gains from peer leadership has significant overlap with the 21st Century Learning Outcomes that were recently identified by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) as essential preparation for the personal, civic, and economic challenges that society is currently facing. These outcomes include global and intercultural competency, intellectual and practical skill development, personal and social responsibility, and integrative and applied learning (Kuh 2008).

AAC&U identified ten high-impact practices that facilitate student progress toward these 21st Century Learning Outcomes. These high-impact practices have relevance to the discussion and importance of peer leadership in higher education today for two reasons. First, many of these practices such as first-year seminars, learning communities, service-learning, collaborative initiatives, and capstone projects, currently engage peer educators, mentors, and leaders. Thus, peer leadership is a critical component of the successful administration of these high-impact practices and the subsequent achievement of the essential learning outcomes. Second, the defining characteristics of high-impact practices are also hallmarks of peer leadership: creating an investment of time and energy, including interaction with faculty and peers about substantive matters; reflection; high expectations; and integrative, applied, and experiential learning. Therefore, it is quite likely that peer leadership is an emerging high-impact practice in support of 21st Century Learning Outcomes, an assertion that finds further support in the content of this volume.

In Chapter One, Jaime Shook and I summarize the body of literature on peer leadership to set the foundation for the volume. Drawing from sources that focus on practice as well as research, we discuss the general influence of peers on students in college; define and describe peer education, mentorship, and leadership processes; and summarize the positive impact of peer leadership on the students served, the peer leaders, and the institution.

Chapters Two, Three, and Four look at the college domains in which peer leadership programs are often used and how these programs have evolved over time. Chapter Two, by Stephanie Ganser and Tricia Kennedy, identifies the early origins of peer leadership in student services in orientation and residence life, charts the advancements in the use of peer leaders to the current day, and projects future trends in these areas. In Chapter Three, Jennifer Latino and Catherine Unite identify another evolutionary direction of peer programs from their roots in student services: the growing use of peers in the classroom as well as in academic support services. Brian Wooten, Joshua Hunt, Brian LeDuc, and Phillip Poskus in Chapter Four address the progression of student leadership positions in the cocurriculum, most notably in campus activities, from “fun and games” to integrated and purposeful learning opportunities.

Chapters Five and Six consider less traditional aspects of peer leadership as promising areas of practice for higher education. Melissa Johnson in Chapter Five discusses the opportunities and challenges of technology as both a new tool and an emerging forum for peer education and leadership among college students. In Chapter Six, Emma Flores-Scott and Maresi Nerad explore the nature of student interactions in doctoral education, citing the unique dynamics of these educational partnerships and their stark differences from peer communities that are characteristic of undergraduates.

Finally, Pat Esplin, Jenna Seabold, and Fred Pinnegar discuss in Chapter Seven the operational aspects of administering high-quality peer leadership programs. The information that they provide on understanding and navigating campus culture as well as developing meaningful peer leader recruitment, selection, and training strategies is critical to the creation and sustainability of successful programs.

It is fitting that a volume on peer leadership is comprised of so many chapters that are coauthored, thereby modeling the power of peer collaboration in the field of higher education. I am extremely grateful to all of the authors who contributed their individual and collective expertise to this volume. Their insights and perspectives on the various aspects of peer leadership in higher education provide a rich portrait of the history and current trends on this topic as well as portend future directions for our work in this area and with the next generations of students. On behalf of all of the authors, I hope that you find this volume an informative and valuable resource.

Jennifer R. Keup

Editor

Reference

Kuh, G. D. 2008. High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Jennifer R. Keup is the director of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policies in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina.

1

The Benefits of Peer Leader Programs: An Overview from the Literature

Jaime L. Shook, Jennifer R. Keup

This chapter provides a review of the literature on peer leadership with specific emphasis on the benefits of these programs to the students being served, to those who engage as peer leaders, and to the institution.

The powerful influence of peers in human development has been widely documented, particularly within education. Throughout the history of higher education, peer interactions have been a component of scholarly explorations of student types (Astin 1993), campus cultures (Clark and Trow 1966; Feldman and Newcomb 1969), and even the cycle of student “generations” (Coomes and DeBard 2004; Strauss and Howe 1991). In addition, most student development theories attribute great significance to the process of maturation in interpersonal relationships and the impact of peers in this process (as summarized in Evans and others 2010; Pascarella and Terenzini 1991, 2005; Skipper 2005). In fact, Astin (1993, 398) concludes that “the student’s peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development during the undergraduate years.” Further, the impact of peers is not only a matter of degree but also an issue of scope. Pascarella and Terenzini (1991, 620–621) summarize the results of their review of findings from a host of researchers to deduce that “students’ interactions with their peers . . . have a strong influence on many aspects of change during college, [including] intellectual development and orientation; political, social, and religious values; academic and social self-concept; intellectual orientation; interpersonal skills; moral development; general maturity and personal development.”

In addition to the influence of peers on personal development, higher education theory and research also show that they play a large role in student success and can affect students’ transition to college (Brissette, Scheier, and Carver 2002; Crissman Ishler and Schreiber 2002; Feldman and Newcomb 1969), satisfaction (Astin 1993; Coffman and Gilligan 2002); learning and academic performance (Astin 1993; Donahue 2004; Kuh and others 2005; Terenzini, Pascarella, and Blimling 1996), and persistence and retention (Braxton 2002; Cuseo 2010a; Thomas 2000; Tinto 1993). However, it is important to note that there is also evidence of negative peer influence, most notably with respect to relationships that focus on partying and socializing (Terenzini, Pascarella, and Blimling 1996).

Given the powerful and ubiquitous qualities of peer influence, higher education professionals have begun to harness this resource in student education, support, and service delivery by using undergraduate peers in leadership roles. Peer leaders are defined as “students who have been selected and trained to offer educational services to their peers [that] are intentionally designed to assist in the adjustment, satisfaction, and persistence of students toward attainment of their educational goals” (Ender and Kay 2001, 1). Thus, peer leaders are chosen and empowered to exert a positive influence upon their peers and to do so in a way that is less intimidating and more accessible to fellow undergraduates than would the actions of professional staff and faculty members (Cuseo 1991; Hart 1995). The flexibility of the peer leader role gives it even greater potential as a resource in the undergraduate learning environment. For example, such students can “provide leadership in [a] variety of contexts—ranging from micro to macro,” including as an individual mentor, a group leader, head of an organization, or community leader (Cuseo 2010b, 4). In addition, the range of roles that a peer leader can play is wide and includes that of role model, personal support agent, resource and referral agent, academic success or learning coach, and college success or life coach (Cuseo 2010b).

In 2001, Ender and Kay conducted a meta-analysis of research on peer leadership that identified many important trends in the movement toward greater use of these programs in higher education. Peer leadership first emerged in residential life and orientation programs, and the literature shows that it remains prominent in those settings. However, students are also used in leadership positions in judicial affairs, student activities, placement centers, religious centers, counseling centers, advising programs, and crisis intervention. Cuseo (2010b) expanded this list of types of peer leader involvement to include student ambassadors, community service leaders, alumni mentors, health and wellness educators, and transfer support agents. Overall, peer leaders are least often used in an instructional capacity, although they are being used more frequently as tutors, in Supplemental Instruction, and as coinstructors in first-year seminars (Stone and Jacobs 2008; Tobolowsky and Associates 2008; Upcraft, Gardner, Barefoot, and Associates 2005). Ender and Kay also found that “the number of institutions reporting the use of students in leadership roles has increased” and that “the number of campus settings. . . using campus helpers has increased substantially” (2001, 5).

This chapter serves as a foundation for the volume by providing a review of the literature on peer leadership. It identifies and discusses the many benefits of these programs to the students being served, to those who engage as peer leaders, and to the institutions themselves.

Benefits of Peer Leadership from the Student’s Perspective

The core purpose of peer leadership programs is to provide services and support to fellow students. As such, the students who are recipients of these experiences are the primary beneficiaries of these programs. As the result of their interaction with more experienced and well-trained peers, students can develop a stronger sense of community, greater social and academic integration, and a rich network of resource and referral agents dedicated to their success.

Community

Many theories of college adjustment, student development, and retention identify the importance of community, social networks, and engagement to student learning, retention, and success (summarized in Evans and others 2010; Pascarella and Terenzini 1991, 2005; Skipper 2005). For example, Bean (1985) recognized the importance of socialization into the college environment and suggested that if students find themselves looking outside the campus community for friends they will be less likely to fit in their new community. Further, Bean (1985) observed that as students’ commitment to friends beyond the campus community increased, their institutional fit decreased, thereby impeding students’ transition and success in the collegiate environment. On the most basic level, peer leaders represent formalized, informed, and experienced agents to help the socialization process of fellow college students (Russel and Skinkle 1990).

Peer leadership also provides an important opportunity for community development among specific populations of students, most notably those who are historically underrepresented or at risk in higher education. Examples of such programs include one-on-one mentoring, peer outreach and tutoring, and involvement in student organizations dedicated to women and minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); African-American and Hispanic students on predominantly white campuses; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students; and provisionally admitted and first-generation students. In these situations, the definition of the “peer leader” is critical and should represent a person who shares a defining student characteristic; similar background; or common educational pathway, challenge, or experience. The successful experience of the slightly more advanced peer can represent “a model of the affiliation peer group,” help the development of campus community, and contribute to the success of the student(s) whom the peer is mentoring or leading (Ender and Kay 2001, 4; Tinto 1987).

Guiffrida (2003) found that African-American students described the opportunity to interact with other African-American students as a source of comfort and that black student organizations provide “a safe outlet in which to stay connected to their cultures” (314). Further, Guiffrida (2006) found that cultural connections—such as those provided by peer interaction, leadership, and mentorship—have a positive impact on minority student persistence. Similarly, in a study of African-American and Hispanic students’ educational experience, Cole (2008, 591) found that, second only to interaction with faculty, “peer involvement has the most empirical support in predicting the academic performance and educational satisfaction of minority students.” Finally, Davis (2010) summarizes studies of peers and their effect on the experiences of first-generation graduate and undergraduate students with similar conclusions: peers, particularly student role models, fulfill a unique need and provide a positive influence on the transition and success of first-generation college students. By formalizing these positions through peer mentorship and leadership, it is possible to capitalize upon the profound impact of peers on the success of historically underrepresented or marginalized students.

Although peer leaders have historically exerted their influence on building and sustaining community through the cocurriculum and within the social realms of college, students also have need of positive peer influence in academic domains. Donahue (2004) found that “students need peers who provide personal and intellectual support” (77) and that students view peers as academic mentors. Light (2001) also identified the value of student support groups and noted that many students’ inability to succeed academically in their new college community is often linked to their peer group. “A large fraction of students who underperform can be characterized as having left a support group they had in high school—often a support group crucial to their success in high school—without finding a new, similar group at college” (Light 2001, 98). Further, even if students do reach out to peers for academic assistance in college, the quality of informal peer support can be unreliable. More specifically, Whitt and others (1999) found that students tend to go to their friends for assistance in academics but that these friends may not be very helpful or informed. As such, undergraduates, especially first-year students, need more opportunities to engage in educationally purposeful activities that will facilitate cognitive growth. The recent increase in peer leaders who serve in academic roles such as first-year seminar leaders, tutors, academic mentors, peer advising, and teaching assistants (Keup 2010) represents a response to this need. The associated positive impact of these peer interactions on student outcomes (Astin 1993; Cooper and Mueck 1990; Johnson, Johnson, and Smith 2007; Pascarella and Terenzini 1991, 2005) illustrates the potential of peer leadership as an important resource to meet the demand for student support, guidance, and community in academic activities.

Resource and Referral

In addition to serving as the foundation of community, students benefit from their interaction with peer leaders as resource and referral agents. In some instances, these two areas overlap, most notably when peer leaders provide a referral to students who are seeking a new peer group and community at an institution. The referral process is frequently more intuitive and proactive among peers because “students are on the front lines and may have knowledge of other students having problems well before anyone else on campus” (Sharkin, Plageman, and Mangold 2003, 691). Because fellow students are usually the first to discover issues, demonstrated through behavior or attitude, it is fitting for them to be a source of referral. For example, one of the many responsibilities of resident assistants is “to recognize, evaluate, and refer students who might be experiencing emotional or psychological problems” (Sharkin, Plageman, and Mangold 2003, 691). Peer leaders serve most effectively in the capacity as referral agent when they are provided appropriate training to refer their peers to the available campus resources and when this training regime models effective resource referral practices.

Newton and Ender (2010) note that peer leaders are especially useful as resource and referral agents not just because of their relevant knowledge, specialized training, and general accessibility but also because of their proximity to the student experience. This close perspective “can provide an important and advantageous service by getting a student to sources of assistance before the crisis breaks” (249). A student’s crisis can negatively affect his or her progression through college, can lead to emotional or physical damage, or can result in a student’s decision to leave the institution. Peer leaders are able to give timely and effective referrals to students, which can result in a better experience overall. For instance, aside from community building and health and safety expectations, resident assistants can serve their students by being “in the best position to make an early assessment and intervention” for students who are at risk (Grosz 1990, 193). In another example, student leaders who conducted presentations on wellness behaviors to their peers were believed to be “more likely to affect changes in behavior” of their students through discussions and referral (Clason and Beck 2001, 59).

Referral opportunities are not limited to residential peer leaders or peer leaders promoting lifestyle change. Supplemental Instruction (SI) leaders, through their observations of student study groups, can refer students to additional resources on campus that may also contribute to their course success. Tutors can identify their students’ anxiety and make an informed referral to the counseling center. Peer leaders also have the opportunity to be a resource for students whose lifestyles or outlooks are unhealthy or dangerous.

Peer leaders can assist students in finding their “fit” on campus and can encourage them to take risks and experience something new. Students benefit from peer leaders’ referrals because they are able to discover new opportunities such as a student organization or an academic support service. Peers can also help students find new friends and support groups that reduce the stress of transition. As a result of peer support, students may be more confident to pursue their interests, discover community within the campus environment, and become more accountable for their actions, thereby leading to their institutional fit and retention (Tinto 1987).

Benefits of Peer Leadership from the Peer Leader’s Perspective