Higher education (HE) has gradually moved away from an elitist and exclusive mindset (based on power and privilege claims) and towards a more democratic and inclusive mindset (based on justice and human rights claims). In considering the need for HEIs to put into place support mechanisms to assist students adapt to university amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to take account of arguments that most students’ failure or withdrawal tends to reflect difficulties in adjusting to the environment rather than intellectual problems (Wang, 2016; Yan & Berliner, 2013).
Peer Assisted Learning/Mentoring (PAL/M) has gained much importance in educational learning and educational research (Hansman, 2012; Hilsdon, 2014; Topping, 1998). PAL/M provides a setting for students to collaborate in discussing and solving problems, working through examples, reviewing the content of lectures and providing feedback (Arendale, 2020; Capstick & Fleming, 2002; Tonna, Bjerkholt & Holland, 2017). Whilst PAL/M enhances student learning by promoting a deep approach to learning in which individual students are able to develop high level cognitive skills, it also provides the medium through which students are able to develop as independent learners (Garcia-Melgar, 2018; Wallace, 1997) offering and receiving emotional support.
The current study was conducted with the aim of exploring the effectiveness of a well-developed university-based PAL/M implementation design to promote a peer assessment strategy which would foster writing improvement and student well-being amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Bearing this in mind, 100 Foundation Year (FY) students at London Met University and 100 Foundation Year students at London South Bank University have been working in groups of four for two semesters providing support to each other. They have been encouraged to complete a variety of assignments providing online peer feedback to their fellow students in their groups. A questionnaire has been used to explore 200 FY students’ attitudes towards PAL/M before and after an online teaching/learning intervention employing PAL/M to foster inclusivity and help diverse student cohorts. Students’ writing performance has also been assessed before and after the intervention to explore its impact on students’ writing performance. The study outcomes are anticipated to make a significant contribution to the context field of education by providing a rigorous evaluation of the impact of the use of PAL/M as an inclusive strategy in FY practice. Recommendations for training lecturers and students in PAL/M and for implementing PAL/M successfully in FY courses as well as suggestions for future research will be provided. In response to the need for more information, this study will contribute a students’ voice regarding the use of PAL/M as an inclusive strategy within FY practice which in so far has been absent (McCarthy & Armstrong, 2019).