UCL ChangeMakers Case Study: Assessing the use of peer-tutoring techniques to enhance students’ learning

Abstract

This paper discusses the rationale, development, and findings of a UCL ChangeMakers project led by the Department of Chemical Engineering at UCL in 2022/2023 academic year. The aim of this project was to assess the use of peer-tutoring techniques for improving students’ learning experience. Firstly, a selected cohort of students nominated topics of interest which they would like to develop further; next, they attended a series of workshops developed by student colleagues, with support from staff. Besides the obvious learning of technical knowledge, which is clearly demonstrated based on students’ views, it was also observed that students gained a stronger sense of belonging, both within their peer community and in relation to the staff. Ultimately, the insights from this project unveil the possibility of upscaling peer-tutoring to the whole cohort or programme level. Overall, this case study demonstrates and discusses the potential benefits of peer-tutoring in second-year Chemical Engineering students, exploring how the staff-student partnership can be an important catalyst when considering the implementation of alternative teaching approaches.