This is an archive of the website for the Cluster Pedagogy Learning Community, a grant-funded faculty development project at PSU from 2019-2022. While all of the content has been preserved here, some features may no longer work and some links may be broken.

Cluster Pedagogy

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CoLab Home » CPLC » CPLC 3 Practices » Add undergraduate peer mentors to all TWP courses

Add undergraduate peer mentors to all TWP courses

Group Members: Kristin Stelmok, Christin Wixson, Nicole Jaskiewicz, Abby Goode, Katie Wolsiefer, Natalie Smith

How does this practice/idea reflect Cluster Learning?

This idea centers students as knowledge creators and co-knowledge producers. Focusing this mentorship effort on TWP further centers the importance of TWP as a core part of the cluster learning process. This initiative would also boost student comfort with project-based courses– a key pillar of the cluster learning model. Finally, fostering peer mentorship in TWP will help build community and facilitate the interdisciplinary that is also key to cluster learning.

Why did your group choose this idea to feature/explore?

This idea is achievable, widely applicable, and could potentially have immediate and high impact with relatively few resources. (This might be a place where we could use some of the work study resources that Don mentioned in his University Days session).

How could you generalize this idea into a practice that is applicable to as many different kinds of participants in the CPLC as possible?

This idea is inherently applicable to a wide variety of community members as it would support existing students (through mentoring and mentorship opportunities), would provide support to the faculty/staff instructors of all of these courses. Also, if this program were implemented intentionally (e.g. with some training/support), this may reduce the burden of staff in support offices as the more senior peer mentors could help direct students to the appropriate offices/resources. Finally, this idea could be scaled to introductory level courses in specific majors.

Identify anything that the University or the CoLab could do to help advance or support this practice.

Provide this opportunity to student affiliates, train peer mentors and/or coordinate training of peer mentors, facilitate discussions with those with decision making power.

Supporting Materials

Possible way to implement this with minimal use of resources: add to the existing pool of co-lab student affiliates and provide some additional training on peer mentoring within TWP.

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Spring 2024 Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:30-4:30, in-person or virtual
Wednesday: Additional in-person hours from 4:30-6:00
Friday: 8:30-4:30, virtual