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What is PAL?
ECS PAL classes are optional 1-unit courses available for students enrolled in gateway engineering and computer science courses.
During PAL sessions, students work on integrating "what to learn" with "how to learn it." Students work together with the guidance of their PAL Facilitator to make connections between theory and practice and solidify key concepts from lecture and text. This leads to insight into life-long learning strategies, boosted confidence, and improved problem solving skills.
The PAL Model
The PAL Program was originally developed at Sacramento State in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) to provide support for students in gateway mathematics and science courses. The NSM PAL Program is based on the Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) model which has shown increased student engagement, motivation, and performance since the 1990s. The ECS PAL Program expands and adapts the NSM PAL model to provide support for students in the College of Engineering & Computer Science.
Learn more about the NSM PAL Model
During each PAL session, students work in small groups with classmates to solve problems written by their instructors. As students work through problems to develop their own understanding of the material, an experienced student Facilitator is circulating the room to keep groups engaged and on task by asking probing questions and modeling study strategies specific to the course content.
Course instructors initially show students how to do something, and then the PAL sessions provide opportunities for students to further develop their own understanding by applying and discussing the material with their peers. Facilitators ask guiding questions that support students as they create their own knowledge base, but do not provide answers or demonstrate how to solve a problem step by step. This can be frustrating for students, but Facilitators want their students to succeed and know that learning theories support the need for students to grapple with difficult concepts to really understand, retain, and gain confidence with the course material.
Enrolling in a PAL courses means you'll dedicate time to
- practice and master course material in historically difficult courses,
- socialize with other students who want to do well in your major, and
- get feedback from a fellow student (your PAL Facilitator) who knows what it takes to succeed in the course.
Why enroll in a PAL?
The ECS PAL program began in Spring 2021 with the goal of helping students succeed in ECS gatekeeper courses with historic failure rates between 20-30%. Like the NSM PAL program, the use of the PAL model in ECS will hopefully lead to:
- Higher course grades and increased likelihood of passing the course on the first try
- Improved problem-solving skills
- Boosted student confidence
- Sense of community and support among students
- Use of effective study techniques
For more detailed data and benefits seen in the NSM PAL program, please visit their website.
What Students Say
"Since this was my first PAL class, I didn't know what it was about. At the end of the semester, I see the benefit of this. My PAL facilitator would not move on from a topic unless everyone had a nice understanding. My classmates weren't afraid to ask questions which were nice since I have a hard time asking for help. This class went by smoothly and helped me understand more about the course"
"[My PAL Facilitator] did a great job helping guide me through problems. She encouraged us to learn how to do the problems on our own, with her guidance. This class filled in a lot of gaps from the lecture, and I'm very grateful for the PAL program and everyone in it."
"The group problem-solving was very beneficial. I was able to see new perspectives or approaches quite frequently, which helped me to see all aspects of the concepts better. As someone who is very shy and quiet I really liked the very small class size. Having only a few other people in the room gave me space to think my thoughts"