The best from the west – WA PPN update

The inaugural meeting of the WA Chapter of the Peer Programs Network (WA PPN) was held in May 2019, with around 25 members representing all five universities in Perth: Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame, and The University of Western Australia. Initially members met face-to-face every two months at the hosting university. Most meetings went online in 2020 and we are currently alternating face-to-face and MS Teams online meetings.

One of our first activities was for members to respond to a poll to determine the focus topic for each meeting. “Online mentoring and peer-learning” was one of the early discussion topics; a timely choice that provided useful strategies and ideas for the rapid transition to online delivery of our programs during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

Other topics that have been discussed or are tabled for future meetings include:

• Evaluating and reporting on program effectiveness
• Boosting student engagement
• Training and professional development for mentors, volunteers and PASS leaders
• Incorporating peer learning strategies into the curriculum
• Promotional strategies
• Setting up pilot programs with limited funding and resourcing
• Reward and recognition for peer mentors and trainers
• Systems and technology for managing programs and improving efficiency and impact
• Risk management and privacy

One of the silver linings of the move to online seminars and conferences was that some of our members were able to attend the International Forum for Peer Learning on 27 May, 2020. This was hosted from London, so the time zone difference meant attending the later sessions from Perth was a challenge! There were many interesting presentations, and one from Catherine McConnell and Lucy Chilvers from the Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Brighton UK was particularly inspiring. We invited Catherine and Lucy to host a professional development webinar for the WA PPN, and they very generously accepted.

The webinar, entitled Equipping students and staff to facilitate peer learning in the curriculum: A Landscapes of Practice Approach was presented on 10 November, 2020. Around 80 people registered for the webinar, from universities across Australia and New Zealand. Once again, the presentation was inspiring and interesting, with Lucy and Catherine again being very generous with sharing ideas and resources. They also provided valuable insight into the extensive array of materials available in their Learning Management System to support teaching staff, such as when creating student partnerships and peer learning opportunities. The presentation stimulated ideas and conversations and a continued sharing of resources between the WA PPN and the University of Brighton.

Recent meetings of the WA PPN have been a useful forum for sharing ideas as we face the challenges of providing and developing our programs during uncertain times. The collegial atmosphere of the WA PPN means our members are able to bolster each other with advice and encouragement as we strive to make our programs accessible and valued by the students and staff we support.  As one member noted, “The WA PPN has been an invaluable collaborative initiative that has both inspired and motivated me since joining.”