Baillie Sarah, Shore Helen, Gill Deborah, May Stephen A
The Royal Veterinary College, Herts, UK.
J Vet Med Educ. 2009 Summer;36(2):174-9. doi: 10.3138/jvme.36.2.174.
Peer-assisted learning (PAL) was implemented in the context of delivering training with a simulator, the Haptic Cow. This project was undertaken as a way of increasing student access to the simulator and to investigate the possibility of using PAL more extensively in the curriculum. Peer tutors attended a workshop to learn basic teaching skills and were then trained to use the simulator. The tutors taught their peers the basic skills for bovine rectal palpation with the simulator. The PAL project was evaluated using questionnaires and a focus group to gather feedback from both tutors and learners. Sixteen peer tutors trained 99 fellow students with the simulator. Both tutors and learners thought that there were certain advantages in students, rather than veterinarians, delivering the training. Student tutors were less intimidating and could relate more closely to the difficulties of their peers. However, lack of knowledge was identified as a potential issue. Students reported certain benefits from their role as tutors, including improvements in communication skills, knowledge of the subject area, and confidence in performing bovine rectal palpation. Additionally, the skills developed, including learning to teach, were considered to be useful for their future careers as veterinarians. Tutors and learners supported the continued use of PAL both with the simulator and in other areas of the course. The trial of PAL proved a successful way of delivering simulator-based training and the project has provided a basis for the further use of PAL in our curriculum.
同伴辅助学习（PAL）是在使用模拟器“触觉奶牛”进行培训的背景下实施的。开展这个项目是为了增加学生使用模拟器的机会，并研究在课程中更广泛地使用PAL的可能性。同伴辅导员参加了一个工作坊来学习基本教学技能，然后接受使用模拟器的培训。辅导员们用模拟器向同伴传授牛直肠触诊的基本技能。通过问卷调查和焦点小组对PAL项目进行评估，以收集辅导员和学习者的反馈。16名同伴辅导员用模拟器培训了99名同学。辅导员和学习者都认为由学生而非兽医进行培训有一定优势。学生辅导员不那么令人生畏，能更贴近地理解同伴的困难。然而，知识不足被认为是一个潜在问题。学生们报告了作为辅导员所获得的某些益处，包括沟通技巧的提高、学科领域知识的增长以及进行牛直肠触诊的信心。此外，所培养的技能，包括学习教学，被认为对他们未来成为兽医的职业生涯有用。辅导员和学习者支持在使用模拟器以及课程的其他领域继续使用PAL。PAL试验证明是一种成功的基于模拟器的培训方式，该项目为在我们的课程中进一步使用PAL提供了基础。
