Exploring peer tutoring for increasing connection among students and build a sense of community in the Faculty of Health Sciences

TILT Program: TILT SoTL Project

Principal investigator: Mark Lechner, university lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences

Project team: Harlene Salh, alumni and research assistant, Faculty of Health Sciences; Shaghayegh Bahrami, TILT research assistant

Timeframe: April 2023 to December 2024

TILT Support: $4595 and up to 72 hours of TILT research assistant time

Course addressed: HSCI 324 -- Human Population Genetics & Evolution

Final report: View Mark Lechner's final report (PDF), Appendix 1 (PDF) and Appendix 2 (PDF)

Description:

This project piloted the first peer tutoring program for an upper division course at Simon Fraser University (SFU), evaluating how former students could contribute to community building and academic support within the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). Initiated by undergraduate alumna Harlene Salh's advocacy for peer support systems, the project addressed the need for increased connection and sense of belonging among health sciences students through structured peer-to-peer assistance.

Eight former HSCI 324 students were selected as peer tutors based on communication skills, engagement, and respect rather than grades or prior tutoring experience. Each tutor provided at least one hour weekly of in-person support in the FHS Student Commons, with communication coordinated through a private Discord channel designed to encourage face-to-face interactions. Tutors received orientation training and formal enrollment in SFU's MyInvolvement co-curricular program, with ongoing support through semester meetings and training sessions.

The program involved 154 enrolled students, with 46% meeting with peer tutors at least once during the semester. Survey data from 71 students (87% completion rate) revealed strong community indicators: 87% felt they could trust other students, 90% felt they could rely on peers, and 93% believed students cared about each other. Most significantly, 66% of students who used peer tutoring reported feeling greater connection to the FHS community, citing feeling supported, and welcomed in their academic challenges. Focus group analysis with peer tutors identified seven main themes including personal and professional skill development, contribution to student coursework, and significant community building through shared space and regular interactions. Tutors emphasized the value of "walking in their shoes" and providing support without grading pressure, while students primarily sought help with homework assignments and appreciated the different perspective peer tutors offered on course material.

Questions addressed:

• How can peer tutoring create and increase connections and community among health sciences students?
• What are the benefits and challenges of implementing peer tutoring in upper division courses?
• How does peer tutoring contribute to student learning and academic support strategies?
• What aspects of peer tutoring are most beneficial and how can the program be improved for future iterations?

Knowledge sharing: Findings were shared through a TILT Coffee + Conversation session in July 2024. Future plans include featuring the project on the FHS website and presenting at FHS "lunch and learn" sessions. Mark plans to implement peer tutoring in additional courses and share experiences with faculty colleagues before program-level rollout.

Keywords: peer tutoring, community building, student connection, academic support, health sciences education, upper division courses, sense of belonging, student engagement, faculty of health sciences, co-curricular programming, students as partners