Peer Facilitated Study Groups

Peer Facilitated Study Groups are finished for this term. Check back to this webpage in January for Winter 2010 Peer Facilitated Study Groups being offered.

Since 2003, the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre has offered Peer Facilitated Study Groups, in collaboration with faculty and students, with the purpose of enhancing the student learning experience at UTM. The first of their kind at the University of Toronto, the Peer Facilitated Study Groups are based on the Supplemental Instruction model developed by the University of Missouri at Kansas City. The study groups give students the opportunity to study course-specific material in an organized, regularly-scheduled format.

The study groups focus on:
- comparing and reviewing study notes;
- discussing and clarifying concepts;
- developing and evaluating study strategies;
- preparing for tests and exams.

Each group is kept focused in its study by a Facilitator, a “model” student who has been handpicked by the course instructor. Unlike Teaching Assistants, Facilitators do not re-teach the course material, and they will not look at course homework or assignments. The Facilitator's goal is to help students structure and prioritize their study routine, so that they can get the most out of their study material. Research has shown that students who regularly use these study groups are not only able to process their study material two to three times faster than students who study alone, but they also often earn higher final course marks than students who do not attend. Students are free to join any study group in courses connected to the Facilitated Study Group program, and they may attend as often as they want. For further information about our study groups, please contact us at: academicskills.utm@utoronto.ca.

RGASC respects your privacy. If you plan to attend a Facilitated Study Group, you must read the important information in our privacy policy download .doc | .pdf