Questions arising from the use of peer assisted learning as a technique to increase diverse participation in engineering education

A program of peer assisted study sessions (PASS) was piloted in the second half of 2010 in two first year engineering courses catering to both on-campus and distance students. The student cohort concerned is a diverse cohort of students, a large percentage of whom are non-traditional higher education students accessing the course through distance education. The PASS program was implemented in both traditional face to face on campus sessions as well as in an online mode, which was intended to partially address issues of inclusivity and access to peer support for this diverse cohort.