Implementing Peer Led Team Learning in First-Year Programming Courses

In the Peer Led Team Learning model (PLTL) many of the skills developed by students correlate well with desired learning outcomes: in CSET programs. The authors report the results of a project to implement PLTL in introductory programming courses. An overview of the implementation model is provided, lessons learned are reported, and the assessment process and results are described. The research questions explored are: (1) What is the impact of the PLTL model on student skills and confidence regarding teamwork, leadership and communication? (2) How effective is PLTL in terms of building problem-solving skills in introductory programming? This project involved a pilot implementation followed by full implementation in the following year. Student peer leader surveys, along with a peer leader focus group, were used to analyze project impact and to plan for improvement in achieving the learning outcomes described above. Results indicate that students are satisfied with the peer led team learning model and that significant skill enhancement is occurring. In particular, a significant fraction of peer leaders in the second year of implementation came from those participating in the pilot.