Hi, everyone! I’m Bailey Hardison- a fourth-year political science major with an English minor and a minor in law, jurisprudence, and the state. For those who don’t know, UGA’s Office for Student Success and Achievement is a major champion of active learning. As one of the smaller colleges on campus, SPIA does a fantastic job at encompassing what active learning is all about- students playing an intentional role in their classes and engaging with their professor, class content, and one another. While I’ve experienced the benefits of active learning numerous times as a SPIA student, this semester I’ve had the chance to go behind the curtain and serve as a peer learning assistant. While the role of a PLA can vary class-to-class and professor-to-professor, being a PLA within SPIA is all about facilitating class participation in real time, giving every student a chance to engage regardless of class size.
I am a PLA for Intl3200, an introductory international relations course, under the incredible Dr. Gallagher. The class is made up of 75 students and five PLAs, including myself, who are responsible for fifteen students each. This system is a great way to ensure every student feels like an integral part of the course and enables the PLAs to sharpen our communication skills. Students who otherwise might not raise their hand to speak in front of everyone often will share their thoughts on class content with their PLA or ask them questions. While there is still plenty more of the semester to go, my experience has already been so rewarding. I hope every SPIA student takes at least one class with PLAs present and see first hand how enjoyable and impactful peer-to-peer learning can be.
