Making peer support work for everyone: Promoting and reimagining Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS)

Connecting Students with Academic Support: The Impact of Targeted Promotion on Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Attendance 

Authors

  • Jodie Hogan Academic Pathways Subject Coordinator & Lecturer, James Cook University
  • Maddie Bornschlegl Learning Advisor, James Cook University

Abstract

Fostering a sense of belonging and increasing academic preparedness, Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are shown to reduce attrition, highlighting the importance of connecting equity students with this support. However, while regular PASS attendance is correlated with improved academic success, engagement is low. Reasons include unawareness of support and stigma associated with academic help-seeking. To address the issue of awareness, peer-led promotion was introduced at James Cook University (JCU), Cairns. Findings show that as a result, attendance increased by a factor of six on that campus, while there was no significant change in attendance in the same period on the Townsville campus where the promotion was not conducted. While timely promotion raises awareness and improves access to support services, addressing stigma is more challenging. Embedding PASS within curricula, rather than as additional support, is suggested to normalise academic help-seeking behaviour.

Author Biography

Maddie Bornschlegl, Learning Advisor, James Cook University

Dr Maddie Bornschlegl is an educator and researcher in the field of Educational Psychology. Her current research and work focus on improving the student experience with a particular interest in supporting students transitioning to university and academic skills development.
In her role as a Learning Advisor at James Cook University, she supports students in developing academic skills to succeed in their degree and collaborates with discipline experts to design authentic and engaging learning environments. Her recent research has focused on identifying variables related to academic help seeking, designing engaging learning support services and improving engagement in learning support in higher education. 

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Published

2026-02-27

How to Cite

Hogan, J., & Bornschlegl, M. (2026). Making peer support work for everyone: Promoting and reimagining Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): Connecting Students with Academic Support: The Impact of Targeted Promotion on Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Attendance . Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 20(2), 123–131. Retrieved from https://www.journal.aall.org.au/index.php/jall/article/view/1069

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2026): Special Issue: Proceedings of the 17th Biennial Conference of the Association for Academic Language and Learning

Section

ALL in Practice

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Jodie Hogan, Maddie Bornschlegl

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