(676c) Successes and Challenges of Introducing Peer-Led-Team-Learning Early in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

The Partnership for Retention In Math, Engineering, and Science (PRIMES) is an NSF STEP program being implemented across 9 different departments in 3 different schools (Engineering, Education, and Arts and Sciences) at the University of Louisville.  The cornerstone of this program is the development of Peer-Led-Team-Learning (PLTL) communities in several of the foundation courses for each of the participating departments.  In Chemical Engineering, these courses include Introduction to Chemical Engineering, Introduction to Materials Science and Material and Energy Balances.  The exact implementation of PLTL varies from course to course, but most focus on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) model.  The success of PLTL in the different courses is largely determined by how the PLTL has been implemented and the nature of the course.  This talk will focus on the successes and challenges in implementing PLTL in the various courses.  Additionally, initial data regarding the impact of PLTL on both the student and their peer-mentors will be discussed.