A lot of times students find themselves more comfortable working through problems with their friends and other classmates. The equal-footing dynamic encourages them to ask more questions and investigate further into a topic as they feel less afraid of getting scolded. They approach their peers for help and both the parties involved come out with something to gain. The collaboration enhances their communicative skills as well as their confidence, gives them free-reign over their learning process and allows them to dive as deeply into a topic as they wish to.
This type of learning process is known as peer learning where students learn with and from each other. It can be facilitated through activities like study groups, student-led workshops, peer tutoring programmes, and group projects, etc. In this interview, Ms. Nina Pandey, Principal of Gurukul Global School, Chandigarh, talks about the importance of peer learning and how school facilitated programs for peer-to-peer communication can benefit students.
What is peer-learning?
Peer-to-peer learning is not a new concept. It has actually been around right from the ancient times. The NEP 2020 also approves the use of revolutionary peer to peer tutoring model in elementary school classrooms. The concept is based on an age old saying, to teach is to learn twice.’ Peer learning pedagogy is a part of active learning strategy which is being used increasingly in schools around the world. In this mode of learning, students interact with their peers, express their ideas with their fellow learners and learn from each other without any supervisory authority.
Why should peer learning be encouraged?
We need to believe that the best type of learning happens when students are left alone. We’ve all seen that students become talkative when the teacher is not in the class. This can be ignored, at times, as the natural interest among students to interact with each other and can be leveraged to academic benefit. Peer learning leads to mutual benefit as it involves the sharing of ideas and experiences with buddies.
What are the benefits of peer learning?
The main objective of peer learning is to develop responsible and autonomous learners. When students are given the responsibility of their own learning, it increases engagement in academics and create an atmosphere for collaboration and communication. Another benefit is that a peer learning group develops self-directed learning skills laying the foundation of life-long self-education. To quote a few lines by Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me, I forget. Teach me, I remember. Involve me and I learn.”