WHY PEER LEARNING IS IMPORTANT?
“Profound changes to how children access vast information is yielding new
forms of peer-to-peer and individual-guided learning.â€
-Sugata Mitra
What is Peer Learning?‘Peer learning refers to students learning with and from the help of their fellow learners without any implied authority to any individual’. Based on this quote by David Boud, students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers.
Peer learning is learner-centred education that transcends content knowledge acquisition. Peer learning provides a more value-added, holistic and quality-enhancing education that will better prepare students for the needs of the workforce in this coming years.
What are the benefits of Peer learning?In addition to content researching, peer learning also nurtures and fosters the development of:
1. Adaptability- A student with the qualities of adaptability and flexibility will be able to acclimate to new situations and challenges.
2. Entrepreneurialism- This skill will help the students to invent their own careers.
3. Metacognition- When a student practices metacognition; the act of thinking about their thinking, it helps them make greater sense of their life experiences and start achieving at higher levels.
4. Communication- An important aspect of learning is for students to be able to communicate what they know, or think they know. If they excel in communication, they can express themselves better and climb the stairs of success with ease.
5. Collaboration- Encouraging students to reach out to each other to solve problems and share knowledge not only builds collaboration skills, it leads to deeper learning and understanding.
6. Applied Thinking- It is a key skill that students need to have in order to become lifelong learners and self-advocates for themselves.
We, at PICT, believe that there is a necessity to shift the paradigm from teacher- centric pedagogy to
How it helps our learners?
Learners are able to gain a fresh perspective on various topics when they are with their peers. The exchange of study notes and techniques scaffolds individual learning. At PICT, learners construct their own knowledge so, learning becomes ‘meaningful’ and this is achieved by researching, analysing, evaluating and applying the information with the help of their ‘peers’ to complete any given assignment. Immersing themselves in constructive conversations also provides a platform to grow emotionally and socially as well.
After having a designated time to share their views with their peers, in every period of instruction, the learners are encouraged to consolidate and demonstrate their learning in multiple ways. This way the learners equip themselves to communicate and collaborate, sharpen their problem solving and critical thinking skills, enhance their networking and team building skills. The educators make sure that the learners have a fruitful time with their peers and to build concepts comprehensively after weighing the opinions and perception of their peers.
