Peer Learning in the Classroom

1. Peer Learning in the Classroom Adam Beaver Derek Bok Center Timothy O’Brien Harvard Kennedy School

2. Agenda for the session • What is peer learning? • Why does peer learning work? • Why might we resist peer learning? • Reflection & wrap-up: what can we do to promote a culture of peer learning?

3. What is peer learning? • Write down a definition and an example of peer learning in a classroom environment. • Turn to a partner and compare your definitions. Discuss how they overlap and differ, and what they tell you about your assumptions. • With your partner, write another definition of peer learning agreeable to both of you.

4. Why does peer learning work? • At your table, read/skim the two research articles on peer learning. • Boud, David. 2001. “Introduction: Making the Move to Peer Learning.” Peer Learning in Higher Education: Learning from and with Each Other, ed. David Boud, Ruth Cohen, and Jane Sampson. London: Routledge, 1–18. • King, Alison. 2002. “Structuring Peer Interaction to Promote High-Level Cognitive Processing. “ Theory Into Practice 41(1): 33–39. • Generate a list of arguments in favor of peer learning.

5. Why might we resist peer learning? • Write down a list of the possible challenges posed by peer learning. • Find a partner and collate your lists. • Discuss the causes or stakeholders implicated in the challenges you identified. Do certain categories emerge?

6. Why might we resist peer learning? • What misconceptions do instructors have about peer learning? • What challenges does peer learning generate for instructors?

7. Reflection and wrap-up • We know why peer learning is useful. • We know what to do. The strategies exist. • However, the misconceptions and perceived challenges are more powerful than the theory and data. • Improving instruction is not (always) about adding more strategies to the toolbox. • What can Harvard and HILT do differently to bust the misconceptions and assumptions about peer learning?

8. Thank you! Adam Beaver Derek Bok Center Timothy O’Brien Harvard Kennedy School

9. Why might we resist peer learning? • Some possible categories of challenges associated with peer learning: • Logistical (“How can I implement this?”) • Institutional culture (“We don’t do that here.”) • Student expectations (“Why do I have to listen to my classmate?”) • Instructor authority/identity/preconceptions (“What am I contributing to my students?”)