Peer-Based Learning

Ahmad Fuad Muhammad1

What is Peer-Based Learning?

○ All cognitive activity is socially defined, interpreted and

supported. By interacting with others, tutoring them, and being
tutored by them, we have the opportunity to learn from them,
share our knowledge, and engage in competition, cooperation,
collaboration, conversation, and negotiation of meaning.
○ Peer-based learning involves working together to achieve a
learning goal and this team approach makes training programs
more realistic.
○ The trainer’s role is to participate as a peer, monitor the
activity, and facilitate and moderate as needed.

What is the Benefit of Peer-Based Learning?

○ Peer-base learning, whether cooperative learning groups or

one-on-one peer tutoring, is most effective when each person
involved experiences both the tutor and the tutee role. Most
studies find the tutor actually receives the most gains!
○ Peer-based learning approaches that focus on peer
collaboration to solve a problem are especially effective in
fostering creativity, experimentation, problem-solving skills,
and the learning of concepts.
○ Peer-based learning is consistently more cost-effective than
computer-assisted instruction, reduction of class, or increased
instructional time.
○ Even alienated, troubled youth conduct themselves in a
serious and dignified manner while teaching younger trainees.

1
Training/Educational Consultant (afuadm@gmail.com)
 The experience of being needed, valued, and respected by
another person produces a positive set of outcome behaviors.

○ There is no type of task on which a coperative efforts are less

effective than competitive or individualistic effort. On most
tasks (and especially the more important leraning tasks such
as concept attainment, verbal problem-solving, categorization,
spatial problem-solving, retention, and motor skills),
cooperative efforts are more effective in promoting
achievement.
○ Even with virtually no instruction from adults other than initial
instructions to work together toward correct solutions, learning
gains are significant. Learners can manage their own
interactions, invent their own problem-solving procedures, and
discover their own solutions.

Skills Underlying Peer-Based Learning

Understanding of Others

Learners need to understand the perspective of other’s

knowledge and beliefs. Effective peer-based learning requires
that learners reason about other learner’s performance and
modify their instruction in light of this. Tutoring ability requires
an understanding of the tutee’s current mental state,
anticipation of the tutee’s future mental state and the
coordination of both these representations in order to plan for
instruction.

Planning

The ability to coordinate one’s actions with those of another,

both prospectively and retrospectively. Learners who are able
to plan and self-regulate well in problem solving tasks are likely
to perform better in peer interaction/tutoring tasks than poor
planners and self-regulators.

Communication

A good learner should be able to give and receive information

in an effective and efficient manner. Giving instructions
effectively involves constructing a clear and unambiguous
verbal message.
Verbalization

It is the verbal interaction among group participants that

contributes the most toward learning. Learners become more
aware of their thinking by verbalizing their thoughts as they
self-monitor and self-correct. Verbalization also contribute to
more precise thinking and stimulates conceptual development.
The effect is even greater if the learner expects to teach the
material to others.

Learners who verbalize their thoughts while problem solving

tend to form more accurate problem representations, can
transfer their knowledge to other problem situations, are more
aware of their thinking, and appear to be more task-oriented
and focused on the problem.

Analysis

This involves the ability to listen to a response, detect if there

is a problem with that response, evaluate what is wrong, and
decide on the next course of action.

Summarizing

Being able to recognize essential features and discard

irrelevant or superficial ones.

“We learn from the company we keep”

Smith (1992)