Page History: Learning Path #1: What is Peer Learning?
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Learning Path #1: What is Peer Learning?
Peer learning is an educational process where peers interact with other
peers interested in the same topic. It is when we learn with and from
each other. We can do this formally, informally, while we are face to
face, or online. We can do it at the same time, or we can learn from
each other asynchronously by leaving messages, comments, emails or
recordings back and forth between ourselves.
=Adult Learning
social learning and other learning theories - just a peek!
NOT FINISHEDThe importance of peer learning is situated in what we know about adult
learning. (For more on adult learning, see
Adult Learning: An Overview by Stephen Brookfield.) A brief overview of the theory and
research showing value of peer and social learning. Relating peer and
social learning concepts with each other.
What about children?
ADD THIS SECTION IN LATER
What Peer Learning is NOT!
There are many ways we learn.
Not all of them involve peers. But if you get creative, just about any
solo learning experience can become peer learning. All you have to do is
invite in at least one other person.
For example, self pace
learning modules that rely solely on sequenced content is not peer
learning. UNLESS you do it with someone else.
Listening to a recorded webinar is not peer learning, but the fact
that someone else took the time to make previous interactions available
to others is an indication of relationship and accountability to others
- to peers - for learning. Teams are dedicated to completing a shared
task in a specific time. But along the way, they can learn together.
The
bottom line? We each know a lot. When we make that available to each
other through both interactions and the artifacts of our interactions
(summaries, blog posts, recordings) we all learn. That's peer learning!
Related Approaches
There are many terms and
approaches that involve peers learning with and from peers. Some of them
are very specific types of peer interactions. It is helpful to have
some sense of these approaches. You may choose to use one or more of
them in your work. Below is a short description of each one with a link
to either a one-page overview or to an existing external resource on the
approach. (Our goal here is not to reinvent things, but to make them
easy to find and use!)
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- Communities of Practice - Learning together about things we do in our own practice
- Learning Networks (thematic networks, personal learning networks) - Connecting to learn
- Peer Coaching - "We all need somebody to lean on..."
- Mentoring - "Standing on the shoulders of giants" (at least those who have been in the game longer!)*
- Action Learning - Learn by doing
- Informal Learning
- Conner, Marcia L. "Informal Learning." 1997-2009.
http://www.marciaconner.com/intros/informal.html "Informal learning" describes a lifelong process whereby individuals acquire attitudes,values, skills and knowledge from daily experience and the educational influences and resources in his or her environment, from family and neighbors, from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media.:" - From Jay Cross a short You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlETGJ0mnno (10 minutes Maybe not so short!)
- Personal Board of Directors
- http://www.schaefersblog.com/create-a-personal-board-of-directors-part-i/
- http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/looking-out.html
- Self Help Groups/Support Groups
- From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Support_group "In a support group,members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and non material, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences,listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks."
References
- Brookfield, Stephen (1995) Adult Learning: An Overview in in A. Tuinjman (ed.) International Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford, Pergamon Press. [http://www.stocktonettc.net/tech/adultlearning/Adult%20Learning.pdf | http://www.stocktonettc.net/tech/adultlearning/Adult%20Learning.pdf} Accessed 2/19/10
- Cooper, Marie A., O'Donnell, Angela M. (Ed); King, Alison (Ed). (1999). Cognitive perspectives on peer learning. The Rutgers Invitational Symposium On Education Series. (pp. 215-233). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
- Reushle, Shirley (2005) Inquiry into a transformative approach to professional development for online educators. Thesis (_PhD/Research) (Unpublished)http://eprints.usq.edu.au/1494/ Accessed February 2/19/10
Peer Learning Resources