Peer Assisted Learning Methodologies

Peer Teaching is a method in which students take turns leading classroom discussions or activities related to a specific topic. The student who is serving as the peer teacher is responsible for presenting information, facilitating discussion, and answering questions from their peers. 

Peer review is a method where students review and provide feedback on each other's work, such as papers, projects, or presentations. The process of peer review involves one student (the reviewer) reading and evaluating the work of another student (the author) with the goal of identifying strengths and areas for improvement. 

Peer instruction is a teaching method where students work in groups during class to solve problems or answer questions related to the material being covered. The instructor presents a concept or problem, and then students work in small groups to discuss and solve it. This can be done through written exercises, discussions, or other interactive activities. After the group work, the class comes back together, and the instructor leads a whole-class discussion where students share their solutions and reasoning.

Peer coaching is a process in which two or more individuals work together to support each other's professional or personal development. In a peer coaching relationship, one person acts as a coach, offering support, guidance, and feedback to the other person, who is known as the coachee.

These are small groups, usually of the same people, working on current and important real-world priorities by sharing questions, taking actions, and learning especially from reflecting on the questions and actions. There are various formats of Action Learning, but there usually is equal and strong focus on intentionally generating new actions and learning from the sharing in the group. 

In discussion groups, people share comments and opinions sometimes in a random order in order to make a decision or enhance understanding about a topic or activity. There usually is not a focus on intentionally generating new actions and learning, although implicit learning can occur for the thoughtful members of the groups. 

Debates are a formal activity in which members having a particular point of view attempt to convince others having a different point of view to arrive at the members’ particular point of view. There is not always a focus on intentionally generating new actions and new learning, although members often implicitly learn a great deal about other points of view than their own. Dialogue groups are generally more collaborative and less confrontational than debates, which can sometimes become heated.

Teams are groups of people working toward a common purpose or goal. There is always a focus on intentionally generating new actions to address the purpose or goal. Well-designed teams also focus on intentionally generating new learning, especially to enhance the performance of the teams.

Think-Pair-Share is a teaching strategy where students think about a question or problem individually, then share their thoughts with a partner before discussing as a whole class. 

Round robin is a teaching method where students take turns sharing their ideas or responses to a question. One student speaks at a time while others listen. This method promotes active participation and engagement among students, while giving each student an equal opportunity to share their thoughts.

The jigsaw method is a teaching approach where students work in groups to learn a topic or concept. Each student becomes an expert in one aspect of the topic and then shares their knowledge with the group. In this way, students become responsible for their own learning while also relying on their peers. 

Peer assessment is a process in which students provide feedback and evaluate the work of their peers based on established criteria. This type of assessment is usually used in educational settings as a form of formative assessment, where the focus is on providing feedback to improve learning rather than assigning grades or marks.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to the process of acquiring and applying knowledge, skills, and attitudes to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Activities that promote active and collaborative learning: role-playing, group discussions, reflective journaling, and problem-solving.

The fishbowl method is a discussion technique where a small group of participants, usually four to six, sit in a circle in the center of the room and have a conversation while the rest of the group sits in a larger circle around them and observes silently. The inner circle discusses a topic or question for a set period of time, while the outer circle listens and takes notes. After the discussion, the outer circle can ask questions or make comments, and then the two groups switch places. 

Gestalt pedagogy represents a holistic experience and expression of oneself through drawing, movement, dance, touch, smell, music, design, guided meditation. It emerged in the mid-70s primarily due to the fact that certain educators felt it was a shame to use Gestalt therapy only for healing and not for personal development.

Gamification