hr. J. EducationolDcvelopment, Vol. 8, No. 2. pp. 109-116,1988 Printed in Great Britain

0738-0593/88 53.00+ .Gu 0 1988 Pergamon Press plc

PROMOTION OF EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING THROUGH PEER GROUP SEMINARS

A. G. HOPKIN

Department of Education, University College, Cardiff

Abstract-Peer group tutoring is defined and described as a method of organising education courses whereby pre- and in-service students and teachers learn new knowledge and skills. Its use as a means of promoting personal development, particularly with respect to communication skills, is also considered. Courses in which this mode has been used are described and evaluated and the methodology explained. The advantages and disadvantages of peer group tutoring are considered in a wider context but with special reference to the education and training of teachers. The broad conclusion is that such a methodology is very appropriate if incorporated as part of the education and training of teachers where the subject matter lends itself to it.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate the use of peer group tutoring in seminars in tertiary education. Peer group tutoring in the context of this paper is a system of organisation and learning in which one of the seminar group acts as a tutor and has responsibility for conducting and leading a tutorial or tutorials with up to ten participants. The first part of the paper will deal with the aims and methodology of peer group tutoring and the groups with which it has been used will be identified. This will be followed by a descriptive evaluation of the courses in operation, the way students were assessed, and an evaluation of the courses under discussion. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of this pattern of organising learning.

It became apparent to the writer, when teaching in a teacher education programme at the University of the South Pacific, that the conventional staff-student group tutorials were far too passive as far as student participation was concerned. The tutorials followed up a main presentation and too often consisted of a monologue by the member of staff interspersed with diffident offerings on the part of the

trainee teachers. It was evident that the members of staff were not to blame but that the system and cultural factors inhibited the exchange of ideas and experiences that the tutorials were intended to promote. It was decided to explore the feasibility of using a more student orientated methodology in order to promote greater exchange between students and to facilitate personal development.

Learning methodologies orientated to the needs of students or pupils have long been a tradition in education. Educators such as Rousseau, Froebel, Dewey and even Socrates were clearly aware that the learner is capable of contributing much to his or her learning and development. But what was being sought in the present case was a methodology that would take into account the cultural backgrounds and experiences of students as well as their needs in terms of professional and personal develop- ment. The use of monitors by Bell and Lancaster is an early example that young people could help those who were a little younger to learn in a structured situation. The increase in interest in group techniques for learning, brought about by such writers as Carl Rogers (1!273), indicated to this writer that the group as a unit had the potential to release certain qualities and provide experiences that

109

110 A. G. HOPKIN

the individual would possibly be denied in a m5re format situation. Elements of this approach, suitably modi~ed, could be adapted, it was thought, to allow students on a dipIoma course for teachers to explore the ~mp~jcations of what they were being educated and trained for. The experience of Postman and Wein- gartner (1971) suggested that young people could take responsibility for their own learning and development if the conventional pattern of authority present in tertiary education was modified to become more democratic.

Perhaps the most fruitful line of develop- ment found by this writer was the work then being done at the University of Leicester School of Education. This was the Science Teacher Education Project which was designed t5 train and educate science teachers in a systematic but student orientated mode. The principal feature of the system was that it provided a series of experiences for the students to which they reacted either as individuals or in groups, Students were able to explore and develop their own and their group’s ideas but this was in a developmenta c5ntext that had as its prior aim the pr5duction 5f c5mpetent and resourceful teachers of science (Science Teacher Edu~t~on Project, 1974).

It was fortunate for the writer that a period of leave made it possible for visits to be made to institutions in the United Kingdom and Hawaii. Personal observation, experience, discussion and published material facilitated the development of an approach that was in essence eclectic. Thus the writer, who was responsible for an education foundations course, developed a system of peer group tutoring over a year and sub~~~ent~y used this method over the next four years on the DipIoma course for teachers at the University of the South Pacific. The metbudo~5gy was afso used for an m-service course in that University. Xt has been and is still used on courses that the writer teaches at the undergraduate and taught masters level at University College, Cardiff. The experience gained in these courses is the basis of this present paper.

There are a number of premises underlying peer group tutoring as a meth5dology. The first is that the presence of an autho~ty figure, such as a member of staff, as a chairperson or participant in a seminar will inhibit participa- tion on the part of the members of the group,

No matter how amenable or skilied the staff leader, the members will always perceive him or her as an authority figure and will react accordingly. A second premise is that any group of students at any level encompasses a pool of experiences and skills that can be tapped for the benefit of all members of the group and that this is best achieved by their exchanging and reflecting upon them as a group. A third premise is that programmes at the tertiary levels, such as degree or diplcmna, courses, should incorporate the opportunity for pa~~c~pants to develop effective communi- cation skills and to experience the exercising of responsibility, promoting their own learning and that of others. This Iatter premise is p~ticuIarly impo~ant in the case of teacher education programmes. Too many students leave tertiary education who have never exercised genuine responsibility in terms of promoting learning or exercising responsibility for decisions that affect others. Peer group learning is the means of giving individuals such experience.

There are a number of broad aims of peer group learning. The first is that the c5nven tional aims of the subjects studied at the tertiary level should be ~lfil~ed. This means that the students should gain the knowledge and skills relevant to the subject being studied. The use of peer group tutoring does not in any way mean that the intellectual rigour de- manded by areas of study should be neglected. It is, however, accepted that there are a number of areas of study that do not lend themselves to this mode. An important aim is that each student must experience the respon- sibility of leading and promoting self-learning and the learning of the group through being responsible for at least one peer group session. A third aim is that students learn from others trough the exchange of views and the reading of any papers presented. An associated aim is that communication skills are developed through participation in smah group seminars, and the writing of short written pieces before each seminar. Another aim is that students are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of their own experience, and that of their peers, to the course and the matters under discussion. A final aim, one that underpins ah of those above, is that the students, particufady those on teacher ed~~a~on programmes, are given some preparation in the exercising of responsi-

LEARNING THROUGH PEER GROUP SEMINARS 111

bility which should be of value to them in their subsequent careers.

This mode has been used with a number of groups. It was first used with first year students at the University of the South Pacific on a sub- degree diploma programme for secondary school teachers. The course was a foundation course, Education and Society, and the number of students ranged from 100 to 140. A peer group mode was the only methodology used, and the writer was the only member of staff involved. Groups consisted of about eight students each of whom was responsible for one of the eight units that made up the course. The units consisted of an initial presentation, not normaily a lecture, given by the course organiser, in which the subject matter of the unit was introduced. Two one hour peer group tutorials followed, and the final one hour session was given by the organiser. This was in effect an analysis of, and response to, the work done by the tutors and the group members, and a clarification of some of the points raised during the period of study. The unit thus covered four sessions over two weeks. Peer tutors had the responsibility of leading the two tutorials, marking the work submitted, evalu- ating the work done, collating the work and records, and handing this in to the organiser before the concluding session. Each group member had to submit the written exercises to the tutor before the first tutorial, complete the evaluation of the tutor (see Fig. l), and attend regularly. A briefing with the tutors was normally held before the first peer group tutorial. The peer group sessions were held in different rooms and there was no member of staff present but the organiser did normally observe some sessions to gain feedback or to undertake an interaction analysis to assess the degree of participation or exchange. It must be stressed that the course was complex to administer and relied very heavily upon the cooperation and goodwill of the students, which was invariably obtained. Staff saving was considerable. The previous mode had involved about eight staff for two hours a week, whereas the peer group mode involved the organiser for about eight hours per unit (Hopkin, 1975).

The writer currently uses this mode in two other courses but only as an element of the courses. It has proved very useful as part of a B.A. course, Education and Development. On this course the groups have been between

seven and ten in number. After the first month of the course the students are allocated topics that are due to be taught and they are then responsible for presenting a brief paper (1500 words) in the two hour session before or after the tutor deals with it. Papers are distributed one week in advance and the members of the group have to complete the exercise set before the tutorial takes place. The duties of the peer group tutor are to present the paper, lead the seminar, organise and submit the material to the course organiser and mark the submitted work. Each member of the group has to attend and participate, complete and submit the exercises set, and complete the evaluation of the performance of the peer group tutor (see Fig. 2). The course organiser does not participate at aII in the peer group session but is normally an observer. Feedback is normally obtained and the latter part of the two hour period is used as a debriefing session with the course organiser acting as the chairperson and leader.

Peer group tuto~ng is also used on an h&Ed. option, Education and Development in De- veloping Countries. Again it is used in the latter part of the course. Groups are five in number and each member is responsible for a background paper on one of the five major topics of the course based on his or her own country. These papers are no more than 2000 words and have to be dist~buted a week before the tutorial so that participants can read them and do the related exercises for submission at the tutorial. The tutor also provides a summary of the discussion for the course organiser. Thus the duties of the peer tutor are to provide the background paper, lead and guide the tutorial, mark the submitted work, do a summary of up to 500 words, and collate the materials and submit them to the course organiser. Members are responsible for attending and participating, submitting the written exercises and com- pleting the peer tutor evaluation sheet. On this course the members are experienced and mature educationalists, and each group is normally made up of people from at least three different countries. To date there have usually been five or six groups and this means that the course organiser is able to spend time observing a number of groups, but not taking part in the discussion. However, debriefing sessions are held after the peer group sessions, partly to facilitate the dissemination of

112 A. Cl. HOPKIN

Fig. 1

Diploma I EDUCATION AND SOCIETY

Name of Tutor: S. D. Group: A Unit: 6

Put a tick in the appropriate box. Please try to be as objective as you can.

Quality Shown Excellent 5 4 3 2 1 Poor

Knowledge of the subject

Ability to promote discussion

Allowed expression of different views’

Kept group to the point

Organising ability

Any further comment:

Please return above to your tutor. He will not see it.

A. G. HOPKIN Lecturer in Education

Fig. 2

PEER TUTOR ASSESSMENT SHEET The purpose of this assessment sheet is to assess the performance of your peer tutor. It is also intended to provide criteria which will guide participants when attempting to assess that which constitutes a good tutorial/seminar. Tutors should also find it useful as a guide when planning their work and in their approach to conducting the seminar. You should circle the one mark that corresponds to the comment that is closest to your assessment of the tutor’s performance.

You must indicate the qualities shown by the peer tutor by circling the appropriate mark on the right hand side. Then fill in the score table and add comments you think appropriate. You must complete A, B, C, D after the tutorial and after your work has been returned.

A. Leadership Skill

Good ability to lead, direct, stimulate and sum up group discussion

Keeps discussion going, keeps group involved and to the point

Speaks well, asks group in general for contributions

Speaks mostly from prepared script, tends to get responses from set questions from the same people

Dominates by speaking at great length and no effort to encourage or seek contributions

Score

10 9

8 7

6 5

4 8

2 1

B. Communication Skill

Expresses ideas very well, clear questions asked and makes sure answers are understood by group 10

LEARNING THROUGH PEER GROUP SEMINARS

Score

Gets ideas over well and poses good questions 8 I

Adequate delivery of ideas and suitable questions asked 6 5

Wanders away from the point, questions not clear and too little time given to answer them 4 3

Poor expression, difficult to hear and understand, no notice taken of answers given 2 1

C. ExpositorylCognitive Skill

Excellent preparation and grasp of subject matter, able to explore different ideas

Well prepared, knows the subject matter and tends to keep group to the point

Adequate preparation, reads from script mostly and not sure enough of subject matter to consider different ideas

Obviously underprepared, insists on keeping to limited range of subjects and enforces views on others

No preparation, tries to cover this by talking too much and discouraging others to express ideas

D. Organisational Skill

Punctual, well organised re time and subject matter and questions to be set, and instructions clear about tasks

Preparation good, questions thought out and directions clear

Adequate preparation, some guidance re tasks, sometimes not so sure about the purpose of tutorial

Poor preparation, not clear about questions or what is to be done, poor allocation of time

No preparation, unpunctual and time poorly used, no help given on tasks

E. Tutorial Skill

Fair evaluation, feedback informative and specific, criticism made Is valid 10 9

Criticism appears reasonable, guidance given as to faults identified 0 0

Comments on script, some attempts made to justify assessment 6 5

Critical comments made, no guidance as to how defects can be made good 4 3

Marked very sketchily, no comments made and no guidance at all 2 1

10 9

8 7

6 5

4 3

2 1

10 9

8 7

6 5

4 3

2 1

Name of Peer Tutor:

Your name:

Name of Tutorial: Course:

Subject of Tutorial:

113

114 A. G. HOPKIN

particularly useful information that would normally have been confined to one group only.

Assessment of students on the courses presents few problems. The conducting of a peer group session, with its associated duties, constitutes one major assignment. It is an onerous task and should be a substantial element in the assessment of the work done by a student in a course. In practise it is more demanding than a conventional paper. Further information about students can be gleaned from the regular written work submitted and any comments made by tutors. The regular use of interaction analysis and observation can also indicate the way students are responding to a course. Where examinations and tests have formed a part of the assessment of students it is evident that the amount of cognitive learning is probably at least as much as would have been gained on a conventional course. Both the courses for the diploma and the Magister degree incorporated written examination papers and the writer has discerned no evident change in the quality of answers before and after the introduction of the peer group mode. If anything, the impression has been that students do gain more knowledge about the topic for which they are responsible than they would otherwise have gained. Another advan- tage has been that where the topic is a conventional one, such as assessment in the classroom, the tutor and the group have gained because the tutor presents a punctilious synthesis of the conventional wisdom on the subject. On the other hand this means that the course organiser can then later present his or her possibly idiosyncratic and personalised viewpoint as a balance, rather than as the conventional wisdom, as is too frequently the case. In these circumstances the students are exposed to a wider spectrum of views. In terms of communication skills and the skills displayed by the peer tutor, interaction analysis by the course organiser as observer can provide useful assessment. Whilst the performances of indi- vidual tutors cannot be assessed in terms of their own improvement, as they only act as a tutor once, nevertheless the general improve- ment in performance by tutors, and the increased response by participants, can indi- cate general trends in performance.

Assessment of the course by the participants also plays an important part. Continuous

feedback can be obtained from the sheets evaluating the performance of peer tutors, and from the observation of seminars. Less precise but equally important is the way that students respond, that is the way in which they cooperate, attend and fulfil their obligations. This somewhat intangible aspect of assessment is often ignored but it can be significant. Furthermore, the ethos of the course is such that students are encouraged to be frank and honest about how they find the course and it has been found that a number do take the opportunity to use means open to them to make suggestions and identify weak elements in the course, such as defects with respect to organisation. If continuing assessment of a course using such a mode is accepted as valid then the information gained can be used as formative assessment and fed back in the debriefing sessions.

Much data and many opionions have been obtained during and after courses which provide a basis for evaluation on the part of the course organiser. This can be related to the aims of the course. Tests, assessment and examinations enable the organiser to deter- mine whether the cognitive aims are being achieved. In assessing the way students handle their responsibilities as tutor the organiser can determine not only whether each student has experienced responsibility, but also how that responsibility has been discharged. In this context the organiser is in an excellent situation to draw the attention of the tutor to any personal mannerisms or characteristics that could detract from his or her performances as a teacher. This is particularly useful as an element in teacher education courses. As a course progresses it normally becomes apparent that those who are tutors later in the course perform better than those who do so earlier. This can partly be attributed to the peer tutor evaluation sheets which are de- signed to direct the participants as to what the characteristics of a good tutor are (see Fig. 2). Filling in these sheets provides guidelines to good practice. The first type of evaluation sheet used (see Fig. 1) was not particularly helpful and students invariably clustered their ticks around 4 or 3. However, the second type (see Fig. 2) has proved far more useful, the marking is more discriminate, but it still tends to cluster around 7. Observation and checking of work can determine whether views are

LEARNING THROUGH PEER GROUP SEMINARS 115

exchanged or not, and whether communica- tions skills are developed. The most valuable means of determining this is through the use of interaction analysis. To effect this the writer devised a simple scheme which enabled him to keep a record of the degree and type of interaction on the part of the group. Whilst the actual scheme used is not a scientific or particularly refined one it does enable an observer to determine who is contributing and whether interaction is taking place. As a result of using this scheme it became evident in all cases that this particular aim has been fulfilled in all cases. The seminar and brief written papers, plus the observations made in the seminar, provide information as to whether the students are reflecting upon and utilising their own experience. It has become obvious that the exchange of views in a structured context, and without the inhibiting presence of an authority figure in the chair, can raise the awareness of experienced teachers and teacher trainees in a way that is possibly more difficult to achieve in a more conventional academic course. The response on the part of students has shown how the confidence gained through the conducting of a seminar and the successful carrying out of the associated duties has given individuals greater confidence and enjoyment of a sort that they may not have previously experienced. Even many teachers on in-service programmes have not presented papers in a formal academic manner. In this respect such a mode can be valuable in preparing people for subsequent duties as a teacher. The above does indicate that the aims of the courses taught so far have been fulfilled, but more formal modes of evaluation have been used at the conclusion of courses. These have been used to identify weaknesses and to modify the course accord- ingly. These have normally been open-ended questionnaires in which the student is allowed his or her opinion, so that this can play an instrumental part in further developing a course.

It is evident that the writer, through his continued use of this mode, considers that peer group tutoring has advantages that clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Perhaps the greatest advantage is the way students have responded to it and appear to enjoy the challenges presented to them. Experience indicates that in general students react favour- ably to being responsible for part of their

learning, and in spite of their initial fears, react positively to the daunting task of organising and running a seminar for their peers. A very, real benefit is the quality of the exchange when intelligent young people and professionals are permitted to explore education and related fields in the direction they want to go, at their own pace, and without the fear of being held accountable for what they say. Furthermore, listening to the exchanges, particularly among the group of British first degree students, the observer is able to gain insights into individuals and learn about matters that would be impossible in the conventional seminar or tutorial situation. It is only too obvious that the teacher at the tertiary level neglects a goldmine of experience and information if the students in the class are ignored as a source. Interaction analysis demonstrates that the degree of exchange and participation is far greater in such a mode, and observation indicates that the quality is different, if not better, than in the more conventional situation. The use of evaluation sheets helps students become aware of the qualities required in a good tutor, and this can enhance performance. Whilst there is the obvious danger that the discussion and exchange can and does degenerate on occa- sions, this can be rectified by sensible use of debriefing sessions. It must be stressed that the advantages of peer group tutoring are very real, but they are limited to certain subject areas and even elements within these areas. There are many areas of the tertiary curricu- lum where such a mode is inappropriate.

Peer group tutoring has disadvantages. A very obvious,one is the problem of organisa- tion. The course in the University of the South Pacific was particularly difficult to administer and organise, but the fact that the course was taught in one of two semesters made it feasible in terms of length. The other courses also presented organisational problems particularly in respect to the returning of tutors’ work before evaluation by the organiser. The tight time-tabling involved can be a burden when such a course is part of the teaching responsibilities of a lecturer. If a peer tutor is domineering, inadequate, or extremely diffi- dent then sessions may not be productive, and members of a group can make their objections too obvious. If the tutor is responsible for marking work then unpleasantness can arise. However, this can be avoided by the course

116 A. G. HOPKIN

organiser being in effect a court of appeal. In practice, the marking is clustered around a safe pass and the range of marks is normally very small. It has usually been found that a very small minority do object to the course and prefer the more conventional mode but such students have always been few in number. Possibly the gravest defect has shown itself at the Masters’ level. Here the tutors have too often dominated the sessions, particularly the early ones, and relatively little interaction has taken place. This feature has diminished during the course as the students, normally from overseas, have developed greater facility in English, and have become more used to modes of teaching that are less teacher dominated. The dependence upon the skill of the tutor could mean that some areas of a course may be less well covered than others, and it is up to the course organiser to bear this matter in mind at all times.

Peer group tutoring has much to offer to students at the tertiary level, particularly to those on pre- and in-service education courses. It offers them the opportunity to exercise responsibility and to take on tasks that are denied to them by more conventional ap- proaches. Such an approach is inappropriate in

many subject areas but all programmes could incorporate elements which could lend them- selves to peer group tutoring. Through this approach students, particularly younger ones, can begin to realise and develop their own potential as teachers. Students, notably those on pre-service teaching courses, are expected to take on great responsibilities after complet- ing their courses but have had little experience of such responsibility. Peer group tutoring gives them responsibility .during their tertiary education and is invaluable as training and education. It also helps individuals to become much more aware of themselves and their peers as human beings. This should always be a part of education.

REFERENCES

Hopkin, A. G. (1975) Peer tutoring, group learning and teacher education in the university 03 the South P&k. In Education in Melanesia (edited bv Brammall. J. and May, R. J.). Australia National Uniiersity, Canberra.

Postman, N. and Weingartner, C. (1971) Teaching as a Subversive Activity. Penguin, Harmondsworth.

Rogers, C. (1973) Encounter Groups. Penguin, Har- mondsworth.

Science Teacher Education Project (1974) Activities and Experiences. McGraw Hill, London.