Key Findings

The key findings from the project included:

• Examination of recordings from post-intervention group discussions indicated an increase in feedback quality.
• Data analysis of recordings illustrated improved richness of interactions in the post-intervention groups.
• Examination of peer learning interactions indicate most groups (post-intervention) used effective peer feedback strategies, in turn, leading to an acceleration in students’ skill acquisition.
• The recordings provide examples of a reconfiguration in motivational dialogue between students.
• The study also found that not all students fit into a peer learning environment. This is because peer learning requires the application of basic communicative, conflict management and attitudinal skills.     
• The study found providing quality intervention workshops to recommend peer learning to students to be relevant and important.
• Therefore, a recommended sequence to use as a guideline for helping trades tutors to implement peer learning with their students, is provided. The guidelines are a composite of the principles presented in the literature review and the findings from this project.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations from the project were the following guidelines which provide a list of structured strategies for teachers to introduce peer learning activities into workshop-based practical learning activities and class-room based theory learning activities:

Tutors’ role in introducing peer learning | During the first 3 weeks set aside training sessions to discuss and participate in learning activities to support the following principles: basic communicative, conflict management, and attitudinal skills; keep disagreements civil and unheated and protect minority opinion; and build mutual respect for and trust and confidence in one another.

Feedback cycle | Follow the above by providing students with a session to introduce the feedback cycle – explain and practise the process of feed-back, feed forward and feed-up. The above learning session supports the student’s ability to be aware of and use/apply feedback in future workshop and classroom learning activities.

Incorporate peer learning as an integral component of a curriculum | Incorporate peer learning as an integral component of a curriculum, by: creating a conducive learning environment; making sure the entire group experiences ‘positive interdependence’; encouraging face-to-face interaction and group processing of learning; and explaining and supporting the importance of individual and group accountability.