ERIC Number: EJ1049890
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Doing It for Themselves: Students Creating a High Quality Peer-Learning Environment
Galloway, Kyle W.; Burns, Simon
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v16 n1 p82-92 2015
To support our students during their study and exam preparation we have developed a novel synoptic revision exercise using the online PeerWise system. Academic staff involvement was passive after introducing the assignment to the cohort via scaffolding activities, thus generating an entirely student-led peer-learning environment for the task. Student engagement exceeded all expectations with high levels of activity and peer-learning occurring over a wide range of topics. We report on a detailed investigation of the quality of the student-generated content, involving two years of data with separate cohorts. The analysis includes classification of the student question type (revised Bloom's taxonomy), investigation of the utility of the feedback/model answers, along with time-resolved analysis of activity during the coursework window. The research seeks to reveal the nature of student behaviour in a peer-review environment and alleviate some of the common concerns held by academics considering moving to this type of activity.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Peer Teaching, Teaching Methods, Learner Engagement, Classification, Feedback (Response), Student Behavior, Educational Technology, Chemistry, Multiple Choice Tests, Pretests Posttests, Cognitive Ability, Learning Activities, Web Based Instruction, Questioning Techniques, Educational Quality, College Science, Undergraduate Students
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A