Traditional pedagogies of education, as it was discussed at the beginning of this course, have always identified the educator or teacher as the frame of reference for knowledge, feedback and assessment. One of the definitions of peer-to-peer learning is “the process of students learning with and from each other” (Edith Cowan University, 2016). This technique is facilitated or monitored by the educator but have shifted their roles from knowledge producers to knowledge mediators.

In the Philippines, parents and students still puts a prime on feedback from the teachers and sometimes even questions the value of peer-to-peer learning where students give feedback and rate the works of their classmates. In higher education, various studies and programs that encourages peer to peer learning have shown how it aides learners by being “cost-effective, and usually results in substantial gains for participants , both academically and socially” (Briggs, 2013). With the changing nature of education and perspectives on learning because of transitioning to online platforms, peer-to-peer learning is having more value than it had before especially since this is also how socialization through digital media occurs naturally.

Most of the subjects that I teach involves producing artifacts through written language. It can vary from personal essays to fictional short stories or narrative poems. It is very interesting to see how peer-to-peer learning allows students to be both critical with other’s works and with their own works. In the middle of the semester, when they have practiced and determined the fundamentals of writing a specific genre, we always have at least one activity that we call Critique circles wherein they must give feedback to other student’s works anonymously. The class will be arranged to form a circle and will be asked to pass their paper around after a specific number of students.

This exercise allowed me to see how students when receiving feedback from their peers are somehow more receptive and at the same time more critical of which comments or suggestions they will take into consideration for their revisions. Most of the time the revised works that they turn in are better than their drafts.

Works Cited

Briggs, S. (2013, June 7). How Peer Teaching Improves Student Learning and 10 Ways to Encourage it. Retrieved from informED: https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/peer-teaching/

Edith Cowan University. (2016, October 20). Peer learning. Retrieved from Learning Intranet: https://intranet.ecu.edu.au/learning/curriculum-design/teaching-strategies/peer-learning