Peer-to-peer learning can be defined as learning from each other, by each other and for each other. It has a very democratic flavor in that sense. A very practical example of this is the way in which this course is structured. We are expected to read and comment on the work done by our classmates. In the process, we end up enhancing our own knowledge and getting a fresh perspective on some ideas.

The idea here is to harness the power of Mentoring as a tool for peer-to-peer learning. The assessment can be done, either in a formative or summative fashion. The idea here is to form mentoring clubs, in different domains where students might need constructive feedback and some occasional hand-holding. So there can be a group of mentors in the academic arena, a group of mentors in the sports arena, and so on. The task performed by these mentors is to provide a platform for the mentees to get together, from time to time, and discuss the issues faced by them. The peers can provide valuable inputs based on their own experiences, of similar nature, and that can provide with a solution to the mentees. This can benefit in several ways. While, on the one hand, it can lead to more frequent and fruitful interaction among peers, it can also provide the benefit of synergies. The experience pool gets richer with more people involved in the process, rather than placing the responsibility merely on the shoulders of the concerned teacher. It can also deliver in the area of acclimatization of students, who transition from one level to another, say elementary to middle, or middle to high school. There is this sudden shift in culture, and the support system offered by the school administration might just not be enough. Mentoring holds a lot of promise under such situations.

Though mentoring has been around for a very long time and is used by the academic world as well as corporates, I think it should be more actively used in the school domain to bring up more emotionally and socially stable children.