The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a quick transition to online learning widely. This study examined the contributions of the peer-to-peer learning interactions within integrated peer-assisted lear...

Leveraging integrated peer-assisted learning clusters as a support for online learning

Peer interaction to assist and learn from each other has been extended online in recent times. This study was conducted to find the pattern of participation in integrated peer-assisted learning and to investigate factors known to affect such participation among students in their peer-assisted learning clusters. The pattern of participation was established through the frequency with which the respondent use their preferred mode of peer interaction. Structural equation modeling was implemented to study the relationship between participation and the factors considered. Social medial is the most prevalent among the online means of interaction considered. Conflict, cohesion and effective leadership in the clusters have more direct effects on the other factors considered. The frequency of participation does not correlate significantly with the other personal and interpersonal factors considered. These findings suggest that the decision for voluntary participation in peer-assisted learning clusters are possibly driven by other factors such as academic.

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On Integrated Peer-Assisted Learning Clusters Among Students in a Nigerian University

The prevalence of mental illness among medical students is high and this continues to be the case in spite of interventions and of providing students with access to mental health services. In this article we present the basic literature on the issue and the reasons why mental illness still prevails among medical students, and we propose the PEACE model for approaching the issue at multiple and interconnected levels, providing examples of relevant actions.

https://www.mededpublish.org/MedEdPublish/PDF/3014-23740.pdf

PEACE of mind: Guidelines for enhancing psychological support for medical students

Computer programming is a difficult course for many students. Prior works advocated for group learning pedagogies in pursuit of higher-level reasoning and conceptual understanding. However, the methodological gaps in existing implementations warrant further research. This study conducted a three-armed cluster-randomized controlled trial to comparatively evaluate the social and cognitive effects of group learning pedagogies in computer programming. Following an apprenticeship model, each group has a designated master: drivers in pair programming (PP), peer leaders in peer-led team learning (PLTL), and practitioners in practitioner-assisted group learning (PAGL). In all course deliverables, the PP group received the lowest mean scores. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found between the PLTL and PAGL groups. Except for psychological safety, social factors such as task cohesion, interdependence, and group potency were significantly different between the groups. Both PLTL and PAGL groups reported a significant increase in social factors after 14 weeks of intervention. These findings provide a rationale for educational leaders and teachers to formulate curricular plans that integrate PLTL and PAGL in computer programming education. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on group learning, expands the pedagogies in computer programming, and serves as additional empirical evidence on cognitive apprenticeship and sociocultural perspectives of learning.

Facilitating Group Learning Using an Apprenticeship Model: Which Master is More Effective in Programming Instruction?

Learning around the world has been changed with the rapid development in technology which promotes the students to be more flexible and interactive with each other which has been encouraged by the mobile learning environment. Therefore, the current study intends to analyze the impact of inquiry learning, reflective thinking on problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills with the mediation of peer communication. To carry out the study, data was collected from 378 college students in China by using survey forms. The analysis of the data and validation of the proposed hypotheses were conducted using Smart-PLS and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The results revealed that inquiry learning and reflective thinking affect problem-solving skills. However, inquiry learning and reflective thinking did not affect critical thinking skills. Moreover, the study found that peer communication mediated the relationship between reflective thinking, problem-solving skills, and between reflective thinking and critical thinking skills. However, peer communication did not mediate the relationship among inquiry learning as independent variable and problem-solving skills and critical thinking skills as dependent. The study has theoretically contributed by examining the impact of online learning styles on higher-order thinking skill (HOTS) in the M-learning environment. Also, the study greatly advances the literature by investigating the mediating role of peer communication. Practically, the colleges can improve the students HOTS by devising policies and educational programs focusing on learning styles.

Adoption of M-Learning in Business English Course and Its Relationship to Learning Style Preferences: An Empirical Investigation

Peer learning is gaining momentum as an educational model suitable for university students. This study investigates the characteristics of the participation in peer-assisted learning groups (PALG) for students in Harbin-China, and compares them to their medical counterparts. The mode of peer-assisted learning interactions considered cuts across face-to-face and the use of four mediums of communication. The comparison was also extended to factors such as quality, conflict, cohesion, peer-influence, and leadership that is known to affect the learning interactions within such groups. Sixty percent (60%) of the peer-assisted learning interactions among the students take place via social media. The frequency of these learning interactions among peers is found to have a positive correlation with all the factors except for conflict (−0.040 p

Bamidele Kehinde Ala

Papers

Characteristics and comparison of peer-assisted learning interactions among university students in Harbin, China