Peer Learning in Higher Education - Types of Peer Learning - Barriers to Involvement - IT Assignment Help

Assignment Task:

The advantages of peer learning for international students studying in higher education.

Peer learning provides a wide array of advantages that supports students' success in Higher education (Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 925; Ning and Downing, 2010; Topping, 1996 as cited in Dancer, Morrison & Tarr, 2015, p. 1808). This approach provides an alternative more engaging learning experience for International students who are first-year students at Universities (Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1811; Tariq, 2015, p. 15). Peer learning has been shown to advance students' academic skills and scores and also increases peer bonding (Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1808; Arkoudis, Watty, Baik, Yu, Borland, Chang, Lang, J. Lang & Pearce, 2013, p. 223). This review analyses strategies from seven peer-learning articles, published between 2005 and 2018. This review will particularly focus on current programs, barriers to involvement and analyse the benefits of peer-learning programs in terms of their adaption by students and academic outcomes.

Current programs and barriers to peer learning in higher education

Types of peer learning:

Research has shown that peer learning has a positive impact on students' education. Peer-assisted learning has been operating with various names and provides a productive learning environment that enables students to support and teach each other to overcome their difficulties and have a mutual exchange of information to achieve the same aim (Muller, Shacham & Herscovitz, 2017, p. 661; Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1811-1812). There are two types of peer learning which is formal and informal. The implementation of formal peer learning programs such as PAL, PLTL, PASS and SI all use students' in the same cohort who are divided as a group and with a peer facilitator assigned to guide learning strategies and revise their disciplinary materials (Ning et al., 2010, p. 925; Malm, Bryngfors & Lotte, 2016, p. 550; Tariq, 2005, p. 2; Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1810; Muller et al., 2018, p. 661). However, there are different methodologies in each program, such as assigned peer group leaders' ability, selection method, students' education level and disciplinary (Ning et al., 2010, p. 925; Malm et al., 2016, p. 550; Tariq, 2005, p. 2; Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1810; Muller et al., 2018, p. 661). On the other hand, informal learning is the daily interaction between peers (Kretz, Seifert, Arnold & Burrow, 2018, p.1076). Both approaches to peer learning have a positive effect on students (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1086). Formal peer-assisted learning provides a comfortable atmosphere that enables students to ask questions more freely than regular classes and raise their academic interest; moreover, they can build constructive relationships with each other (Tariq, 2005, p. 15). Informal learning is to contribute to students' sense of stability and fellowship through interaction outside of class (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1086). This improves learning outcomes of international students and domestic undergraduate students. (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 223-224). However, it is important to note that there is less information about informal learning compared to formal learning, therefore further research needs to be done.

Barriers to involvement:

Peer-assisted learning programs have some barriers that negatively affect students' involvement in these programs (Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1824; Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 935). Studies suggest that the peer learning timetable does not consider students' current study schedule which makes students unable to participate; this leads to a negative effect on their academic achievement (Muller et al., 2018, p. 665; Tariq, 2005, p. 14). Additionally, another study suggests that cultural differences and international students' linguistic ability can create interaction barriers between international and domestic students (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). Students tend to make a friend with people that are similar to them in terms of cultural and language backgrounds and this is of frequent occurrence among international students (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). This may cause international students to have less confidence to communicate with domestic students which leads to lower academic performance (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). Furthermore, students tend to feel a sense of distance from lack of understanding between domestic students and themselves; this could lead to cultural bias, ineffective communication and negative learning experience between domestic students and international students (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). Also, an imbalance of gender ratio in some disciplines may causes barriers. For example, a study conducted on roughly 1,400 first-year students from nine engineering disciplines at Lund university with peer learning in a validated test, verified those female students had a much lower number than male students (Malm et al., 2016, p. 555). It is suggested that the cultural and linguistic barriers described above are complex issues and they proposed six strategies to develop students' interaction (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 223-224). This study described various reasons of lack of interaction between domestic and international students, however, they did not clarify whether the gender ratio contributes to this problem (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). Therefore, further research should identify the cause of the barriers.

How students achieve academic success and adapt well to their new environment?
 
Academic achievement:

Peer learning has been demonstrated to have a significant implication for achieving academic success for undergraduate students (Anderson, Boud & Sampson, 1996; Magin and Churches, 1995; Medina 2003; Peterfreund et al., 2008; Potter 1997; Widmar 1994; Wood, 1997, as cited in Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 921). Students participating in peer programs can play different roles as a friend, coaches, study advocate and supporters (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1078 & 1082). This relationship provides emotional stability to students and affirmative learning environment; moreover, it guides students to enhance personal and academic skills, which play a vital role for academic performance in higher education (Kretz et al., 2018, p.1082). One study states that by participating in peer learning programs, students can enhance academic performance by being active learners and gaining confidence and motivation and leads them to achieve the goal (Dancer et al., 2015, p. 1811-1812). Through peer-to-peer activities, students are able to discuss and share their academic problems and obtain feedback; this leads to an increase in students' cognitive ability, which contributes greatly to their academic outcome (Tariq, 2005, p. 15). Furthermore, students regard these programs as less stressful learning environment than regular subject sessions, this perspective encourages students to participate and have independent study skills in order to achieve positive learning outcome (Tariq, 2005, p. 9; Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 924). Another study suggests that peer learning encourage undergraduate students to have academic interest (Downing et al., 2017; Shamir, Mevarech & Gida, 2009; as cited in Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 922). Consistently, this interest has significantly contributed to better educational performance and help them learn better (Ning and Downing, 2010, p. 921). However, it is important to consider that these studies need to include students' previous credit data, cultural and linguistic backgrounds in further research.

Adapting to the new learning environment:

Peer-assisted learning has been indicated as a beneficial influence on new undergraduate students' adaption to a new learning environment (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1086; Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 223). Broadly, students can easily feel isolated and disconnected in a new circumstance and make them difficult to fit into a peer cohort (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1086). This negative effect on students' academic performance and emotional experience (Kretz et al., 2018, p. 1086). In this circumstance, peer learning help students to feel a sense of connectedness to their school (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 223). One study states that peer learning encourages students to develop a sense of self-awareness and school experience in terms of reaching academic goals and student staying in the course (Tariq, 2005, p. 15). Another study suggests that developing peer interaction provides positive benefits for international students to have an opportunity to reduce cultural and linguistic gaps with domestic students (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 224). In this aspect, International students are able to get out of cultural comfort zone and increase self-confidence to socialize with diverse students; also, they could learn better communication skills (Arkoudis et al., 2013, p. 233). Students are able to enhance collaborative skills through peer learning, it helps students' etiquette of the culture, solving skills and teamwork; which help them adjust to a new learning environment and peer cohort successfully (Tariq, 2005, p. 14). Nevertheless, Interaction between international and domestic students needs further research to continue to investigate to obtain accurate and reliable data; it also needs to provide participants' information, such as age, gender, disciplines, cultural backgrounds in further research. 

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