Peer Participation
Promoting Student Engagement in Learning
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Satyen Gautam, Sachin Jangam, Kai Chee Loh
While traditional teaching methods and incorporating cutting-edge technology into the classroom can facilitate efficient transfer of information, it may not necessarily motivate students to participate in learning. While no single rule of thumb can solve this problem, creating opportunities for student involvement may offer a palatable and practical solution. With the intent of creating an alternative classroom environment, one which encourages positive student engagement, peer assessment was explored in conjunction with classroom teaching. In the present context, peer assessment refers to assessment of students’ work by other students of equal status. Peer assessment was conducted for an undergraduate elective course titled "Food Technology and Engineering." As part of the activity, students working in small groups (3-4 students) were required to design rubrics for assessment, assign marks to their peers for the group presentation and provide constructive feedback. Advocates of peer assessment, while associating it with a number of benefits, have reported sceptical perceptions of students about the activity as well. Understanding the challenges and investigating ways to find possible solutions is crucial to the success of the activity. This presentation discusses the various ways that were adopted to tackle these challenges. At the end of the activity, student survey was conducted to evaluate students’ perceptions. Student survey showed that peer assessment was well received by many students and encouraged them to participate. The survey results also showed that besides providing opportunities to the students to use their voice and knowledge to contribute, peer assessment enabled them to develop skills that were transferable to the workplace and to other aspects of life.
Peer-Assisted Learning and Professional Learning Experiences at an Australian University: Spaces of Conviviality
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jane Bone
The participants, who were all international students, showed a sophisticated understanding of their professional role. A key finding is that they did not always communicate in expectable ways or in the usual places. Students found their own ways of peer learning and despite challenges they often found space for this learning outside the early childhood classroom. Using ideas from Deleuze and Guattari these "smooth" and "striated" spaces are discussed here and Deleuzian ideas contribute to the analysis that includes attention to peer communication as a multiliteracy (Masny & Cole, 2012). The students challenged stereotypical perceptions of how they might behave and show that a site of struggle and scrutiny can also become a place of support and conviviality. This is especially significant as the numbers of international students rise in Australian universities. What is offered here is a way of reducing the individualised and challenging nature of professional learning experience and extending trust to students who will be future educators, mentors and leaders in the early childhood field.
Organisational Friendships and Peer Engagement on Professional Placement: A Peer-assisted Learning Approach
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kate Bone
This study explored how students benefit from the support of having a peer with them during their first professional placement in preschool contexts As part of their qualification student teachers are required to go into classrooms to practise their teaching skills and learn about the workplace. This project was underpinned by a PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) approach. A group of students were interviewed which provided in-depth data about their experience of being with a peer. Encouraging peer engagement facilitated the development of friendships and increased experiences of social support and wellbeing among participants. Findings from this project extend conceptions of organisational friendships beyond managerial imperatives, and extend the PAL approach beyond pedagogy, in order to consider the intrinsic value of friendship to pre-service teachers during placement. The intended outcome of this research is to support change and transformation for international students on their pathway to becoming educators in Australia. Encouraging friendship in this context is also considered a way to counteract competitive attitudes that easily prevail in difficult times.
