Peer Learning Circles

The Problem

Learning is largely an individualistic and competitive endeavor. You may be friends with your classmates, but do you teach and learn from one another? Do you celebrate the academic success of your classmates, or dismayed that they are getting ahead of you?

Youth may face challenges in their learning:  Some are related to access to knowledge resources, eg Digital Access (having laptops, reliable Wi-Fi and relevant software) or Digital Literacy (knowing how to navigating online resources for learning purposes). Others may not enjoy learning, and see school as a necessary stepping stone to the work or life they want. They may lack motivation to learn and have not learned ‘how to learn’. Relationship with school teachers might sometimes be difficult and parents can even be an additional source of stress. At the same time, tuition in Singapore has become a billion-dollar industry, profiting from an educational ecosystem where teachers’ role in school is no longer regarded as enough to perform academically.

One Solution - Peer Learning Circles

Learning circles has the potential to ignite the interest of learners, unlock their learning capacity and transform the culture of learning among youths by moving them from individualistic competition to mutually supportive and collaborative learning.

• Peer learning groups can be formed and supported by a ‘learning facilitator’ who does not provide tuition, but instead provides learning resources and guidance.
• While academic subjects can constitute the content of these learning circles (Language, Math, Science), you can also form circles for topics that are not covered by the school curriculum.
• Given that learning issues are often embedded in broader school or family circumstances, a supportive community circle can also offer practical or socio-emotional support where feasible. See also Community Support Circles

Learning circles will be structured to have check-ins so that youths can share what is going on in their lives. They will then engage in goal-setting where they define the curriculum they want to understand or homework they want to complete. Peer learning will be used as a first principle and escalating this to learning facilitators only when necessary. After each peer learning session, quick rounds of sharing by each youth and facilitator will help review what they felt worked well and what did not.

Significance

• If peer learning works, it can disrupt the billion-dollar tuition industry that is profiting from parental and student anxieties, fueling a hyper individualistic and overly competitive learning climate.
• Self-directed learning with peers will allow a more diverse set of learning interests to be cultivated beyond what is in the formal curriculum.
• Beyond individual circles, it is possible to create a mutually supportive learning community that extends beyond their own study group.

Playbook - How to Start and Manage Learning Circles

[This is one possible model, each community organiser should co-design the initiative with their participants to suit their unqiue circumstances].

Formation of Study Groups

• Sign up interested youths
• Find a facilitator
• Set up date for First Session

Monthly Topical Schedule of Circles

Example:

• Week 1 English / Language
• Week 2 Math
• Week 3 Science
• Week 4 Reflection on Overall Learning Strategy / Group Identified Topic

Possible Time Allocation & Structure for Sessions

Overall Time Allocation

• 25 min - check in / set learning goals

• 1 hour - peer learning (break in between, then switch)
  • 30 mins - learn / support
  • 20 mins - tea break
  • 30 mins - support / learn (switch roles)

• 15 mins - review & reflections

Structure of Sessions

• Student set specific learning goals and pose specific questions on topic of that week they want to understand; also spell out what learning strategy they intend to use to understand these topics (Learners).

• Determine who in the group might feel confident in helping with these study goals (Supporters) [Facilitator will attempt to pair supporters to learners, take note of goals, strategies etc on whiteboard, using template, see below].

[It may be possible to pair up (or have up to 3 in a group?) those who want to learn similar sub-topics, with those who feel they can help or support. If there is nobody who can help, learning facilitator supports student in reading textbook (and only help in reading and interpreting what text says); or pointing to how to find information online or other resources

• Switch up the roles (Learner & Supporter to switch)

• If there is time at the end, can help determine for individuals who did not achieve their learning goals, whether others can help, tap into group intelligence.

• When group intelligence is exhausted, develop a plan for how to acquire this knowledge from outside the group. Send someone to ask their teacher/parent/older peer/search the internet and bring back the explanation. [Link them up with a more senior learning circle]

• Once a month, reflect on learning strategies

First Session

• Set expectations, ground rules, communication channels etc
• Discuss what happens in between sessions. Do they want to meet up on their own to study or follow-up on what they couldn’t do within the session itself?
• Use this first session to also identify the Week 4 topic, on something they want to learn collectively; make  a decision about that, so that they can embark on it over next 2-3 months.
• Introduce the use of consent-seeking rounds to help make decisions. Anyone can propose. But all consent (instead of voting). [Insert link to instructions on how to make decisions using consent]