How does a peer help us learn?

"The old man loses one of man's chief prerogatives, that of being judged by his peers."

Goethe

What is a peer?

In the Middle Ages, being a peer was a title of nobility. It was a mark of distinction and a responsibility. A peer of the realm is both honored and a charge to the collective. Pair has the same root as parité, from the Low Latin paritas, -atis, from the Classical Latin par, meaning the same.

The strength of a peer derives from its legitimacy, itself the fruit of immediate comparison with someone similar to ourselves. Peer refers to equivalence: no one is above or below the other in dignity. Parity builds horizontal social relationships rather than hierarchical and vertical ones. This proximity is an asset when it comes to ensuring that other people's views are taken into consideration, as sharing the same references means there are fewer barriers to overcome. Peer-to-peer communication flows more smoothly.

What is pairagogy?

Peer learning has been around for a long time. The terms "peer to peer learning", "peer instruction" or "peer learning" have been used throughout the English-speaking world. Garrett and Turnbull first mentioned peer learning in 1910, in connection with learning sign language. But the more recent neologism Peeragogy can be attributed to Rheingold in 2014.

In continental Europe, the tradition of compagnonnage combines learning under the supervision of a master with exchanges between journeymen on the building site. In the French-speaking world, peer-to-peer learning was identified in the scientific literature as early as 1981, in connection with the evaluation of collaborative teaching practices in the classroom. The term pairagogie was then coined in a 2017 research article on adult education.

Pairagogy is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes collaborative learning between peers. The term "pairagogy" is derived from "peer" and "pedagogy". Unlike traditional teaching, where a teacher dispenses knowledge to students, pairagogy is based on the idea that learners can also play an active role in teaching and learning.

The principles of pairagogy often include the following elements:

• Practice: Peers often provide opportunities to practice and apply what they learn, thus strengthening their individual and collective know-how.
• Peer collaboration : Peers work together to solve problems, share knowledge and teach each other.
• Diversity of perspectives: Peers may have different perspectives, which can broaden their understanding of a subject and encourage critical thinking.
• Shared experience: Peers can share their personal experiences and knowledge, which can make content more concrete and understandable.
• Autonomous learning: Peers take charge of their own learning, define their objectives and choose the methods that suit them best.
• Shared responsibility: Teachers and learners share responsibility for teaching and learning, creating a dynamic of cooperation.
• Formative assessment: Assessment is formative, i.e. aimed at improving learning rather than assigning marks. Feedback is frequent and focused on skills development. Peers can provide valuable comments and suggestions for improving their skills or understanding of a subject.
• Mutual motivation: Interaction with like-minded peers can be motivating and stimulating, encouraging continuous learning.

The remarkable effects of peer learning

In her thesis, Buchs (2008) notes that there are few studies on how the promised benefits of peer learning are realized. However

"What these devices have in common is that they create positive interdependence between students by assigning them a common pedagogical goal in order to foster cooperation."

Peer learning is part of a democratization of the formative and emancipating word. It increases the power to act by making intimate knowledge accessible, bridging distances and capturing the lessons of situated experience.

Peer-emulation" (Gardien 2010) refers to "expertise in use", for example in the world of disability, offering newcomers a reference point for dealing with the difficulties they encounter. "Peer-emulators, or experts in use, lead them to live through singular experiences, to discover confidential knowledge, hidden potential and innovative micro-solutions that lead to collective progress. In this sense, pair-emulation could well play the role of an integrating social function, making "expertise from within" accessible. Who better than one disabled person to help another cope with the realities of everyday life?

Pairagogy is often used in informal learning environments, such as study groups, learning communities and collaborative workshops (Cristol, 2022). It encourages social interaction, critical reflection and learner autonomy. This approach can be particularly effective in fostering learner engagement and the acquisition of practical, hands-on know-how. Distance learning courses have particularly benefited from peer-to-peer learning, as each learner is on an equal footing in front of his or her screen, and can count on the other's empathy for the technological part, which in turn leads to a more global empathy for the learner's situation as a whole.

Sources

Buchs, C. (2008). The distribution of information in peer-to-peer learning arrangements at university level. Vers des aprentissages en coopération: Recontres et perspectives, 57-81.

Cristol, D. (2022). Apprendre à apprendre ensemble Initiation à la pairagogie (pp. 198-pages).Paris: ESF.

Mante, R. F. (1981). Evaluation of the IMPACT project: multiplicity of results and perspectives. In Auto-enseignement au cours primaire: compte rendu du séminaire sur les programmes d'auto-enseignement. IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA.

Rheingold, H. (Ed.). (2014). The peeragogy handbook. Jointly published by Pierce Press and PubDomEd.

Boud, D. and Lee, A. (2005). 'Peer learning' as pedagogic discourse for research education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(5):501-516

Cristol, D. (2017). Learning communities: learning together. Savoirs, 43, 10-55. https://doi. org/10.3917/savo.043.0009

Garrett, S., & Turnbull, J. S. (1910). The training in Speach of deaf Children. Br. of Ier congrès internat.

Gardien, E. (2010). La pairémulation dans le champ du handicap: Histoire, pratiques et débats en France. Rhizome, (40), 3-4.

Thot cursus. La pairagogie fruit prometteur du monde du co https://cursus.edu/fr/10560/la-pairagogie-peeragogy-fruit-prometteur-du-monde-du-co

E-learning letter. From compagnonnage to pairagogie https://www.e-learning-letter.com/info_article/m/2411/du-compagnonnage-à-la-pairagogie.html