Peer to Peer Interactions Providing opportunities for online students to engage and participate with others in meaningful ways. Susie Bussmann, Ph.D. Sandy Johnson, MS, MA

Peer to Peer Interactions Agenda Quality Matters and Standard 5 Defining peer to peer interaction Types of interactions Demonstrations and examples of peer interactions Wrap Up Activities

12-Step Checklist Meeting Quality Matters Standard 5 Learner Interaction and Engagement 5.1 The learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives. 5.2 Learning activities provide opportunities for interaction that support active learning. 5.3 The instructor’s plan for classroom response time and feedback on assignments is clearly stated. 5.4 The requirements for student interaction are clearly articulated.

Peer to Peer Interaction The five areas of the student experience in online courses: –Academic challenge (Student-Content) –Active and collaborative learning (Student-Student) –Student-faculty interaction (Student-Instructor) –Supportive “campus” environment –Enriching educational experiences Peer to peer interaction is a “piece” of a great online course.

Anderson, T. (2002). An updated and theoretical rationale for interaction. Retrieved from

Anderson, T. (2004). Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Retrieved from

Define Peer to Peer Interaction In the chat box, post your answer to the prompt, reply to one other person with feedback, an extension, and or suggestions on their post.

“Research bears it out: Collaborative learning is active learning that encourages students to apply concepts and skills even as they are learning them.” “Twenty years of research shows that slightly more interactive techniques can make a class far more effective.” Research Based

Pros Cons In the chat boxes, post pros and cons using interaction in your course.

Why provide Peer to Peer Interactions? Learning is a social activity. Increased learning Higher student satisfaction Workplace preparation Accreditation issue And more ….

Supporting Learners to Be Active Learners Provide activities that encourage interaction with content Encourage critical thinking about content Share what they learn with others “Remix” was is learned to demonstrate understanding

Four Stage Continuum Siemens (2002) notes that learner-learner interactions in an e-learning course can be viewed as a four stage continuum: 1.Communication -People ‘talking’ and discussing. 2.Collaboration -People sharing ideas and working together. 3.Cooperation -People doing things together, but each with his or her own purpose. 4.Community -People striving for a common purpose.

The Four Stages Students are engaged when they- have a personal connection to others, are encouraged to post and reply to discussions, feel part of a community, participate in collaborative learning, join professional learning communities, and build personal networks.

Methods of Interaction Online Check the interactions you use in your online courses in the provided poll pod. Please share additional ideas in the chat box.

Methods of Interaction Online Directed, threaded discussions based on relevant questions and prompts Incorporate questions about readings Present case studies Research projects Peer reviews Collaborative writing Use of synchronous tools (Skype, Adobe Connect, etc)

Why encourage peer-to-peer learning? Knowledge is constructed from experience. Learning results from personal interpretation of knowledge. Learning is an active process. Learning is collaborative. “Activities that require student interaction and encourage a sharing of ideas promote a deeper level of thought” and make meaning for the learner (Conrad & Donaldson, p. 5).

Supporting Peer to Peer Interactions Clear expectations Low risk to high risk activities Group contracts Smaller groups Individual assessment

Desktop Share OCIP Sample Courses found at  Click on Standards by Topic  Click on Sample Courses

Getting Started Examples Introductions - Tech Help and General Support - Social Café Collaboration Examples Group Contract - Google Doc Peer-to-Peer Activity 1 - Twitter Top 5 Peer-to-Peer Activity 2 - QM Course Review Using Collaborations in Canvas

Peer Review or Grading English 203 CEL 580 Professional and Social Learning Communities Diggo LinkedN Pinterest and Learnist Boards educational-resourceshttp://learni.st/users/johnssandy/boards/6962-open- educational-resources

Resources Conrad, R. & Donaldson, J. (2004) Engaging the online learner. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco: CA. Grandzol, C. & Grandzol, J. (2010). Interaction in online courses; More is not always better. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, XIII (II). Retrieved from Sanders, M. (2008, Feb. 18). A failure to collaborate. The Chronicle of Higher Education. First Person. Retrieved February 18, 2008, through personal account. Siemens, G. (2002). Interaction. E-Learning Course. October 8, Retrieved May 19, 2008, from Interaction.htmhttp:// Interaction.htm

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