From Distraction to Contribution: A Preliminary Study on How Peers Outside the Group Can Contribute to Students’ Learning

Abstract

Active Learning Classrooms are new learning spaces that allow collaborative learning activities to take place easily over the traditional classroom. However, some features of these rooms could be viewed as “distracting” to students’ learning such as the multiple interactive screens. The purpose of this paper is to begin the conversation on how subtle roles in the learning environment could impact learning. Using a case study approach, an activity from one course was chosen that exemplified how peers outside students’ immediate group can influence their learning. Based on the preliminary findings, it is suggested that being aware of these subtle roles peers outside the group can have on students and making them explicit in the pedagogical design of the course can lead to maximizing the usage of the space to potentially foster greater learning.

Keywords

• active learning classrooms
• higher education
• collaborative learning
• peer learning