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The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of peer tutoring on the academic achievement, during practical assessments, of the tutors and tutees.

Final year students on an undergraduate Sports Science degree programme provided optional peer tutored practical sessions, once per week (two hours per session) for 12 weeks, for second year students on the same undergraduate programme. Students were then assessed on their ability to demonstrate, coach and explain a range of dynamic resistance exercises.

A one way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc analysis demonstrated a significantly greater academic achievement in the peer tutoring group (73.64±10.26 per cent) compared to students that were not peer tutored (46.20±20.27, p=0.003) and compared to the previous years’ cohort that were not peer tutored (56.83±19.18, p<0.001). Moreover, tutors also demonstrated significantly (p<0.001) higher grades (82.00±11.01 per cent) compared to the students that did not act as peer tutors (64.88±8.82 per cent).

This study demonstrates that peer tutoring during practical sessions in Sports Science programmes can enhance the development of practical skills and achievement of both tutees and tutors during practical assessments.

To the authors knowledge this is the first study to determine the effects of peer tutoring on both the tutors and tutees, in a Sports Science setting.

Many universities run Writing Centers to provide support for students wishing to improve their academic literacy. These centers are ideal venues for peer tutoring, which may benefit both student-tutors (through tutoring skills development), and those tutored (through opportunities to discuss writing with a supportive peer). In the context of a university in the GCC region, peer tutors, prior to working, must complete required Communication courses. The syllabuses reflect student-centered and collaborative post-process writing approaches, where scaffolding is emphasized over direction, and word-by-word instructor correction of student writing is de-emphasized. Peer tutors also undergo preparation aimed at equipping them with an understanding of the rationale for these approaches and the skills needed to adapt them to tutoring. Given these experiences, the researchers set out to determine whether tutors are able to articulate such understandings and apply them to tutoring. Interconnected interpretative methods were deployed, including tutoring observation, consultation-conversation analysis and semi-structured interviews with tutors. Results indicate that tutors have significant recent experience of non-directive writing classes and may be aware of the rationale and benefits of such approaches. However, in their tutoring, content appears to be transferred from their most recent experiences but their style relies on instruction predominated by telling, explaining, demonstrating and directing, reflecting formative experience at school. The relationship between tutors’ experience, preparation, articulation and practice is explored, and recommendations are made to enhance Writing Center practices, in line with the concept of a constructively-aligned instruction system where all components address the same agenda and support each other.

The importance of sustainability in architecture currently necessitates the integration of innovative teaching strategies on the subject into architecture programs. This study aims to introduce and examine peer learning pedagogy by peer tutoring to educate architecture students in sustainable design.

Based on class assignments proposed in two different architecture sustainability-focused courses in the second and fourth years of the Bachelor of Science in architecture program, a total of 103 students assessed the proposed peer learning experience and its impact on their sustainability mindsets and education. Subjective surveys for evaluating the peer learning experience were designed and delivered at different stages of the course sequences. A total of 502 survey responses were obtained in the study.

The qualitative and quantitative data analysis confirms that the proposed peer learning by peer tutoring increased students’ knowledge, motivation and commitment to sustainable design. In addition, participants became more confident in applying sustainable design skills and their academic grades improved more than 25% compared to previous courses using traditional teaching methods.

Traditional architecture education has long been criticized for their pedagogical methodologies based primarily on passive learning. Recently, these programs have begun to prepare students to become active learners and communicators in collaborative and multidisciplinary environments. A mixed-method approach of combining pre-/post-experience surveys and analysis of final grades was used to determine the level of success and the quantifiable behavior change delivered by students involved in this peer learning experience.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of college tutors on peer coaching as a tool for professional development to determine its formal institutionalisation.

A survey questionnaire was used for data collection, while analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics.

The findings reveal that peer coaching is mostly perceived as a collaborative effort to enhance professional development. They also show that the tutors mainly hold that peer coaching is experienced as organised endeavour by participating tutors while some tutors hold that it takes place informally at any time or anywhere. Inadequate training and financial problems appeared to be highly rated as potential impediments to the use of peer coaching, while investment in training and commitment by all is highly rated as a possible means to strengthen the use of peer coaching among the college tutors.

The descriptive research design has the potential to explore existing conditions as the research indicates that the formal introduction of peer coaching would be appreciated and if educational leaders and tutors are committed and training in peer coaching is given, the use of peer coaching can be effective.

There is a need to conduct research on peer coaching in the Nigerian context. Thus, this paper provides an insight into tutors' perception about peer coaching in Nigeria. It also offers insights into means by which peer coaching can be facilitated for improved practices among tutors.

Tutoring or mentoring is a form of mutual and informal learning which has distant origins. This is a way of sharing knowledge and experience which has been proved to be extremely useful in educational settings, particularly where there is a peer that plays the role of tutor. Despite its informal characteristic, tutoring should be a structured process, with defined goals and clear roles for both: tutors and tutees, those who benefit from tutoring. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

As this paper aims to explore a pilot project, it was used as a reflexive and practical methodology, in a case study, analyzing the number of participants attending the project as well as the contents of the training course.

In this first project in a Portuguese university, 35 students attended as candidates to tutor, participating in the training course, showing interest in helping their colleagues.

This proposal for a tutoring program in a public higher institution aims to train college students to help other colleagues, giving academic support, helping in the adaptation to academic context, promoting autonomy in learning, sharing effective strategies and helping in maintenance of positive interpersonal relationships. These aspects are very important to promote academic success in higher education.

This article looks at an attempt to enhance students’ critical thinking, professional and personal skills through an innovation in the use of peer assessment on an undergraduate law degree programme. This involved peer assessing asynchronously materials previously submitted. It was also to a limited extent mediated by the tutor as composites of previously submitted work were used to focus on skills development. The innovation’s aim was to enhance student performance. It drew on the existing literature on peer assessment as well as cognitive apprenticeship theory and was premised on the idea that students’ learning will be enhanced if they are better enculturated into the assessment process. It was felt that there was a body of students within the lower performing ranges who did not properly understand assessment criteria and consequently under‐performed. The effectiveness of the innovation was evaluated through student questionnaires (before and after students received their results), a focus group and a qualitative evaluation by the tutor, on the basis of marking the assessments. Whilst the assessment led to an improvement in student performance, reflection on the experience has identified ways in which the potential of this form of assessment can be further developed in the future.

Purpose – This chapter provides the reader with a discussion of a peer-conferencing component, called “cadre conferencing,” which was incorporated into undergraduate and graduate reading clinics. University students were placed into cadres based on the grades of the children they were tutoring. Cadres met during scheduled class time to discuss assessments, strategies, and materials.

Design – Graduate and undergraduate students were asked to provide feedback about the cadre conferencing model. They identified what they liked about the peer conferencing and what changes they would make. The feedback was used as a way for the faculty member to evaluate an instructional change in existing courses.

Implications – Both graduate and undergraduate students reported benefits to the cadre conferencing component. Graduate students were in-service teachers who reported that they benefited most from sharing ideas about strategies and materials. Undergraduate students reported that they benefited from sharing ideas, but also from the personal support they experienced from members of their cadre. Both groups recommended that cadre conferencing continue to be included in the two courses.

Practical and social implications – Observations of the cadres in their meetings and feedback from a course survey indicate that peer conferencing can be a powerful tool for groups of educators. The model would transfer best into programs that are designed to include shared decision-making and peer collaboration. Schools that adopt a professional learning communities model or team-teaching approach could integrate the cadre conferencing into their existing group structures.

Integrative curriculum is sometimes understood in terms of utilizing two or more disciplines to explore and inquire into ideas to achieve certain tasks and learning outcomes. “Integrative” as an educational and curricular term, concept, and set of processes is more concerned with integrating students’ experiences across the teaching and learning activities of their academic program, constructing their knowledge and a range of competencies and capabilities in a meaningful and student-centered manner. This chapter approaches integrative curriculum in higher education through peer teaching and learning. The chapter presents and analyzes the case study of Phoenicia University, Lebanon, where one of the approaches to emphasizing integrative curriculum is through the “Peer Support Program” (PSP). In the PSP, excelling students (mentors) across various courses (e.g., calculus, English, etc.) mentor and tutor their marginal peers (mentees) who are underperforming in their studies. This study analyzed the attitudes, perceptions, and confidence levels of both the mentors and mentees in the PSP across freshman calculus courses. The chapter found that the PSP revealed reciprocity and mutual benefit for both the mentors and mentees in terms of academic gain, self-satisfaction, and personal growth. Some of the identified concerns about the program were that mentees seemed to be too dependent on the mentors and majorly driven by studying for the mark. The program was a win-win combination for the mentors, mentees, and the institution itself, serving as an effective integrative curriculum avenue, where students’ experiences, commitment, and ownership in the teaching and learning process are actively integrated into a meaningful, connected, and student-centered university environment.

How is it possible to evidence whether students are engaging with a course? What can be done to increase their level of engagement? Since the advent of blogs in 2002 a comprehensive body of research has developed around the pedagogic benefits of educational blogging and its value in teaching and learning, notably in encouraging reflective practice, social interaction and participatory learning (Burgess, 2006. Blogging to learn, learning to blog. In A. Bruns & J. Jacobs (Eds.), Uses of blogs (pp. 105–114). New York, NY: Peter Lang; Farmer, Yue, & Brooks, 2008; Williams & Jacobs, 2004). This chapter investigates whether blogs are also an effective tool for supporting and sustaining a community of learners in Higher Education and increasing their engagement in a university course.

The researchers used a case study methodology to examine whether the introduction of blogs had led to the development of a community of practice around an undergraduate course at the University for the Creative Arts. The data collected revealed that the course team had successfully developed a thriving online community involving students, staff, alumni and industry, with students displaying high levels of engagement and interaction. The discursive, commentary nature of blogging enabled students to engage in peer-supported learning, with the online ‘always on’ nature of the community providing a 24/7 support network. In addition, tutors were able to assess clearly the level of engagement of each student and provide targeted, timely feedback for those students who required more support.

It is hoped that this research will be informative to tutors and academic support staff who wish to explore the potential of using collaborative online technologies to enhance student learning and engagement.