Student-to-Student Learning Glossary

Student-to-Student Learning

            

Organized or informal approaches may occur during class sessions or afterward. If the activity is embedded within the course session, these could also be included in the Transitional Courses Programs category. An annotated bibliography of more than 1,900 publications is available of the major national and international peer cooperative learning programs described in this glossary (Arendale, 2021).

Accelerated Learning Groups (ALGs)

1. Definition: “ACCELERATED LEARNING GROUPS (ALGs) were developed at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in the early 1990s by Dr. Sydney Stansbury. ALGs were designed to meet the needs of students who had significant skill or knowledge deficiencies that often inhibited their effective use of other peer collaborative learning programs such as SI. ALGs combine peer-led small group learning activities, assessment, frequent feedback by a learning skills specialist, and individual education plan (IEP) development for each student. ALG students are concurrently enrolled in a challenging entry-level course while they develop the necessary skills and knowledge prescribed by the IEP. The ALG students are placed into a triad with another student with similar IEP objectives and a peer leader who works intensely with the students under the supervision of a learning skills specialist. Participation in ALGs continues in the academic term until the learning skills specialist deems it appropriate to transition into another peer development program such as Supplemental Instruction or individual tutoring. The developer of the ALG model, Sydney Stansbury, can be contacted via email at [e-mail]. This peer learning model is one example of COURSE BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE” (Arendale, 2021, p. 14).

2. Compare with COURSE-BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE, COOPERATIVE LEARNING, and DEVELOPMENTAL-LEVEL COURSE.

 

adjunct instructional programs (AIP)

See COURSE-BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE (CLA).

 

collaborative learning

1. Definition: Students working and learning from one another. These activities may be planned or unplanned. They may be under the supervision of an instructor or other students. These activities may occur within a classroom or in other locations. The goal is the development of knowledge and skill mastery.

2. Compare with COOPERATIVE LEARNING, COURSE-BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE, PEER EDUCATION, and STUDENTS AS PARTNERS.

 

cooperative learning

1. Definition: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING is a broad category of student activities in which learners work with each other to complete a task. The six critical features of COOPERATIVE LEARNING that differentiate it in the comparison include (a) positive interdependence among group participants; (b) individual accountability for involvement; (c) appropriate rationale and task purpose for the group; (d) structured student interactions with designated activities rather than free-form discussion; (e) facilitation by an instructor or expert peer; and (f) attention to the development of social skills such as interpersonal communications and leadership development (Johnson et al.,1998).

2. Compare with COLLABORATIVE LEARNING, COURSE-BASED LEARNING ASSISTANCE, PEER EDUCATION, and STUDENTS AS PARTNERS.

 

course-based learning assistance (CLA)

1. Definitions: (a) Forms of group cooperative learning that accompany a specific course to serve as a supplement for that course. There are a variety of CLA approaches. These activities may occur outside of class or may be embedded within the course. Student participation may be voluntary or mandatory. Some CLA programs award academic credit