Peer-Based Learning: A New-Old Alternative to Professional Development

Rabbi Joshua ben Perachya said: Get yourself a teacher; acquire a friend to study with you. This ancient piece of wisdom comes from Pirket Avot 1:6, the Hebrew Book of Our Fathers, written thousands of years ago as a compilation of the best advice on life and living. Much of their advice is compellingly fresh today For instance, Yeshiva students still practice chavrusa, the Hebrew word for partner-based study, whose root is friend. Yeshivas are secondary Jewish parochial schools that emphasize the study of religious texts. Chavrusa is the process of grappling over these complex texts with a peer. The interchange between peer-learners has proven to foster deeper reflection because it introduces contrasting perspectives, sometimes even generating arguments, about interpretation, meaning and application of the ancient teachings. Furthermore, a sense of reciprocity and dual accountability is created when both people are engaged in at once. Take a moment now to think back to a time in your life when you learned something significant. When and where did it happen? Who was involved? Now, consider your professional growth during the past few years. How has it come about? What or who facilitated your development? Chances are the setting for at least one of your recollections was outside the classroom. And chances are the learning trigger was a personal interaction or experience that caused you to try things or think in ways. In other words, it is likely that some incidental occurred that you did not even consciously recognize as part of your development at the time. It is also likely that your was solidified by a process of praxis, that is, trying something new, reflecting on how well your practices or refrained thought patterns served you and then further refining your actions or thinking. Did a teacher or mentor facilitate this process of action and reflection for you? Or was it a spouse or partner, a co-worker or classmate, a friend or relative ... in other words, a peer? How Can I Use This New-Old Concept? So, what is the link between this old approach to working with high school-aged Yeshiva students and the new idea of using peer-based with professionals in corporate or university settings? To begin with, it is essential to acknowledge the power of bi-directional peer relationships in facilitating professional and personal growth. On that foundation, staff developers build peer-based activities into intentional professional development efforts that are both cost-effective and versatile because they capitalize on three key factors: the learners' own expertise, an intrinsic drive to improve and the context. First, utilizing the learners' expertise is crucial because professionals have relevant knowledge and experience to bring to the project; tapping into this is both affirming and motivating. Second, since most healthy humans share the intrinsic drive to improve themselves and be helpful to others, working in partnership with a respected peer is both engaging and supportive of joint accountability for outcomes. Third, context-specific issues are important because most learners, particularly busy professionals, are motivated to solve real-life problems. Addressing actual problems also facilitates customization, thereby increasing the potential for transfer of to occur. Brookfield (1986) puts it this way, Self-directed learners rely heavily on peer ... for support, information exchange, stimulus through ideas and locating relevant resources (p. 83). Engagement in is optimized when activities are explicitly grounded in [learners'] own concerns and circumstances (p. 84). When each participant plays the dual roles of helper and learner, the potential of a collaborative peer partnership is virtually unlimited (Saltiel, Sgroi & Brockett, 1998). Peer Learning Partnerships Defined Let's take a closer look at the peer partnership by distinguishing it from mentoring, examining the process as it has been translated into professional development programs or identifying the defining qualities of the peer dynamic. …