Importance of Peer Learning for International Students

Running head: ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION
ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION
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Author Note

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Introduction
Peer learning is considered to be an educational practice where students interact and
communicate with other students to acquire educational goals. It is one of the widely used
approaches and this approach comes from cognitive psychology (Stone, Cooper & Cant, 2013).
Peer learning is widely applied in the mainstream educational setting or frame work and most
schools and colleges are incorporating and encouraging this method to help students learn,
develop themselves and grow. This paper is a literature review which will focus on the
importance of peer learning and how it helps international students to adapt to the new setting
and learn more effectively and efficiently. Peer learning has been gaining immense popularity in
the education sector and the wide usage of this method is the main reason for which this topic
has been chosen. This paper will discuss about several methods that is used in peer learning
which are highly incorporated by schools and colleges these days. This literature review will be
based on journal research articles and will evaluate the articles to come to the conclusion of the
methods which help assist international students adapt to a new education setting.
Discussion
Peer learning is considered to be one of the effective measures that help students in
learning and attaining their goals in terms of education. There are various peer learning methods
and processes which the education sector is incorporating in their educational structure in order
to provide an enhanced study environment and make students learn in depth.
Peer learning methods and processes

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There are various peer learning methods and processes that have been introduced through
time immemorial in order to contribute to enhance learning of the students. One of the methods
that have been gaining prominence in recent times is known as Peer-Assisted Learning.
Peer-Assisted Learning
Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) is a program led by peers for the students in challenging
and difficult undergraduate courses. The main of these sessions or programs is to provide
students with strategies that will help them in mastering the course they are studying and also
help them in becoming more independent and confident learners (Duah, Croft & Inglis, 2014).
The leaders of the session conduct collaborative and active sessions that help students in
understanding the subject in a broader manner. According to scholars, PAL is one of the most
commonly used methods to help students to attain their desired goals in terms to education.
According to research, 122 students were provided with PAL sessions and the results that were
obtained from the research was around 114 students out of 122 students completed the evaluation
of the questionnaire where it has been seen that around 70% of the students had acquired the
passing marks (Tariq, 2005). From this research it can be understood that the PAL sessions have
a positive impact on students and help in shaping and developing their minds to help them grow
and help in gaining more knowledge (Bone et al, 2019)
.
According to another research, the importance of workshops conducted by peer teams
was analyzed. The main aim of the research was to find out the effects of workshops on the
students and how it helps students in achieving several courses. It has been seen that the
workshops related to programs helped in improving the participation of the students and also

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helped the students in accomplishing positive grades and had resulted in lower course drop
(Muller, Shacham & Herscovitz, 2018).
SI Session
SI sessions are the review strategies that are out-of-class mainly for medium to large
groups. It focuses on designing groups that help each other and work together to create new
strategies to master the courses and also help in preparing quizzes, tests, review material and
many more. According to research it has been seen that SI has helped in contributed in the
success of many students. In this research paper, qualitative and quantitative data were collected
and an SI method was conducted during the years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 (Malm, Bryngfors
& Mörner, 2016). The SI method was provided to engineering students and it has been seen that
the majority of the students that had incorporated this method they had passed the exams (Malm,
Bryngfors & Mörner, 2016). The success meter of this method is evaluated by the results of the
students. If the students pass then this means the session is important and work. However, many
studies state that SI session is not very helpful as students often develop strategies that are not
very effective which results in them getting poor grades (Bruno et al, 2016).
Impacts of peer learning
Peer learning is said to have many benefits that has a high success ratio in improving the
students grade and their attitude towards approaching their way of studying which has helped
students develop themselves and achieve their desired goals. According to research, it has been
seen that peers have a huge role and impact in influencing other students. In the conducted
research it has been seen that peers have huge power in influencing other students to do better in