The Teaching Center - Peer-Led Team Learning

Philosophy

The design of the Peer-Led Team Learning model reflects several key ideas (Gosser et al., 2001):

1. Active participation in problem solving and scientific discussion is essential to learning in the sciences.
2. If they are to be successful in science, students must learn to become "reflective practitioners" who know how to solve problems collaboratively.
3. Students working in teams to solve complex problems gain confidence in their knowledge and problem-solving skills.  

PLTL study groups participate in collaborative learning that is facilitated by a Peer Leader, who is supervised by the course instructor. The Peer Leader, a more advanced undergraduate, does not tell the group how to solve the problem, or tell the group if the solution they develop is correct. Instead, the Peer Leader helps the students learn to work effectively in a group and to decide, through discussion, whether the solution they have developed is correct. Students in PLTL therefore learn to collaborate, but also develop confidence in their abilities to solve problems individually. The PLTL model enables students to become a community of scholars, to take responsibility for their own learning, and to emerge as independent learners.

Critical Components

Six components have been found to be critical to the success of the PLTL model (Gosser et al., 2001):

1. Study-group sessions are integral to the course and coordinated with the course's other elements (e.g. lectures and recitations).
2. The course instructors are closely involved with PLTL. They design the problems and train the Peer Leaders.
3. Peer Leaders, more advanced undergraduates who have successfully completed the course, are well trained and supervised.
4. PLTL problems are challenging at the appropriate level for students, integrated with other course components, and designed to encourage active and collaborative learning.
5. Organizational arrangements promote learning. These arrangements include size of group, space, time, noise level, and teaching resources.
6. At all levels, from the participating departments to the university administration, the institution encourages innovative teaching and provides sufficient logistical and financial support.

PLTL at Washington University

At Washington University, the development of PLTL was based on the national model, with one important difference: here, participation in PLTL is voluntary for students enrolled in the participating courses. For more information, see Structure of PLTL at Washington University.

PLTL at Washington University began in General Chemistry in 2001 and has since been expanded to Calculus and General Physics. The implementation of PLTL has developed through the collaboration of The Teaching Center; the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics; and Cornerstone: The Center for Advanced Learning. Initial support was provided by the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

References

Gosser, D. K., Cracolice, M. S., Kampmeier, J. A., Roth, V., Strozak, V. S., & Varma-Nelson, P. (2001). Peer-led team learning: A guidebook. New York: Prentice Hall.

Peer-Led Team Learning Workshop Project: http://www.pltl.org.