Peer instruction

Peer Instruction is a didactic method developed by Prof. Eric Mazur at Harvard University. It is designed to engage students in their learning process through peer-to-peer discussion and interaction, alternating between theory/instruction and interaction using so-called ConcepTests.

The number of ConcepTests you can cover during a 1-hour lecture depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the topics and the level of the students. Generally, it is recommended not to cover more than 3-5 ConcepTests per hour, allowing enough time for introducing the topic, discussing the answers, and providing explanations and further clarification.

Execution

The method consists of several steps:

  1. Presenting a concept: The teacher presents a new concept to the students. This can be done through a lecture, a video, or an article.
  2. Multiple choice question – ConcepTest: The teacher then poses a multiple choice question about the presented concept. This question should be challenging enough to stimulate discussion but not too difficult to answer. It is important that common misconceptions are possibly included in the question, i.e., the distractors.
  3. Voting: Each student answers the question individually using, for example, Mentimeter. The teacher shows the distribution of the scores but does not yet indicate the correct answer. This allows the teacher to see how many students understand the concept and how many struggle with it. Then, the teacher suggests starting the discussion.
  4. Discussion: Students are then divided into groups to discuss the question with each other and compare their answers. This gives students a chance to talk to each other about their thinking process and learn from their peers. The easiest way to do this is to divide students into groups of 2 as this ensures that everyone participates. Preferably, students are paired together who gave different answers. Should that be complicated, pair up ‘neighbours’. Students can choose students next to them or in front or behind them.
  5. Re-vote: After the discussion, students vote again on the same question. This gives the teacher insight into how many students changed their answer after the discussion.
  6. Discussion: If enough students give the correct answer, as a teacher you can discuss the correct answers and the reasoning behind the correct answers again. This allows students to learn from their mistakes and improve their understanding of the concept. If still too few students have chosen the correct answer, as a teacher you can choose to have the students discuss it again. It is important that at least misconceptions among students are made clear and removed.

Pitfalls

The following pitfalls are described on the KU Leuven website when applying Peer Instruction:

  1. Insufficient time: If not enough time is spent discussing the answers and debating the concepts, it can lead to a superficial discussion. Teachers should ensure that there is sufficient time for discussion and that the groups are small enough to encourage interaction.
  2. Too difficult questions – ConcepTest: A ConcepTest is a short, multiple choice question designed to check students’ understanding of a concept before delving deeper. Ideal questions address common misconceptions and why the answer is correct or incorrect. The questions should be challenging but also achievable. It is therefore important to carefully formulate and test the questions before using them in class. If the questions are too difficult, it can lead to frustration and demotivation among students.
  3. Failure to effectively guide discussion: Failure to effectively guide discussion among students can lead to wasted time and lack of clarity. Teachers should therefore provide clear instructions on how students should discuss with each other and ensure that the discussion remains focused on the topic. Make sure to create a safe learing environment.
  4. Unclear explanation and clarification of questions: Failure to properly explain the correct answer and any misconceptions can lead to confusion and disrupt the learning process. Teachers should therefore ensure that explanations are clear and understandable to students.
  5. Lack of variety: Using the same question formats and discussion techniques can lead to boredom and disinterest among students. It is important to incorporate variation in question formats and discussion techniques to maintain student engagement.
  6. Technical issues: The use of technology, such as clickers or online platforms, can lead to technical problems. It is therefore important to ensure adequate training and support for students and to have alternative methods in case the technology does not work.

It is important for teachers to be aware of these pitfalls and proactively work to minimize their impact in order to ensure that Peer Instruction is effective and successful.

Design effective peer-instruction questions – ConcepTests

The multiple-choice questions that are central to peer instruction are also known as “ConcepTests.” These questions are focused on key concepts related to the course content. They should not be fact-based questions, but rather questions that require students to apply or explore a recently taught concept. Eric Mazur suggests that the multiple-choice questions:

  • Focus on one key concept, ideally corresponding to a common difficulty for students.
  • Require real thinking, not just putting numbers into equations.
  • Have one right answer, but the other answers (the wrong ones) should seem plausible or reflect a misunderstanding that often arises among students.
  • Be clearly and directly worded.
  • Not too easy or too difficult.

ConceptTest example question: The Falling Bucket

The following example of a Concept Test question and answer comes from a physics course.

Answer: If a hole is made in the side of a soda can filled with water, the water will flow out and follow a parabolic path. If the can is dropped while in free fall, the water will:

  1. diminish
  2. stop altogether
  3. go out in a straight line
  4. curve upward
the-falling-bucket-the-falling-bucket-1-diminish-1

In this example, the correct answer is provided next to the question for clarity, and a brief explanation of the answer is given.

the-falling-bucket-the-falling-bucket-1-diminish-2

ChatGPT can be easily used to generate ConcepTests. Naturally, make sure to check them thoroughly yourself.

Psychology

An example of a ConcepTest in psychology could be about classical conditioning and the timing of stimuli. The question, for example, could be:

“If you want to train a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, which timing of the bell sound relative to the presentation of the food would be most effective?”

The possible answers are:

a) The sound of the bell must occur simultaneously with the presentation of the food.
b) The sound of the bell must occur after the presentation of the food.
c) The sound of the bell must occur prior to the presentation of the food.
d) It doesn’t matter when the sound of the bell is played.

The correct answer is c) The sound of the bell should occur prior to the presentation of the food, as this is most effective in creating a conditioned response. This is because the sound of the bell acts as a neutral stimulus until it becomes associated with the food, thereby becoming a conditioned stimulus. By manipulating the timing of the stimuli, the strength of the association between the stimuli can be influenced, resulting in more effective conditioning.

Biology

A more challenging example of a ConcepTest in biology could involve genetics and inheritance. The question could be, for example:

“A man and a woman are both heterozygous for a gene that codes for a specific trait. What is the likelihood that their child will be homozygous recessive for this trait?”

The possible answers are:

a) 0% b) 25% c) 50% d) 75%

The correct answer is b) 25%. This is because both the man and the woman are heterozygous, which means they each have one dominant and one recessive allele for the specific gene. During the formation of gametes (sex cells), these alleles separate, so each gamete only contains one allele. The chance that a gamete from the father contains the recessive allele is 1/2, and the chance that a gamete from the mother contains the recessive allele is also 1/2. Therefore, the chance that both gametes contain the recessive allele is 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4, or 25%. If the child inherits both recessive alleles, it will be homozygous recessive for the trait.

Understanding genetics and inheritance can be difficult for students due to the complexity of the subject and the many factors involved. Through a ConcepTest like this, students can test their understanding of key concepts and identify their misconceptions, enabling the teacher to provide further explanation if necessary.

References

  • Crouch, C. H., & Mazur, E. (2001). Peer instruction: Ten years of experience and results. American Journal of Physics, 69(9), 970-977.
  • Crouch, C. H., Watkins, J., Fagen, A. P., & Mazur, E. (2007). Peer instruction: Engaging students one-on-one, all at once. Research-Based Reform of University Physics, 1.
  • Lambert, C. (March-April 2012). Twilight of the lecture. Harvard Magazine.
  • Porter, L., Lee, C. B., Simon, B., & Zingaro, D. (2011). Peer instruction: Do students really learn from peer discussion in computing? Proceedings of the Seventh International Workshop on Computing Education, pp. 45-52.
  • Smith, M. K., Wood, W. B., Adams, W. K., Wieman, C., Knight, J. K., Guild, N., & Su, T. T. (2009). Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept questions. Science, 323(5910), 122-124.

Want to know more?

Dutch sourcs

VU Taxonomy?

Open Mind
Interpersonal skills
Responsible for own study career and study success

What total group size?

Up to fifty
Up to twenty five

What activity group size?

Small group (2-4 pers)

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