I hope that this page encourages teachers to see the value of PEER INSTRUCTION and to be more aware of the techniques of “Turn to your neighbor” and the work of Eric Mazur and Julie Schell. Go to blog.PeerInstruction.net and practice using “turn to your neighbor” in your lectures. Do a search for “PI Network.”

https://blog.peerinstruction.net/category/peer-instruction/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rixx-Qtnt5I Julie Schell on Youtube

An article by Schell and Butler discusses practices that support effective active learning. The article’s list of four ways to improve learning is helpful for the Free Website Project. This list can guide student Assistants about how to schedule their time with other students who are learning how to make websites.

The effectiveness of retrieval-based learning can be enhanced in several ways depending on how retrieval practice is implemented and structured. In our subsequent analysis of modifications to Peer Instruction, we will focus on four specific ways to make instruction that employs retrieval practice more effective:

1) Feedback—Retrieval practice is beneficial to learning even without feedback (e.g., Karpicke and Roediger, 2008), but it becomes even more effective when feedback is provided (Kang et al., 2007; Butler and Roediger, 2008)

2) Repetition—A single retrieval opportunity can be effective, but retrieval practice becomes even more effective when students receive multiple opportunities to pull information from memory and use it (Wheeler and Roediger, 1992; Pyc and Rawson, 2007).

3) Variation—Verbatim repetition of retrieval practice can be useful and effective for memorizing simple pieces of information (e.g., facts, vocabulary, etc.), but introducing variation in how information is retrieved and used can facilitate the development of deeper understanding (Butler et al., 2017).

4) Spacing—When repeated, retrieval practice is more effective when it is spread out or distributed over time, even if the interval between attempts is just a few minutes (Kang et al., 2014).

Keywords: Peer Instruction, cognitive science, retrieval practice, instructional design, Eric Mazur, research-based instructional strategies, learning science, active learning

Citation: Schell JA and Butler AC (2018) Insights From the Science of Learning Can Inform Evidence-Based Implementation of Peer Instruction. Front. Educ. 3:33. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2018.00033

I highly recommend looking at YouTube interviews with Eric Mazur. Here is a demonstration of his technique in a lecture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wont2v_LZ1E