Kathleen Willey
ED637
4/21/2009
Teaching Strategies: Learning by Teaching
Hundreds of teaching strategies are utilized all over the world with the purpose to
provide the best possible education for students, young and old, that is retained for a
lifetime. Among the assortment of various methods, “Learning by Teaching” is one that
professors Ritu Dangwal and Preeti Kapur seek to establish as proof that learning is not
limited to the classroom, but it is through teaching peers that children make sense of the
world around them.
According to Dangwal and Kapur, children learn best through interaction with
others, particularly peers. In agreement with Dewey’s learning theory that learning is a
reconstruction of experience and Vygotsky’s theories regarding the role of socially
meaningful activity, the “Learning by Teaching” method focuses on the social aspect of
education. Aside from the role of social learning, the “Learning by Teaching” method
adds the aspect of very minimal teacher intervention and mediation. The optimal
environment for this type of learning is described as anywhere where students are in a
non-invasive, exploratory setting where continuous peer-to-peer learning is present. Such
environments can include, but are not limited to; home, school, playground, daycare etc.
An example of this method in action can be described as a child (A) who is placed in
front of a brand new video game at home with a friend (B). If Child B has some
knowledge of the game, they will inadvertently share their abilities with Child A. This is
done through a wide spectrum of methods under the umbrella of social networking; trial
and error, rehearsal, self-discovery, demonstration, verbal inputs, observation and
practice/drill.
Trial and error has Child A trying and trying again to get through to the next level
of the video game. Rehearsal has Child A repeating what was successful during the trial
and error phase. Self-Discovery has Child A discovering what they need to do in order to
succeed to the next level of the game. Demonstration has Child B showing Child A what
is needed in order to operate the game, such as moving, shooting and other basic
operations. Verbal inputs have Child B giving Child A input on their success levels, such
as “OH MAN!”, and “Watch out for that space ship!” Observation has Child A simply
watching Child B playing the game, while Child A picks up on not only the operation of
the game, but tricks to better their success while playing. Finally, practice/drill has Child
A playing the game over and over after they have figured out what their task entails in
order to play the game like they have owned it their entire lives.
The finding of this example shows that without parental or teacher involvement,
reading a manual or finding cheats online, Child A was able to play and succeed at a
brand new video game with the instruction of a peer. Within the “Teaching as Learning”
method, only direct and invasive instruction by a non-peer (teacher, parent, proctor etc.)
will hinder this learning process.
A classroom which operates on this teaching strategy will be extremely student
centered. Very little teacher interaction will be observed, however, teachers will be
needed to set up parameters and provide students with the tools they will need in order to
learn best. For example, a teacher would tell his/her students that they will be creating a
Word document with certain criteria. The criteria will be posted on the board, and then
the students will be set loose to complete the task, with the understanding that they are to
help each other in the process. The teacher then stands aside and make sure that students
are on task and have what they need in order to proceed with their assignment. Teachers
within this strategy are mere facilitators that keep the task on track, and are not to
mediate with the student’s processes and task.
For group work, I feel that this teaching method would be wonderful. It allows
students to bounce ideas off of each other and come to a common conclusion that they
themselves had synthesized. It allows for growth in team work, social skills,
communication, world/community perception and can even improve self esteem.
Working with peers is also (for some children) easier than interaction with a teacher. The
pressure to find the right answer is not as heavy and the idea of learning as you go with
your friends is less intimidating than being held to the standard of your instructor.
This teaching strategy, however, could also show not to help students who are
more individual learners. Those students who are more successful in their scholarly work
through independent methods may not benefit in the academic aspect of this strategy,
however, the research shows that even these students would gain social skills and provide
these students with a context for social and cognitive learning.
Bibliography
Dangwal, R., Kapur, P. (2009). Learning through Teaching: Peer-Mediated instruction in
minimally invasive education. British Journal of Educational Technology
40(1), 5-22. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database.