Peer instruction is a teaching method popularized by Harvard Professor Eric Mazur in the early 1990s. [1] [2] Originally used in introductory undergraduate physics classes at Harvard University, peer instruction is used in various disciplines and institutions around the globe. It is a student-centered learning approach that involves flipping the traditional classroom. It expects students to prepare for class by exploring provided materials and then engage with a series of questions about the material in class.
Peer instruction as a learning system works by moving information transfer out and moving information assimilation, or application of learning, into the classroom. [3] [4] [5] Students prepare to learn outside of class by doing pre-class readings and answering questions about those readings using another method, called Just in Time Teaching. [6] Then, in class, the instructor engages students by posing prepared conceptual questions or ConcepTests that are based on student difficulties. The questioning procedure outlined by Eric Mazur is as follows:
Peer instruction has been used in a range of educational contexts [8] [9] around the globe [10] [11] and in many disciplines, including philosophy, [12] psychology, [13] geology, [14] mathematics, [15] computer science [16] [17] and engineering. [11]
There is some research that supports the effectiveness of peer instruction over more traditional teaching methods, such as traditional lecture. [18] The effectiveness of peer instruction can depend on prior student knowledge. [19] A randomized controlled trial published in 2021 found no difference in total test scores for one laboratory exercise compared to traditional group work. [20]