Our latest paper entitled “Self-selecting peer groups formed
within the laboratory environment have a lasting effect on individual student
attainment and working practices” has just been published in FEBS
Open Bio. We explore how peer groups form and the influence this has on the final
attainment of the students. The paper was researched and written long before
COVID19 was even a thing, yet the conclusions hold valuable lessons for new students and the start of a socially distanced teaching year.
Within the paper, we set out to understand how peer groups form within first year student groups and how their interactions effect learning. Our setting was the laboratory environment on a range of bioscience programs. The research surveyed two cohorts of students over two years. Network analysis tools allowed us to identify two major group types that we called the “Swans” and “Dolphins“.
Swans: Long‐lived well‐established pairings composed of two students who would exclusively identify each other as laboratory partners and would work together for all or the majority of the sessions.
Dolphins: Fluid groups of students that work interchangeably with each other. This group of students was typically composed of 3 to 5 members that identified other students as partners’ most of the time’. Which partner the student chose to work with was dynamic on a day to day basis, but restricted within the dolphin pod.
Students of similar ability group together.
We observed that peers in individual “Swan pairs” or “Dolphin pods” would gain similar marks in assessments with significant differences between the highest and lowest performing groups. What this means is that students of the same ability are cooperating in closed groups.
In terms of peer group formation high achieving groups report that they work together because they have a similar level of engagement or academic attainment. Low performing groups say that they form due to similar appearance or background. These groups work together and socialise with each other outside of the laboratory.
If your friend does well you are likely to do well.
If your friend disengages you are likely to disengage.
During the work, we forced different pairings to form during the first four weeks of teaching. The result of this mixing was to increase the number of Dolphin pods but had no effect on attainment. By exposing the students to a wider pool of peers early in the year we were able to broaden the peer networks resulting in groups that were more willing to work with each other.
COVID19 how will friendship groups form during social distancing?
Within the sciences, laboratory work is central to the program and a core component of a degree. Our work strongly suggests that peer groups are forming in this learning environment with lasting effects outside of the laboratory. The sticky problem we then face is that social distancing means that for a short period laboratory interactions will be reduced with students working as individuals. Blended delivery will mean although digital interactions can occur, face-to-face interactions will be limited. This will affect the formation of new peer and friendship groups. In the new environment of the University, the risk to the students is that they are left isolated and without support, with few reference points for achievement and further aspirations. We, as academics will need to create new environments that allow new peer groups to form early in the semester. Some ideas include.
- Pre-enrolment activities to introduce students to others on their course. Google Communities could be used as a means of introduction with each student posting something about themselves.
- Breakout rooms during taught classes to aid study groups to form. Both Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate can be used for this and interchanging small groups can be used on short term tasks.
- Tutorials that focus more on students getting to know each other and less on academic content.
- Virtual laboratories can where students work through a problem or task together with different groups forming each time.
- Co-production and group work to encourage interactions especially around assessment. For further reading on this topic see Bovil 2019.
I do not have the answers and only time will tell if these will work, but regardless the importance of peer groups in learning is clear.
David's adventures in the classroom. 