ABSTRACT
Most education takes place in groups: classes, forms, sets or intakes. This makes it more difficult to give individuals the attention they need and deserve, especially when the groups are large, and so we are sometimes reduced to ‘teaching towards the middle’ or other compromises. However, it also has a plus side in that the group may itself become a vehicle for learning. At the most basic level, it establishes a regular rhythm and pattern of work that might be difficult for individuals to maintain on their own. Students can learn from one another and support one another (see Section 19) in pairs, trios or other small clusters in or outside the class. They may form a bond, sometimes against the teacher, usually against the examiners. They will revise together. Rote learning can be carried out by hearing and testing one another’s vocabulary, lists or formulae. Peer learning can also take more interesting forms, in which students share exercises, discuss topics and problems, or work together on a project. The potential for this kind of learning depends on the subject matter, and some teachers and educational cultures favour it more than others. However, modern educational practice tends to encourage teachers to explore the potential of peer or cooperative learning, partly as a strategy for coping with large numbers, partly as a means of sharing meanings, and partly as a reflection of the way people work in the wider world.
