Asking and Answering Questions: Partners, Peer Learning, and Participation

Abstract

Science is about asking questions but not all science courses provide students with opportunities to practice this essential skill. We give students ownership of the processes of asking and answering questions to help them take greater responsibility for their own learning and to better understand the process of science with its inherent uncertainty. Peer learning activities throughout the course embed multidirectional feedback within and between students and instructors. Students are our partners in the design and evaluation of exam questions and we learn from them as they rise to the challenge of identifying important information and applying it. The lab program is supported by peer assisted learning in which peer mentors partner with instructors to generate activities addressing the use of evidence and experimental design. While not all students engage as partners, those who do value these experiences and demonstrate they can use scientific content creatively and critically.

Using Online Tools to Develop Higher Order Learning Among Tertiary Students

“…Support for, and expectations of, student learning through the provision of a feedback rubric using this taxonomy has proven to be successful. Feedback is given in partnership and requires reciprocal engagement by the student and in this model, lecturers and students have as much responsibility as the other (Rivers, et al, 2017). Other research provides evidence that feedback promotes academic success.…”

“…It will also show how socially constructed learning to produce quality outcomes can be developed. Therefore, instead of lecturers transmitting information and content, students are engaged in the learning process to meet their learning outcomes (Rivers et al, 2017). The role of learning communities to support the development of student initial learning in writing multiple-choice questions in the online space will be discussed.…”

Conversations and Reflections on Authentic Assessment

“…While collaboration requires time and tactful negotiation, this challenging work often leads to rich learning. Collaboration between students can support them in taking greater responsibility for their learning, help them develop better assessment literacy, and foster a greater ability to think scientifically (Rivers et al, 2017). We can help students better understand the value of working together while providing them with opportunities to collaborate in meaningful ways with autonomy, independence, and choice (Healey et al, 2016).…”

Partnering with students to redesign an introductory chemistry laboratory course: An exploration of the process and implications

“…Students may fill various roles, from consultant to co-researcher to pedagogical co-designer (Bovill et al, 2016), and the nature of student involvement may vary as well (Bovill, 2017;Konings et al, 2017). In recent years, literature addressing students as partners in STEM courses has been particularly vibrant, with collaborations yielding benefits in curriculum design (Charkoudian et al, 2015;Rivers et al, 2017). Partnerships with students have led to improvements in equity and inclusivity in STEM (Bunnell et al, 2021;Chukwu & Jones, 2020;Cook-Sather et al, 2021;Latin, 2022;Narayanan & Abbot, 2020), addressing barriers to belonging and thriving in disciplines where White and Asian male students are overrepresented (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics [NCSES], 2019).…”