Peer support involves people helping each other through experience and guidance. It focuses on mutual support, providing emotional and physical assistance. It highlights the knowledge sharing in both professional and informal ways. While it most often arrives from trained supporters, it can also be informal, from friends and fellow learners. In this article, we will be discussing the benefits of peer support in learning.
The Importance of Peer Support in Free Online Learning
Online learning can be your comfort zone of education however, it can be challenging due to possible distractions and uncertain guidance. This situation creates the need for peer support in learning that can encourage a sense of community and belonging. It enhances learning, engagement, and academic performance through collaboration and a supportive environment, and removes any sense of isolation. Let us highlight nine benefits of peer support in online learning.
Engagement & Motivation
Online learning can often develop a sense of isolation and loss in students due to uncertain guidance in teaching or doubts. Peer support in learning allows students to communicate and discuss opinions and doubts. This will create a sense of community and shared purpose, motivating students and keeping them engaged. This will also take away the feeling of loneliness and accelerate learning through quick help via chat groups or study circles. Such engagement will prevent small doubts from turning into major confusion.
Improved Skills
Peer-to-peer support can enhance students’ skills by providing opportunities to practice communication, active listening, and constructive feedback. Discussing will also improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills by allowing them to analyze information and evaluate different perspectives while in engagement. Improvement of such skills is crucial for both academic and social development.
Diverse Perspectives
Peer supporters can come from varied backgrounds with individual experiences and engaging with such people will expand knowledge. It will enhance your ability to understand various concepts and help you explore different perspectives. It allows students to learn, adapt others’ learning styles and techniques, and ask for suggestions. Inspiring them to share learning materials and tools that can enhance their learning journey.
Teamwork & Collaboration
Peer support in learning naturally encourages teamwork through collaboration. Creating a supportive environment, students can easily study, share ideas, navigate challenges, and work together. This will help students grow by gaining a deeper understanding of the subject, and improve their social skills such as initiation. Students should remember that teamwork and collaboration will lead them to a successful future as they can establish meaningful and long-term professional networks.
Builds Confidence
Engaging with people who share the same purpose will build confidence in students, motivating them to overcome challenges and develop persistence in their learning journey. Students will find themselves speaking fearlessly when surrounded by a positive and non-judgmental environment. This will reduce stress and anxiety, providing validation and shaping them into a better person both academically and socially.
Constructive Feedback
Peer support in learning will permit students to share feedback that can help them correct themselves. It helps them discover opportunities to improve or change, developing a sense of accountability in achieving their goal. Feedback can also help students adopt positive attitudes towards learning and collaboration by encouraging them to self-assess and reflect on themselves.
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Ethical Learning Practices
One of the crucial elements of peer support in learning refers to ethical learning practices. Peers can encourage students by reminding them of the value of genuine learning over cheating or plagiarism. This will keep students disciplined and motivated towards hard work which can be necessary. Genuine learning will also develop transparency, helping students become better individuals.
Fewer Dropouts from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Favourable environments increase social interactions and informal accountability. This will keep students engaged, decreasing the chances of them dropping out. It will uniquely promote online learning, boosting its utilization.
Teaching
Students can offer others peer support in learning by explaining what they learnt. Teaching is the best way to strengthen your knowledge. This will lead to regular peer discussions that can help revise the topics and improve both the teacher’s and the learner’s academic growth. Tutoring someone will also create a significant relationship between the parties, establishing trust, validation, and the ability to rely on and develop self-progressive elements in oneself such as patience and kindness.
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Conclusion
Online learning can be both comfortable and challenging at the same time! Not having actual support will make it difficult for students to continue their learning journey. Hence, peer support in learning is essential! It motivates students to learn, engage, teach, communicate, share, and collaborate. Peer-to-peer support will build confidence and develop crucial human factors such as trust, patience, and adaptability. It promotes teamwork, allows you to understand and accept others’ perspectives, adjust to new learning styles and techniques, and grow into a successful individual. Mutual support leads to long-term networks and reduces elements like stress and anxiety. Students should note that peer support is also an essential tool for effective learning!
