When the need to develop skills arises within an organization, the most commonly adopted solution is to hire an expert as a consultant or trainer. However, it is possible to adopt an alternative approach to imparting knowledge: peer learning. “Peers” as in “people who share the same function”, in other words your colleagues, not “pairs” as in “who goes in pairs”. Note that some have already tried to learn in pairs of slaps, with moderately satisfactory results. And so, how do you define the Peer learning ? How does it work? What are the benefits?
Peer Learning: what are we talking about?
Peer learning is a teaching method that promotes teamwork and boosts training, close to Social learning. It actively involves learners in the learning process. Collaboration is fundamental in peer learning, the aim being to share the knowledge we have and to receive that of others, in a mutual teaching approach. Education takes place horizontally and interactions between learners are the basis for peer learning.
Peer learning therefore consists of a peer support session. Learning is thus carried out on the basis of collaboration and sharing. Learners strengthen their knowledge while contributing to the enrichment of that of their peers. Moreover, it is good to agree before the session on the type of knowledge you are going to share, otherwise, some people may learn things that they did not want to know. For example, the history of philately in the 18th century. Be wary of the passions of your colleagues.
Tutoring is the first of the two most used techniques (the second is not learning in pairs of slaps, follow a bit). With tutoring, the training of a novice student is taken care of by an advanced student on a theme. This method is beneficial for each of the participants: the most advanced increases their knowledge by doing extensive research on the subject, and the novice gains in skill. Explaining to others what you know allows you to better understand and remember it.
The second, The Jigsaw method encourages group work. It facilitates integration into a team. This time, a person is in charge of learning for a group on a given theme. This could be, for example, a colleague who is particularly familiar with all those Excel functions that few people manage to remember. Maybe it speaks to you as much as the history of philately in the 18th century, but we assure you that it is much more useful.
Finally, the sessions of Lunch n' Learn form a relatively simple approach to implement and fairly common. Periodically, employees organize a lunch and invite employees from a specific team. One person will give a presentation and lead a discussion on the topic provided, ideally by transferring knowledge or information.
However, peer learning encounters obstacles. Employees must switch from time to time to avoid creating unconscious detours, such as a feeling of inferiority with the guardians in respect of their tutors or vice versa. The support system must also be rigorous in order to allow Give corrective feedback in case of error. Your peers may be wrong...
What are the principles?
During a peer learning session, colleagues teach each other what they know. This can be done in groups or individually. Peer learning is flexible and can be formal or informals. Regardless of how you do it, the benefits of team learning are undeniable: you progress faster and more easily. We see it for example with the learning communities which can be a good complement to peer learning. Provided, of course, you don't have the wrong community (you never know, you're going through the wrong door and poof! The Association of Philatelist Historians.)
One of the most effective ways to use peer learning in business is to encourage the observation of peers, interactions with them and support in carrying out their tasks. This form of learning is very effective because it is relatively informal, while being low-stress and highly engaging. It's hard to pick up when someone shows you directly what they're doing without coming across as the king of the bad guys. Even when it gets tough. Hey, did you know that 72 million copies of the first stamp were sold?
It is also important to let employees direct their own learning and be autonomous. While maintaining a structure in place, peer learning is a great opportunity to give employees control over what they learn. This method makes it possible to get the most out of the training and helps to stay engaged.
Benefits of peer learning in business
The added value of peer learning is considerable. The trainer can immediately check the understanding of the students using their feedback. Peer learning also allows learners to maintain their attention, to strengthen their spirit of mutual aid and collaboration, to learn by themselves and to develop a certain independence. Peer learning strengthens socio-motivational relationships and improves communication skills.
What's more, peer learning is profitable. It limits costs by avoiding the need to hire external experts every time there is a need for new knowledge in the organization. Learning at work and obtaining information from employees to improve their skills is therefore a trend that is being confirmed: everyone likes to save money. For the stamp budget, for example.
In addition, internal learning empowers staff When employees share what they know, and are considered experts, they feel valued in the workplace and are all the more likely to give their best. Businesses can exploit internal staff goals to constantly improve.
Finally, sharing allows you to build relationships with others and to feel more empathy for them. This strengthens the trust and understanding of others, which creates synergy within the company. This learning thus makes it possible to establish solid relationships based on the collective sharing of knowledge.
So, well, theoretically, spending time with a colleague who was passionate about the history of philately in the 18th century to hear the subtleties explained strengthens your empathy. Be wary before trying, it can also be annoying. That or something else, huh, the role of shoes in the work of Marcel Proust, the regional belote championships since 1970... There is no shortage of topics, let's say, specific and original. `
Peer learning is a collaborative learning method centered on the learner. The latter is more motivated and cultivates greater confidence in his own abilities. This method offers numerous benefits, ranging from easier learning to saving money. It is easy to implement in businesses of any size. What more can I say... Yes, the history of philately in the 18th century does not exist, the first stamp having been issued on 8 May 1840 (on the other hand, 72 million copies were sold, bearing the image of Queen Victoria). Oh but these stamp lovers are terrible, you relax your attention for five minutes and they take the opportunity to teach you things!
