Abstract:

Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) is a pedagogy that encourages students taking STEM classes to be more active in their own learning, thus improving their problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams, and success in introductory science courses. Peer leaders who facilitate the PLTL workshops also a gain deeper understanding of content in addition to acquiring skills that they take with them to their future jobs.  This talk will present a brief overview of the PLTL research before describing the development and evaluation of cPLTL, the online adaptation of PLTL. The presentation will conclude with the description of the mixed methods study that examined the transfer of PLTL to an online workshop environment in a general chemistry course at a research university in the Midwest. The null hypothesis guiding the study was that no substantive differences would emerge between the two workshop settings. The final exam scores and discourse analysis support the null hypothesis and use of both face-to-face and synchronous online peer-led workshops in early science courses. More information about PLTL and cPLTL can be found at http: cpltl.iupui.edu/.

View the recording of this seminar here.