Peer-to-peer learning suggests a two-way, reciprocal learning activity. Peer learning should be mutually beneficial and involve the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience between the participants. It can be described as a way of moving beyond independent to interdependent or mutual learning and includes many benefits:
- Studies have shown that the cognitive process of explaining solutions, and dealing with questions and misunderstandings will help to embed knowledge further into your memory and enhance your own understanding of the subject. This process can result in ‘deep learning’, which is retained by your long-term memory, rather than “surface learning”, where information can dissipate from your memory.
- The learners develop skills in organizing and planning learning activities, working collaboratively with others, giving and receiving feedback and evaluating their own learning.
- If you get the opportunity to extend your peer interaction into the area of assessment, you can learn a lot; when providing feedback on the work of others, it allows you to generate ideas and see from a different perspective how you could improve your own work.
We see Peer-to-peer learning as an important intervention to support entrepreneurship education because it allows the transfer of knowledge from direct experience and learning of one entrepreneurship education to another. Further, it allows entrepreneurship educators to learn of shared challenges and learning needs whilst gaining confidence and an insight into their own problems as well as developing self-learning skills.
This guide is meant as a means to introduce and explain what is peer-to-peer learning and the importance of this in entrepreneurship education. The guide includes a compilation of entrepreneurship educators, active in different educational fields ranging from primary education to adult education and from formal education to non-formal education, who have carried out entrepreneurship education successfully and want to share their experience with peers.
Virtual Exchange Guidance: Entrepreneurs and Educators
Authentic learning experiences are needed to educate future employees and entrepreneurs, and these can be built around actual business and community practices. Hence the exchange of ideas and information between educators and experts offers clear benefits to all.
The Virtual Exchange Programme is designed to support all parties involved with these types of exchanges, and helps to facilitate ‘match pairing’ that maximises impact.
This guidance and support document was created as part of the Erasmus + “Eco System App” project, and is presented in two easy to follow parts:
- “Guidance 1: How to set-up an exchange programme“ designed for those responsible for set-up and
- “Guidance 2: Making the most of the exchange” written as an accessible guide for all participants (educators and entrepreneurs).
To further support the match making process and to facilitate clear agreements, an Application form has been designed and included in the document.
