Abstract
SUMMARY A number of higher education and training institutions promote teaching methods that enable 'active' learning by offering trainees the opportunity to formulate questions, discuss problems, explain their points of view and use a “collaborative” approach based on teamwork for problem and project management. Peer Learning is a form of collaborative instruction that enhances the student/student interaction and leads to definitely positive learning results. This work deals with a spontaneous Peer Learning process occurring within the context of an eLearning follow-up course on “Invasive Fruit Tree Pest Surveillance in The Mediterranean Region”. This course lasting 10 weeks was addressed to 40 former trainees of the MAIB institutional Master of Science program in “Integrated Pest Management of Mediterranean Crops”, members of the Alumni Network of the Institute. In fact, within the Discussion Fora significant students contributions were posted introducing additional information and knowledge to the course contents (131 out of 907). Furthermore, the occurrence of complete cycles of different types of post “Episodes” called “dialogic cycle” in different modules of the course has shown the actual occurrence of Peer Learning. This confirms the actual trend to changes in the production/development and in the consumption/use of information and knowledge, so that the role of the student is enhanced through a new form of collaboration between peers, in which the student is a “producer of knowledge”.
Highlights
The “collaborative-constructivist” method applied in the specific context of Alumni, adult participants, created favorable conditions for creating a community of practice on subjects of common interest
MATERIAL AND METHODS The present review paper is based on author‟s literature review of the conceptual frame of Peer learning (PL), Cooperative Learning, Communities of Practice (CoPs) and their practical implications under Ciheam-Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB) Follow-up distance learning program (DLP) and Alumni networking
The DLP has been included in an institutional (CIHEAM) action which main goal was to update the Alumni Network member‟s knowledge on “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources” through distance learning courses to follow up and facilitate access to an interactive community finalized to a continuous exchange among alumni, visiting lecturers, staff, researchers and consultants
Summary
The “collaborative-constructivist” method applied in the specific context of Alumni, adult participants, created favorable conditions for creating a community of practice on subjects of common interest. The criteria for selection of participants helped identify (or rather target) the profile of experienced professionals interested in the subjects proposed in the course. In a context of Alumni networking, follow-up studies are commonly used by academic and research institutions to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of their educational and academic programs. The results of such studies can be used to avoid mistakes and improve performance in the future (Erickson, 1947). Graham (2001) reported that If Agricultural industries are to survive; the agriculture curriculum must be dynamic and able to adjust to new situations and environment that help to improve on-the-job effectiveness of future graduates
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