Peer-Led Team Learning in General Chemistry

Abstract

Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) is a collaborative learning technique that has been used on many college campuses, particularly in large lecture classes in departments of chemistry. Several studies have shown that PLTL results in improved learning (Gafney and Varma-Nelson, Peer-Led team learning: Evaluation, dissemination, and institutionalization of a college level initiative. Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Springer, 2008; Hockings et al., J Chem Educ 85(7):990–996 2008; Tien et al., J Res Sci Teach 39(7):606–632, 2002). However, researchers have not investigated the discourses practices used by peer leaders and students, and among students themselves, that give rise to this enhanced understanding of chemistry content. To better understand the interactional mechanisms that make PLTL effective, three PLTL sessions for each of 15 veteran peer leaders were videotaped over the course of one semester. The dataset presented here contains transcripts of two PLTL groups as they solved the same problem.