Relevance: GS-2: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education and Human Resources.

Key Phrases: Pair Learning, group and personal, Student pairs, learning outcomes, broadened perspective, problem-solving skills, value of education, skills and expertise.

Why in News?

• The Pair Learning methodology has multiple benefits for students both in the classroom and outside it.

Background:

• For the longest time, classes in India have been categorised into two polar ends: group and personal. The effectiveness of both was evaluated by the number of students vying for a tutor’s attention, with solitary classes gaining precedence. What we neglected to consider, however, was the dynamics between interacting students, and its impact on learning. Thankfully, we are starting to catch up.
• The phrase “pair learning” may be a recent coinage but the philosophy has been around in the world of programming. The core, rather simple, idea behind the software development technique of “pair programming” is the enhanced achievement of outcomes when two programmers work as a pair, instead of independently.
• Pair Learning programming boosts results by leaving room for fewer errors and increasing optimised thinking, thanks to the partner’s review, probing, and questioning. It also magnifies knowledge sharing and the flow of information between the partners. Consequently, the problem is solved more efficiently and both partners learn more than they would have when working on it by themselves.
• Incorporating the think-pair-share strategy into the classroom has many beneficial effects. Students work on their thinking, interacting, and learning capabilities throughout the process. Students individually THINK for a few moments about the teacher's prompt/question/observation to engage them. Students form a PAIR with another student to compare their responses to the prompt. They come to a consensus about a collective response to the prompt. Student pairs SHARE their thinking with the rest of the class as the teacher randomly calls on them or asks for volunteers to share. Think-Pair-Share encourages student participation from all students and promotes individual and peer accountability. Because the strategy holds students accountable for having something to share with their classmates/teachers, it helps keep students on task. It reduces the pressure reluctant students might have about responding in front of the whole class.

Benefits

• It’s not hard to see why an increasing number of educators have started to adopt this technique to boost learning outcomes for students. In the context of education, paired learning means working together to answer questions, complete projects, or solve problems. Student interactions have often been viewed as an extraneous and even undesirable variable in lecture-based classrooms. But as educators around the world increasingly examined the impact of these interactions on learning outcomes the benefits of working in pairs or small groups became clearer.
• First is the broadened perspective. When two students discuss a theory or a concept, they not only learn to defend their own arguments logically but are also exposed to opposing views. They are able to develop a more holistic understanding of a subject matter, with facts from both sides of the argument in their learning repository. Not only does it build knowledge but also helps develop essential non-academic skills such as empathy.
• A second benefit is sharper focus. Some may scoff but, contrary to popular belief, two students working together can lead to improved focus. By maximising the need for participation, and introducing an element of competitiveness, pair learning makes each student more alert to the learning process.
• The third benefit is enhancement of problem-solving skills. To be truly effective, learning needs to translate into a better ability to think critically and solve real-time problems. All of which is boosted by pair learning. By assessing different angles of the same problem, brainstorming ideas with a partner, finding flaws in potential solutions, and arguing about the potency of those he/she endorses, a student is progressively becoming a more effective problem-solver.

Way Forward:

• The value of education cannot be underestimated. Many people like to think of it merely as a process to gain the skills and expertise necessary for the job market. Even though education gives an individual a competitive advantage in the job market, which is not all that it does.
• Pair learning can plays a major role in the mental as well as social development of a person. One can learn problem-solving skills and develop the social intelligence necessary to overcome everyday life challenges.
• Finally comes the undeniable scope for personality development. Students don’t just need to memorise subject theories to be successful. They also need to know how to deal with others, practise assertiveness, and confidently express their opinions. Again, the pair learning methodology allows students to express themselves along with greater learning outcomes.
• Collaborative learning has the potential to be a game-changer in the education sector. If the methodology picks up steam as a classroom strategy and as an area of further research, the benefits will only multiply both for students and educators.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question:

Q. “Pair learning can plays a major role in the mental as well as social development of a person”. Comment (250 works).