2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

In this work, pair-to-pair peer learning (PPPL) as the simplest form of group-to-group peer learning (GGPL) is defined. GGPL is defined as a learning method where two or more peer groups interact to increase the knowledge of all members; while PPPL is defined as GGPL with group sizes of only two members each. A simple PPPL experiment was conducted and analyzed indicating an increase in knowledge gain when compared to peer learning (PL) alone. The experiment was conducted as a part of an experiential learning portion of an undergraduate engineering lab in a required computer-integrated manufacturing course for two engineering programs, mechatronics and industrial engineering. In the lab, students designed and implemented digital logic-based controls for a typical manufacturing operation. The students participating in the lab experiments were seniors majoring in mechatronics and/or industrial engineering. The mechatronics students had previous experiences with building digital circuits while their fellow students from industrial engineering did not. First, the students were divided into pairs where each industrial engineering student was paired with a mechatronics student. As the students were creating and implementing their designs, industrial engineering students learned from their mechatronics counterparts, thus engaging in PL. In addition, the student pairs that were able to finish the lab quickly were required to help the students that had problems implementing their designs thus engaging in PPPL. All student pairs had to write lab reports providing the working designs, the problems they encountered, and the solutions they devised. In addition, each student had to include two self-reflection paragraphs (part of closing the experiential learning feedback loop) about what they learned and what they liked. A students’ questionnaire, test grades, lab reports, and lab designs were used as evaluation and assessment instruments. Student lab reports (qualitatively) and questionnaires (quantitatively) indicated that students learned much from their peers – from both the lab partners (PL) and other pairs (PPPL). In addition, the “teaching” pairs who were helping others also learned from troubleshooting other students’ circuits and by facing the misconceptions of other students. Finally, the PPPL participating students performed better on the tests dealing with digital logic circuit designs than the students that engaged in PL only.