NSF Grant Supports New Study of Peer-Led, Team-Learning Groups

Keith Sawyer (Education) and Gina Frey (The Teaching Center and Chemistry) have received a two-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $150,000 to study the discourse, or conversational and group dynamics, that occur within Peer-Led, Team-Learning (PLTL) groups in Chemistry. The goal of the project is to study what makes PLTL such an effective learning environment in undergraduate science education.

The PLTL model has proven to be highly successful at Washington University and other institutions of higher education. For example, previous evaluations have indicated that the Washington University PLTL program is effective at improving students’ academic performance by, on average, one-half of a letter grade. However, little attention has been paid to conversational and group dynamics within the PLTL sessions, and how different dynamics might differentially affect student performance. A better understanding of exactly what takes place in successfull PLTL groups will contribute to improvements in peer training and in the design of PLTL sessions. To learn more about this study, click here.