Download - Youth Economic Opportunities

Shai Reshef
tries that are considered to be political enemies. Picture what happens when students
from Israel and Palestine study together, or students from India and
Pakistan, or students from Greece and Turkey. They get to know each other, and
learn to understand and respect each other. Instead of being enemies outside the
class they become friends. UoPeople believes that is our contribution to world
peace.
UoPeople’s classes use peer-to-peer learning with instructor oversight. After
students are accepted they are either referred to UoPeople’s Accelerated English
Program if their English proficiency is not strong enough, or they start taking
courses towards their degree. Each course lasts nine weeks; academic weeks start
on Thursday and end on Wednesday. In the online classroom, they first find the
profiles of their classmates. This format feels similar to Facebook: each student can
decide how to set up their profile and how much information to share. The first
step, then, is for students to get to know their classmates in the Course Forum.
They then find the study guide for the week, the reading assignments, the homework
assignments, and the discussion questions.
The discussion questions are critical as they allow students to interact intimately
with each other. This is where the peer-to-peer learning and exchange take
place. The instructor begins the week by posing a question to the class. After they
read everything, the students discuss the material, engaging in global conversations
on the subject at hand. For example, a student in China reads the week’s lesson
material, considers the discussion question, and posts a response. Then a student
from Indonesia does the same, commenting on what the Chinese student
said. Four hours later, a student from Saudi Arabia, having done the reading, comments
on what one of the first two said. At this point, the Chinese student will likely
go back into the online classroom to see how others have responded to his comment.
The discussions evolve like this all week long: each student, every week, contributes
to the class discussion and comments on other students’ points. Every discussion
forum, of course, is moderated by the instructor, who corrects and
responds to questions as necessary. This forum also allows the instructor to identify
any gaps in students’ understanding of the materials and required learning for
the week.
Additionally, the students peer-review each other following the instructor’s
rubric. For example, after each student posts a response, it is peer graded by three
other students. Again, of course, the instructor monitors the process and can override
the grade if necessary. Students take the responsibility of peer assessing seriously,
and are very careful about how they review their classmates as they do not
want to be reviewed unfairly. This peer-to-peer learning, combined with individual,
and instructor-assisted learning, creates a unique and exhilarating experience.
By the end of the week, students take a quiz to ensure that they have mastered
the materials and send in their homework by email; it is then graded by their peers,
under the supervision of the instructor. They keep going this way, between assignments
and discussion boards and quizzes, to the end of the course. Then they take
a final exam, which is often proctored, and receive a grade.
120 innovations / Youth and Economic Opportunities