Becoming A More Critical, Autonomous, Reflective Learner

PRILHE Project - Lecturer’s Toolkit
3.8 Peer Support and Review
Critical reflection and self-reflection are abilities that lecturers and tutors can help develop. However the development of these
abilities also depends very much of students themselves. This can be developed in university-organised groupwork (see 3.3) and in
more informally-organised peer support groups.
Informal Peer Support.
The interaction that is generated among a group of equals and the moral support created are two elements that contribute to more
critical reflection and self-reflection.
I met my best friend in my first semester at the university. It has worked out very well in the first semester. And the
funny thing about it is that her biography is nearly like mine, which means we had a common level from where we
started. She had also problems with learning. And I have had the same personal subgroup with me since the beginning
of my study. Of course some new people came to our group too and some left the group. But it was a circle of three,
four, five persons, all with same subjects and related experiences. And we helped and encouraged each other. I would
have been over-extended in my basic studies. Although we go different ways – we pull each other along. And if you
have a bad phase, a crisis, someone will be there to help you out. And we can encourage each other. Someone knows
something, another one gives a good hint, and this has helped me a lot.
(Student, Germany)
Solidarity between non traditional adult students is often an important incentive to keep going.
……..because for the exams we have met together a lot to study …. and I like it because when people want to get
together to study, and you explain something you understand to another person, you have to organise your own
thoughts and... when you have to explain to someone, so that they can understand it, you have to be able to understand
it first, and that is very positive, very, very
(Student, Spain).
It can also help to combat feelings of social exclusion:
When I went to university I had a bit of a complex because there were so many young people, luckily I also found
people of my own age. Also it seemed as if the professors thought we didn’t fit in very well. In the beginning it turned
out that there was a group of more or less 8 people who were over the age of forty, and I think that in itself was a bit
of an innovation for the professors too. We ended up forming quite a nice group, which included young people, and it
was good. After a few months, I then started to feel good.
(Student, Spain)
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