The History Of Peer Tutoring :: Essays Papers

The History Of Peer Tutoring From the writer: I wrote this paper for Bobbi Kirby-Werner's Peer Consulting Practicum. The history and psychology of peer tutoring interested me because all the way through the class, I had wondered "Where did this method of learning/instruction emerge from?" The answer was of course, England. I also liked the idea that you didn't have to be a "professional" to be a peer consultant: that, in fact, the point was that you WEREN'T a professional, and because of this, it was in some instances much easier for students to relate to peer consultants. Which in turn helped them with writing. From the teacher: Brendan's text fulfilled part of the WRT 331 requirement to prepare a paper as well as a 15-minute presentation about some aspect of his experience as a peer writing consultant. In his proposal for this project, Brendan noted that his status as a peer in many cases enabled him to relate better to his clients and to have more productive sessions than he might have otherwise. This experience prompted his investigation of the history of peer consulting. The insights Brendan shared in his paper and presentation were valuable additions to the class. From the editors: The author takes you on a historical road trip into the evolution of peer tutoring. What its roots are and how far the peer tutoring system has developed in the past three hundred years are explained while the writer gives insight into a little known facet of the S.U. Writing Program: the peer consultants. History The textbook definition of peer tutoring is "a system of instruction in which learners help each other and learn (themselves) by teaching," (Goodlad and Hirst 13). Key to this definition is the word peer, meaning someone with the same or a nearly equal status as the person being tutored, who, as such, is not a professional instructor. Peer tutoring has played an important part in education and has probably existed in some incarnation since the beginning of civilization. But the first recorded use of an organized, systematic peer tutorial learning project in the Western World didn't come about until the late 1700's. Arising from school budget woes in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, peer tutoring became an effective way of giving underprivileged (at this time, sadly, only male) children a reasonable shot at an education. The first systematic approach to peer tutoring is credited to Andrew Bell, who was the superintendent of the Military Male Asylum at Egmore, in England (Goodlad et.