UNIT 6: Think-Pair-Share and Peer Marking
Group Work and Collaborative Learning
What is Think-Pair-Share?
The Think-Pair-Share strategy has three steps. First, the teacher will pose a question or present the learners with a scenario and they will think individually and in silence about the question or scenario for a specific period of time. Then, the teacher will instruct the learners to pair up with a partner to discuss and compare their ideas. Finally, they are given the chance to share their ideas with the entire class in a large class discussion.
Think-Pair-Share encourages all learners to attempt an initial response to the question/scenario on their own. It is far more effective than asking learners to raise their hands and only hearing responses from one or two individuals. If learners need help to form their responses, they can first ask their partner. This also increases learner confidence in answering in front of a large group as they can first think, try their ideas with a partner and then share in the large group. This is especially useful for learners who lack confidence or who have special educational needs.
What is Peer Marking?
Another strategy for collaborative learning is peer marking. This is where one learner marks another learner’s work, with guidance from the teacher. For example, the answers will be written on the board or on an answer sheet which will be provided by the teacher. If a learner gets an answer wrong, the learner who is marking their work can help explain why the answer is incorrect and try to teach their friend a way of finding the correct answer.