Learning Without a Teacher: Perceptions of Peer-to-Peer Learning Activities in Simulation Training

Abstract

This chapter reports from an experimental study carried out at University College Copenhagen. In the experiment, fifth-semester nursing students were subjected to an intensified simulation intervention, combined with supporting elements designed to increase collaborative and peer learning. One supporting element was a series of peer-to-peer sessions in which students in small groups trained technical nursing skills for mastery learning, e.g., duodenal tube placement. We describe the study and analyze how the students perceive strengths and weaknesses of the peer-to-peer format and how these perceptions seem to be linked to the students’ perceptions of learning and authority. We discuss how the method may be a positive addition to simulation training in nursing education and particularly how the role of the teacher should be conceived.

Can Facilitators’ Need for Control Influence Students’ Learning Experience through Simulation? - A Qualitative Study on Simulation in Nursing Education

“…Degn et al (2022) argues that the process in simulation is more important than the outcome. How the facilitator communicates expectations to the actors seems to influence the students' experience of stress (Persico et al, 2021).…”

“…According to Dieckman et al ( 2012), success in simulation-based learning depends on both organization, familiarity with the equipment used, and effective interaction among participants. Degn et al (2022) argues that the process in simulation is more important than the outcome. How the facilitator communicates expectations to the actors seems to influence the students' experience of stress (Persico et al, 2021).…”

“…They had no one to ask and had to learn together and from each other. According to Degn et al (2022), peer-to-peer simulation without a facilitator can lead to better learning outcomes and increased levels of independence and confidence for students.…”