Situated Learning in the design of virtual learning environments: An experience of peer learning in a community of practice

Abstract

This article analyzes the potential of peer-to-peer situated learning in the context of a formative experience with 155 university students. On the one hand, we have a group of 4th year students of the Degree in Pedagogy who design and implement six MOOC courses. On the other hand, we have a group of 1st year students who enroll in one of those MOOCs and their tasks of the evaluation of the pedagogical design of the MOOC they chose. The aim of this experience is getting to know what benefits are obtained by the students who teach and by those who receive training about their professional field. For that purpose, data collection is done through participants observation, documentary analysis and questionnaires. The results suggest that, through this modality of peer-to-peer learning, students develop more in-depth learning which revealing indicators of the development of professional competencies of great interest, among them can be highlighted those related to reflective thinking and digital skills and performance.