Characteristics and comparison of peer-assisted learning interactions among university students in Harbin, China

Abstract Peer learning is gaining momentum as an educational model suitable for university students. This study investigates the characteristics of the participation in peer-assisted learning groups (PALG) for students in Harbin-China, and compares them to their medical counterparts. The mode of peer-assisted learning interactions considered cuts across face-to-face and the use of four mediums of communication. The comparison was also extended to factors such as quality, conflict, cohesion, peer-influence, and leadership that is known to affect the learning interactions within such groups. Sixty percent (60%) of the peer-assisted learning interactions among the students take place via social media. The frequency of these learning interactions among peers is found to have a positive correlation with all the factors except for conflict (−0.040 p