Peer Tutoring in Crystallography

SUMMARY In the Materials Department of Imperial College we have introduced a peer tutoring scheme for the first-year subject of crystallography. It is a subject which students find difficult since it involves new concepts, in particular the use of three-dimensional lattices and structures. Formally, the subject is taught through lectures, class work and general tutorial sessions. We have trained peer tutors over 2 days, to understand the need to draw out students so that they work through and think out for themselves some of the more confusing aspects of the subject. Within a very short period of time, the tutors had developed so that, rather than seeing their role as a surrogate teacher, they understood their role to be that of a facilitator. The fact that the peer tutors could use real scientific concepts in their role plays helped to provide a focus. It also ensured that the tutors realized that they really could use group process and discussion to solve even technical problems. The scheme, with its possible pitfalls and solutions, is discussed in the context of materials science. It is found that peer tutoring, which is often used in more discursive subjects, provides an excellent way to effect a more questioning approach to a very technical subject.