Development of an Enhanced Evaluation Model to Assess the Effectiveness of Peer Learning Compared to Traditional Learning: An Improvement of the TPL Model

Abstract

This study presents the Dynamic Peer Learning Evaluation (DPLE) model, a structured enhancement of the Traditional versus Peer Learning (TPL) evaluation model. The TPL model classifies students into four static compartments which are Skilled from Traditional Learning, Unskilled from Traditional Learning, Skilled from Peer Learning, and Unskilled from Peer Learning. It evaluates learning effectiveness through a linear, curriculum-bounded framework governed by constant transition rates. While conceptually sound, the TPL model does not capture interaction dynamics between student groups, does not incorporate a unified mastery outcome state, and employs parameters whose pedagogical interpretation is insufficiently specified. The DPLE model addresses these limitations through four structural advances: (i) interaction-driven, nonlinear transition rates that model how existing traditional and peer learners recruit unengaged students, mirroring the contact dynamics of the SIR epidemiological framework; (ii) a unified Mastery compartment that consolidates achievement outcomes from both learning pathways; (iii) pedagogically grounded parameter definitions that align directly with observable classroom processes; and (iv) a revised six-step application procedure grounded in longitudinal data collection, finite-difference derivative estimation, and least-squares parameter optimization. Together, these instruments provide a mathematically tractable and practically actionable model for evaluating and optimizing learning strategies in diverse educational settings