P2PU courses experiment with a variety of methods in learning, depending on the preference and style of the tutor and the topic that is being learned. Different subjects lend themselves to different study styles, and in some fields more high-quality open materials (e.g. video lectures or interactive exercises) are available than in others.

Different from a large college classroom, where information is given uni-directionally, the P2PU learning experience is based on interaction between peers in small communities. The tutor's job is not to teach, but more that of a party host, who keeps everything moving along, pulls people into the conversation, and makes sure all voices are heard. Student groups are kept small to create a stronger sense of community, which provides additional support mechanisms, and motivates students to keep going.

In practice, this means that the syllabus will each week consist of links to a number of readings or resources that are freely available online, as well as some guiding questions for discussions. After studying the material, the students will write answers to the reflection questions, and comment and engage with each others answers. Different subjects might lend themselves to different approaches, and different tutors might experiment with different communication methods such as IM or voice chat. Regardless of the communication medium, much of the collaboration is captured for posterity to enter into student's personal portfolio and accessible for future students who'd like to review what previous cohorts discussed.

While courses are run in small groups, they do not exist as closed insular bubbles, but interact with the rest of the online world. All learning materials are completely open for others to see, but students who want to be an active part of a course have to join it. This will ensure a small but committed learning group of students that actively engage with the material, and each other. In addition, the learning trajectory includes active contribution to other knowledge projects, for example writing Wikipedia articles, making short films or using flickr photos for presentation. In such a participatory model, the quality of learning to a large degree, depends on quality and commitment of the students, which is why we are serious about creating and sustaining commitment among learners (see above).

Learning practices also involve not just engaging with, but refining the course materials themselves. During each iteration in which a course is taught, the course materials will be commented on and refined by the students, and the course evolves to become a richer resource available to all.

Finally, the governance model of the entire P2PU is participatory and does not differentiate between students, tutors or sense-makers. Similar to Linux or Wikipedia, community members who are willing to commit time and energy, can influence the direction that the P2PU will take.

(picture from stefg@flickr)