Introduction

One of the techniques available whereby the variety of abilities in a group can be enhanced and constantly been widened is through the process of paired learning. However, not only does this method gives recognition to the fact that one learner has the right to be better than the other, the poorer learner also benefits and develops quicker as the method requires the active involvement of each learner. Further, as more information becomes accessible to learners within institutions of higher learning and without the aid of these institutions, it is required of professional educators in higher education to work more indirectly as a manager of effective learning rather than focusing on the traditional roles of teaching and instruction. This is done in the realization that the overall quality of learning can be improved if learners have the opportunity to clarify, question, apply, and consolidate new knowledge.

The ability to discriminate between students, involve them in and let them contribute to the learning process, and allow them to source from both internal and external learning information, though necessary preconditions for learning success, does not necessarily guarantees success. A more important matter to consider in paired learning is how to make the stated concepts matter to all students and educators involved in the process and to utilize the process in an innovative manner in order to enrich the learning experience.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide a general functional definition of pared-learning and to propose an implementation process that could be followed by institutions of higher learning.

Definition

In general paired-learning refers to the design of a coherent, equal status inter-disciplinary learning setting in which a one-to-one learning setting is created to foster collaborative learning under the guidance of a facilitator, without necessarily employing extra resources, and whereby the facilitator as well as the learners can intellectually, socially and emotionally learn from experiences shared through a process of academic engagement in order to enhance learners understanding of a subject or discipline. A form of tutoring is created whereby interaction and engagement is promoted.

In essence, therefore, paired learning is embedded in a social constructed interdisciplinary, inter-learning unit learning environment whereby a learner engage someone else in knowledge production, creation, improvement and innovation to accomplish more that what he or she was able to accomplish on his or her own. Following this learning approach, the learning structure approach of individual A is blend with the learning structure approach of individual B.

The process

In this section the process of establishing a paired learning environment will be briefly discussed.

1. Create a one-to-one learning setting

In its most ideal form two students should form a study team and should enroll for two or more similar courses at the university. This ensures that the learners are studying the same material. Through the creation of a one-to-one learning setting each student gets an opportunity to actively engage in the construction of knowledge in ways that require of them to learn together as a group. In this regard it is important to get learners to move away from