Using Peer Instruction to Teach Philosophy, Logic and Critical Thinking

Aug 30, 2026

Peer Instruction (PI) is presented as a simple, low-cost teaching technique that increases interactivity and active engagement in lectures. The paper reviews the limited instructional value of traditional lecture formats, emphasizing how passive listening and high student-to-instructor ratios reduce feedback and participation. It then explains how PI uses brief topic instruction followed by multiple-choice questions, peer discussion, and re-voting to diagnose misunderstandings and improve learning outcomes, with later sections focusing on philosophy, critical thinking, and logic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages58

Reading Time2 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

1. Introduction

2. Background: Lectures are (mostly) rubbish

3. Improving lectures with Peer Instruction

Multiple-choice quizzes and voting

Using Peer Instruction to teach Philosophy, Logic and Critical Thinking Sam Butchart, Toby Handfield Monash University Greg Restall University of Melbourne 1. Introduction Peer Instruction (or PI for short) is a simple and effective technique you can use to make lectures more interactive, more engaging, and more effective learning experiences. PI was developed by a physicist, Eric Mazur, who was teaching an introductory physics unit to freshmen at Harvard, the vast majority of whom were not going to go on to complete a major in physics (Mazur 1997) . The method has gone on to become reasonably well known, and reasonably widely used, in science and mathematics where it has been very successful. The technique appears to be very little known in the humanities however.1 In what follows, we hope to convince you that PI has enormous potential to improve teaching and learning in philosophy and many other humanities subjects too. We proceed as follows: In the first several sections of the paper, we review material which will be largely familiar to those who already know about PI. In Section 2 we discuss the motivation to adopt a method like PI. In Sections 3 and 4 we describe the method in some detail. In Section 5 we report what is generally known about the benefits of PI and similar techniques. In Section 6 we discuss some of the practicalities of implementing the technique. Then, in the second part of the paper, from Section 7 onwards, we focus on how PI can be applied to the teaching of philosophy, critical thinking, and logic, and on the results of our Published in Teaching Philosophy, 32:1 (2009) 1-40 1 evaluation of the success of PI in these contexts. For those already familiar with the method, therefore, we advise you to skip straight to Section 7. 2. Background: Lectures are (mostly) rubbish Teaching lectures is, by and large, a frustrating experience. Although we all try to craft our lectures to be gems of clarity, wit, and wisdom, it is a common experience to find that the audience, apart from one or two very bright or confident students, are extremely unresponsive and evidently much less inspired than they ought to be. What is missing? Most crucially, it is interaction and other forms of active engagement with the material. Indeed, there is an emerging consensus in higher education research that the traditional lecture is of very little value as a method of teaching. (Brandford et. al. 1999, Bligh 1998, Redish 1994, Wulff [et. al](et. al. 1987)[. 1987](et. al. 1987)). It has been found that students learn best when active learning takes place; that is, when students are required to actively engage with the material and apply the concepts being taught ( [Smith](Smith et. al. 2005)[ et. al](Smith et. al. 2005)[. 2005](Smith et. al. 2005), Maloney et. al. 2001, Hake 1998, Thornton and Sokolof 1998, Johnson, Johnson and Smith 1991) . Unfortunately, the traditional lecture format leaves little room for active learning. Typically, the lecturer presents the material as a monologue, while students listen passively, perhaps making notes. Only the most exceptional lecturers can hold students’ attention in this way for the full lecture period. Of course, good lecturers stop and ask questions at various points, but what usually happens? A handful of students with much more self-confidence than average raise their hands and get the very mixed blessing of a very public, high risk dialogue. One student out of a hundred or more gets a brief moment of personal attention, but the stakes are high. Students are easily humiliated if a lecturer wishes to disagree with the student, and the other students may become irritated by the apparent interruption of the ‘important stuff’– the content of the lecture. Published in Teaching Philosophy, 32:1 (2009) 1-40 2 Even fewer students are willing to ask questions themselves, even when invited to do so andreassured that they will not be made to feel foolish by asking a

FAQs

What is Peer Instruction and why is it used?

Peer Instruction (PI) is a teaching technique designed to make lectures more interactive and to promote active learning. It uses structured questioning and peer discussion to improve understanding and engagement.

Why does the paper criticize traditional lecture formats?

Traditional lectures often leave little room for active engagement, produce limited feedback due to high student-to-instructor ratios, and rely mainly on passive listening. As a result, misunderstandings can persist without being detected.

How does the Peer Instruction process work during a lecture?

After lecturing for about 10–15 minutes, the instructor asks a multiple-choice question and collects votes. If answers are mixed, students discuss with neighbors and vote again, allowing the instructor to address misunderstandings.

Aug 30, 2026

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