Cyber Peer Led Team Learning (cPLTL) Supports Marginalized Groups, Including Women, in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) is an active learning model that is particularly effective for improving the academic achievement and retention of students who have been marginalized in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), such as women, and members of underrepresented minority groups. Cyber Peer Led Team Learning (cPLTL) is a recently developed variation of PLTL that has been transitioned from a face-to-face environment to a synchronous online setting. Studies have found that PLTL and cPLTL students earned comparable educational outcomes in terms of standardized final exam scores and final course grades. Given the benefits of PLTL for marginalized students and the similarities of cPLTL to PLTL, we were interested in understanding the impact that cPLTL had on marginalized groups, including women, in an introductory biology course at a large, research-intensive institution. We found evidence that participating in cPLTL improves the retention of marginalized groups in STEM, and that student perceptions of cPLTL are generally high, especially for women. Participating in cPLTL may have several additional benefits, such as increased motivation, feelings of belonging, comfort in asking questions, and understanding of course content.