Creating a Peer Learning Platform (10 Oct 2014)

The GRLI Innovation Cohort describes the development and prototyping of virtual peer learning groups as an innovative online platform for management educators, leadership developers, and organizational leaders. Created in 2014, this resource outlines how web-based collaborative learning can connect like-minded individuals across institutional and business boundaries to address contemporary management challenges that traditional education often overlooks.

The document explains the peer learning philosophy—grounded in mutual relationships, authentic dialogue, and integrated knowledge-application—and details the practical mechanics of implementing such groups using freely available tools like Google Hangouts. Drawing from nine months of experimentation with a cross-institutional cohort, the authors share insights on optimal group size (four to five participants), essential rules of engagement, and platform functionality for matching participants with shared interests.

Particularly relevant to responsible leadership development, this work demonstrates how peer-based learning can help participants explore business decisions that serve societal needs, share good practices, and build awareness across cultural and geographic contexts. The document invites GRLI network members, business schools, and organizations to further develop and implement this model, positioning peer learning groups as a viable tool for transforming how leaders learn and collaborate in service of responsible organizational practice.