Network distance and centrality shape social learning in the classroom.

Social learning can help individuals to efficiently acquire knowledge and skills. In the classroom, social learning often takes place in structured settings in which peers help, support, and tutor each other. Several protocols have been developed to make peer-assisted learning (PAL) more efficient. However, little attention has been devoted to how the transfer of knowledge is shaped by the social relationship between peers, and their relative positions in the social network. To address this gap, we combined social network analysis with an experimental social learning task, in which pupils (