The international education sector in Ireland is currently worth approximately €1.58bn per annum, and it is projected to grow to €2.1bn per annum by 2020 (Department of Education and Skills, 2016). The academic challenges faced by international students are linked to language skills, academic background, and cultural aspects (Sadykova, 2014). Peer learning is mutually beneficial for provider and recipient, with benefits including higher academic achievement and greater productivity; increased communication skills and a greater sense of belonging; and the development of support systems (Colvin & Ashman, 2010). Domestic peers help international students to compensate for the lack of culture-specific knowledge and skills (Sadykova, 2014). A roadmap was produced for leveraging of peer learning in the multicultural classroom, starting by raising awareness of the academic challenges faced by international students, then easing students into active learning formats via instructor-defined groups and tasks, that increase gradually in size and complexity
