Learning Activities
19 Collaborative Learning
Alexandra Bitton-Bailey
What is Collaborative Learning? | Teamwork | Activities That Focus on Students as Learners | Activities That Introduce Course Content | Orient Students to Collaborative Learning | Forming Groups | References
What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborative learning can occur in peer to peer settings or in larger groups. It helps students correct misunderstandings and clarifies misunderstandings through their joint efforts. Collaborative learning has many benefits which include:
- Developing higher-level thinking, communication skills, and leadership skills
- Promoting interaction
- Actively engaging students in the learning process
- Promoting participation and learning
- Increasing exposure to diverse perspectives
- Providing group members with a shared undertaking
- Increasing student retention, self-esteem, accountability, and success (Barkley, Cross, & Major, 2014)
However, collaborative learning presents some challenges. The greatest of which is that students often do not like group or collaborative work based on their previous experiences. If collaborative learning experiences are not planned and designed carefully, then students feel like the bulk of the work is done by a few (including themselves). Students don’t always see the value in the group work and consider it busy work with vague and confusing expectations. A few considerations to keep in mind to create valuable collaborative learning experiences that students enjoy and benefit from:
Intentional Empowerment
Careful planning should be part of developing a collaborative learning environment. In doing so there should be an intentional effort in making sure that all students and perspectives are respected. Students should be comfortable sharing, knowing that there is “a no-tolerance policy for bullying, establishing clear classroom expectations, and celebrating introverts’ strengths through verbal encouragement and consistent feedback will encourage even the most soft-spoken students to collaborate” (Burns, 2016).
Complex Learning Activities
The real reason to collaborate is that the task is complex—it is too difficult and has too many pieces to complete alone. Complex activities are challenging, engaging, stimulating, and multilayered. Complex activities require “positive interdependence” (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec, 2008).
Teamwork
Make working in teams or groups a course learning objective showing the students the value of learning this skill. Sometimes students are unsure how collaboration contributes to learning. Explain to students the benefits of collaboration and what successful collaboration looks like. Plan to orient your students to their teammates, the assignment, and dedicate time to practice working in teams. It begins with identifying the learning tasks and prompts and then selecting and structuring a collaborative learning technique that fits the needs of the students.
Introduce and orient students to t