Bring it forward: a collaborative learning activity
Bring it forward: a collaborative learning activity
Dr Anastasia Logotheti
What is the idea?
‘Bring It Forward’ is an activity which promotes collaborative learning by combining debate and storytelling traits to engage students in the review of course material during synchronous, in-class instruction. During the activity students are required to respond to a prompt or a question in approximately one minute; the rest of the participants pay attention to each of the mini-presentations to discover omissions or controversies which they then ‘bring forward’ in their own mini-presentations. In more advanced courses the activity can also serve the flipped-class paradigm with students co-presenting new material rather than reviewing content.
Students may participate in ‘Bring It Forward’ as individuals or as team members depending on the size and level of the course. When the activity is run with the students in teams, gaming and competition possibilities emerge.
Why this idea?
It is well established in the literature that collaborative learning methods not only allow students to be more active in the classroom but also that peer-to-peer collaboration increases motivation and promotes long-term learning (Barkley et al., 2014; Olaussen et al., 2016; Svinicki & McKeachie, 2011). The activity ‘Bring It Forward’ was developed to substitute more traditional approaches to review material and to check for understanding. What students are ‘bringing forward’ through this activity is knowledge and understanding which is shared with their peers so as to teach each other in a more engaged and less teacher-guiding manner.
Review sessions, brief or extended, are a routine part of teaching content. Most instructors use a combination of well-tried methods (such as, Q & A, quizzes, mini-lectures) to ensure that learners can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of content. Established methods are less student-centred and may engage only some of the learners. Like any student-centred activity, ‘Bring It Forward’ will be most rewarding when collaborative learning has been presented as an instructional strategy so that learners are clear that competitive aspects of the activity aim at engagement, not antagonism. The activity will also be more effective when learners are explicitly informed that participation and contribution are not only encouraged but rewarded. As not all students in a class are eager to contribute or to speak out, this activity benefits from rehearsal and trial runs. Initially, it can be deployed quite informally so learners grow more confident; eventually, through practice and familiarity, there will be enough willing participants to try the activity.
How could others implement this idea?
I. Before the ‘Bring It Forward’ Activity (one or two class sessions prior):
- Students are informed about the purpose (to review or to introduce content) and the process of the activity so they can prepare relevant content for their participation.
- Students are enco