Collaborative Learning
From WikEd
[edit] Descriptions and Definitions
Collaboration is a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle. Consequently, "collaborative learning" is a philosophy an individual chooses to accomplish a task. It can refer to an instruction method in which students at various performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal. The students are responsible for one another's learning as well as their own. Thus, the success of one student helps other students to be successful. There are a number of models of collaborative learning and these raise issues and concerns for both the teacher and student as well as for course design and administration.
Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving the joint intellectual effort of students, or students and teacher---from small group projects to the more specific form of group work known as cooperative learning. (Nagata and Ronkowski, 1998) In these educational approaches, students actively explore or learn to apply the lesson content.
Cooperative Learning, is "working together to accomplish shared goals" (Johnson & Johnson, 1989, p. 2). Often you will find the terms collaborative learning and cooperative learning used interchangeably, although usually they tend to assume very distinct meanings. Whereas collaboration happens in both small and large groups leaving the assigned responsibility to the student, cooperation refers primarily to small groups of students working together in an environment highly structured by the teacher. Both terms share the common social element of learning and emphasize this social approach to the personal development of learning skills, work skills, and life skills.
[edit] Characteristics of a Collaborative Classroom
Collaborative classrooms seem to have four general characteristics. The first two capture changing relationships between teachers and students. The third characterizes teachers' new approaches to instruction. The fourth addresses the composition of a collaborative classroom.
1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students In traditional classrooms, the dominant metaphor for teaching is the teacher as information giver; knowledge flows only one way from teacher to student. In contrast, the metaphor for collaborative classrooms is shared knowledge. The teacher has vital knowledge about content, skills, and instruction, and still provides that information to students. However, collaborative teachers also value and build upon the knowledge, personal experiences, language, strategies, and culture that students bring to the learning situation.
2. Shared authority among teachers and students In collaborative classrooms, teachers share authority with students in very specific ways. In most traditional classrooms, the teacher is largely, if not exclusively, responsible for setting goals, designing learning tasks, and assessing what is learned.
Collaborative teachers differ in that they invite students to set specific goals within the framework of what is being taught, provide options for activities and assignments that capture different student interests and goals, and encourage students to assess what they learn. Collaborative teachers encourage students' use of their own knowledge, ensure that students share their knowledge and their learning strategies, treat each other respectfully, and focus on high levels of understanding. They help students listen to diverse opinions, support knowledge claims with evidence, engage in critical and creative thinking, and participate in open and meaningful dialogue.
3. Teachers as mediators As knowledge and authority are shared among teachers and students, the role of the teacher increasingly emphasizes mediated learning. Successful mediation helps students connect new information to their experiences and to learning in other areas, helps students figure out what to do when they are stumped, and helps them learn how to learn. Above all, the teacher as mediator adjusts the level of information and support so as to maximize the ability to take responsibility for learning.
4. Heterogeneous groupings of students The perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all students are important for enriching learning in the classroom. As learning beyond the classroom increasingly requires understanding diverse perspectives, it is essential to provide students opportunities to do this in multiple contexts in schools. In collaborative classrooms where students are engaged in a thinking curriculum, everyone learns from everyone else, and no student is deprived of this opportunity for making contributions and appreciating the contributions of others.
Thus, a critical characteristic of collaborative classrooms is that students are not segregated according to supposed ability, achievement, interests, or any other characteristic. Segregation seriously weakens collaboration and impoverishes the classroom by depriving all students of opportunities to learn from and with each other. Students we might label unsuccessful in a traditional classroom learn from "brighter" students, but, more importantly, the so-called brighter students have just as much to learn from their more average peers. Teachers beginning to teach collaboratively often express delight when they observe the insights revealed by their supposedly weaker students.
Thus, shared knowledge and authority, mediated learning, and heterogeneous groups of students are essential characteristics of collaborative classrooms. These characteristics, which are elaborated below, necessitate new roles for teachers and students that lead to interactions different from those in more traditional classrooms.
[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings
Implications for Instruction: Collaborative learning fosters the development of critical thinking through discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas, encouraging the practice of higher level cognitive thinking skills. (Totten, Sills, Digby, & Russ, 1991) However, both collaborative learning and individual instruction methods have been found to be equally effective in gaining factual knowledge. Therefore, if the purpose of instruction is to enhance critical- thinking and problem- solving skills, then collaborative learning is more beneficial.
For collaborative learning to be effective, the instructor must view teaching as a process of developing and enhancing students' ability to learn. The instructor's role is not to transmit information, but to serve as a facilitator for learning. This involves creating and managing meaningful learning experiences and stimulating students' thinking through real world problems.
State Learning Standards: ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) includes collaborative learning in their IL Learning Standards. Each discipline (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts and Foreign Languages) includes on their main standards page a section titled "Applications of Learning" and includes "Solving Problems", "Communicating", "Using Technology", "Working on Teams" and "Making Connections". In ISBE's Introduction to the Learning Standards, they stress in their "The philosphy Behind the Framework" section the importance of the community and preparation for the workplace. The introduction states, "The standards incorporate knowledge and skills that will help enable students to be successful in the workplace of their choice, as well as in their roles as citizens, family members and participants in our society. The standards also create opportunities to integrate the academic and workplace knowledge and skills and learning opportunities to enhance students’ ability to see connections between what is learned and practical applications of that learning." Can you guess how the IL Learning Standards came into existence? Of course, they came to be through the usual "real world" way, through collaboration and team work.
[edit] Diminishing the Effects of Social Interference Through Collaborative Learning
Social interference, a marked decrease in skill when an individual does a task around a group of people, can have a significant effect on a student’s functioning in the classroom setting. Students become preoccupied with the opinions of their fellow classmates and their focus shifts from learning the material to doing what is socially pleasing to the group. Its effects can be reduced if the individual develops stronger relationships with the members of the audience, or if the performer does not believe the audience is there to judge them. When collaborative learning is done correctly in a classroom, a strong bond can be formed between the students resulting in social enhancement.
Studies performed by Christopher Liang at Washington University in St. Louis show that collaborative activities result in an improvement in the students’ comfort working with one another, along with strong correlations to gains in self‐confidence, comfort with being oneself, and comfort expressing one's opinions. (Results based on surveys filled out by the students)
However, one must remember that simply putting students together in groups will not necessarily improve their relationships with one another. Enemies and social conflicts naturally exist that cannot be solved by groupwork alone. Teachers must be attentive to outside factors and closely monitor the progress and work ethic of each group.
Group activities must also be structured in ways that give defined roles to different individuals within the group, and force interaction and discussion among members. Without this setup, groupwork will serve as a means to divide labor instead of creating a group effort or "team effect". --Crliang2 21:14, 15 May 2006 (CDT)
[edit] Evidence of effectiveness
Proponents of collaborative learning claim that the active exchange of ideas within small groups not only increases interest among the participants but also promotes critical thinking. According to Johnson and Johnson (1986), there is persuasive evidence that cooperative teams achieve at higher levels of thought and retain information longer than students who work quietly as individuals. The shared learning gives students an opportunity to engage in discussion, take responsibility for their own learning, and thus become critical thinkers (Totten, Sills, Digby, & Russ, 1991).
Below is the description of a study that is the subject of an article written by Anuradha A. Gokhale, an Associate Professor at Western Illinois University in the Department of Industrial Education and Technology.
Purpose of Study This study examined the effectiveness of individual learning versus collaborative learning in enhancing drill-and-practice skills and critical-thinking skills.
Research Questions The research questions examined in this study were:
- Will there be a significant difference in achievement on a test comprised of "drill-and practice" items between students learning individually and students learning collaboratively?
- Will there be a significant difference in achievement on a test comprised of "critical-thinking" items between students learning individually and students learning collaboratively?
Methodology The independent variable in this study was method of instruction, a variable with two categories: individual learning and collaborative learning. The dependent variable was the posttest score. The posttest was a paper- and- pencil test consisting of 15 "drill- and- practice" items and 15 "critical- thinking" items. The items that belonged to the "knowledge," "comprehension," and "application" classifications of Bloom's Taxonomy were categorized as "drill- and- practice" items.
Discussion of the Findings After conducting a statistical analysis on the test scores, it was found that students who participated in collaborative learning had performed significantly better on the critical- thinking test than students who studied individually. It was also found that both groups did equally well on the drill- and- practice test. This result is in agreement with the learning theories proposed by proponents of collaborative learning.
According to Vygotsky (1978), students are capable of performing at higher intellectual levels when asked to work in collaborative situations than when asked to work individually. Group diversity in terms of knowledge and experience contributes positively to the learning process. Bruner (1985) contends that cooperative learning methods improve problem- solving strategies because the students are confronted with different interpretations of the given situation. The peer support system makes it possible for the learner to internalize both external knowledge and critical thinking skills and to convert them into tools for intellectual functioning.
[edit] Critics and their rationale
Critics of small-group learning often point to problems related to vague objectives and poor expectations for accountability. Small-group work, some claim, is an avoidance of teaching. According to these critics, dividing the class into small groups allows the teacher to escape responsibility. Teachers that use collaborative learning often realize that it actually adds to their responsibilities. The teacher is no longer responsible for one group of students, but for multiple groups.
Making members of the group responsible for each other's learning. This can place too great a burden on some students. In mixed-ability groups, the result is often that stronger students are left to teach weaker students and do most of the work. Although stronger students have to do most of the work, they are also learning by teaching. Teaching a subject helps to make a concept concrete in the mind.
[edit] Alternative explanations due to Diversity or Gender considerations
Benefits from small-group learning in a collaborative environment include celebration of diversity. Students learn to work with all types of people. During small-group interactions, they find many opportunities to reflect upon and reply to the diverse responses fellow learners bring to the questions raised. Small groups also allow students to add their perspectives to an issue based on their cultural differences. This exchange inevitably helps students to better understand other cultures and points of view.
On the other hand, a possible problem with cooperative learning involves racial and gender inequities. Research (Cohen 1986; Sadker et al. 1991; Linn and Burbules 1993) shows that in science, and perhaps in other areas of the curriculum as well, group learning may be LESS equitable for girls than autonomous learning. Group learning may reinforce stereotypes, biases, and views of science and math as a male domain. Male students may discredit females, and the classroom may become a microcosm of the "old boy" network that has frequently discouraged women and minorities from participating in certain curricular activities. Specifically, according to Sadker et al. (1991): The different and contradictory findings of the relatively few studies analyzing cross-gender performance in cooperative learning organizations suggest that, by itself, the implementation of cooperative learning groups does not necessarily lead to a more equitable and effective learning environment for females and minorities.
Group formations that avoid diversity -- e.g., all female or all racial-minorities -- may be useful in these situations, but these groups also have drawbacks of their own.
[edit] Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories :
- Collaborative learning is a combination of the "good, the bad and the ugly" in my high school English classroom. Many students do well working in small groups and I especially like to use group work in my Honor's class which contains many self motivated and responsible students. However, I find small group work difficult in my "basic" class, which contains many less than motivated and often disinterested students. Finding a collaborative learning style that fits both types of learners is often difficult.
I think your statement about the good the bad and the ugly fits well. Teachers realize very quickly that collaborative learning while a useful tool does not always work the way it was intended. Before doing small group work I think it is necessary to have an understanding of the students you are working with. I teach both regular and low level American History. They types of group work I do varies between the two classes due to the types of students I have. Finding the right group project for basic students can be difficult sometimes it is very much a trial and error method. I have tried ideas that have completly flopped and I have never done them again and others that have went over really well. One of the other problems is the time factor involved. It always amuses me that administrators and eductation experts want us to do more group projects but then throw standardized tests that require us to cover more material. It is very hard in a survey American History class to do a lot of group work and still cover the material so the students are ready for the state test in the spring.
I see problems with collaberative learning in my school already, andi haven't even started teaching the co-taught class yet! I was told in February that I would be co-teaching a lower level reading/writing class with a special ed teacher. As of now, April 26th, I still haven't been told told who I would be working with, what sort of co-teaching plan we would be using, or even what sort of curriculum we (Or I) should be planning to use. If getting this collaboration is this much trouble to get organized, I have big fears about how it will all be implemented in the fall! I do have high hopes for the process. Working with another teacher who has strengths in the areas of my weaknesses, working more individually with smaller class sizes, and knowing that the accomodations I am making on assignments, quizzes and tests are appropriate, are all reasons I was anxious ot get started in the co-taught classroom! Margie Hay
In my student teaching experience I was part of a co-taught classroom and I thought it was a great learning experience. I was part of a US History class when the mainstream teacher did all the lecturing and I was almost their as an aide. I understand that it didn't follow the co-teaching profile, but the way it was implemented benefited all students, not just the special education students. The mainstream students asked just as many questions to me as did the special ed ones. It was a reinforcement tool that I think worked. I think more classrooms should follow the collaborative model. --Brian Bucciarelli
When I student taught, I was in a co-taught classroom. I found this to be a great experience. Not only did we benefit from bouncing ideas off of each other, but the students seemed to benefit from having two different perspectives to a certain subject and more teacher availability when struggling with a concept. I think this can work very well when the teacher can collaborate well with each other. E. Kilroy
At the Community College Level - This is my eighth year teaching at a community college. I certainly am not an advocate of making every course a collaborative learning environment, but I do use the approach in many of my advanced courses for several reasons. First, I find that many of my students have become so familiar with lectures, being told what they should know, that they struggle with critical thinking skills. Secondly, I find that collaborative learning increases communication skills. In those courses where I use project teams, each team must present their final recommendations to the class. Students must be able to communicate/explain their research and their final solutions. Presentation and communication skills are strengthened through these exercises. Thirdly, I also believe that collaborative learning can help build a student's self-esteem by providing them with opportunity to contribute to a team. Fourthly, collaborative learning builds relationships. I have friends today that I got to know because we were placed on project teams together years ago. They have become part of a network of professionals that I value and still consult. And finally, in the real world, you don't get to choose who you will work with or who will be on your project team. You must be able to work with a variety of personalities and work ethics. Collaborative learning helps students learn how to work together, resolve differences, come to concensus and make a joint recommendation of their solution. These are skills that will help them be successful in the workforce, regardless of what it may be. I would also add, that my projects have a defined set of rules that map the boundaries of the project and the responsibilities of the students. Inside that project, and those rules, the student has the freedom to pursue the project goals as they decide. Inside the project, the teacher becomes the facilitator/mediator. Students are given access to online discussion boards, their own chat rooms, and resources to encourage their exchange of ideas and the development of their work. Although I have had several students strongly disagree with this style of learning, many of them have returned years later to offer their thanks for the skills they learned. Like any discipline or course content, the teacher must choose which style of teaching will best meet the needs of the students and provide the necessary outcomes. Collaborative learning is only one of those styles of teaching that can be used. --jadwell
This school year I have tried some new things. The first few days of school were made up of tests (multiple intelligence, left brain/right brain, personality test/informal typology, etc...) and fun getting to know you activities. So far this school year I have been setting up collaborative learning groups based off of the information that I gathered at the beginning of the school year. I have been focusing on group work based off of their personality types. Different groups are made for each project and a reflective piece is completed by each student after the the project is finished. We discuss the importance of being able to get a job done even if you do not necessarily enjoy the people that you are working with. Overall, it has been a big learning experience for all involved. The students have enjoyed being part of my little social experiment. My ultimate goal as an educator is to have students leave the classroom with the skills that they need to be successful in life. The ability to work in a collaborative environment is just one of those skills. -- v. amen
The school I teach at is highly based on collaboration. I teach in the Special Education Department, and we have several new classes this year that are called "Collaborative Classes" in which a mainstream teacher teaches the small class (usually no more than 11 students) but consults with a special educator on a weekly basis. During this collaborative meeting time, the special educator will go over course content and advise as to how to adapt the curriculum for the students who are in the class. This time is also used for the mainstream teacher to present any issues or concerns and ask the special education teacher for advice. So far, the feedback has been fairly positive overall, however, some of the mainstream teachers were a bit unsure as to what to expect in these classrooms. It has been more of a challenge for them than they initially expected. I think this model has potential, however, the students may benefit more if the special education teacher were actually co-teaching with the mainstream teacher. If this were the case, any issues and concerns could be remedied right on the spot. The aim towards this collaboration is a very positive one, but it seems that we, as a school, have a few "kinks" to work out before it can be fully effective. -- J. Grady
Collaborative Learning has pros and cons. I've found in my digital photography class that certain projects work better in a collaborative setting than others.Kids work in a collaborative setting with the camera and problem solving how to take effective images. What I have found and what many teachers find is that one student becomes the leader, and some students benefit more than others. Getting the right pairing in a collaborate setting is important so that students can work together effectively. Working with students who grow up in the digital age, you need these students to work in a collaborative setting in order to interact with each other other than through the computer. C. McCulley
Teachers need to be very careful with collaborative learning. My Asperger son has it in his IEP that he doesn't have to do group work. He finds it irritating and frustrating to have to rely on others to do things, and if they don't, his grade suffers. Just today, my high school daughter told me that one of her teachers recently told his class that they would be divided into groups for the next test. Whatever the lowest test score was for that group, they would all get that grade. Fortunately, someone told his/her parent before my daughter got around to it and that plan was squashed! -Susan Sheahan
Choosing collaborative learning groups is a very delicate procedure. I find picking the group members to be a difficult process since I teach math in a low socio-economic area, where a majority of the students simply do not care. In any one class, I have students ranging from advanced to low level. It's hard to balance the groups so that one student is not doing all the work, while the other students are "freeloading" off the smarter student. I have found that putting A students with C students, B students with D and F students, and C students with other C students works just about as well as anything. Usually one person in the group knows enough so that the whole group doesn't get frustrated. Collaborative learning is an important part of the social aspect of schooling, but it is important that the groups are choosen wisely so the students will be productive. --A. Clow
[edit] Collaborative Learning skills transferred to the Workplace
In my experience as a travel trainer, I have unknowingly participated in "collaborative learning" as well as collaborative working! I believe that collaborative learning will positively affect workplaces that require field staff in multi-state and country locations. We are basically an on-line community that learns new information at web meetings and annually on-sight at some destination. Many people that work in this situation for the first time feel isolated and unable to create structure for themselves. Once acclimated, it is freeing and the possiblity to accomplish so much more than if tied to an office and office politics on a daily basis. The staff rely on eachother for new information, sharing ideas, and planning future strategy. The "Boss" in this situation is the only authority, similiar to a teacher in the classroom, however, he relies on our feedback and learns as well.
My view is that students that are the product of collaborative learning find that by sharing information, giving feedback to cohorts, and learning from other's example will suit their entrance into a global workforce where they need to work autonomously as well as together.
An article in a recent Technology & Learning Magazine regarding WorkPlace Readiness focusses on areas of education that are lacking from college grads as they enter the work force. It is pointed out, however, that one of the strengths of these former students is "They're much better at working collaboratively, as part of a team, and have a greater understanding of processes than earlier grads have had." (*David Anderson, founder of Sendmail, a company that routes most internet emails). The article also points out areas of weakness in our education system, most of all being able to communicate using the written word, professionalism, and creativity and innovation. The Workforce Readiness Crisis Perhaps collaborative classrooms are best for the college level student that has already become proficient in writing. As the article points out, schools must find a wat to teach applied skills, such as computers with core academic subjects such as Math, Reading and Science. It suggests that Business-High School partnerships can create learning experiences for students. I personally feel that learning collaboratively enhances innovation and creativity.
[edit] References and other links of interest
Anuradha A. Gokhale,Associate Professor Western Illinois University, Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking, Article, Journal of Technology Education, Volume 7, Number 1, Fall 1995 http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/jte-v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html
M.B. Tinzmann, B.F. Jones, T.F. Fennimore, J. Bakker, C. Fine, and J. Pierce, What Is the Collaborative Classroom?, NCREL, Oak Brook, 1990 http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/rpl_esys/collab.htm
Nagata, K. and Ronkowsk, S. (1998). Collaborative Learning: Differences Between Collaborative and Cooperative Learning, The Office of Instructional Consultation, University of California Santa Barbara. http://www.oic.id.ucsb.edu/Resources/Collab-L/Differences.html February, 2007
Prince, Michael and Felder, Richard (2007) The Many Faces of Inductive Teaching and Learning, Journal of College Science Teaching, Vol.36, No.5, March/April 2007.
Randall, V. "Cooperative Learning: Abused and Overused?" THE EDUCATION DIGEST 65, no.2 (October, 1999) http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index_sub4.html
Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P.(1991). "Cooperative Learning: A Guide to Research." New York: Garland.
Roger T. and David W. Johnson, "Cooperative learning: Two heads learn better than one." Transforming Education (IC#18) Winter 1988, Page 34. [1]
Other Links of Interest:
http://www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/collab.learning/
- Why Collaborative Learning?, University of Saskatchewan [2]
- Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, University of Texas [3]
- Online Collaborative Learning in Higher Education, Central Queensland University [4]
- Collaborative Learning in Science Education, NISE [5]
- DeLiberations on Collaborative Learning [6]
- Let the Adventure Begin: Cooperative Learning [7]
- Collaborative Learning Environments Sourcebook [8]
- Richard Light: The College Experience: A Blueprint for Success, Harvard web video program (some parts require registration) [9]
- Erdal, Sevinc O. (2003). Promoting Learner-Centered Instruction through the Use of Cooperative and Inquiry Learning Strategies (.pdf). Ohio State University, College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning. [10]Comparing education on an international level. Universal means of teaching is explained.
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PROJECT
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/collearn/
Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis; Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, 1993, Collaborative Learning:Group Work and Study Teams http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html
