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Collaborative Learning

John Milliken

School of Education

Queens University Belfast

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Learning outcomes

To consider the role of collaborative learning
To examine some collaborative learning approaches
To consider some aspects of educational debate
To be aware of changing aspects of teaching and learning

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Curriculum issues

Prescriptive Curriculum

Experiential Curriculum

Teacher-centered Student-centred

Linear & rational Coherent & relevant

Part to whole organisation Whole to part organisation

Teaching as transmitting Teaching as facilitating

Learning as receiving Learning as constructing

Structured environment Flexible environment

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Learning in context

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Teaching vs learning

John Amos Comenius, a 16th Century scholar; summarised the approach that teaching should follow, “The main object is to find a method by which teachers teach less but learners learn more”, proving that current problems have noble pedigrees.

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Collaborative learning

“Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together. Usually students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions or meanings, or creating a product.

Collaborative learning activities vary widely, but most center on students’ exploration or application of the course material, not simply the teacher’s presentation or explication of it”.

Smith and McGregor (1992)

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Educational goals

Involvement
Co-operation and teamwork
Community responsibility

Since we use collaborative learning to help students learn more effectively it is important to consider teaching strategies that go beyond a mere mastery of content and ideas. Collaborative learning promotes and educational agenda that encompasses several intertwined rationales

Involvement – by its very nature collaborative learning is both socially and intellectually involving. Research has shown that it makes a significant difference in student performance and subsequently student retention.

Cooperation and teamwork – In collaborative activities students inevitably encounter difference and have to work to recognise and deal with it. This helps build a community of learners.

Community – Habits of participation and responsibility to a subject/classroom community can help in the broader communities. Collaborative learning encourages students to develop an active voice in shaping their ideas and values and also developing a sensitive ear to the views and opinions of thers.

In the hands of an expert rope maker loose strands can be skilfully woven together to form a rope with greater strength and durability. The same can be said of a committed and creative lecturer.

Don’t get me wrong – there will be cynics – one colleague in another institution- was undertaking collaborative learning in the form of group work when his Dean called and said, “I see you’re doing group work, I’ll call back when you’re teaching!”

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Assumptions about learning

Learning is an active constructive process
Learning depends on rich contexts
Learners are diverse
Learning is inherently social

Active constructive process – to learn new information, ideas or skills students have to work actively with them in purposeful ways. In collaborative learning situations students are creating something new by integrating the new material with something they already know or use it to reorganise what they thought they knew.

Rich contexts – the idea of collaborative learning activities is to immerse students in challenging tasks or questions. Rather than beginning with facts and ideas and then moving to applications CL activities frequently begin with problems This changes the role of the student from distant observer to practitioner. Rich context challenge students to practice and develop higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Diversity – Our students bring multiple perspectives to the classroom – diverse backgrounds, learning styles, experiences and aspirations. Ashby's Law of requisite variety.

Inherent sociability- collaborative learning produces intellectual synergy of many minds coming to bear on a problem and the social stimulation of mutual engagement of mutual engagement in a common endeavour (Voltaire – there is no problem a meeting of minds cannot resolve)

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Approaches

Collaborative learning

Co-operative learning

Problem-based learning

Writing groups

Peer teaching

Learning communities

Discussion groups

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Widespread use

Based on theory and validated by research
Amount, generalisability, breadth and applicability
Variety of co-operative learning methods available

R Q

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Why use cooperative learning?

promote student learning and academic achievement
enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience
help students develop skills in oral communication
develop students' social skills
promote student self-esteem
increase student retention
develop a community of learners

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5 Elements of cooperative learning

Positive interdependence
Face-to-face interaction
Individual and group accountability
Interpersonal and small group skills
Group processing

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Postive interdependence

Each group member's efforts are required and indispensable for group success

Each group member has a unique contribution to make to the joint effort because of his or her resources and/or role and task responsibilities

Sink or swim together!

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Face-to-face interaction

Orally explaining how to solve problems
Teaching one's knowledge to others
Checking for understanding
Discussing concepts being learned
Connecting present with past learning

Promote each other's success

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Individual and group accountability

Keeping the size of the group small.
Giving an individual test to each student.
Randomly examining students orally.
Observing each group and recording the frequency with which each member-contributes to the group's work.
Assigning one student in each group the role of checker.
Having students teach what they learned to someone else.

No hitchhiking! No social loafing

No freeloading

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Interpersonal and small group skills

Social skills must be taught:

Leadership
Decision-making
Trust-building
Communication
Conflict-management skills�

Mutual understanding

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Group processing

Group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships
Describe what member actions are helpful and not helpful
Make decisions about what behaviours to continue or change

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Jigsaw Approach

R Q

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Jigsaw Approach

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Jigsaw approach

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Approaches

Collaborative learning

Co-operative learning

Problem-based learning

Writing groups

Peer teaching

Learning communities

Discussion groups

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Problem based learning (PBL)

PBL is a learning-centred pedagogy based on current theories of learning including constructivism, social constructivism and situated learning.

Problem-based learning clearing house https://chico.nss.udel.edu/Pbl/

In PBL classrooms, students are presented with complex, realistic problems that have been carefully crafted to address course goals and objectives. Students work in groups, under the mentoring of a facilitator, to solve the problem. As they solve the problem, they learn group skills, problem-solving techniques, investigative techniques, disciplinary content, and begin to think like experts in the field.

The modern history of problem-based learning begins in the early 1970s at the medical school at McMaster University in Canada. Its intellectual history is far older.. Dewey talked about it when he talked about 'engagement.' Dewey had it right on the abstract level. We do the details better now, that's all, and that's because of advances in cognitive science and in technology."

However we may be faced with our first debate – if pedagogy is educating the child i.e. based on tabla rasa is it applicable to adults or should be be considering Knowles androgogy educating adults?

Perhaps as we move to more self directed learning we should be considering heutagogy?

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PBL - an iterative process

Mrs. Paula Embledon is a 78 year old woman who has come to the emergency room complaining of shortness of breath and pain in her chest. She had been in relatively good health until three weeks previously, when she sprained.....

A new bridge has been constructed spanning a river 1 kilometer wide. In a recent storm, during which winds gusted to 120 km/hr, the bridge was observed to be oscillating from side to side …..

You are the owner of a small antique shop in Kingston. Mrs. Jones, an old friend, has brought to you for appraisal a landscape painting which appears to be about 200 years old. She is convinced there is another painting beneath the landscape…..

Read the problem

Identify learning issues

Research-Learn�

Return-Reread-Report-Review

Brainstorm- hypothesize

You are a researcher in a cellular immunology lab. You have been given two blood samples – one of which contains anti-coagulant. An aliquot of the latter sample can be shown to lyse tumour cells. You conduct further studies to determine the mechanism of the killing…

Mr. John Smith is the owner of a national company manufacturing FMCG products. Recently his company merged with an international company with a different organisational culture…….

Prof. H. Pross

Queens School of Medicine

Kingston, Ontario

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Problem statement

EXEMPLAR TASK:

Based on the information provided on the handout, work in groups of four and compile a problem statement.

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Approaches

Collaborative learning

Co-operative learning

Problem-based learning

Writing groups

Peer teaching

Learning communities

Discussion groups

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Learning communities

Sociocultural and constructivist views of learning (Lave & Wenger)
Two important questions:-
What social engagements and processes provide the ‘proper’ context for learning?
What forms of co-participation might be required when engaging learners in these forms of learning.

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Community types

Learning community: focus on learning together, sharing, developing relationships
Communities of practice: focus on developing professional practice
Community of enquiry: focus on enquiring about and issue/area
Knowledge community: focus on developing knowledge

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Cyber communities

“…the cornerstone of an online community lies in the presence of socially close, strong, intimate ties, the development of trust, shared values and social organisation.

The quality of peoples’ relations is an important characteristic in an online community

(This will be the modified role of the teacher as an e-moderator!)

Teaching/learning

Face-to-face Blended Online

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E-Learning (teacher to moderator)

Salmon (2005)

Working online creates a wide range of feelings in students (and teachers, as well) and very often it tend to be the experience of isolation. Isolation has two dimensions. One is distance in place (being alone) and the other is psychological (distance in thoughts, feeling alone).

5 stages to build an effective online learning community

Access & Motivation. Exploring the technology and motivation building are key issues. The e-moderator helps meeting people and learn the environment.

Socialisation. Building on the first stage, this stage focuses on social processes and 'community building'. Moderator does bridge building.

Information Exchange. Information is exchanged and co-operative tasks can be achieved. Interaction happens with contents, other participants and the e-moderator that assists exploration activities.

Knowledge Construction. Knowledge development and discussion activities become important. Participants start recognizing the value of text-based asynchronous interaction and take control of knowledge construction.

Development. Participants become responsible for their own learning and that of their group. Ideas are applied to individual contexts. This stage is characterised by reflection and assessment.

The 5-stage model is also at the core of Salmon's e-tivity frameworks for enhancing active and participative online learning by individuals and groups and to create an effective cyber community

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References

Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R. T. (1990) Cooperation and Competition: Theory and Research, Edina, MN; Interaction Book Company
Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning; legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge University Press
McConnell, D. (2006) E-learning groups and communities, SRHE/OU Press
Salmon, G. (2005) E-moderating, Open University Press
Smith, B. L. & McGregor, J. (1992) What is collaborative learning? – National Center on Postsecondary education