Orientation Lecture Series: LEARNING to LEARN

Orientation Lecture Series LEARNING TO LEARN: Collaborative Learning  Learning Centre

Orientation Lecture Series: LEARNING TO LEARN Collaborative Learning

Outline of lecture:

1. What is collaborative learning? 2. Positive and negative experiences of collaborative learning 3. Key factors affecting the quality of group work 4. Strategies for effective group work 5. Collaboration and academic honesty

1. WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE LEARNING?

a process of constructing knowledge through interaction with others GENERAL

an instructional method involving cooperation & interaction between learners

an instructional method involving cooperation & interaction between learners, with software support

SPECIFIC

Claims made for collaborative learning:

. enhances critical thinking . helps learners retain information longer . helps learners achieve higher levels of thought . encourages development of autonomous learning skills 1 Orientation Lecture Series LEARNING TO LEARN: Collaborative Learning  Learning Centre

What is different about behaving collaboratively?

Sometimes types of behaviour that have been strategically useful in the past have to be unlearned in collaborative situations. For example, in order to do well in public examinations in competitive situations, ‘competitive’ behaviour strategies may work very well. But in collaborative learning situations these behaviours can mean that the products of the collaboration are of poor quality, and the learners are unhappy with the result.

Competitive and collaborative behaviours can be contrasted in the following ways:

EFFECTIVE COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE BEHAVIOUR

Directed toward achieving personal goals Directed towards goals held in common

Secrecy Openness

Accurate personal understanding of own needs Accurate personal understanding of own needs but hidden/misrepresented. and accurate representation of them

Unpredictable mixed strategies utilising the Predictable. May be flexible but not designed to element of surprise take the other party by surprise

Threats and bluffs Threats and bluffs are not used

Logical, non rational and irrational arguments Logical and innovative processes are used to used to defend a position to which you are defend your views or to find solutions to problems strategically committed

Where teams, committees, etc., are involved, Dropping stereotypes, giving consideration to communicating bad stereotypes of the other, ideas on their merits, maintaining good working ignoring her logic, impugning her motives and relationships arousing ingroup hostility

(adapted from Walton, R. E. (1970). How to choose between strategies of conflict and collaboration. In R. T. Golembiewski & A. Blumberg (Eds.), Sensitivity Training and the Laboratory Approach: Readings about concepts and applications (pp. 335-341). Itasca, IL: Peacock Publishers.)

2 Orientation Lecture Series LEARNING TO LEARN: Collaborative Learning  Learning Centre

2. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

According to Gokhale’s (1995) influential study*, collaborative learning fostered the development of critical thinking through:  discussion  clarification of ideas  evaluation of others’ ideas.

* Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative Learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1), 22-30.

However, some students felt that ‘they wasted a lot of time explaining the material to other group members’ (1995, p. 28), while a summary of student comments at http ://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/CL1/CL/moreinfo/ MI4C.htm includes the following:  Someone may try to take over the group  Quiet people may not feel comfortable  People may not pull their weight

In order to be positive, the result of the groupwork needs to be as good as or better than you can produce by yourself.

3. KEY FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF GROUP WORK

Facts: how small groups work

Three key elements are involved in group dynamics:

. product . process . contributions from members

Links between key elements in group dynamics

Level of knowledge and of skills in knowledge application, organisation & decision-making

Level of Level of commitment interpersonal skills

Quality of individual member contributions

Quality of group Quality of group collaboration learning Quality of group process

Quality of group product

KEY QUESTION: What is a ‘contribution’?

A contribution can be:  working on the sub-tasks, e.g. researching, writing, editing  sharing knowledge of the topic  supporting interaction, e.g. encouraging others and creating good feeling  organising group work, e.g. finding meeting locations, emailing reminders

 Reflection:

Ask yourself the following questions:

. What are your strengths as a group member? . What sort of contributions could you offer to a group?

Characteristics of groups that work effectively:

. equal contributions

. full discussion of issues High quality result & high level of member satisfaction

. member support

Common problems that prevent groups working effectively:

. problems with logistics

. problems with allocation of tasks Quality of group product lower than individual product, & high level of stress . coordination of member and dissatisfaction contributions

. lack of commitment from some group members

4. STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE GROUP WORK

Early on,  work together to clearly define the group’s aims (e.g. working co-operatively together at all times) and desired outcomes (e.g. achieving a Distinction result!)  break the task down into achievable sub-tasks with a time-frame for each  decide on dates, times and locations for the following meeting(s)  agree on the allocation of the sub-tasks after discussion of individual members’ preferences and strengths  agree on the necessity or not of having a group leader, a scribe, …

Each time the group meets,  monitor the group dynamics, e.g., o if a group member doesn’t prepare in advance, take action early as a group o if a group member isn’t contributing orally, check if this is because of . a lack of preparation,

5 Orientation Lecture Series LEARNING TO LEARN: Collaborative Learning  Learning Centre . a lack of the opportunity to speak, or . a question of shyness, and/or of a different language and cultural background

 make sure that o everyone contributes o all group members understand what is going on o each member is aware of the opinions and tasks of the other members o there is time at the end of each meeting . to sum up group decisions, and . set the agenda for the next meeting

5. COLLABORATION AND ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty means that  the work you submit is your own original work  anything by other people is acknowledged

Plagiarism means that  the work you submit is partly or wholly other people’s work  work by other people is not acknowledged

So, what kind of collaboration is acceptable?  group work assignments  ‘legitimate cooperation’  acknowledging (i.e. referencing) others’ work

What is ‘legitimate cooperation’?

‘ any constructive educational and intellectual practice that aims to facilitate optimal learning outcomes through interaction between students.’

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Policy, p. 3. (Date of effect: 1 January 2012)

What is plagiarism? From Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Policy (2012), pp. 5-6:

‘presenting another person’s work as one’s own by presenting, copying or reproducing it without appropriate acknowledgment of the source.’

‘includes presenting work for assessment … that includes ‘includes presenting work for phrases, clauses, sentences, assessment … that includes the paragraphs or longer extracts from work of another person, without published or unpublished work appropriate acknowledgement of (including from the Internet) without the source …’ appropriate acknowledgement of the source’

Both of these are very serious

However in first year, a common form of academic dishonesty is negligent plagiarism, often due to ignorance, poor referencing practices, or fear of paraphrasing or writing in one’s own words.

SO what kind of collaboration is acceptable? What you see on the left of the diagram below!

Group work (group product) Legitimate cooperation Academic (individual product) negligence Academic dishonesty (intent to deceive) Discussion of assignment topic Inadequate referencing Plagiarism Discussion of & cheating readings . outsourcing . stealing words . stealing ideas

Your faculty/school/department should provide:  guidelines on group work assignments  clear procedures for monitoring group work  information on assessment criteria  information about the right referencing convention to use

Sources of information:  read the university policy on plagiarism  seek help if you need to improve your skills for using information and referencing  consult books and/or guidelines about referencing conventions  ask your lecturer/tutor for information if you don’t understand

Some Learning Centre workshops:  Using sources: o Developing and supporting an argument o Quoting, summarising and paraphrasing o Language strategies for referring to evidence

7 Orientation Lecture Series LEARNING TO LEARN: Collaborative Learning  Learning Centre  Collaborative Learning: o Working in groups o Discussion skills

Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Policy, 1 January 2012 http://fmweb01.ucc.usyd.edu.au/pol/FMPro

Learning Centre sydney.edu.au/lc For:  Workshop timetables  Lecture notes  Online resources for academic writing & referencing

Further research papers on collaborative learning and group work in a tertiary context:

Bonanno, H., Jones, J., & English, L. (1998). Improving group satisfaction: making groups work in a first-year undergraduate course. Teaching in Higher Education, 3(3), 365-382.

Bower, M. & Richards, D. (2006). Collaborative learning: some possibilities and limitations for students and teachers. In Proceedings of the 23rd annual ascilite conference: Who’s learning? Whose technology? Retrieved from: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/onlineIndex.html