COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of the University of Adelaide pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Leap into... Collaborative Learning This publication is designed for University of Adelaide staff who are interested in collaborative learning—what it is and how it can be put into practice to enhance learning and teaching. This publication was researched by Ann Noble, and written by Christine Ingleton, CENTRE FOR LEARNING AND Loene Doube and Tim Rogers. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE SA 5005 AUSTRALIA Email Navigate within this document by using the buttons at the bottom of each page. They are: TEL +61 8 8303 5771 Go to Start Previous Page Next Page Go to End and Exit/Close this document. FAX +61 8 8303 3553 Press Esc to return to PDF Reader. Press Ctrl/Q to close the document & Reader. © THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE The University of Adelaide Leap into... Collaborative Learning CONTENTS Introduction Introduction Collaborative Learning What is CL? Why introduce CL? There is an upswing in demand by staff, students and employers for students to graduate with good interpersonal skills, knowledge of group dynamics, the Beginning Designing projects flexibility to work in teams, the ability to lead, to problem-solve and to Organising groups communicate effectively. New curricula include a strong emphasis on generic Preparing students skills, and we have the task of turning those emphases into actual graduate Preparation attributes. In the process, teachers' roles are changing from imparting Monitoring information to facilitating students' acquisition of learning and generic skills. Seeking feedback Groups not working In this publication we have taken a pragmatic approach to getting Problems of difference collaborative learning (groupwork, teamwork) going in classrooms. Assessing Research-based principles are accompanied by examples, links to web sites Fairness and extensive reading lists. Assessing process skills Assessment Exercises Evaluating What will you find here? What to evaluate We have started with the 'What?' and the 'Why?' of collaborative learning and How to evaluate then focused on the importance of making clear the learning objectives of the Provide feedback collaborative learning project or assignment or task. References Resources From there, we have looked at activities that lend themselves to achieving the objectives, getting the students started, monitoring how they’re progressing, and assessing not only for knowledge, but also for the development of process skills. Finally, we have included a brief overview of how to evaluate the collaborative learning process to give both you and your students feedback. Exit this file Page 2 The University of Adelaide Leap into... Collaborative Learning CONTENTS What is Collaborative Learning? Introduction Collaborative learning is learning that occurs as a result of interaction between What is CL? peers engaged in the completion of a common task. Students are not only ‘in’ Why introduce CL? groups, they ‘work’ together in groups, playing a significant role in each Beginning other's learning. The collaborative learning process creates an understanding Designing projects of a topic and/or process within a group which members of the group could not Organising groups achieve alone. Students may work face to face and in or out of the classroom, Preparing students or they may use information technology to enable group discussion, or to Preparation complete collaborative writing tasks. Monitoring Seeking feedback Groups not working Problems of difference What’s in a name? Assessing Collaborative learning emphasises the learning aspect of working together. Fairness Talking about group (or any other) ‘teaching’ continues to place the emphasis Assessing process skills on what a tutor or lecturer does, rather than on what students can do to Assessment Exercises initiate and manage their own learning through collaboration with others. Evaluating What to evaluate Collaborative learning is the umbrella term encompassing many forms of How to evaluate collaborative learning—from small group projects to the more specific form of Provide feedback group work called cooperative learning. (Nagata and Ronkowski 19981) References Both terms share a sense of the social nature of learning, and emphasise a Resources social approach to the development of learning skills, work skills and life skills. The terms are often used interchangeably, although there is sometimes a hint at two ends of a spectrum, with cooperative learning tending to be undertaken face to face and highly structured by a teacher, and collaborative learning assigning responsibility primarily to the students. Exit this file Page 3 The University of Adelaide Leap into... Collaborative Learning CONTENTS What can we use collaborative learning for? Introduction One of the commonest purposes of collaborative learning is the completion of What is CL? a group project. However, collaborative learning groups can be formed for Why introduce CL? many purposes to get students engaged with subject matter in any discipline. Beginning This might happen online, in a laboratory, in the field, in a classroom. It may Designing projects be possible to introduce cross-curricular projects—involving, in science for Organising groups example, a biologist, an environmentalist, a biochemist, a microbiologist, a Preparing students geneticist. Such collaborations are increasingly required in many workplace Preparation projects. Monitoring Seeking feedback Successful collaborative projects have the following characteristics: Groups not working Problems of difference the problem to be solved is an example of the types of problems found in the community, in industry or in commerce Assessing Fairness the solution to the problem requires the use of knowledge, skills and Assessing process skills attributes that are part of the curriculum Assessment Exercises the problem can be solved by a small team of students, none of whom Evaluating possesses the knowledge or skills to solve the problem alone, yet each What to evaluate of whom is able to contribute to the final product. How to evaluate (Miller, Imrie and Cox 1998, p.1622) Provide feedback References Collaborative learning activities can provide students with the opportunity to Resources think for themselves, compare their thinking with others, conduct small research projects, investigate subject matter with fellow students, and to practice using higher level cognitive thinking skills. It can provide activities that encourage students to confront the logic of their own thinking, their own beliefs, and the accuracy of their understanding of previous learning. (Nagata and Ronkowski 19981) Exit this file Page 4 The University of Adelaide Leap into... Collaborative Learning CONTENTS Why introduce Collaborative Learning? Introduction Collaborative learning, like problem-based learning, emphasises student- What is CL? centred tasks and student decision-making by: Why introduce CL? encouraging a focus on student-centred learning and the development Beginning Designing projects of lifelong transferable learning skills Organising groups providing an alternative to the individual, competitive model of learning, Preparing students fostering teamwork and the development of interpersonal skills Preparation Monitoring encouraging a smoother transition to university Seeking feedback developing generic skills needed to satisfy employer expectations. Groups not working Problems of difference Assessing Fairness Assessing process skills It takes time... Assessment Exercises Evaluating Collaborative learning runs against a well-entrenched ethos of What to evaluate competition, and so takes time to be accepted by both staff and students. How to evaluate Collaborative learning needs to be carefully marketed and structured, and Provide feedback students well-prepared. References It takes time to change a competitive culture. Resources Exit this file Page 5 The University of Adelaide Leap into... Collaborative Learning CONTENTS Encouraging student-centred learning The literature on collaborative learning highlights the improvement in ‘higher Introduction order’ learning skills through peer collaborations: What is CL? discussing Why introduce CL? negotiating Beginning interpreting Designing projects organising Organising groups applying learning in new situations Preparing students clarifying Preparation discarding Monitoring re-doing Seeking feedback problem-solving Groups not working Problems of difference In collaborative situations where students must generate explanations for Assessing others, or justify their perspective on or approach to an issue, their ability to Fairness comprehend and recall at a later date is increased. Multiple perspectives on Assessing process skills issues are possible (in all subject areas), and when students are forced to Assessment Exercises confront differences of opinion or interpretation, or ambiguity, creative and Evaluating critical thinking are likely to develop. What to evaluate How to evaluate When they are in a group, students are more likely to take learning risks, and Provide feedback to try new ways of doing and