Collaborative Learning

Collaborative Learning Heather Macdonald College of William and Mary Richard Yuretich University of Massachusetts Amherst Early Career Workshop 2005

Traditional Teaching Cartoons courtesy of Karl Smith Early Career Workshop 2005

Collaborative Learning Cartoons courtesy of Karl Smith Early Career Workshop 2005

Cooperative/Collaborative Learning • “Students work together to maximize their own and each others’ learning” (Johnson et al., 1990) • Structured environment in which students learn in cooperative groups • Question or activity should benefit from group approach Early Career Workshop 2005

Gallery Walk • Divide into groups • Each group assembles around one flip chart. Designate a “recorder” to write, and a “reporter” to summarize at the end of the session. • Discuss the question on the flip chart and post a response. • On the signal move clockwise to the next flip chart. Discuss and respond as above. • Continue until you return to the original question. • The “reporter” will summarize. Early Career Workshop 2005

Reflection • Benefits and difficulties with what we have just done? Early Career Workshop 2005

Benefits of Well-designed Collaborative Learning Activities • Active engagement of students and improved learning • Peer-teaching • Practice in speaking the language of the discipline • Practice in the skills of teamwork: • Students are responsible for contributing to the team’s success. • Students are individually accountable for their own performance. Early Career Workshop 2005

Examples of Collaborative Learning Activities • Informal Learning Groups • Think-pair-share • Discussion groups • Gallery walk • Formal Learning Groups • Jigsaw groups • Simulations and role-playing exercises • Debates • Research groups Early Career Workshop 2005

The Jigsaw Structure • Teams of students investigate different aspects of the same problem/issue (each member of a team works on the same thing). • Members of each team then disperse among mixed groups and teach other group members what they have learned. • The group puts the pieces together and addresses a question that can be answered once all the team pieces are together) Early Career Workshop 2005

Groups The Jigsaw Structure Teams Early Career Workshop 2005

Some Examples Early Career Workshop 2005

Example of a Jigsaw Collaboration Part 1: Find out the information about a planet or satellite • Produces “experts” on a particular topic Early Career Workshop 2005

Jigsaw Example (continued) • Part 2:Teams are reorganized with (at least) one expert from each planet to research a new problem, such as: • If Earth were going to be destroyed, choose the best place to establish a human colony, and defend your choice! Early Career Workshop 2005

Critical Aspects for Success • Team assignments carefully crafted • Overlapping assignments • Each valuable in its own right • Lend themselves to comparison • Appropriate level • Students come prepared • Build in individual accountability Early Career Workshop 2005

Collaborative Learning