Collaboration Webquest

What is Collaborative Learning?

Collaborative learning occurs when two or more people learn something together. During this type of learning, students must be engaged with one another and use one another's resources and skills. Students should be asking one another for information, evaluations one's ideas, and monitoring the groups work.

There are many positive results when collaborative learning is used in a classroom.

• Celebration of diversity- Students learn to work with all types of people.

• Acknowledgement of individual differences- When questions are raised, students will have a variety of responses. Each of these helps the group reflect on a wide range of perspectives.

• Interpersonal development- Students learn to relaye to their peers and other learners as they work together. Students can be helpful who students who have difficulty with social skills and others can benefit from structured interactions.

• Actively involving students in learning- each student has opportunities to contribute in small groups.Students are more willing to take ownership of their material and to think critically while working as a team.

• More options for personal feedback- There are more opportunities to receive feedback about their ideas and responses. Feedback isn't always possible in large group insruction.

Strategies for Collaborative Learning:

1. Establish group goals- keeps a group on task and establishes purpose. It is best to define goals and objects before beginning an assignment.

2. Keep groups midsized- A group of 4-5 is ideal. Anything less lacks diversity and anything more can create a situation where members don't participate.

3. Build trust and promote open communication- Open communication is most important. Assignments should encourage team members to explain concepts thoroughly to each other.

4. Create group roles- Breaking down tasks into parts helps save time. Teachers can assign different roles to students such as group leader, recorder, reporter, and fact checker.

5. Create a pre-test and post-test- A good way to see if the students made gains is testing them before and after a unit. An assessment gives the team a goal and gives them something to work towards.

6. Use different strategies- It is important foe teachers to use a multi modal approach when teaching. Most students benefit from lectures, visuals, videos, hands-on activities, and repitition.

7. Establish group interactions- The teacher should provide a model of how successful groups function. Shared leadership usually has the most sucess. Tasks include: initiating discussions, clarifying points, summarizing, challenging assumptions, providing research information, and reaching a consensus.

8. Use real world problems- Teachers should use inspiration from everyday problems instead of creating artificial scenarios. Real word problems can be used to facilitate project-based learning.

9.Create diverse groups- mixed groups that include a range of talens, backgrounds, learning stles, ideas, and experiences are best. Studies have found that mixed aptitude groups tend to learn more from each other and increase achievement of low performers.

10. Use technology- Incorporate ipad apps such as Stixy, Whiteboard, Edmodo, and Google groups. Students can create group discussion posts on Edmodo or work on a document at the same time using Whiteboard.

Resources:

http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborati… "Collaborative Learning: Group Work." CTE. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2016.

Collaborative Learning Spaces. (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practic…

Slavin, Robert E., Marshall Leavey, and Nancy A. Madden. "Combining Cooperative Learning and Individualized Instruction: Effects on Student Mathematics Achievement, Attitudes, and Behaviors." PsycEXTRA Dataset (n.d.): n. pag. Web.