Collaborative learning

A collaborative (or cooperative) learning approach involves pupils working together on activities or
learning tasks in a group small enough for everyone to participate on a collective task that has been
clearly assigned. Pupils in the group may work on separate tasks contributing to a common overall
outcome, or work together on a shared task.

Some collaborative learning approaches put mixed ability teams or groups to work in competition with
each other in order to drive more effective collaboration. There is a very wide range of approaches to
collaborative and cooperative learning involving different kinds of organisation and tasks. Peer
tutoring can also be considered as a type of collaborative learning, but in the Toolkit it is reviewed as
a separate topic.

How effective is it?

The impact of collaborative approaches on learning is consistently positive. However, the size of
impact varies, so it is important to get the detail right. Effective collaborative learning requires much
more than just sitting pupils together and asking them to work in a group; structured approaches with
well-designed tasks lead to the greatest learning gains. There is some evidence that collaboration can
be supported with competition between groups, but this is not always necessary, and can lead to
learners focusing on the competition rather than the learning it aims to support. Approaches which
promote talk and interaction between learners tend to result in the best gains.

How secure is the evidence?

Over 40 years a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have provided consistent evidence
about the benefits of collaborative learning. In addition to direct evidence from research into
collaborative approaches, there is also indirect evidence that has shown that collaboration can
increase the effectiveness of other approaches such as Mastery learning or Digital technology.
Collaborative learning appears to work well for all ages if activities are suitably structured for learners’
capabilities and positive evidence has been found across the curriculum. Not all of the specific
approaches to collaborative learning adopted by schools have been evaluated, so it is important to
evaluate any new initiative in this area. 

What are the costs?

Overall the costs are estimated as very low. Ongoing training for teachers is advisable, with estimated
costs of about £500 per teacher, or £20 per pupil per year for a class of 25 pupils.

What should I consider?

Before you implement this strategy in your learning environment, consider the following:

1. Pupils need support and practice to work together; it does not happen automatically.
2. Tasks need to be designed carefully so that working together is effective and efficient,
otherwise some pupils will try to work on their own.
3. Competition between groups can be used to support pupils in working together more
effectively. However, overemphasis on competition can cause learners to focus on winning
rather than succeeding in their learning.
4. It is particularly important to encourage lower achieving pupils to talk and articulate their
thinking in collaborative tasks to ensure they benefit fully.
5. Have you considered what professional development is required to support effective use of
these approaches?
Collaborative learning | Toolkit Strand. (2021). Retrieved 8 July 2021, from
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-
toolkit/collaborative-learning/

Collaborative Learning
Engaging Students

Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger groups. Peer learning, or

peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students working in
pairs or small groups to discuss concepts or find solutions to problems. Similar to
the idea that two or three heads are better than one, educational researchers have
found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing
misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions. For more on peer learning, visit
the Turn to Your Neighbor Peer Instruction Blog.

Why Use Collaborative Learning?

Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual,
engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning. The benefits of collaborative
learning include:

 Development of higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management,

and leadership skills.
 Promotion of student-faculty interaction.
 Increase in student retention, self-esteem, and responsibility.
 Exposure to and an increase in understanding of diverse perspectives.
 Preparation for real life social and employment situations.

Considerations for Using Collaborative

Learning
 Introduce group or peer work early in the semester to set clear student
expectations.
 Establish ground rules  for participation and contributions.
 Plan for each stage of group work.
 Carefully explain to your students how groups or peer discussion will operate
and how students will be graded.
  Help students develop the skills they need to succeed, such as using team-
building exercises or introducing self-reflection techniques.
 Consider using written contracts.
 Incorporate  self -assessment and  peer  assessment for group members to
evaluate their own and others' contributions.

Getting Started with Collaborative Learning

Shorter in-class collaborative learning activities generally involve a three-step
process. This process can be as short as five minutes, but can be longer, depending
on the task at hand.

 Introduce the task. This can be as simple as instructing students to turn to

their neighbor to discuss or debate a topic.
 Provide students with enough time to engage with the task. Walk around and
address any questions as needed.
 Debrief. Call on a few students to share a summary of their conclusions.
Address any misconceptions or clarify any confusing points. Open the floor
for questions.
For larger group work projects, here are some strategies to help ensure productive
group dynamics:

 Provide opportunities for students to develop rapport and group cohesion

through  icebreakers, team-building, and reflection exercises.
 Give students time to create a group work plan allowing them to plan for
deadlines and divide up their responsibilities.
 Have students  establish ground rules. Students can create a contract for
each member to sign. This contract can include agreed-upon penalties for
those who fail to fulfill obligations.
 Assign roles to members of each group and change the roles periodically. For
example, one student can be the coordinator, another the note-taker,
another the summarizer, and another the planner of next steps.
 Allow students to rate each other’s quality and quantity of contributions. Use
these evaluations when giving individual grades, but do not let it weigh
heavily on a student's final grade. Communicate clearly how peer assessment
will influence grades.
 Check in with groups intermittently but encourage students to handle their
own issues before coming to you for assistance.
Collaborative Learning | Center for Teaching Innovation. (2021). Retrieved 8 July 2021,
from https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/engaging-students/collaborative-
learning

What is it?
A collaborative (or cooperative) learning approach involves students working
together on activities or learning tasks in a group small enough for everyone to
participate on a collective task that has been clearly assigned. Students in the group
may work on separate tasks contributing to a common overall outcome, or work
together on a shared task.

Some collaborative learning approaches put mixed ability teams or groups to work in
competition with each other in order to drive more effective collaboration. There is a
very wide range of approaches to collaborative and cooperative learning involving
different kinds of organisation and tasks. Peer tutoring can also be considered as a
type of collaborative learning, but in the Toolkit it is reviewed as a separate topic.

How effective is it?

The impact of collaborative approaches on learning is consistently positive.
However, the size of impact varies, so it is important to get the detail right. Effective
collaborative learning requires much more than just sitting students together and
asking them to work in a group; structured approaches with well-designed tasks lead
to the greatest learning gains. There is some evidence that collaboration can be
supported with competition between groups, but this is not always necessary, and
can lead to learners focusing on the competition rather than the learning it aims to
support. Approaches which promote talk and interaction between learners tend to
result in the best gains.

There remain a fairly limited number of published studies on collaborative learning in

Australian and New Zealand contexts. A meta-analysis on the topic is yet to be
published. The few studies that have been published indicate that collaborative
learning is an effective way of engaging students in learning, as long as it is well
structured and well communicated. 

A 2014 review article about cooperative learning was conducted by academics at the
University of Queensland. The article found that cooperative learning was most likely
to be effective when groups included four or fewer students with mixed prior
achievement, and when students worked on tasks that required them to cooperate.

How secure is the evidence?

Over 40 years a number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have provided
consistent evidence about the benefits of collaborative learning. In addition to direct
evidence from research into collaborative approaches, there is also indirect evidence
that has shown that collaboration can increase the effectiveness of other approaches
such as Mastery learning or Digital technology. Collaborative learning appears to
work well for all ages if activities are suitably structured for learners’ capabilities and
positive evidence has been found across the curriculum. Not all of the specific
approaches to collaborative learning adopted by schools have been evaluated, so it
is important to evaluate any new initiative in this area. 

What are the costs?

Overall the costs are estimated as very low. Ongoing training for teachers is
advisable, with estimated costs of about $500 per teacher, or $20 per student per
year for a class of 25 students.

What should I consider?

Students need support and practice to work together; it does not happen
automatically.

Tasks need to be designed carefully so that working together is effective and

efficient, otherwise some students will try to work on their own.

Competition between groups can be used to support students in working together

more effectively. However, overemphasis on competition can cause learners to focus
on winning rather than succeeding in their learning.

It is particularly important to encourage lower achieving students to talk and

articulate their thinking in collaborative tasks to ensure they benefit fully.

Have you considered what professional development is required to support effective

use of these approaches?

Collaborative learning | Evidence for Learning | We help great education practice become
common practice. . (2021). Retrieved 8 July 2021, from
https://evidenceforlearning.org.au/the-toolkits/the-teaching-and-learning-toolkit/all-
approaches/collaborative-learning/

What is collaborative learning?

Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that

involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task,
or create a product. According to Gerlach, "Collaborative learning is based on the
idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among
themselves (Gerlach, 1994). It is through the talk that learning occurs."
There are many approaches to collaborative learning. A set of assumptions about
the learning process (Smith and MacGregor, 1992) underlies them all:

1. Learning is an active process whereby students assimilate the information

and relate this new knowledge to a framework of prior knowledge.
2. Learning requires a challenge that opens the door for the learner to actively
engage his/her peers, and to process and synthesize information rather than
simply memorize and regurgitate it.
3. Learners benefit when exposed to diverse viewpoints from people with
varied backgrounds.
4. Learning flourishes in a social environment where conversation between
learners takes place. During this intellectual gymnastics, the learner creates a
framework and meaning to the discourse.
5. In the collaborative learning environment, the learners are challenged both
socially and emotionally as they listen to different perspectives, and are
required to articulate and defend their ideas. In so doing, the learners begin
to create their own unique conceptual frameworks and not rely solely on an
expert's or a text's framework. Thus, in a collaborative learning setting,
learners have the opportunity to converse with peers, present and defend
ideas, exchange diverse beliefs, question other conceptual frameworks, and
be actively engaged.

Collaborative learning processes can be incorporated into a typical 50-

minute class in a variety of ways. Some require a thorough preparation, such
as a long-term project, while others require less preparation, such as posing
a question during lecture and asking students to discuss their ideas with their
neighbors (see concept tests). As Smith and MacGregor state, "In
collaborative classrooms, the lecturing/listening/note-taking process may not
disappear entirely, but it lives alongside other processes that are based in
students' discussion and active work with the course material." Regardless
of the specific approach taken or how much of the ubiquitous lecture-based
course is replaced, the goal is the same: to shift learning from a teacher-
centered to a student-centered model.

Why does collaborative learning work?

There are theories on how collaborative learning improves the educational and
psychological outcomes for students. These can be broadly described as cognitive,
social constructivism, and motivational.

Cognitive approach: For learners to retain and comprehend knowledge, it must be

placed in a conceptual framework (Cooper, et al., 1997; Slavin, 1995). In the small
group setting, the learner has the opportunity to rehearse their understanding with
others and to be exposed to other conceptual constructs.
Social constructivism: For knowledge to be internalized and a framework
established, a social discourse must first take place. It is this discourse that leads to
the conceptual framework in which to relate the new knowledge (Bruffee, 1992).
As MacGregor states, "Knowledge is shaped, over time, by successive
conversations, and by ever-changing social and political environments."
(MacGregor, 1990). Feminist pedagogy contains many of the same ideas of social
constructivism (Belenky, et al., 1986).

The motivational theorists believe that the inherent structure of cooperative

learning creates an environment which motivates learning. For instance, if group
and individual performances are components of the final assessment, individuals
are motivated not only to learn the material but also to encourage all group
members to understand the basic underpinnings of the knowledge. Hence, there is
a driving force to foster positive interdependent relationships between group
members. That is, cooperative learning creates a "One for all and all for one
attitude." (Alexandre Dumas)

  Types of groups
 
  Many types of groups can be used. Three examples
(informal, formal, and base) are described below.

  Informal groups can,
 
have a short lifetime ranging from a few minutes to
  
the class period
   are generally created quickly or ad hoc, (e.g., the
instructor may say "discuss this concept" or
  
"discuss this question with your neighbors"),
   have little structure or format,
   have new group members with each new class day,
  are especially useful during lectures because it can
break the lecture in mini-lectures, and
  may provide a quick check on student
comprehension.
 
 
Formal groups on the other hand,

  last several days to several weeks,

  require more planning as to the size and
composition of the group,
have greater structure,
have a specific purpose (e.g., a particular task to
accomplish), and
 have the same group members throughout its
existence.

Finally, base groups serve a broader purpose. They

last the entire semester (or even several semesters),

meet regularly,
require planning as to the size and composition of
the group,
personalize the task at hand by providing support,
encouragement, and assistance between group
members
have a specific purpose (e.g., a particular task to
complete), and
have a constant membership.

Each type of group has its purpose, along with its

advantages and disadvantages. These issues and others
will be discussed further.

Those experienced in successful small group work have found five essential
components (i.e., the "glue") that are necessary:

 Positive interdependence
 Face-to-face promotive interactions
 Individual accountability and personal responsibility
 Teamwork and social skills
 Group processing

  Positive interdependence
 
  Positive interdependence means that team members need
each other to succeed. A childhood example is the three-
legged race. Though smaller than the typical learning
  groups, it illustrates clearly the dependence each teammate
  has with the other individual.
  
There are many forms of positive interdependence that can
   be structured in groups.
  
One way learning goal interdependence can be
   ensured is if the group's goals include that all
   group members must understand a specific concept
  well enough to explain it to another group.
 Positive interdependence can be reached
  with product goal interdependence: i.e., when
students must reach a consensus answer.
 
  A reward interdependence can be built into the
group by having some form of shared grades. For
example, besides their individual scores on an
  exam, students receive a certain number of points
  if all group members score at or above a certain
grade.

Resource interdependence relies on the fact that

individuals each possess specific resources needed
for the group as a whole to succeed. This can be
arranged by giving specific resources to different
individuals in the group.

Role interdependence occurs when specific roles

are assigned to group members, for example,
recorder or time keeper. The roles can rotate
weekly to give all team members experience.

Task interdependence occurs when one group

member must first complete his/her task before the
next task can be completed. For instance,
collecting water samples might be assigned to two
group member while research on how to collect
samples is done by two other group members.

One way to ensure that positive independence occurs lies

with the face-to-face promotive interactions between
group members.

  Face-to-face promotive interactions

 
  Face-to-face promotive interactions give individuals
opportunities to help each other overcome problems. They
provide the feedback between members necessary for all
  individuals to test ideas and build a framework for their
  knowledge, and they provide resource sharing. Finally,
they embody respect, caring, and encouragement between
  
individuals so all are motivated to continue to work on the
   task at hand.
  
   Individual accountability and personal
   responsibility
 "Another disadvantage [of collaborative learning]
  can be if one group member doesn't contribute as
much as the others do. This will often leave the
  other members frustrated and the student who isn't
contributing won't really learn anything."
  (chemistry student)
  This eloquently stated concern about individual
accountability is common among students who participate
in collaborative learning groups. No one wants to work
  with others who want a free-ride. The purpose of
  collaborative learning groups is to create academically
stronger students. To accomplish this, students must
contribute their fair share. The instructor must structure
the groups so that individuals do not have an opportunity
to "hide". For instance, the instructor could require as part
of the assessment that all group members present their
group's results to other groups.

The importance of individual accountability can not be

overstated: this issue lies at the heart of the "fairness"
issue that concerns many students. To encourage
individual accountability, the group as a whole also needs
to have certain group skills to keep everyone on board as
will be discussed in the next section.

Teamwork and social skills

The ease with which students talk in groups in the minutes prior to the start of class
does not indicate how well they will work in a small group on an academic task
where they must rely on one another. The assumption that students will actively
listen, be respectful and thoughtful, communicate effectively, and be trustworthy is
not always correct. Often, time must be set aside to work on these and to point out
that teamwork skills are essential for achieving the course goals. One way to
enhance student social and teamwork skills is to set aside some time occasionally
to discuss these issues. This sends a signal to the student that these skills are
important and can clarify these social and teamwork skills. This self-assessment
survey method is also useful for group processing.

Group processing

Group processing provides feedback to group members regarding their

participation, provides an opportunity to enhance the members collaborative
learning skills, helps to maintain a good working relationship between members,
and provides a means of celebrating the group's successes. One strategy is to ask
each team to list three things the group has done well and one that needs
improvement (Smith, 1996). Instructors can also encourage whole-class
processing, whereby he/she observes groups and provides feedback either to
individual groups or to the entire class.

  Group size
 
  It seems prudent to keep groups as small as possible to
promote positive interdependence, yet as large as
necessary to provide sufficient diversity of opinions and
  backgrounds as well as resources to get the job done. The
  size of groups formed is directly dependent on the activity
to be pursued and the length of time the group will stay
  
together. Typically, for in-lecture informal activities,
   group size is often kept small (in the range of two to four
students) since larger groups have insufficient time to
  
become cohesive. In contrast, a complex semester long
   project may require the resources of a larger group (four to
   six students) and there is enough time for the group to
  become effective.

  Fiechtner and Davis (1992) investigated why groups fail.

They surveyed students on a variety of factors related to
  structure and function of groups. Students in large groups
  (eight in this case) focused on the difficulties of
scheduling meetings. Most authors (Cooper, et al., 1990;
Johnson, et al., 1998; Nurrenbern, 1995; Slavin, 1995)
  favor groups of four to five students because larger groups
  do not provide an opportunity for all members to
participate and enhance their skills. This author's and his
colleagues' personal experiences also find that groups of
six or more students tend to create a situation where
students can "hide" and not participate fully. Further, the
smaller the group, the greater the likelihood of positive
interdependence.

Why groups fail?

An article by Susan Fiechtner and Elaine Davis, "Why Some Groups Fail: A
Survey of Students' Experiences with Learning Groups" sheds light on how to
assist in making the group experience for students a success. These researchers
surveyed several upper-division speech communication and business classes, and
from the response of 155 students, generalized some group structures and
assignments that may create a more positive experience for students.

Forming groups
  Students have a better experience with groups established by instructors and
not students.
 Though not causing a significant difference in student experiences, groups
of four to seven students were preferred.
 Allow groups to become cohesive - do not continually dissolve groups.

Assignments and activities

 Assign one or no class presentations.

 Assign one to three group written assignments.
 Have five or more group exams.
 Provide for more than the minimum amount of in-class time for group work.

Grading policies

 Group work should count for more than 20% of the total grade.
 Include peer evaluations worth 21% to 41% in the course grade.

Feedback

 Make sure students can not simply divvy up an assignment and have each
group member do their own individual part of the assignment.
 Have large group projects due before the end of the semester and provide
continual feedback.