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1.1
What is Collaborative Learning?
Submitted by Nicholas Longo
It is said that, “the many are smarter than the few,” but under what conditions? This activity encourages participants to reflect upon their own collaborative successes and failures for the purpose of determining which factors help to achieve effective collaboration.
Learning Goals
Describe strengths, benefits, and challenges of collaborative learning.
Identify key attributes associated with successful and unsuccessful collaborative learning.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Prepare to record the discussion on a white board, flip chart, shared document or slide deck, or using an online whiteboard tool.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Individually Reflect on Positive Collaboration Characteristics (5 min)
Introduce the following prompts. Allow five minutes of silent reflection and writing before inviting participants to share their answers.
Think back to a time when you had a positive collaborative experience. Really try to remember a specific example. Where were you? Why were you collaborating?
Take a moment to remember it. If you have a piece of paper, jot down a few descriptive words. Why did it work well? What made it a positive collaborative experience?
What are the traits or characteristics of a positive collaborative experience?
Step Two: Share Positive Collaboration Characteristics (10 min)
Once participants have had a few minutes to reflect, ask the group to share their positive collaboration traits or characteristics. Try to record the answers thematically, if possible. Do not engage in discussion or explanation of traits. Generate a broad list of positive attributes.
Step Three: Share Negative Collaboration Characteristics (10 min)
Next, using a slightly expedited process, invite participants to think back to a negative collaborative discussion experience:
Why was it bad? What are some characteristics of negative collaboration?
What should be avoided when collaborating with others?
Invite participants to think for a couple of minutes and then share 2-3 characteristics of a negative collaborative experience. Record as before.
Step Four (optional): Rank Top 5 Positive and Negative Collaboration Attributes (20 min)
In pairs or small groups, invite participants to review the lists and identify at least 5 common attributes associated with successful collaboration. Discuss their importance and rank them. For example:
Diversity of perspective
Trust and respect within the group
Responsiveness to team members
Familiarity
Playfulness
Repeat this process for negative collaborative experiences.
Step Five: Debrief as a Full Group (15 min)
Invite participants to review the full lists on the flip chart, the online whiteboard, or shared document/slides. Discuss what collaboration means to the full group:
What are some common observations? Do themes or schemes of analysis emerge from these lists?
Which attributes are most likely to undermine the success of collaboration?
Which attributes would make for the most ideal discussion environment?
Who is responsible for successful collaboration?
How do we create a positive collaborative experience?
TIME
40
min
MODULE
Introduction to Collaborative Discussion
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be easily modified for asynchronous learning. See Sample Asynchronous Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity is suitable for professional or more formal learning environments.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
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0 Comments
June 22, 2023 at 3:24:58 AM
June 16, 2023 at 3:56:28 PM
Fun activity!
June 16, 2023 at 5:01:38 AM
Great activity!
June 16, 2023 at 5:00:51 AM
anon
May 25, 2023 at 1:27:08 PM
Great site!
May 22, 2023 at 7:54:26 PM
RT
January 17, 2023 at 12:39:09 AM
This activity could possibly pair with Activity 1.8, which evaluates current discussion style. After completing that evaluation, this activity could be used to help participants envision and set goals or intentions for how they would like to participate in discussions going forward.
RT
January 16, 2023 at 10:26:09 PM
This activity helps develop a skill that is useful in many contexts, including in the classroom, workplace, community and even at home.
RT
January 13, 2023 at 3:17:13 AM
This activitiy can be modified or used as is in helping STEM students and science & technology professionals in identifying the unintended consequences and uses of any new scientific or technological developments or tools, such as AI models, etc.
Shannon Wheatley Hartman
December 7, 2022 at 7:03:49 PM
I am waiting for someone to try this activity out and share it back with us. This is probably one of the most ambitious activities in the toolkit. I really love it but I have not had the opportunity to try it out with a group. Please someone try this and share back!