Beyond Divide & Conquer: How to Support Productive Group Work Meghan Kessler & Saad Shehab Department of Curriculum & Instruction College of Education University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Introductions & Agenda Opening discussion: What is collaborative learning? The role of students in collaborative learning Simulated collaborative learning activity The role of teachers in collaborative learning Wrap-up 1 min [Meghan Shares the day’s agenda] [brief introductions of who we are - stress teaching experiences] [PUT EVERYBODY IN GROUPS OF 3]

Group Think-Share Discussion With your group members, discuss your experiences teaching with collaborative learning or group work. 6 mins Let’s share a bit of our teaching experiences with collaborative learning or group work. What activities, lessons, etc. have you used? [3 to talk to group] [3 to share with whole group] [Meghan facilitates, Saad times] Few students that do not want to work with anybody Not very effective on time… students are always off task The division of work...one student does the work It is very vulnerable

Components of Collaborative Learning Purpose of Collaborative Learning Activity Teacher Facilitation Developing Student Skills 1 min Our definition of collaborative learning is framed by three distinct elements - these three elements are helpful for thinking about the way that we plan instruction and scaffold students’ interactions. We are going to work together to demonstrate and practice collaborative learning behaviors [referencing the contributions of the participants, explain that we’re beginning to talk about collaborative learning as an interaction among the purpose of the collaborative activity + the development of the skills of the students + the role of the teacher] [during this brief intro, pass out worksheets]

Group Think-Share Discussion How would you define collaborative learning? What is the role of the student in collaborative learning? What is the role of the teacher in collaborative learning? Several people working towards a common goal Process of collaboration Students having strength What it takes effectively to communicate Work on authentic problems that are open ended and complex 6 min total [2 min group think] [4 min share out] First we’ll think about our definition of Collaborative Learning. Talk with your group and, in the first column, jot down some ideas related to your definition of collaborative learning. [During share out - stress in the conversation our tendency to focus on the completion of a product/artifact/assignment. The question here is whether a “successful” group is defined by the completion of an assignment or the development of collaborative skills. [focus on complicating/introducing tension]

Group Think-Share Discussion How would you define collaborative learning? What is the role of the student in collaborative learning? What is the role of the teacher in collaborative learning? Criticize the ideas with the right language (social) Facilitate their own learning (meta-cognitive) Bring knowledge to the table (cognitive) 6 min total = 2 min to discuss with group 4 min to discuss whole class Now that we’ve complicated this idea a bit, let’s think about what the students would need to be doing in a truly collaborative setting. [[During Share-out Focus the conversation on emphasizing the gradual development of collaborative skills, less on the conquering of content knowledge. Cite our AERA study -- these habits are not necessarily going to develop naturally/without pre-teaching and intervention] [transition - recent research on collaborative learnig breaks the students’ collaborative skills down into three categories - Cognitive, Metacognitive, Collaborative)

Role of the Student as a Thinker Talking to encourage thinking (cognitive) Asks questions Uses examples to explain suggestions Gives reasons for statements Think aloud Repeat important ideas Talking about thinking (metacognitive) Point out mistakes Express lack of understanding Discuss ideas for moving forward Test whether ideas are helpful for solving the problem Checking answers 1 min Here’s what the research tells us about good collaborators Kaendler et al., 2016

Role of the Student as a Group Member What does a good group member do? (social) Share ideas Respond to each other's ideas Encourage contributions Help the group come to a common decision Stay on task Treat each other and each other's ideas with respect 1 min We’re going to focus a bit more on these social-behavioral skills today Kaendler et al., 2016

Group Think-Share Discussion How would you define collaborative learning? What is the role of the student in collaborative learning? What is the role of the teacher in collaborative learning? What practices should a teacher engage in when she’s trying to support her students’ in these actions? What practices should a teacher avoid doing (or do little/less of)? 6 min total = 2 min to discuss with group 4 min to discuss whole class So now that we’ve thought about the role of the student. What would be the work of the teacher in helping to facilitate or guide students through the development of these skills and habits? [less time here for discussion - let the group know that we are going to engage in a simulation before we finish filling out our final definitions of teacher work] [Saad types responses while meghan facilitates] [DO NOT TALK AHEAD TO THE “ANSWERS” THAT WE WILL REVEAL LATER] Wrap-up: So we know that collaborative learning involves coming to an understanding together. It also involves the development of students’ collaborative skills - some of which are cognitive, some of which are metacognitive and some of which are social - , and careful planning on behalf of the teacher to structure and support learning environments that help support the development of these skills.

Simulated Collaborative Learning Activity [Participants in groups of 3] Hand out cards + scenario You and your teammates will have 15 minutes to complete then move into scenario. Keep these definitions that we’ve been talking about in the back of your mind while we engage in the simulation.

Activity Pretend that you and your team members are on staff together at Illini Grade School in Champaign. Your principal has put your team in charge of planning a one-day field trip for all of the fifth graders (50 students) to Chicago. You know you will be traveling to the Museum of Science and Industry, but other details are up to your team. Your principal requires that you turn in a proposal for this trip. Your proposal must include a detailed itinerary from 8:30 a.m. when the students have arrived to school until 6:00 p.m. when the students will return from Chicago. 20 mins in groups Meghan explains that Meghan will be facilitating the group work, playing the role of the teacher. Saad is going to observe Meghan and take notes on her facilitation of the activity. Groups will be given 3 cards per participant. Each group member must contribute to the group’s problem solving with the assistance of a card. Make sure that, by the end of the activity each group member has used all of their cards. [Each participant’s cards will contain a prompt. collaborative per person.] You are allowed to look things up online to support your work. You have 15 minutes to plan your trip. [Meghan will model monitoring, consolidating, supporting groups] [Saad will be typing observational notes]

Activity Wrap Up Now that you have planned your field trip. Let’s reflect on what we have learned. If you were given the task to mentor a first-year teacher, what advice would you have about planning such a field trip? 5 min What are the essential elements of a good fifth grade field trip? [Note that I am modeling the consolidation phase of teaching collaborative learning - helping students reflect upon the learning that they co-constructed in their groups]

Activity Debrief & Reflection What was the purpose of this activity (get inside the teacher’s head)? What did you notice you and your group members doing during the activity? What did you notice Meghan doing to monitor and support your group’s collaboration? 10 min Discuss as a group - how did Meghan support? [Saad helps push the discussion into monitoring, consolidating. ]

Collaborative Learning Revisited Kaendler et al. 2015; 2016 Collaborative Learning Revisited How would you define collaborative learning? What is the role of the teacher in CL? What is the role of the student in CL? Co-Construction of knowledge Active development of collaborative skills Active development of understanding of content Planning Monitoring Collaborative Learning Supporting Collaborative Learning Consolidating Collaborative Learning Reflecting Talking to encourage thinking Asking questions Giving examples, reasoning & rationale Repeating important ideas Thinking & Thinking Aloud Point out mistakes, express lack of understanding Discuss ideas for moving forward Test whether ideas are helpful for solving the problem Checking answers Actively Involving and Supporting Peers Share ideas, respond to encourage contributions Help the group come to a common decision Stay on task Treat each other with respect 5 min [If time: discuss in your groups what will need to happen in your classrooms to help facilitate this development? Where are the potential challenges] [hand out corresponding worksheet] Important to remember that teachers will engage students in purposeful cultivation of these behaviors over the course of a school year [what we are most excited about is what the students are doing as a group - not just what they produce at the end of the group work assignment]

Additional Resources for Teachers Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (2014). Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom Third Edition. Teachers College Press. Harvey, S., & Daniels, H. (2009). Comprehension & collaboration: Inquiry circles in action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 1 min

References Kaendler, C., Wiedmann, M., Leuders, T., Rummel, N., & Spada, H. (2016). Monitoring student interaction during collaborative learning: Design and evaluation of a training program for pre-service teachers. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 15(1), 44-64. Kaendler, C., Wiedmann, M., Rummel, N., & Spada, H. (2015). Teacher competencies for the implementation of collaborative learning in the classroom: a framework and research review. Educational Psychology Review, 27(3), 505-536. 1 min Neil Mercer - Talk Roles Dillenbourg paper

Thank you! Meghan: makessl2@illinois.edu Saad: shehab2@illinois.edu