Building a Collaborative Learning Environment Erin Green (Nutrition) Georgia Andreou (Classics)

Learning Outcomes Define collaborative learning and its benefits for students. Identify strategies to implement collaborative learning into the classroom. Discuss the benefits and potential risks of collaborative learning exercises Develop techniques for utilizing collaborative learning methods in the classroom Design activities and strategies that promote student cooperation, mutual respect, and responsibility

Why Collaborative Learning? Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning. What are some benefits of collaborative learning??? Development of oral communication, self-management, and leadership skills. 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.

Why Collaborative Learning? Turn to the person next to you and discuss: An experience you had where collaborative learning worked? Didn’t work? - Inspire the audience. In the past, I do not enjoy group work....talk about how I appreciate it more now. - Learner must actively make the connections in their own brains. neurons want to make connections. - Good practice encourages student-faculty contact, cooperation among students and active learning 37-17 111st corona It is happening in our everyday lives Making new connections in our brains Strong data supporting “deeper” understanding https://blog.peerinstruction.net/ The official peer instruction blog

Why Collaborative Learning?

Adapted from: Bonwell, 1996

Things to Keep in Mind Outline ASSESSMENT methods Individual? Peer? Group? Review questions Proposals Reports of case studies In-class or video presentations Posters Others?

Activity 1 RULES Form two groups, stand in circles Decide among your group a general topic of discussion. -pick a person -pick a location RULES Each person contributes with one sentence that is positively reinforcing the previous person’s sentence. Begin your sentence with “yes and…” (instead of “yes, but”)

Activity 2 Form groups of 3-4 with the aim to write a wikipedia entry Make sure that: Each participant completes an equal amount of work Each participant is assigned a unique task There is a way to make sure all of the participants are responsible for everyone’s success The project as a whole reflect the input of each individual participant

Activity 2: Questions to keep in mind: How will groups form to study the topic you discussed? (think skill, background, comfort level etc.) How will you ensure that students are productive? (e.g. are they meeting frequently? Are they comfortable with each other?) What information and technologies do you provide them with? (bibliography? Blogs? Social media?) How do you manage group relations? (ground rules? Assigned roles?) How do you evaluate them? (peer-review? Rubrics? Other?)

http://tinyurl.com/zzrry2q Before you leave, please fill out: Upcoming CTE workshops: Date Title Certificate Wednesday, Feb 8 (1:30-2:45) Utilize Classroom Assessment Techniques to Evaluate Student Learning Assessing Learning and Teaching Thursday, Feb 16 (4:45-6:00) Developing Service-Learning in the Disciplines Innovative Approaches in Pedagogy Friday, Feb 24 (1:30-2:45) Engaging Students in Quantitative Courses Creating an Engaging Classroom Monday, Feb 27 (4:45-6:00) An Integrated Course Design Approach to Planning Your Class Course Design Saturday, March 4th CTE Saturday U-Wide Conference Erin Green, emg232@cornell.edu Georgia Andreou, gma58@cornell.edu

References 1. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES : A HANDBOOK FOR COLLEGE FACULTY. Elizabeth F. Barkley, 2004. 2. NETWORKED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING : SOCIAL INTERACTION AND ACTIVE LEARNING. Guglielmo Trentin, 2010. 3. Collaborative learning : higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Kenneth A. Bruffee, 1998. 4. Wiki writing : collaborative learning in the college classroom. Edited by Robert E. Cummings and Matt Barton, 2008. 5. Evaluating Collaborative Learning and Community. Jessica J et al,The Journal of Experimental Education, 2005 6. Learning Communities. Dodge L and Kendall M, College Taching, 2004 7. Cooperative Learning: Listening to How Children Work at School. Mueller A and Fleming T, The Journal of Educational Research, 2001