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Collaborative Learning Theory in Practice

Purpose and Goals

The purpose of Collaborative Learning Theory in Practice is to describe the possible benefits of practicing the Collaborative Learning Theory within the classroom and school environment. A collaborative learning classroom is one that focuses on peer-to-peer learning or it can take place 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 collaboratively (Cornell University, 2012). We may see that in a traditional classroom, a teacher simply instructs and leaves hardly any time for a classroom discussion or collaboration between peers to take place; in comparison to a collaborative classroom where we would expect and reinforce a more open setting where students can share their knowledge, talents, abilities, and resources with one another. They are focusing on each other’s learning rather than the physical learning products. When the teacher is in the role of a facilitator and students are actively engaged, then collaborative learning is being encouraged within the classroom setting. Cornell University’s work (2012) indicates that research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning and where we can find students investing in their own learning. The benefits of collaborative learning include: •	The development of higher-level thinking, gaining oral communication skills, self-management abilities improve, and leadership skills are expected to rise. •	Promotion of student-teacher interaction as the instructor is simply facilitating the learning that is taking place. •	Increase in student retention, self-esteem, and responsibility. •	Exposure to cultural differences and an increase in understanding of diverse perspectives. •	Preparation for real-life social and employment situations.

The goals of this work are to include the following information: to provide some awareness on what collaborative learning looks like in practice for the classroom setting; second, to provide some framework in helping to provide possible transformative information for current classroom practices; and third, to help further explore the concept of collaboration as a tool for promoting peer-to-peer learning and teaching at the elementary levels as well as incorporating some technological insights.

Definition of Collaborativist Learning Theory

Harasim (2017) looks to the Collaborativist Learning Theory through more of a technological framework. Harasim indicates that Collaborativism refers to educational applications that emphasize collaborative discourse and knowledge work mediated by the internet; learners work together online to identify and advance issues of understanding, and apply their new understanding and analytical terms and tools to solving problems, constructing plans or developing explanations. It is based on peer discourse that is informed by the processes and resources of the knowledge community and facilitated by the instructor as the representative of that knowledge community. Collaborative learning is not only mediated by the Internet but is also based on the view that knowledge is a social construct. Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles:

•	The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction. •	Interaction and "doing" are of primary importance •	Working in groups is an important mode of learning. •	Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning.

Collaborative learning often occurs in a class session after students are introduced to course material through readings or videos before class, and/or through instructor lectures. Similar to the idea that two or three heads are better than one, many instructors have found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions (Cornell University, 2012).

Role of the Teacher

The role of the instructor in a collaborative learning classroom includes a multitude of things. The teacher facilitates and helps to prepare the students for collaborative work, forming groups, structuring the group‐work task, and influencing student interaction through teachers' discourse with small groups and with the class. Common threads through the research are the importance of students explaining their thinking, and teaching strategies and practices that may promote student elaboration of ideas (Webb, 2010). Harasim (2017) indicates that the role of the teacher is a key role in successful collaborative learning outcomes. In the Collaborativist Learning Theory, the instructor is neither the “guide on the side” nor “the sage on the stage.” So what is the instructor’s role in all of this? The educator is to engage the learners in the specific language or vocabulary and activities associated with building the discipline of the material. The teacher acts as the gateway and represents the knowledge community within a particular discipline (Harasim, 2017).

The teacher looks to see if the students acquired fluency of the class material and they ensure that students are adapting to the educational jargon. Harasim (2017) includes a quote from Bruffee (1999) that goes onto say:

“Their education is re-acculturation involving intense, flexible linguistic engagement with members of communities they already belong to and communities to which do not yet belong (Bruffee, 1999, p.154).

Student Role in a Collaborativist Learning Classroom

Students obtain a variety of skills in a collaborativist learning classroom. In the collaborative learning community, you also see a shift in the traditional student role. The student ultimately takes ownership of their learning and the investment in their education is higher. In short, the students work together towards a common goal; they agree and disagree with one another; they attain social skills; they clarify information and knowledge with one another; they learn patience; and they each have a role to get the task completed. Overall, their major roles are the collaborator and active participator. Before learning takes place, the students have the ability to set goals and plan for the learning tasks that will take place; during the learning activities, students come together to accomplish tasks while simultaneously monitoring their progress; and after the learning has occurred, they assess their performance and plan for future learning (Tinzmann’s et al., 1990).

Tinzmann’s et al., (1990) work reports that self-regulated learning is important in collaborative classrooms. Students are to learn to take responsibility for monitoring, adjusting, self-questioning, and questioning each other. Such self-regulating activities are critical for students to learn today, and they are much better learned within a group setting. The group also shares responsibility for the overall learning taking place. Students can further develop their self-regulating abilities when each group shares its ideas with other groups and gets feedback from them. As students developed problem-solving skills with feedback from other groups, they learned more about regulating their own learning which they could use in the future (Tinzmann et al., 1990).

The role of the student according to Harasim (2017) includes the notion that the student in an online group discussion, seminar, or project is to engage in three processes of collaborative discourse and also to learn and apply the analytical terms of the discipline in order to solve a known problem. This is an approach where memorizing facts and/or formulas have no place. The learning that is taking place is in terms of students examining the analytical language and applying the language to solving known problems in the subject matter. The teacher in the classroom does not provide answers to the students; they help facilitate the learning that is going on. It is the responsibility of the learners as they learn how to study the problem, consider ways to understand, problem-solve, and analyze a problem. When collaborating, they find ways to best solve the knowledge problem (Harasim, 2017).

Collaborative classrooms are said to also be natural places in which students are able to learn self-assessment. And because decisions about materials and group evaluation or performance are shared, students feel freer to express their doubts, feelings of success, remaining questions, and uncertainties than when they are evaluated only by a teacher. Further, the sense of cooperation, versus a competition stance, is fostered via collaborative work which makes assessment less threatening for all students. In a more traditional assessment situation, this is not necessarily the case. In the end, students learn to evaluate their own learning from their experiences with group evaluation (Tinzmann et al., 1990).

Learning Environment

In theory, a collaborative learning classroom would appear noisy and unstructured. The key concept to keep in mind is that a collaborative learning classroom that is on-ground does not have to lack structure. Online variables are indeed structured differently; however, there needs to be a maintenance of structure in the online setting as well. The structure becomes highly important for effective collaborative learning to take place. Students need opportunities to move about, talk, ask questions, and so forth (Tinzmann et al., 1990). Overall, it would seem that noise in a well running collaborative classroom indicates that active learning is occurring. With that in mind, students need to have prior instruction on what is appropriate and not appropriate with regards to noise level and effective collaboration such as etiquette manners for one another. There needs to be a procedural set up that is taught before the execution phase of tasks. Students need to be aware of how to ask the educator questions when questions arise, what to do when collaboration is ineffective from all members, how and where assignments are being turned in, as well as where to find classroom resources and materials. The parameters within which they make their choices is up to the group of students collaborating with one another, but the procedural aspect must be reinforced at the very beginning. As mentioned, rules and standards must be stressed from the start and this applies to the online community as well.

Instructional Ideas, Materials, Curriculum, Classroom Exercises, and Technologies

Within an elementary environment, collaborative learning will fundamentally look different than what it would look like within an older group of students. When working with elementary students, teachers will want to utilize real-world experiences, that are developmentally appropriate for the age level of the students, and apply it to the curriculum. From that point on, the educator would review and scaffold with less advanced students to ensure understanding and comprehension. The teacher would need to ensure that all students understand what is being asked of them to accomplish as well as what the execution phase will look like. Let us take finding mathematical patterns as an example for elementary students. As we know all subject areas, even mathematics, are full of opportunities for students to collaborate on tasks that require multifaceted thinking. As Tinzmann’s et al. (1990) work explains, a well-designed problem requires interpretation from the students that allow for multiple solution strategies, and thus having solutions that can be debated amongst, extended or expanded on, and ultimately generalized to other contexts. The teacher would want to assess if the students have mastered the skill and are able to generalize to other settings.

A lesson example developed by a third-grade teacher includes the following: She began the lesson by asking the whole class all the different ways of writing 3 as a sum (for example, 1 + 1 + 1, 2 + 1, 3 + 0). She wrote the responses on the board and noted the number of possibilities. She then asked students to work in pairs to identify all the ways to make sums of 4. The teacher encouraged the students to figure out various solutions to determine whether or not they had found all possible solutions. After, she asked small groups of students to consider the number 5. Before the groups started, she asked them to predict how many solutions there would be. The groups competed amongst one another to add in excitement to the lesson and to find the greatest number of solutions. The teacher then led a follow-up discussion, asking each group to describe the system it had used to generate possible solutions. The class then collaboratively decided which system they thought was best. The teacher then helped students look for patterns in the numbers of solutions for 3, 4, and 5. Next, she asked them to use their "best" system to generate all possible patterns for the number 6. Again, she asked if a pattern was apparent and if they could use it to predict solutions for the number 7. There were suggestions that were made, but no conclusions agreed on. She ended by encouraging students to think more about this problem. With this example, students would be taught prior to the lesson the technological components that could be utilized to arrive at the completion of the tasks. Students would have math charts, iPads (with Internet capabilities) to search for various ways to arrive to the solution, and could ultimately prepare a PowerPoint presentation for their peers at how they arrived at the answers they arrived at. You could use these strategies in reading, writing, science, and history. All disciplines could implement group and collaborative tasks so that students work together to problem solve with one another.

Let us look at a science project in an elementary setting. Boss (2011) explains the “Defying Gravity” project. This project can give your students a chance to investigate what happens near zero gravity by challenging them to design an experiment for NASA. Boss (2011) indicates that separate NASA programs are offered for middle school and high school. Or, propose a project that may land you a seat on the ultimate roller coaster (aka: the "vomit comet"), NASA aircraft that produces periods of micro and hyper gravity ranging from 0 to 2 g's. Ultamitely there are many activities that could result from this one idea. Elementary students could conduct online research in their collaborative groups on various NASA projects, they could create a video project while taking a trip to NASA if the funding allows for it, and the students could create presentations on the defying gravity subject itself; the possibilities are endless.

Educators who adopt this type of learning for their students find that the curriculum can include detailed lesson plans, embedded formative assessments, hands-on activities, digital simulations, and a variety of effective teacher supports for the collaborative classroom environment. When we teach students to tackle on challenges with one another, they can succeed in almost any environment.

References Amplify learning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2018, from https://www.amplify.com/curriculum/amplifyscience

Boss, S. (n.d.). Twenty Ideas for Engaging Projects. Retrieved June 25, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-ideas-for-engaging-projects-suzie-boss

Collaborative Learning: Group Work. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2018, from https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborative-learning.html

Corrigan, P. The benefits of collaborative learning. (2014, October 13). Retrieved June 23, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRtQUKSdxrM

Harasim, L (2017). Learning theory and online technologies (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Tinzmann’s et al. (1990). What Is the Collaborative Classroom? (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2018, from http://methodenpool.uni-koeln.de/koopunterricht/The Collaborative Classroom.htm

Webb, N. M. (2010, December 24). The teacher's role in promoting collaborative dialogue in the classroom. Retrieved June 24, 2018, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1348/000709908X380772