Collaborative Learning...the way learning should be.

In my previous post, Digital Storytelling, I shared an experience about collaborative learning from my Grade 10 English class and it's effect on me. That project that we did was fun. Not only was it fun, but I learned something worthwhile, meaningful, and long lasting. That knowledge went far beyond what the teacher was expecting. I didn't just learn about that particular theme and plot but I learned how to problem solve. I learned how to effectively complete a task. I learned that I actually like English literature (to the point I pursued a minor in it in University). I learned that my contributions within the group were valuable and necessary. I learned that from what I learned others can benefit from it and they can learn as well.

That is the purpose of collaborative learning. It engages the student. It involves the student in his/her learning. It causes the student to take ownership of the learning. Collaborative learning is brain based pedagogy. Consider the following information from Brief Overview of Collaborative Learning:

• Key to Tacit knowledge - Creating and structuring opportunities for people to network, communicate, mentor, and learn from each other can help capture, formalize, and disseminate tacit knowledge, and thus accelerate learning and organizational effectiveness. Often hard to capture tacit knowledge ("how things are really done") in structured, formal learning events. 

• (Cooperative / Collaborative Learning) produces higher achievement and greater productivity than does working alone is so well confirmed by so much research that it stands as one of the strongest principles of social and organizational psychology. 

Researchers from the University of Lethbridge have this to say about collaborative learning and brain-based research.

When students can share their own knowledge and skills with others, not only do the “receivers” gain because they learn something new, but the student who is acting as the teacher will solidifyhis or her knowledge teaching it to others. (Erlauer, 2003, p. 145) 

I think the best way to sum up collaborative learning is to use the words of Confucius.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

We want our students to succeed and collaborative learning is a method that will help students do just that. Here's an article from Alberta Learning about current methods utilizing brain-based research to help students succeed. Brain Based Learning.

I have used collaborative learning in my science class and am looking to use it more often in my other classes.  In my Grade 8 Science class for the Biology portion, students had to learn the different organ systems in the human body. I let the students learn it on their own and then teach it to the class. Here's what I did...

1. Group students in 3 or 4. Assign each group an organ system.
2. Let students do research on an organ system. Research must be done on specific criteria that I gave them, on things that they must know and what other students must know. This is their curriculum.
3. Show students how to use a tool like Google Docs/Drive. This part took at least 2-3 classes to learn to use this tool. 
4. Students used Google Docs/Drive and collaborate on their research documents, etc. Most chose to use powerpoint.
5. Once research was done students had to decide how to present the material to the class (how will they teach the material). I encouraged students to be creative in their teaching of the material. Students also had to decide on how to evaluate other students on the material they have taught. Students had the flexibility/freedom to plan a field trip, do demonstration/experiments (under teacher approval and supervision of course) as necessary to present the material. 

I had to make sure that the students were staying on task and were understanding the material that they must know.

The biggest problem that I faced was taking the class time to learn Google docs/drive. I was hoping that  what they learned using Google docs/drive that they would have carried that over into using that tool in other classes. I tried using Google docs as a way for students to share files/homework with me but that didn't seem to catch with the students. This time around I'm going to try and have the students create a blog that they will use for all their learning. I'm hoping that this will catch this time around. I'm also hoping to get the other teachers on board to using student blogs and having students write to their blogs. Maybe, just maybe this could be a way for students to turn in work.