In this article, we’ll examine two aspects of collaborative learning: group goals and individual accountability. While group goals help keep the group on task, individual accountability is equally important. Setting group goals helps establish an unambiguous purpose and saves time. Groups of three or fewer participants often lack diversity and divergent thinking. Groups of more than five members can be ‘freeloading’, so we recommend moderate-sized groups of four or five. Research has shown that group size and quality of interactions influence collaborative learning. In addition, Jacobs and Campbell (1989) have suggested that the use of group norms promotes higher-level thinking and retention of information.
Active learning encourages students to think critically and engage in problem-solving. Inquiry-based learning involves posing problems or scenarios that students must research and present to the class. Through this process, students can further develop their answers and identify areas that need more attention. They’ll also gain confidence in themselves as they develop their skills and abilities. And, with the proper tools, collaborative learning can be highly effective in creating a more productive classroom culture.
While collaboration-based learning is an increasingly popular approach in education, it’s important to understand the cost. Collaboration-based learning requires less staff time, so it’s a cost-effective way to improve attainment. Effective management of collaborative learning activities requires planning and professional development. It also requires a focus on the quality of tasks and how they affect lower-achieving pupils. This means supporting well-designed tasks and monitoring their impact on pupil outcomes.
In a group of three or five pupils, collaborative learning activities are most effective when students work together on a common task. While this can be difficult for pupils with different levels of prior attainment, it’s an essential feature for effective collaboration. Groups can be a valuable way to promote learning in any subject. If well-structured, collaborative learning can produce the highest learning gains. If competition is a factor, it can lead to group members focusing solely on competition, which is not a desirable outcome for learning.
Research has shown that the effectiveness of flipped learning depends on the cognitive needs of the students. Flipped teaching, which involves both flipped and traditional teaching, has an important effect on learning satisfaction. In flipped learning, students use collaboration as a key component in their learning. Researchers have also found that the importance of cognition and the role of collaboration in flipped teaching are significant. For example, the students who are most satisfied with flipped teaching are likely to be those who are most interested in higher-order learning skills.
