Collaborative learning
Collaborative learning takes place when students work together in small groups on a shared learning task. Within this framework, there are many approaches that use different kinds of tasks and organization. At its core, collaborative learning relies on the creation of meaningful tasks and engaging group responses.
Key features of collaborative learning
Collaborative learning enriches the classroom for students. It begins with meaningful tasks that involve students participating in negotiating roles, responsibilities and outcomes. Collaborative learning is different from delegated group work. It actively encourages learning and focusing together, rather than delegating parts of a task.
Group selection is a vital consideration, one that you will need to vary depending on many factors:
- The purpose of the activity
- Individual learning goals
- Friendships and working relationships
- Facilitating that building of new relationships
- Delegation of particular skills and strengths
Group learning activities are specially designed so that student collaboration is required to effectively accomplish the task, and includes sharing roles, responsibilities and the ownership of outcomes.
Benefits of effective collaboration
Kids learn best in a social environment
Subject or topic information can be more effective when it comes from peers. Collaborative learning encourages this social aspect of education and enhances student understanding. The group nature of collaborative learning also promotes interactions. Students are organized in flexible groupings, either at random or by the teacher, to reflect mixed academic ability or shared interests, for instance.
Educators can share workload and ideas
By collaborating on and building a shared playlist of videos, for example, educators share inspiration to develop high-quality resources for their classes.
Collaboration ideas for your class
Watching a video and completing interactives together are ways that your students can collaborate using ClickView’s interactive video feature.
Learn more about interactive videos
6 ways ClickView can help with cooperative and collaborative learning
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Group discussion
Students can watch a video together, sharing discussion and conversation. This activity is beneficial in the elementary-age classroom.
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Group videos
Groups can create a video for an assignment by using the app to record. You can then mark or cross-mark, annotating the video and sharing feedback with all involved.
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Lesson starters
Existing video clips can be used as a framework when designing group collaboration or as a group lesson starter in your classroom.
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Group tasks
Teacher packs and lesson plans in ClickView have resources designed specifically for group engagement and collaborative learning.
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Building playlists
You can build playlists together for specific topics, subjects or units of work.
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Giving feedback
Your students can use ClickView to record self or peer feedback on a task, in the form of a video blog, or vlog.
Creating a cooperative atmosphere
It’s the responsibility of the educator to choose strategies that create an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation within the classroom or tutorial environment. These include strategic group selection and explicit teaching of cooperative learning skills, such as team-building exercises. Taking time to effectively set up the atmosphere results in more successful outcomes. Explore resources to help you with collaborative learning
Types of collaborative activities
Within the framework of collaborative learning, students are active participants at all stages of the process. Some examples of a group collaboration might be planning a class event for a school celebration day, such as a party or fundraiser, or conducting a campus survey on waste and recycling.
Collaboration between educators
Take up the valuable opportunity to collaborate with other educators. By sharing ideas and inspiration, you can develop your own teaching practice and repertoire, while saving yourself time in the process. Work with educators on your own campus or connect online with those further afield and experience the benefits. Contact a ClickView Advisor for advice or tips on collaboration
Cross-age collaboration
Collaborative activities that bring students of different ages together are valuable learning experiences. Students of all ages have unique perspectives and ideas to share and can learn from each other. Think of an opportunity in your school or higher education setting to explore cross-age collaboration. Explore more useful teaching strategies