Collaborative Learning in College Science: Evoking Positive Interdependence

Abstract

Collaborative learning is a widely used instructional method, but its learning potential is often underused in practice. To identify the importance of various factors underlying effective collaborative learning, we selected and analyzed five different life science courses with successful collaborative learning and focused on factors that, according to students, increased the effectiveness of collaboration. Nine focus group interviews were conducted and analyzed. Results show that factors evoking effective collaboration were student autonomy and self-regulatory behavior, combined with a challenging, open, and complex group task that required students to create something new and original. The design factors of these courses fostered a sense of responsibility and shared ownership of both the collaborative process and the end product of the group assignment. The attitude of the teacher is also of importance, especially expressing trust in the students’ abilities. We conclude that those who design collaborative learning environments should use challenging and relevant tasks that build shared ownership with students. In this chapter the main factors supporting collaborative learning are described and some suggestions are provided to implement them.