Technology supported facilitation and assessment of small group collaborative learning in large 1st year classes

Abstract

Collaborative learning activities offer the potential to support mutual knowledge construction and shared understanding amongst students. Introducing collaborative tasks into large first-year undergraduate science classes to create learning environments that foster student engagement and enhance communication skills is appealing. However, implementing group work in classes of over 1000 students presents challenges for instructors in terms of task design, group management and assessment. Interdisciplinary scenario-inquiry tasks have been designed for small group work in a large science cohort, informed by literature and current pedagogical practices relating to the integration of collaborative and active learning strategies. Facilitation and assessment of these tasks was perceived as too complex and time consuming for a single instructor to complete manually, so a web-based task management technology was developed. Evaluation of the technology supported collaborative group activities, including peer assessment, was conducted through questionnaires, student interviews and analysis of the artefacts of the learning process. The capabilities and limitations of the technology, and the insights into group learning gained through its use are presented. In general, students felt supported through the task. Evidence of resource interdependence was found between students in functional groups.