Collaborative Learning Experiences Research Articles

Elaborating the Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Experiences on Students' Engagement and Social & Academic Success in Public School STEM Education

Elaborating the Effectiveness of Collaborative Learning Experiences on Students' Engagement and Social & Academic Success in Public School STEM Education

Design and evaluation of intercultural cooperative project-based learning in the field of inbound tourism in Japan: A tour guide training course with Chinese and Japanese learners

As internationalization in the learning environment is still developing in Japan, there is a need for further practical research in foreign language education which embeds international cooperative learning. The study reported in this paper aimed to explore the effectiveness of Intercultural Cooperative Project-Based Learning (IC-PBL) based on the integration of foreign language education and tourism education, aiming to develop the necessary skills for collaborating with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Working in the context of a Japanese university, we designed IC-PBL to incorporate the acquisition of knowledge of tourism, tour guide conversation training, field investigation of tourist destinations, and presentation of travel itineraries. Learning outcomes were evaluated based on the concept of Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2017) utilizing both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study shows that the competencies for independence, ability to reach out to others, creativity, and ability to cope with stress were enhanced through the IC-PBL practice. In addition, learners recognized that collaborative learning experiences supported their improvements in thinking and teamwork within the framework of the Fundamental Competencies for Working Persons. This IC-PBL model shows potential as an effective instructional design to integrate foreign language education and tourism education and promote the ability to work with diverse people towards a common goal.

How Did Students Perceive Classroom Learning under Strict COVID-19 Pandemic Closures and Restrictions?

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 required strict infection prevention measures worldwide, including school closure. After school reopened, we implemented Japan’s strict COVID measures, under which close contact in pairs or groups, as well as vocalizing in unison, was proscribed, with students having to remain quiet and face the blackboard.
 This study’s aim is to answer the question of how students felt about learning under such extreme constraints. One of the most noticeable findings from the responses to the survey of the 2020 class was that they felt the lack of collaborative learning experiences; hence, in 2021, we implemented changes that would allow for more collaboration while still adhering to COVID prevention guidelines. Among the various collaborative learning activities in the classroom, students reported that they found value in debate activities that challenged their English language skills and critical thinking. Overall, however, students found comfort and value in a semblance of learning with their peers.
 It was concluded that even in a volatile and uncertain situation, such as a pandemic, it is crucial to improve environments for collaborative learning. In the future, quantitative study of the impact of collaborative learning on students’ English proficiency will be a useful follow-up study.

Engineering to understand: reflections on a learning and teaching partnership for preservice early grades teachers and preschoolers

ABSTRACT Even with increasing calls for both researchers and educators to attend to the “E” in STEM from within the larger field of STEM education, little is known about the practices that serve to support early educators’ pedagogy and related content knowledge of engineering design. Using multiple methods in a revelatory, embedded, single-case design, this research provides an explanatory account of preservice teachers (PTs) engagement during a structured field experience with preschoolers designed to foster their understanding of design-based engineering though collaborative learning and teaching experiences. Research Findings: Findings reveal that the PTs developed more robust understandings of design-based engineering and stronger self-efficacy beliefs related to their practice following participation in the learning and teaching collaborative project. PTs also voiced concerns over perceived challenges of integrating engineering instruction within the pedagogically and content restrictive environments of contemporary early childhood classrooms. Practice or Policy: Additionally, this research suggests that guided teaching and learning partnerships can support early childhood teacher preparation programs in developing preservice teachers’ understandings of the interrelationships between engineering and other aspects of the curriculum using emergent curricular approaches and interactional, play-based pedagogies.

An Exploratory Examination of Student-Led, Asynchronous Collaborative Online Discussions in Fostering Higher-Order Cognitive Skills and Ethical Leadership Learning

Previous studies have contextualized student-led, asynchronous online discussions as collaborative learning experiences that positively impact students’ learning and foster higher order cognitive skills. From a leadership education perspective, student-led discussions have come to the fore as a helpful resource for deepening learning because of their focus on collaboration and shared leadership. While literature on student-led online discussions, leadership learning, and cognitive skill is plentiful, there is no single study that explores all these elements together or fully points to how practicing meaning-making in online, asynchronous leadership courses can inform larger cognitive processes. Thus, the purpose of this conceptual content analysis-based study was to examine 35 undergraduate students’ collaborative discussion board posts at the beginning, middle, and end of an online, asynchronous Ethics and Leadership class to assess not only if and to what extent students expressed cognitive skills, in general, but also if and to what extent they understood ethical leadership via these types of discussions. Further, from an exploratory lens, this study examined if there was a relationship between expression of higher order cognitive skills and more complex ethical leadership understanding. Results indicate that, while students achieved higher order cognitive skills and more holistic ethical leadership understanding overall, robustness of student engagement could be situational in nature and expressions of cognitive skills and ethical leadership understanding tapered as the course progressed. Additional findings and implications are discussed.

Patterns of student collaborative learning in blended course designs based on their learning orientations: a student approaches to learning perspective

This study combines research methods from student approaches to learning research and social network analysis (SNA) to examine patterns of students’ collaborative learning based on their learning orientations amongst 193 postgraduates enrolled in a blended course. The study identified two distinct learning orientations, namely ‘understanding’ and ‘reproducing’, which differed in approaches to learning through inquiry, approaches to using online learning technologies, perceptions of the online workload, and academic outcomes. On the basis of students’ learning orientations and their choice of whether to collaborate and with whom to collaborate, five networks representing five patterns of collaborative learning were found. From these, two did not reveal any collaboration (Understanding Alone and Reproducing Alone networks); and three revealed collaborations (Understanding Collaboration, Mixed Collaboration, Reproducing Collaboration networks). A range of SNA measures were calculated and revealed different features of the three collaboration networks. Viewed together, the combined methodologies suggest that the Understanding Collaboration network has more desirable features of collaboration, such as the intensity of collaboration, having closely knitted groups who tended to seek out and welcome peers and who tended to engage more often in both face-to-face and online modes. The study suggests that helping students adjust their learning orientations, designing some compulsory collaborative assessment tasks, and configuring the composition of collaborative groups are productive strategies likely to improve students’ experiences of collaborative learning.

The Relationship between Gender and the Collaborative Learning Experience of University of Technology Students

Diversity influences students’ learning experience and their ability to learn. Gender is one of the characteristics of student diversity that could affect students’ attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences manifest in men and women students’ experience of collaborative learning. An existing questionnaire was used to collect data from 186 Hospitality Financial Management 1 students (2016) who participated in collaborative learning classes. Data were analysed using the chi-squared test for independence to determine the relationship between gender and the components of collaborative learning. The results indicated that the majority of men and women students were satisfied with the collaborative learning experience. There was a statistically significant difference between men and women students on the statements “Collaborative learning activities made an important contribution to my learning” and “It is easy to organise and distribute tasks and responsibilities among collaborative learning members.” Significantly more women students (17.65%) disagreed that it had contributed to their learning than men students (4.29%). The findings can be interpreted as meaning that although there were differences in how men students experienced collaborative learning compared with women students, these differences were limited and the general tendency between these groups were similar.

Blended Learning An Experiment on Students’ Attitudes

The findings of a number of recent empirical studies on blended learning support this pedagogy claiming many advantages such as the facilitation of independent and collaborative learning experiences. This study compares the attitudes towards blended learning of undergraduate students in the UAE before and after a full course exposure to blended learning, comparing results to the attitudes of students in a traditional course. An experimental research design was chosen for this research study, specifically a two-group pretest-posttest research design. Results show that exposure to blended learning serves as a trigger for changing students’ attitudes towards blended learning in a positive manner and that lack of exposure does not change student’s attitudes.

Implementation of a "Cases and Conundrums" Conference Among Early Career Internal Medicine Clinicians.

Isolation among primary care clinicians impacts diagnostic accuracy, clinical confidence, and joy in work. In residency training programs, formal case conferences are foundational to the collaborative learning experience; however, in modern outpatient practice, informal discussions of challenging

COVID-19 Impact on Regional Medical Campus Education: Student Perspectives

Due to social distancing precautions and the desire to protect clinical learners, the COVID-19 pandemic forced medical schools everywhere to implement more distanced and virtualized learning in their educational curriculums. More specifically, at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Salina, a regional medical campus, the impact of some of these changes were also seen and felt. The purpose of this study was to investigate the downstream effects of these curriculum changes from the perspectives and opinions of medical students attending a regional medical campus. To explore the study purpose, a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study that used an online survey with closed and open-ended questions was used. Additionally, because of unique curriculum characteristics depending on the year of the student, 1st and 2nd year students (phase I) were asked slightly different questions than students in their 3rd and 4th years (phase II). Closed-ended questions asked students about lecture experience, clinical learning development and time, study time, exam performance, collaborative learning experiences, and socialization/interactions with colleagues. Students answered in range of -3 to +3, negative numbers meaning a detrimental impact (or decrease in study time), and positive numbers being beneficial impact (or increase in study time). Open-ended questions asked students about improvements that could be made, unique class circumstances during the pandemic and any other relevant impact not covered in closed-ended questions. For phase I students, lecture experience, study time and exam performance resulted in no impact. However, collaborative learning and socialization with colleagues did result in a detrimental impact that was significant. For phase II learners, clinical skills development, time spent in clinical skills development and socialization with colleagues were detrimentally impacted. However, the amount of time spent on studying increased and exam performance benefited. These findings suggest that pandemic-related curriculum changes impact learners differently depending on the phase of medical they are in.
 There are no conflicts of interest by either of the authors. This study has been approved by the University of Kansas Medical Center Institutional Review Board.

Factors enabling and constraining students’ collaborative online international learning experiences

Factors enabling and constraining students’ collaborative online international learning experiences

Collaborative learning experiences of fourth-year students in a social work module

This article provides insight into a fourth-year social work module, integrating an authentic learning task. This task focused on the development of a funding proposal for a social service organization. It attempted to integrate collaborative learning by scaffolding students’ participation in the world of work, rather than just receiving a qualification. In view of the prevalent conversation around the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential that lecturers at higher education institutions embrace collaborative and problem-solving skills for student tasks. Recent evidence suggests that higher education graduates’ learning and their readiness for work in a professional environment require a greater focus on creative and innovative thinking to solve real-world problems. The results from this qualitative investigation revealed that students found working in teams and collaborating with their peers both challenging and rewarding. This process contributed to the holistic development of social workers ready to work in the real-world.

From on-site to online collaborative learning

ABSTRACT This study aims to determine the impact of switching from on-site to an online education on the collaborative learning experience of third-year students in Hospitality Management. An online survey containing seventeen questions was answered by 90 students. The results show that the students perceive more disadvantages than advantages of the switch from on-site to online education, resulting in 74% qualifying it as a negative experience. Furthermore, overall appreciation was significantly related with impact on study behaviour, like time spent on study, attending classes or asking questions. In order to get a more complete view on how all students perceive and practise online education, further research is recommended on design and delivery of online collaborative learning.

Improving mobile learning in secondary mathematics and science: Listening to students

AbstractBackgroundMobile learning studies often focus on teachers' perspectives. This study instead considers students' experiences of learning with mobile devices (i.e., m‐learning) in secondary school mathematics and science.ObjectivesThe research aims to describe the m‐learning experiences of secondary mathematics and science students, and to determine the extent to which distinctive pedagogical dimensions impact students' perceived learning.MethodsA survey instrument using the iPAC mobile pedagogical framework as a theoretical lens is developed and validated. This framework highlights three pedagogical dimensions: personalization, authenticity, and collaboration. Structural equation modelling is used to investigate how each dimension predicts students' perceived improvement in learning, whilst accounting for usage context, among a sample of students in schools where mobile devices are used extensively.Results and ConclusionsStudents were in agreement that personalization was a characteristic of their m‐learning experiences, but authentic and collaborative learning were not as strongly featured. M‐learning activities fostering personalization were most important for improving perceived learning; authenticity and collaboration were also significant, but no differences in perceived learning improvement due to location were found. Authentic m‐learning and perceived improvement in learning with mobile devices were significantly higher in science than mathematics subjects.ImplicationsWhen teachers design m‐learning tasks that enhance personalization, collaboration, and authenticity, students are predicted to perceive improvements in their learning. The findings suggest that teachers should consider designing technology‐enhanced tasks that improve students' experiences of collaborative and authentic learning, particularly in mathematics for greatest gains in students' perceived improvement in learning.

Collaborative Learning Experiences in a Changing Environment: Innovative Educational Approaches in Architecture

The sense of uncertainty and fragility due to the effects and magnitude of global challenges we are facing (from the circumstances of the pandemic to the impacts of climate change) requires—much more than in the past—the capacity to generate a visionary and forefront design approach in the young generation, with an aim to stimulate their reaction attitude rather than providing consolidated tools from past conditions that no longer exist or will rapidly evolve. Within this general framework, we have investigated the effectiveness and impacts of experienced-based methods of learning and innovative educational tools in architecture that are aimed at shaping expertise that addresses the aspects of environment and climate change in the context of socio-cultural dynamics, real potentialities and constraints, and their transdisciplinary trajectories. We analyzed five international pioneering teaching experiences that provided the opportunity to understand the outcomes of collaborative and experiential learning processes by which the educational activities leverage dialogue between diverse communities (including academia, citizens, policymakers, and practitioners). The study outcomes show that shifting the pedagogical paradigm towards experience-based models can improve the awareness of future practitioners for the climate implications of architectural design, implement their analysis and project skills, and trigger processes of knowledge transfer and co-production at the community level. Experience-based models also allow them to better address the societal and cultural issues involved in decision making.

A smart learning ecosystem design for delivering Data-driven Thinking in STEM education

This paper proposes an Internet of Things device (IoT)-based ecosystem that can be leveraged to provide children and adolescent students with STEM educational activities. Our framework is general and scalable, covering multi-stakeholder partnerships, learning outcomes, educational program design and technical architecture. We highlight the importance of bringing Data-driven Thinking to the core of the learning environment as it leads to collaborative learning experience and the development of specific STEM skills such as problem-finding and solving, cognitive, analytical thinking, spatial skills, mental manipulation of objects, organization, leadership, management, and so on. A successful case study in Singapore involving tens of thousands of students is presented.

Collaborative learning experiences in the university jazz/creative music ensemble: Student perspectives on instructional communication

While the ensemble is a ubiquitous learning environment within jazz education, opportunities to learn through engagement in ensemble performances and industry-level recording opportunities are rare classroom environments tertiary jazz music institutions offer. This qualitative study examines jazz performance contexts within an Australian tertiary music course, exploring students’ learning experience spanning three diverse collaborative projects across nine months. Phenomenological analysis explores the instructional relationship outlining connection between the student and instruction, the subject matter that is taught, and the connection between the student and the teacher as master improviser. Findings outline substantive teacher crafting of learning, relationship building and learning experiences garnered from interpersonal learning relationships, and the application of content with pedagogy that aims to build a positive learning climate between improvising teachers and their students. The author contends that a phenomenological perspective can highlight this diversity and emphasize effective interpersonal strategies and ensemble pedagogies that enhance student learning and potentially enculturate richer and more sophisticated musicianship in students and their developing creative abilities.

STRUCTURE AND PECULIARITIES OF THE CHALLENGE BASED LEARNING APPROACH

Today’s students are presented with content-centric assignments that meet standards but lack a real-world context and opportunities for active participation. Because these assignments often fail to engage students, they can lead to uninspired work and a gradual process of disengagement. To address this need, Apple Inc. worked with teachers and leaders in the education community to develop a new approach to teaching and learning called Challenge Based Learning. Challenge-based learning (CBL) is a pedagogic approach for K12 education pioneered by education staff at Apple, Inc. that has its roots in problem-based learning and the work of John Dewey. The approach focuses on increasing student engagement. Unlike problem-based learning, CBL is a collaborative learning experience in which teachers and students work together to learn about compelling issues, propose solutions to real problems, and take action. The approach asks students to reflect on their learning and the impact of their actions, and publish their solutions to a worldwide audience. This article discusses the formation and characteristics of the Challenge Based Learning approach.

Online Learning Experiences in the COVID-19 Era: A Look at the Collaborative Learning, Sense of Community, and Social Presence of University Students in the UAE

University teaching around the world has been heavily disrupted by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the last year has seen a major shift in teaching and learning from the traditional face-to-face mode to one heavily dependent on the interactive technologies of the Internet. Despite the challenges that this new mode of teaching poses, it brings with it innovative opportunities for sociability, collaboration, and community building in the classroom. Representing a first phase of a larger study, this paper looks at the social side of online learning throughout the pandemic, exploring connections between the sense of community, collaborative learning, and social presence of university students. A web survey was employed to uncover these connections and 609 responses were collected from undergraduate and postgraduate students across 9 colleges at a large UAE university. The results show significant and positive, yet moderate correlations between (a) sense of community and collaborative learning experiences, (b) sense of community and social presence, and (c) collaborative learning experiences and social presence. These results are expected to inform the design and execution of online learning models, even in a post-pandemic reality, as teachers are recommended to facilitate their students’ social experiences by encouraging discussion, co-operation, and synchronous communication.

"Collaboration Toward One Collective Goal": A Mixed-Methods Study of Short-Term Learning Outcomes and Long-Term Impacts Among Students Participating in an Undergraduate Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Course.

Background: Research shows positive learning outcomes for students participating in service learning. However, the impacts of undergraduate student participation in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) courses are minimally studied.Methods: We used a triangulation mixed-methods design approach to analyze short- and long-term (1–5 years post-course) data collected from 59 undergraduate students across 5 cohorts of a CBPR course (2014–19). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data and descriptive statistics and frequencies were generated to analyze the quantitative data.Results: We developed five key themes based on short-term qualitative data: integration of CBPR and traditional research skills; importance of community engagement in research; identity; accountability; and collaboration. Themes from qualitative course evaluations aligned with these findings. Long-term qualitative data revealed that former students gained research knowledge, research skills, and professional skills and then applied these in other settings. This aligns with quantitative findings, where >79% of respondents reported that course participation “extensively” improved their research skills. Post-course, students still reflected on the importance of community engagement in research and reported a substantially enhanced likelihood of civic engagement.Discussion/Conclusions: Students gained critical knowledge and skills that positively impact their ability to engage in community-based work well after the end of course participation. Some students reported considering research-oriented careers and graduate programs for the first time after course participation. Collaborative learning experiences with community partners and members encouraged students to reflect on research designs that center community voices. We stress here that community partnerships require extensive cultivation, but they can create opportunities to translate findings directly back to communities and provide numerous benefits to undergraduate students. We hope that our findings provide the information needed to consider pilot testing practice-based CBPR courses in a variety of public health training contexts.