Small Group Collaborative Learning Research Articles

Learning Gap Assessment in Integrated Mathematics 9

The pandemic has profoundly impacted education, posing unprecedented challenges that demand immediate attention. Thus, this study was conducted to identify intervention activities that may be introduced on the learning gaps in Integrated Mathematics 9 for the First Quarter of the School Year 2022-2023. A quantitative quasi-experimental research using a pretest-posttest design was employed in this study and conducted on the 31 Grade 9 students of St. Paul University Surigao during the First Quarter of the School Year 2022-2023. A validated test was used to conduct the pretest and posttest to assess the learning gaps in Mathematics 9. Frequency, percentage distribution, and paired t-test were used in analyzing the data gathered. This study found that there are least-mastered competencies in the First Quarter of Mathematics 9. In addition, there is a significant difference in the pre-and posttest performance of the learners, especially after giving intervention activities such as drill, practice exercises, tutoring sessions, or small group instruction, peer tutoring and collaborative learning, expanded opportunity, explicit and technology-assisted instruction. Thus, the intervention improved learner performance and addressed least-mastered competencies. It is recommended for mathematics teachers to design further intervention materials targeting other least-learned competencies.

Centering and marginalization in introductory university physics classrooms

IntroductionResearch-based instructional strategies in physics promote active participation in collaborative activities as a primary means for students to construct understanding. Discussions of physics content are also negotiations of social relations.MethodsVideo analysis of small-group collaborative learning activities in introductory physics classrooms at three different universities, using situated learning theory analyses that include a critical consciousness lens.ResultsStudents’ ability to actively participate in sensemaking may be limited by their peripheral or marginalized position. Some people seem to be centered (or marginalized) for reasons other than the strength of their physics reasoning, and some people’s contributions are elevated (or neglected) for reasons other than their scientific merit.DiscussionSome of the behavioral patterns that we observe typify racialized and gendered interactions that are common in broader U.S. society.

Case-Based Learning: An Analysis of Student Groupwork and Instructional Design that Promotes Collaborative Discussion

The use of small-group collaborative case-based learning methodologies has been growing both in interest and implementation across veterinary college curriculums in recent years. The ability of this pedagogical approach to solidify and deepen learning outcomes is well-established in the broader education literature. However, to achieve this positive impact, students must interact in productive discussions that expand the scope of their understanding. The present study focused on analyzing the ways in which professional veterinary students interact as they work collaboratively through clinical cases, in the context of a Team-Based Learning intensive curriculum. This data was used to draw connections between the questions posed in the clinical case activities and the resulting intragroup collaborative outcomes, which can assist veterinary educators in sparking more robust student discussions through facilitation and instructional design. Fourteen participants formed two student groups that worked on 49 case questions across 5 sessions, providing 98 episodes of collaboration for analysis. The findings of this study revealed how professional veterinary students negotiated perspectives to come to consensus on in-class case-based learning tasks, including eight primary types of statements they made and seven overall patterns of group collaboration. This study highlighted specific elements of instructional design that influenced student collaboration including: allowing for multiple perspectives, sparking disagreement, perceived difficulty, learning outcome level, and the level of consensus required by the question structure. We present specific recommendations for veterinary educators to consider while designing questions for veterinary student groups.

Moving from tangibility toward digitalization: investigating team dynamics and facilitator support among medical students in conventional and digital small-group tutorials

BackgroundSmall group tutorials (SGT) promotes self-directed learning and is widely used in medical education. The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has accelerated the trend toward SGT digitalization, with unclear effect. We hypothesize that team dynamics and facilitator support influence SGT satisfaction in digital versus conventional SGT.MethodsDuring the spring semester of year 2021, medical students (the second, third, and fourth year; n = 433) participating in conventional face-to-face and digital SGT curricula were enrolled. Participating students completed the collaborative learning attitude scale (including team dynamics, team acquaintance, and facilitator support dimensions) and teamwork satisfaction scale, previously validated for small-group collaborative learning, and chose preference between conventional or digital SGT in future curricula. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to extract the essential structural factors of these scales. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare differences in different dimensions and satisfaction between the conventional and digital SGT settings. Two sets of multiple regression analyses were done; one with team satisfaction scale results and the other with preference for digital SGT as the dependent variable were used to evaluate determinants of these two variables.ResultsThe EFA results revealed that the original collaborative learning attitude scale was concentrated on two dimensions: team dynamics and facilitator support. No significant differences were noted between the SGT settings for the two dimensions and teamwork satisfaction. Regression analyses showed that teamwork dynamics was independently correlated with teamwork satisfaction in both conventional and digital SGT. Facilitator support was positively correlated with teamwork satisfaction in conventional, but not digital SGT. Higher teamwork satisfaction was an important determinant of preference for digital SGT among medical students.ConclusionsTeam dynamics were closely linked to teamwork satisfaction among medical students in both conventional and digital SGT, while the role of facilitator support became less obvious during digital SGT.

Feasibility of a Vertically Integrated Teaching Strategy during a Surgical Clerkship Event—Learning Methods Matter

Sound foundational knowledge improves disease conceptualization and clinical diagnosis. Vertical integration (VI) is an appealing educational strategy to refresh relevant pre-clinical information during clinical rotations. However, an optimal learning approach for this has not yet been established. We hypothesized that a small group collaborative discussion format might serve as an appealing learning method to deliver integrated material and increase retention. During AYs 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, our multidisciplinary team utilized a Colorectal Cancer workshop incorporating pre-clinical material for Y3 students on Surgical Clerkship. In search of an optimized way to deliver vertically integrated content, we alternately presented the workshop material either in a small group (SG) case-based collaborative format or as a standard-sized group (StdG) exercise. We achieved this by testing immediate and late (4-week post-event) recall and assessing student satisfaction with the VI strategy in both physical settings (StdG and SG). A total of 93% of participants considered VI-based training worthwhile, 96% reported an increased knowledge base and 93% would welcome similar VI events in the curriculum. Significantly more SG students than StdG (52% vs. 31%, p = 0.014) enthusiastically endorsed their event and would prefer to have future VI events delivered in the format they experienced (88% for SG vs. 42% for StdG) (p < 0.0001). Combined (immediate + late) recall scores were significantly better in SG versus StdG (p = 0.007), while the rate of attrition at 4 weeks did not differ significantly (p = 0.81). VI strategy successfully reactivated pre-clinical concepts, achieving both high content retention and learner satisfaction during this workshop. Students endorsed future VI events, especially when delivered in a case-based, interactive SG setting. Although resource intensive, a VI strategy employing a small-group collaborative learning method may be considered for broader curricular use in undergraduate medical education.

The Effect of Small Group Collaborative Learning Activities on the Improvement of Linguistic Competence in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the enhancement of linguistic competence through small group collaborativelearning in children with moderate intellectual disabilities. Methods: The subjects included three children selected from aclass of six-year-olds at a kindergarten in Mokpo, Jeonnam. The selected children had moderate intellectual disabilitiesand no paresthesia or physical disabilities. The control group consisted of children who were in a special class for thehandicapped at a kindergarten attached to an elementary school in Mokpo and receiving home education. Results: Thefindings were as follows: first, the small group collaborative learning increased the communication skills of the childrenwith moderate intellectual disabilities; second, it improved their comprehension capabilities; third, it improved their ex pressive abilities; finally, it did not enhance their reading and writing skills. Conclusion: Small group collaborative learningincreased the communication skills, comprehension, and expressive abilities of children with moderate intellectual dis abilities, but did not increase the reading and writing skills of children with moderate intellectual disabilities.

Peer evaluations of group work in different years of medical school and academic achievement: how are they related?

BackgroundTo develop the skills needed in health care teams, training communication and teamwork skills are important in medical education. Small group collaborative learning is one of the methods utilized in such trainings, and peer evaluation is suggested to be useful in reinforcing the effectiveness of group learning activities. In Mie University Faculty of Medicine, group work consisting of book review sessions of liberal arts education in the first grade and problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in preclinical years were conducted using the same peer evaluation system that included three domains: degree of prior learning, contribution to group discussion, and cooperative attitude. This study was conducted to determine the relationships among behaviors during group work and the academic achievement of medical students.MethodsWith the data from a cohort of medical students in three consecutive academic years (n = 340), peer evaluation scores in groupworks of book review sessions, those in PBL sessions and paper test scores of preclinical years were analyzed. The correlations were analyzed with Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and the respective scores were compared by using the Wilcoxon signed-ranked test.ResultsSignificant correlations were observed among the evaluation scores of respective domains in group work and paper test scores. The degree of prior learning had the strongest relationship among the three domains (rs = 0.355, p < 0.001 between book review sessions and PBL; rs = 0.338, p < 0.001 between book review sessions and paper test score; rs = 0.551, p < 0.001 between PBL and paper test score). Peer evaluation scores of respective domains were found to be significantly higher in PBL.ConclusionMedical students maintained their groupwork behaviors to some extent from early school to preclinical years. Those behaviors were positively related to their academic achievement in the later years of the medical education curriculum. Our study highlighted the importance of the early introduction of group work. The results will be useful to motivate medical students to put more effort into group work.

Using Team-Based Learning to Teach Data Science

ABSTRACT Data science is collaborative and its students should learn teamwork and collaboration. Yet it can be a challenge to fit the teaching of such skills into the data science curriculum. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is a pedagogical strategy that can help educators teach data science better by flipping the classroom to employ small-group collaborative learning to actively engage students in doing data science. A consequence of this teaching method is helping students achieve the workforce-relevant data science learning goals of effective communication, teamwork, and collaboration. We describe the essential elements of TBL: accountability structures and feedback mechanisms to support students collaborating within permanent teams on well-designed application exercises to do data science. The results of our case study of using TBL to teach a modern, introductory data science course indicate that the course effectively taught reproducible data science workflows, beginning R programming, and communication and collaboration. Students also reported much room for improvement in their learning of statistical thinking and advanced R concepts. To help the data science education community adopt this appealing pedagogical strategy, we outline steps for deciding on using TBL, preparing and planning for it, and overcoming potential pitfalls when using TBL to teach data science.

Rapid Transition to Blended Learning

The University of Glasgow Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree programme is a practical clinical professionally regulated discipline. Given the mode of transmission of SARS Cov-2 the dental profession and associated programmes of study have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating a rapid pivot to online and blended learning. This case study shows how the work of early adopters of technology enhanced learning and teaching (TELT) at the dental school, and a timely staff-student partnership helped to lay the foundations for this pivot in response to the challenges brought about by the pandemic.&#x0D; A large amount of teaching required modification and adaptation to support remote delivery and, through collaboration, innovation and supported creativity, we were able to produce some very effective models for learning and teaching. To illustrate this, two specific examples have been presented: a novel approach to support the delivery of essential local anaesthesia training for second year dental students using collaborative wikis and online learning; and the use Microsoft Teams to support student integration and a sense of community among our first year dental students through active, small group collaborative learning.&#x0D; The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have provided the opportunity to align the teaching of practical skills with technology and instil a positive shift in institutional practices. The effectiveness of this shift within the BDS degree programme and the impact on the development of our students will remain the focus of the school’s TELT partnership.

An Examination of Pre-Service Teachers’ Interpersonal Dispositions in the Readiness Assurance Stage of Team-Based Learning

ABSTRACT Team-based learning (TBL) is a type of small-group collaborative learning that promotes students’ accountability and intellectual growth. The readiness assurance stage of TBL, though having a great potential of addressing the widespread course preparation problem, has not been given enough attention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the readiness assurance stage in online and on-campus TBL and to enhance our understanding of how pre-service teachers’ interpersonal dispositions affected their learning in both environments. Results of the mixed-method study showed that both online and on-campus modes were effective in improving pre-service teachers’ understanding and applying pedagogies in teaching. Students’ conceptual understanding of pedagogies was positively associated with their learning behavior and negatively affected by the conformity in online TBL. However, none of the interpersonal dispositions were found to significantly affect pre-service teachers’ application of pedagogies in online TBL. Likewise, those interpersonal dispositions did not significantly affect pre-service teachers’ understanding and applying pedagogies in on-campus TBL. Based on these results, we offer suggestions for educators and researchers who are interested in implementing or examining TBL.

Prioritising the key behaviours that enhance the quality of collaborative learning by medical students: A modified Delphi study

Introduction: Medical education has transitioned to require more active student learning, including self-directed and collaborative approaches. Although there are many advantages to collaborative small-group environments, learning in this setting is not always effective. One potential factor is that behaviours that are key to the success of small-group collaborative learning in medical education are yet to be clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to identify and prioritise behaviours that are relevant to individual students effective collaborative learning in small groups. Method: A two-round modified-Delphi approach was used to identify student behaviours that positively influenced the success of small-group collaborative-learning environments. In Round 1, the panel members were asked to rate the impact of 15 student behaviours on two subscales: (1) enhancing the quality of learning and (2) fostering a collaborative environment. The top 10 behaviours identified were utilised for Round 2, in which the panel members were asked to rank the behaviours based on the magnitude of their positive impact on students’ quality of learning. Results: Collaborative group behaviours were prioritised in Round 2, and the top six behaviours were selected for the design of a user-friendly educational intervention for medical students. The key behaviours identified were preparation by the student, involvement in discussion, engagement in learning, listening skills, sharing views and voicing opinions, reflecting on feedback and responding appropriately. Conclusions: This study identified six key behaviours that influence students’ learning in small-group collaborative-learning environments. These findings will inform further research at our institution into the development and evaluation of an educational intervention that aims to foster the identified behaviours in medical students.

Self‐regulation as a function of perceived leadership and cohesion in small group online collaborative learning

AbstractThe present study examined the relationships between perceived leadership, group cohesion, online engagement, self‐regulation and learning outcomes. Data included surveys and online discussion logs from 171 students in an undergraduate online course. Through correlation analysis and structural equation modeling, the results revealed unique contributions of task and relationship leadership in small group collaborative learning. Each form of leadership may translate into greater use of self‐regulation strategies that align with students’ focus on either the instrumental or interpersonal resources related to academics but may bring about a corresponding lower utilization of other types of self‐regulation strategies. Further, results indicate that students’ perceptions of group cohesion provided the most robust and multifaceted positive associations with learning engagement.

Students’ silence and identity in small group interactions

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been increasingly employed as a teaching and learning approach in many disciplines in higher education. In English medium of instruction (EMI) universities in Asia, PBL can further enhance knowledge construction as well as development of disciplinary language and communicative skills. It is necessary to explore how learners participate in PBL, especially considering PBL requires high level of both domain knowledge and language skills. The issue of silence in small group collaborative learning such as PBL tutorials has received very limited attention. More factors such as identity need to be considered in fully exploring small group interactions in higher education. Thus, this study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ silence and identity in small group interactions for PBL in EMI universities in Asia. Eight PBL tutorials in the Faculty of Dentistry were video recorded. Three extracts of PBL interactions and the accompanying stimulated recall interviews were selected for case analysis. The analysis provides in-depth insights into the significant instances of students’ silence and identity construction in the learning process. Such a study offers opportunities to rethink the issue of silence and provides facilitators and curriculum developers with useful information about small group collaborative learning in higher education.

The Effect of Performing Leader's Role on Academic Achievement and Satisfaction in Small Group Collaborative Learning in Virtual Reality

The Effect of Performing Leader's Role on Academic Achievement and Satisfaction in Small Group Collaborative Learning in Virtual Reality

An Innovative Blended Preclinical Curriculum in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics: Impact on Student Satisfaction and Performance.

There is little understanding of the impact of teaching clinical epidemiology and biostatistics in a flipped or blended format. At Stanford University School of Medicine, the quantitative medicine (QM) curriculum for first-year students was redesigned to use a blended format, in response to student feedback. The blended QM curriculum introduced in 2013 integrated self-paced, online learning with small-group collaborative learning. The authors analyzed the blended format's impact on student satisfaction and performance, comparing the pilot cohort of students (n = 101) with students who took the traditional curriculum in 2011 and 2012 (n = 178). They also analyzed QM resource utilization in 2013. The blended curriculum had a positive impact on satisfaction and mastery of core material. Comparing the 2013 blended cohort with the 2011-2012 traditional cohort, there were significant improvements in student satisfaction ratings (overall, P < .0001; organization, P < .0001; logical sequence, P = .008; value of content, P < .0001). The mean (SD) overall satisfaction rating for small-group sessions increased: 3.40 (1.03) in 2013 versus 2.79 (1.00) in 2011 and 2.83 (1.06) in 2012. Performance on the QM final exam showed no significant changes in 2013 versus 2011 and 2012. The majority of students in 2013 reported using the QM online videos as their primary learning resource (69%-85% across modules). The positive impact of the curricular elements studied will inform continued development of the QM curriculum. Features of the curriculum could serve as a model for future blended courses.

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

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.

A single-display groupware collaborative language laboratory

Language learning tools have evolved to take into consideration new teaching models of collaboration and communication. While second language acquisition tasks have been taken online, the traditional language laboratory has remained unchanged. By continuing to follow its original configuration based on individual work, the language laboratory fails to take advantage of the potential provided by collaborative learning. We propose the use of a language laboratory based on single-display groupware (SDG) for learning vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and listening comprehension. By adopting SDG, the language laboratory benefits from the advantages of small group collaborative learning. In this paper, we first describe the design and pedagogical merit of the SDG collaborative language laboratory. We then share the results of a quasi-experimental pre–post comparison study, and use an observation guideline to analyze whether the conditions for collaborative learning have been fulfilled. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that developing pronunciation skills can be more effective when using a collaborative language laboratory versus an individual language laboratory. In addition to this, it can also be concluded that collaborative learning is most effective when accompanied by adequate instructional design.

Classroom talk: Are we listening to teachers’ voices?

This paper aims to begin a discussion about why teachers may face some dilemmas when they try to set up talk and small group collaborative learning in the classroom. This is a preliminary evaluation of some of the published literature and the issues arising from my own perspective as a school teacher and a teacher educator.The discussion is part of a wider study of teachers’ dilemmas with classroom talk. I am also investigating what teachers say about classroom talk through interviews to find out what they consider to be the challenges. But, in this paper, I am simply aiming to set the scene and outline some initial issues. For the purpose of this discussion I have decided to present the paper into two parts. The first part highlights some of the issues identified by writers and researchers on talk in the academic literature. The second part considers areas that teachers and beginning teachers tend to raise when discussing this issue informally from a professional perspective. Obviously a fusion of these concerns is desirable and the final part of the paper looks at a piece of research that begins to bridge the divide between these two.

Learning to listen and listening to learn: one student’s experience of small group collaborative learning

The dialogic nature of small group collaborative learning requires verbal contributions from students to progress individual and group learning. Speaking can become privileged over listening as a collaborative act, and an imbalance in these values can become embedded in the classroom culture to the degree that the core value of listening can be invisible to students new to the learning contexts. The focus of this paper is a single case study of the experience of an international Asian-background student (Korean), learning in a Western (Australian) problem-based learning (PBL) physiotherapy context. Video data and interviews highlight his difficulty with learning to listen and listening to learn, and his privileging of speaking over listening. We question whether failure to signal the importance of listening is the result of the current shift in emphasis to learning through speaking, leading to a subsequent loss of attention to the role of listening in collaborative learning. Further, we question the cultural inclusivity of the PBL educational paradigm and recommend specific tutor training on scaffolding students’ listening skills in this dialogic learning context.

What Determines High-and Low-Performing Groups?. The Superstar Effect

The notion that greater learning outcomes will be achieved if the cognitive work is distributed amongst a group of individuals working together versus working alone has received mixed support when explored empirically (e.g., Daiute &amp; Dalton 1993;Johnson &amp; Johnson, 1991). This study examined the relationship between small-group collaborative learning structures and the potential predictors of groups' overall academic performance. We sought to identify specific factors that distinguished high-performing groups from low-performing groups in the classroom. Class attendance and individual-level academic performance were positively related to group-level academic performance. Further, it was predicted that groups consisting of an exceptionally high-performing member, or superstar, would achieve greater group-level academic performance than groups consisting of members who performed similarly. However, the greater the distance between the highest-performing member's score and the average of the other group members' scores on individual-level tasks, the lower the score on group-level tasks. This difference between the highest scoring group member and the rest of the members is referred to as the Superstar Difference Score. Qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that the Superstar Difference Score is a reliable, negative predictor of group-level academic performance. Practical implications for classroom instructors and future directions for education research resultant from this study's superstar effect are discussed.