Collaborative Learning Strategies Research Articles

A meta‐analysis of national research: Effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the United States

AbstractThis project consisted of a meta‐analysis of U.S. research published from 1980 to 2004 on the effect of specific science teaching strategies on student achievement. The six phases of the project included study acquisition, study coding, determination of intercoder objectivity, establishing criteria for inclusion of studies, computation of effect sizes for statistical analysis, and conducting the analyses. Studies were required to have been carried out in the United States, been experimental or quasi‐experimental, and must have included effect size or the statistics necessary to calculate effect size. Sixty‐one studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta‐analysis. The following eight categories of teaching strategies were revealed during analysis of the studies (effect sizes in parentheses): Questioning Strategies (0.74); Manipulation Strategies (0.57); Enhanced Material Strategies (0.29); Assessment Strategies (0.51); Inquiry Strategies (0.65); Enhanced Context Strategies (1.48); Instructional Technology (IT) Strategies (0.48); and Collaborative Learning Strategies (0.95). All these effect sizes were judged to be significant. Regression analysis revealed that internal validity was influenced by Publication Type, Type of Study, and Test Type. External validity was not influenced by Publication Year, Grade Level, Test Content, or Treatment Categories. The major implication of this research is that we have generated empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of alternative teaching strategies in science. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1436–1460, 2007

APRENDIZAGEM COLABORATIVA NA EDUCAÇÃO A DISTÂNCIA: ASPECTOS TEÓRICOS, ESTRATÉGIAS PEDAGÓGICAS E EXPERIÊNCIAS REALIZADAS

Este artigo apresenta inicialmente uma fundamentação teórica da aprendizagem colaborativa - AC, a partir dos conceitos de sociedade em rede, da construção coletiva do conhecimento e da formação de comunidades virtuais. Também são apresentadas as possibilidades da aprendizagem colaborativa a partir das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação –TIC’s, incluindo o uso de agentes inteligentes, da construção coletiva de texto e da utilização de programas em software livre. Finalmente, são apresentadas algumas estratégias pedagógicas para a aprendizagem colaborativa, incluindo experiências realizadas e suas contribuições para a aprendizagem colaborativa.

What can Learning Science Contribute to our Understanding of the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Groups?

Recent education reforms informed by learning science support the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategies such as problem-based learning groups. However, the efficacy of these methods depends on the authenticity of the problem context and the quality of the dialog established. Communication within groups must be dialogic, and students must address problems using relevant concepts and deep principles. Although dialogic communication is rare and difficult to facilitate, if it is achieved, students will construct useful knowledge that can be applied beyond the classroom.

Introducing Science to undergraduate students

The knowledge of scientific method provides stimulus and development of critical thinking and logical analysis of information besides the training of continuous formulation of hypothesis to be applied in formal scientific issues as well as in everyday facts. The scientific education, useful for all people, is indispensable for the experimental science students. Aiming at the possibility to offer a systematic learning of the scientific principles, we developed a undergraduate course designed to approximate the students to the procedures of scientific production and publication. The course was developed in a 40 hours, containing two modules: I. Introducing Scientific Articles (papers) and II. Writing Research Project. The first module deals with: (1) the difference between scientific knowledge and common sense; (2) scientific methodology; (3) scientific publishing categories; (4) logical principles; (5) deduction and induction approach and (6) paper analysis. The second module includes (1) selection of problem to be solved by experimental procedures; (2) bibliography revision; (3) support agencies; (4) project writing and presentation and (5) critical analysis of experimental results. The course used a Collaborative Learning strategy with each topic being developed through activities performed by the students. Qualitative and quantitative (through Likert questionnaires) evaluation were carried out in each step of the course, the results showing great appreciation by the students. This is also the opinion of the staff responsible for the planning and development of the course, which is now in its second and improved version.

Teaching Biochemistry at a Minority-Serving Institution: An Evaluation of the Role of Collaborative Learning as a Tool for Science Mastery

Teaching chemistry particularly at a historically black college and university (HBCU) involves understanding and being aware of the cultural and intellectual diversity of the class. Therefore, it is imperative that instructional methodologies include creative and alternative pedagogical approaches that enhance student performance. Collaborative learning strategies were used to transform a failing biochemistry class into motivated, critical thinkers whose interest in research careers were enhanced through this process. Through collaborative learning we have decreased failing rates by 50% on biochemistry examinations. Attrition rates have dropped drastically and there has been a remarkable improvement on the final examination, which includes the ACS biochemistry examination, by 18% over two years. This collaborative approach has changed the way that students study chemistry and the way that instruction is delivered.

Computer Mediated Communication and Student Learning in Large Introductory Sociology Classes

Over the past several years, scholars of teaching and learning have demonstrated the potential of collaborative learning strategies for improving student learning. This paper examines the use of computer-mediated communication to promote collaborative student learning in large introductory sociology courses. Specifically, we summarize a project we conducted during the 2000-2001 academic year in which we added online collaborative learning activities to the curriculum of two large sections of introductory sociology. Drawing on Novak et al.'s (1999) Just-In-Time Teaching methods, we developed online activities to help prepare students for subsequent in-class work and to cultivate a sense of group solidarity among smaller teams within the larger class. The results suggest that student engagement in the online group learning activities was strongly predictive of better student academic achievement on the biweekly quizzes, cumulative final exam, and course paper. These findings highlight the potential value of online group work for fostering collaborative learning environments in large lecture courses as well as for enhancing student learning.

New Pathways to Learning: The Team Teaching Approach. A Library and Information Science Case Study

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) challenges its teachers to provide innovative and dynamic learning environments that foster excellence in student learning. This paper discusses how the Faculty of Information Technology is using collaborative teaching and learning strategies to meet this challenge. The paper explores how team teaching and learning is being implemented within the Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies. The core unit ITN336 Information Resources is used as a case study. The paper discusses the practical implications of incorporating team teaching into a unit's curriculum and how it impacts on the teaching and learning process. Student attitudes towards team teaching are explored. The paper concludes by discussing how team teaching is not just a technique that can be applied to divide the labour within a unit, rather it is a creative and thoughtful mechanism for fostering a dynamic studentcentred learning environment.

Networked Collaborative Learning in the Study of Modern History and Literature

Many teachers adopt networked collaborative learning strategies even though these approaches systematically increase the time needed to deal with a given subject. “But who's making them do it?”. Probably there has to be a return on investment, in terms of time and obviously in terms of educational results, which justifies that commitment. After surveying the particular features of two experimental projects based on networked collaborative learning, the paper will then offer a series of thoughts triggered by observation of the results and the dynamics generated by this specific approach. The purpose of these thoughts is to identify some key factors that make it possible to measure the real added value produced by network collaboration in terms of the acquisition of skills, knowledge, methods and attitudes that go beyond the “mere” learning of contents (however fundamental this may be). And it is precisely on the basis of these considerations that teachers usually answer the above question, explaining “who (or what) made them do it!”.

Mediators of the effectiveness of online courses

A three-year field study of 17 courses, part of an undergraduate degree in information systems, compared the process and outcomes of three modes of delivery: totally online via asynchronous learning networks, traditional face-to-face courses, and sections using a mix of traditional and online activities. There were no significant differences in perceived learning by students associated with mode of delivery. Group collaboration and access to professors was perceived to be highest in mixed-mode sections, while convenience was rated highest in the distance sections. For online courses, there was generally a significant relationship between the hypothesized mediators (active participation, motivation, collaboration, access to the professor, and convenience) and perceived learning. Overall, the results of this study show that outcomes of online courses improved when professors structured them to support the growth of a learning community, by being available online to interact with students, and by using collaborative learning strategies.

A Proposed Collaborative Computer Network-Based Learning Model for Undergraduate Students with Different Learning Styles

In this information and communication technology age, computer network-based learning is widely used for expanding learning opportunities and facilitating learning activities to students separated by time and distance as well as for delivering effective content to students and instructors interacting with each other in a face-to-face classroom. Collaborative Computer Network Based Learning (CCNBL), in particular, is appropriate for learner center, constructivist, and problems-solving activities in that it uses computer network technologies for effective communication in learning activities. However, differences in student learning styles are one of the major problems that affect all students who prefer not use the same style of activity for effective learning. With that in mind, the best method is to use specific activities designed for each student learning style but this is difficult to do because there are a wide variety of student characteristics in virtual classroom. This research shows a way to solve this problem by developing Collaborative Computer Network Based Learning model for all student learning styles to receive effective learning at the same level by using KOLB’s learning styles. By supporting learning activities for this developing prototype model, designers can integrate collaborative learning technologies and collaborative learning strategies in the design and development process. The result from this process is an appropriate Collaborative Computer Network Based Learning model for higher education level.

INFUSING AGING AND PUBLIC POLICY CONTENT INTO GERONTOLOGY COURSES: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING METHODS TO TEACH ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITYAND MEDICARE

Aging and public policy content are indispensable in gerontology and geriatric courses. Reform efforts targeting Social Security and Medicare, the two largest social welfare programs for the aged, appear regularly in academic journals as well as the popular press. Institutions offering gerontology courses need to infuse aging and public policy into the curriculum, and the use of collaborative teaching and learning strategies provide faculty with a means to accomplish this goal. Collaborative methods can effectively stimulate interest and active participation, especially in the area of public policy, where students often view the material as somewhat dry and out of their own frame of reference. This paper discusses the development of two teaching modules, one on Social Security and the other on Medicare, using resources obtained during the authors' participation in the 2000 summer workshop entitled Getting Aging Public Policy Into the Curriculum sponsored by the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University. Collaborative methods are emphasized in each module as a way to promote the learning process.

PROGENIES IN EDUCATION: THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNET TEACHING

Technological advances create tension between what traditional educational systems offer and what new online teaching methods can offer. External pressures are being exerted on traditional educational systems forcing change on time-honored scholastic practices. As a result, progenies, the natural offspring of technology innovations and traditional education practices, are reshaping education. The initial driving force of any developing technology is the innovation of product. The innovation of product is the search for a dominant design. The desired features of a technology are defined in this search process. The authors conclude that a dominant design in online teaching platforms has emerged and has thus created an implicit understanding of the performance requirements to be met by the product. Educational organizations now must shift their focus from innovative online product development to a standardization of the product with a concurrent increase in process innovation and development. Schools with online teaching and learning programs are not seeking to define their distinct brand of distance education; rather they are seeking ways in which to improve their processes of delivery. Thus a shift must occur from an emphasis on product innovation to process innovation. This article develops the concept that an increase in process design, a responsibility of individual educators, is the next step toward the development, implementation, and refinement of collaborative learning, learning communities, and individual learning strategies that facilitate student achievement.

Promoting Collaborative Learning Strategies in Aging and Public Policy Courses

Multidisciplinary collaboration is one of the hallmarks of gerontological education and led to the development of the current article. Using a case study approach based on the 2000 summer workshop, Getting Aging Public Policy into the Curriculum hosted by the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University, the authors discuss some of the pedagogical implications for cooperative learning and collaboration among faculty teaching aging and public policy courses. Consistent with cooperative learning strategies, three modules have been developed on grandparents, public policy and the law; Social Security reform; and international aging policy and women. Each module includes class activities and flexible cooperative learning approaches to use in the development and implementation of courses that include aging and public policy content.

Using the First Language in the Classroom

This paper argues for the re-examination of the time-honoured view that the first language should be avoided in the classroom by teachers and students. The justifications for this rest on a doubtful analogy with first language acquisition, on a questionable compartmentalization of the two languages in the mind, and on the aim of maximizing students' exposure to the second language, laudable but not incompatible with use of the first language. The L1 has already been used in alternating language methods and in methods that actively create links between L1 and L2, such as the New Concurrent Method, Community Language Learning, and Dodson's Bilingual Method. Treating the L1 as a classroom resource opens up several ways to use it, such as for teachers to convey meaning, explain grammar, and organize the class, and for students to use as part of their collaborative learning and individual strategy use. The first language can be a useful element in creating authentic L2 users rather than something to be shunned at all costs.

Refining Collaborative Learning Strategies for Reducing the Technical Requirements of Web-Based Classroom Management

When a web-based classroom teacher manages a web-based distance learning system, there can be a substantial burden of preparation work. Although an instructor may use various tools to manage the web-based classroom, an instructor also needs a web site manager to help him/her use tools such as web page access analysis. In fact, some of the more tedious work can be avoided by using appropriate collaborative learning strategies. However, the features of a conventional web-based distance learning system cannot fully support the characteristics of collaborative learning strategies. To resolve this problem, a web-based classroom teacher can use advanced technology for managing learners' portfolios, controlling learning flow and constructing collaborative learning activities. Another feasible solution is that a teacher can refine existing collaborative learning strategies for web features to reduce the requirements of the advanced technology. Furthermore, refining existing collaborative learning strategies can make it easier to implement them in a web-based classroom. Although there are methodologies for constructing web-based collaborative learning systems, none specifically address the possibility of refining collaborative learning strategies to work with web features. This paper surveys some notable collaborative learning strategies as well as proposing guidelines and recommendations for how a web-based classroom teacher can refine those strategies for use in a webbased classroom through our technical experience and perspective.

Building collaborative learning tools on the internet

The internet is recognised as a very useful tool in several areas of our society. Education is the area where greater expectations have been generated. Nevertheless, due to the high cost of the development of completely new applications, there is a lack of effective tools to support learning processes. This article presents a study to bring well-recognised learning strategies to the world of the internet. We analyse collaborative learning strategies in order to implement them as applications on the internet. In this article, we present not only an example of such an application, Mapco Collaborative Concept Maps on the internet, but also its careful design leading to a methodology and eventually to a framework aimed at developing this kind of application.

Collaborative learning: A memorable model

Reform movements envision schools that will involve greater levels of cooperation and collaboration. Collaborative learning strategies provide a powerful mechanism not only to address affective goals in education but also to enhance students’ cognitive development; to deepen their understanding of concepts; and to press them to examine, articulate, and elaborate their ideas with greater clarity and rigor. Unless teachers have effective means to manage the complex problem solving involved in implementing collaborative learning strategies, the rich possibilities offered will not be realized. This paper proposes a five‐part conceptual framework to guide teachers decision making in order to capitalize on these powerful strategies. The framework incorporates a “G” mnemonic to make the elements memorable.

Collaborative learning in engineering ethics

This paper discusses collaborative learning and its use in an elective course on ethics in engineering. Collaborative learning is a form of active learning in which students learn with and from one another in small groups. The benefits of collaborative learning include improved student performance and enthusiasm for learning, development of communication skills, and greater student appreciation of the importance of judgment and collaboration in solving real-world problems such as those encountered in engineering ethics. Collaborative learning strategies employed in the course include informal small group discussions/problem solving, role-playing exercises, and cooperative student group projects, including peer grading. Student response to these techniques has been highly favorable. Realizing the benefits of collaborative learning is a challenge to both teachers, who must give up some control in the classroom, and students, who must be willing to take greater responsibility for their learning.

Effective Teaching and Learning in a High‐tech Environment

SUMMARY Effective teaching and learning empowers a student to take a deep approach to learning which results in the desirable outcomes of: holistic appreciation; knowledge that is active; communication and team work skills; problem‐solving and critical thinking abilities; and lifelong learning attitudes. This article examines the application and potential of the technology concerned with computer mediated learning in these areas which are indicative of effective teaching and learning. Technology can be incorporated into pedagogical strategies, and to a certain extent can substitute for tried and tested conventional practices, and can apparently achieve similar outcomes. The two main areas where technology offers enhanced learning capabilities are simulated or mimetic representations of the real world where experiential learning is possible, and in collaborative learning strategies that use web‐based communication facilities. Technology is lacking in the area of artificial intelligence, particularly where the learner requires feedback on matters of opinion and interpretation. Technology can offer the means for learner control where students have greater flexibility and self‐determination to construct their own meaning and acquire active knowledge.

Restructuring registered nurse curricula.

National initiatives in higher education, health reform, and the nursing curriculum revolution are applied to five curricular patterns for registered nurse (RN) upward mobility baccalaureate education. American Association of Higher Education principles for quality baccalaureate education are applied to the curricular models. The patterns described are: community model, health promotion model, nursing diagnosis model, case management model, and caring model. Three educational strategies for prompting paradigm shifts in RNs who return to school are discussed: collaborative learning, portfolios, and self-assessments. These learning strategies are designed to move the adult student through Perry's phases of cognitive development from duality to relativism. The combination of fresh new curriculum patterns and collaborative learning strategies can empower nurses to discover new paradigms with which to transform the profession.