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2.2| Collaborative Learning

  What is Collaborative Learning?

The human brain is wired to be social, and there is a large body of evidence suggesting that interpersonal interaction is essential to learning Links to an external site..  Accordingly, the Technology Integration Matrix recommends that students use technology tools frequently to collaborate with others rather than working primarily alone.  The Collaborative Learning Links to an external site. characteristic describes the degree to which technology is used to facilitate, enable, or enhance students’ opportunities to work with peers and outside experts, including both conventional collaborative technology tools as well as other tools that may assist students working with others.

The following chart shows what Collaborative Learning looks like for teachers, students, and the classroom setting at each level of the SAMR framework, cross-walked against the five levels of the TIM.

SAMR Levels Gradient of the S.A.M.R Levels starting from Substitution on the left, followed by Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.
TIM Levels

 Entry

Individual student use of tools

Adoption

Collaborative use of tools in conventional ways

 Adaptation

Collaborative use of tools; some student choice and exploration

Infusion

Choice of tools and regular use for collaboration

Transformation

Collaboration with peers and outside resources in ways not possible without technology
The Teachers...      The teacher directs students to work alone on tasks involving technology. The teacher directs students in the conventional use of technology tools for working with others. The teacher provides opportunities for students to use technology to work with others. The teacher selects and provides technology tools for students to use in collaborative ways, and encourages students to begin exploring the use of these tools. The teacher fosters a collaborative learning environment and supports students’ meaningful choices in their selection of technology tools for collaboration. The teacher seeks partnerships outside of the setting to allow students to access experts and peers in other locations, and encourages students to extend the use of collaborative technology tools in higher order learning activities that may not have been possible without the use of technology tools.
The Students...      Students primarily work alone when using technology. Students may collaborate without using technology tools. Students have opportunities to use collaborative tools, such as email, in conventional ways. These opportunities for collaboration with others through technology, or in using technology, are limited and are not a regular part of their learning. Students independently use technology tools in conventional ways for collaboration. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of the use of technology tools for working with others. Technology use for collaboration by students is regular and normal in this setting. Students choose the best tools to use to accomplish their work. Students regularly use technology tools to collaborate with peers, experts, and others who may be in different locations and may represent different experiences, cultures, and points of view.
The Setting...      The setting is arranged for direct instruction and individual work. The setting allows for the possibility of group work, and at least some collaborative technology tools are available. The setting allows multiple students to access technology tools simultaneously. Technology tools that allow for collaboration are always available to meet the needs of all students. Technology tools in this setting connect to text, voice, and video applications and network access has sufficient bandwidth to support the use of these technologies for all students simultaneously.

  Implementing Collaborative Learning in the Classroom

As Collaborative Learning practices move from left to right in the chart above, the incidence of student collaboration becomes more regular and students are afforded a greater choice of tools with which to collaborate.  At the highest levels of achievement, technology begins to connect students with collaborators outside of their classroom, facilitating access to peers and/or content experts they would not normally have been able to reach.  However, not every instance of collaborative learning has to involve complex group projects or community collaborations - many collaborative tools can be easily incorporated into everyday instruction. Here are some examples:

For additional examples of Collaborative Learning implemented at various levels of the TIM scale, please refer to this page.

  Connections: Profile of a Graduate

The Richmond County Digital Learning Framework is designed to align with our Profile of a Graduate.  Regular implementation of Collaborative Learning in the classroom helps our students become Productive Collaborators, Effective Communicators, and Innovative Problem-Solvers by giving them opportunities to:

    • Demonstrate empathy, cooperation, and flexibility
    • Resolve conflicts appropriately
    • Actively Participate in efforts towards common goals
    • Show respect towards people, property, and the use of resources
    • Sharing ideas to solve challenging tasks
    • Engage others in productive interactions
    • Listening attentively and asking questions to clarify understanding
    • Convey ideas clearly in verbal, written, visual, and digital formats