For effective collaborative learning, at least some of the work must be done where students can interact, traditionally face-to-face, but more recently through video conferencing and instant messaging. A group project in which students divide tasks among members such that the portions of the project are not merged until the final draft promotes little if any connection of knowledge between group members. It also likely results in repetitious project sections because students have not compared their section’s information to what is included in other sections. Interacting with a group will require that students begin to develop the kinds of interpersonal skills that they will need for working with other professionals in their careers.

Collaborative learning should involve a group of students who dependent upon each other to complete an objective. Thus, each student is not only individually responsible for a share of work, but also for the entire final product. As a group, students are responsible for distributing work fairly and ensuring that each member contributes adequately. The group should evaluate its progress towards the goal and productively critique each component. As students comment on each other’s work or ideas, they are also evaluating their own knowledge or beliefs within a new context.

Collaborative learning can range from one-time class discussion to long term multi-component projects. Short collaborative learning not only asks students to think about their own knowledge, but also to report to the instructor about which concepts students struggle to understand. For examples, see Collaborative Learning Structures in the resources section at the end of this document. Implementing cooperative learning can be divided into steps as described below.

Step 1: Identify the goal. This is typically done by providing instructions or guidelines that students will use to complete an assignment or activity.

Step 2: Divide students into teams.

Step 3: Provide guidelines for the extent, style, or type of collaboration expected. Do you expect each member to fulfill a specific role within the group? Who selects the team leaders? What communication rules will be in place?

Step 4: Observe and/or facilitate group progress. For example, this can be accomplished with incremental deadlines, progress review meetings or reports. For discussion-based activities, the instructor might check in on group progress and add evidence or opposing viewpoints to stimulate additional discussion in stalled groups.

Step 5: Assess the final product. For discussion-based activities, it is important for students to value what they discussed. To conclude the activity, student groups could report their consensus or summarize their ideas for the group. The instructor may add comments or follow-up on new questions raised by the students.

To generate various ideas for discussion, the group must have some heterogeneity. Often when students self select group memberships, they do so based on common viewpoints or similar level of experience as compared with other members of the group. Ideally, a discussion group would be composed of members with diverse viewpoints so that multiple sides of an issue would be given consideration. For groups that produce a graded product, students with different levels of experience should be teamed. Novice students will learn from the group’s collective knowledge. Expert students will be challenged to explain their knowledge in new ways and to evaluate their ideas within the context of the group’s collective knowledge. Commonality between the group members is also important. The group should not be so diverse that students cannot make connections to foster their initial interactions.

Small groups are a good structure for collaborative learning because they offer opportunities for the majority of the group members to contribute. If using large groups for collaborative learning (such as a whole class discussion), it is important to monitor the progress of the group to ensure that students maintain engagement and interaction. In unmonitored large groups, students may feel left out of a discussion or they may feel that their views were completely covered by another student.