Collaborative Learning Approaches and Integrating Collaborative Learning Tools - Integrating instructional design and technology to support rapid change (2023)

Author

gary galante

belonging

Cape Breton University

Email

ggallant@hrce.ca

The 2020 international COVID-19 pandemic, which closed schools and college classes around the world, accelerated the need to be able to offer online learning opportunities for students. Many universities already have online courses. High schools have also begun to embrace e-learning by offering a variety of online courses (see Nova Scotia Virtual Schools (NSVS..., n.d.)). However, the urgent need was to convert existing face-to-face courses to a fully online environment. It is accepted that an effective e-learning environment combines elements of behaviourist, cognitivist and constructivist learning theories. It is also accepted that each of these learning theories is enhanced by collaborative learning approaches, whether synchronous or asynchronous. Many educators already offer hybrid courses that contain online and offline components, often with collaborative elements. For the purposes of this article, the focus is on online collaborative learning tools like Moodle or Google Apps for Education (GAfE). These can be used to enhance a hybrid learning environment or, in the context of the current international crisis, to offer courses completely online.

keywords

Online Learning, Learning Theory, Collaborative Online Learning, Research Community, Google Apps for Education, G-Suite

Collaborative learning approaches and integration of collaborative learning tools(09:48)

Instruction in the public school system of Nova Scotia, Canada, is probably similar to instruction in most North American school systems: teachers are given a curriculum document with outcomes to be taught within a time frame. specific, often within a semester or academic school. year. Some courses have prescribed textbooks and other resources assigned. The goal is to design units and lessons to cover prescribed outcomes while providing engaging and memorable learning opportunities for students. As with any human endeavor, some teachers are better instructional designers and more effective in delivery than others. It must be recognized that there are a myriad of individual, cultural, and societal considerations that affect student learning that are not addressed in this article. However, there is pedagogical theory and knowledge that must form the basis of any effective instructional design, whether instruction takes place offline or online. Therefore, before delving into collaborative approaches in online education, we will first briefly examine the role of three traditional educational theories (behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist theory) in online learning environments.

Brief overview of educational theory in online learning

InA blended learning approach to course design and implementation, Hoic-Bozic, Mornar and Boticki (2009) state that “high-quality learning environments in general and high-quality online learning environments in particular must be based on multiple learning theories” (p. 21). Three of these theories are addressed below:

behavioral theory

Behavioral theory receives perhaps the least pressure in the context of online learning. Hoic-Bozic et al. (2009) state that also online, "students need approval and support, which must be provided as soon as possible" (p.20). InA design framework for online learning environments, Sanjaya Mishra (2002) also suggests "Using self-assessment questions embedded as interactive activities in learning materials" (p. 495) as an example of an online approach to incorporating behavioral theory.

theory of cognitivism

The theory of cognitivism as described by Linda Harasim in her bookLearning theory and online technologies, affirms that "learning is easier when the new contents are compared with existing knowledge and are structured or representative" (2017, p. 51). People often use the analogy of the mind as a computer that processes information to describe this theory. It certainly makes sense to activate prior knowledge and sometimes improve the skills required to get closer to achieving the learning objective. Any online learning design should also achieve this.

constructivist theory

Constructivist theory is “today the most widely accepted learning model in education” (Hoic-Bozic et al., 2009, p.21). Fernando and Malikar support this idea in their workConstructivist teaching/learning theory and participatory teaching methods(2017), who states that "advocates for a participatory approach in which students actively participate in the learning process... knowledge is not obtained passively but is actively built" (p. 110). Heather Smith, inImplement constructivist e-learning with instructional design, Conditions:

Course developers can use instructional design principles to systematically and intentionally integrate constructivist learning projects into a web-based course. Activities such as discussion forums, WebQuests, and puzzles foster student-teacher and student-student relationships that engage students in an online environment. (Smith, 2017)

Please note that many of the proposed constructivist activities are collaborative in nature. In fact, a collaborative approach can be used to enhance activities related to any of the above learning theories.

What are collaborative learning approaches?

Most of the time, discussions about collaborative learning and its benefits in both offline and online settings start with the idea that knowledge building is somehow achieved through interaction with others. This idea is often attributed to the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who noted in his book many years agothought and language(originally published in 1934) states that “learners advance through stages of cognitive development by socially mediated situations” (quoted in Hirtle, 1996).

in your articleCollaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education,Smith and MacGregor reflect on this idea and say:

Collaborative learning creates an intellectual synergy of many minds working on a problem and the social stimulation of mutual engagement in a common effort. This mutual exploration, search for meaning, and feedback often leads to a better understanding by students and the creation of a new understanding for all of us. (Smith & MacGregor, 1992)

See Also

What is collaborative learning? Theory, examples of activities

There appears to be a significant body of research and evidence supporting these claims, suggesting that collaborative learning is an essential component of quality learning, some of which will be addressed shortly. However, given this evidence, it becomes crucial that collaborative learning approaches be applied to the design of computer-based collaborative learning (CSCL) environments.

Two particular approaches to collaborative learning that I would like to explore further are Linda Harasim's work on online collaborative learning (OCL) and Garrison, Anderson and Archer's work on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model.

Online collaborative learning

Describing OCL, Harasim says in his bookLearning theory and online technologies(2017):

OCL theory provides a learning model in which students are encouraged and supported to collaborate to create knowledge: to invent, to explore ways to innovate, and thus to seek the conceptual knowledge needed to solve problems, rather than to recite what they are thinking. is the correct answer. (quoted in Bates, 2019, p. 170)

Illustration 1:Online collaborative learning model by Linda Harasim: pedagogy of group discussion (2017) (Bildquelle:https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2014/11/Harasim-Figure-6.3.jpg)

Harasim presents three key stages for building knowledge in OCL: idea generation, idea organization, and intellectual convergence (see Appendix, Figure A). Online learners must be able to collect ideas, analyze and discuss them and reach a level of intellectual synthesis, understanding and consensus, usually through a collaborative work or task (as in Bates, 2019, p. 170 cited).

Paper that allows students to interact in this way. Yes, as Tony Bates points out in his bookTeaching in the Digital Age – Second Edition(2019), the role of the teacher remains crucial for the success of collaborative online learning, "not only to facilitate the process and provide appropriate resources and learning activities that foster this type of learning, but also as a representative of a community of knowledge or a subject area ensuring that the basic concepts, practices, standards and principles [are] integrated” (p. 171).

community of inquiry

A community of inquiry (CoI) is “a group of people who collectively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and affirm mutual understanding” (Bates, 2019, p. 172). The CoI model described by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer inCritical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Lectures in Higher Education(1999) affirm that "learning within the community occurs through the interaction of three central elements...cognitive presence, social presence and teacher presence" (p.3). in your articleDesign of a research community in online courses, Holly Fiock (2020) presents a comprehensive table of classroom activities (p. 141) for online teachers that can be implemented to support learning in the CoI model.

Figure 2:Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's Research Community Model: Media (1999)

In general, strategies for incorporating cognitive presence into course design can include student self-selection and resource sharing within the subject matter being taught, and facilitating critical analytical discussions (Fiock, 2020, p. 139). Social presence can be established not only through the creation of collaborative projects, problem-solving activities and small group discussions, but also through the early creation of group cohesion through open communication, personal profiles, photos , welcome messages, student profiles, class size limitation. , structured learning activities, and activities in which students can incorporate feelings and personal experiences (p. 139). In terms of classroom presence, teachers can establish this by providing a framework for how the course structure helps students, creating mini-lectures, incorporating personal insights into course material, facilitating speech, reviewing feedback from students and encourage discussion. Assess student understanding and provide detailed feedback to the student as a content expert (p. 140). In general, the teacher plays a key role in the three core elements, setting the mood, selecting the content, and facilitating the discourse (see Appendix, Figure B).

Although there are many similarities with the OCL and CoI models, the most important finding is that both models emphasize the importance of using collaborative learning approaches in education, emphasizing their particular application in online education.

How can technology be used to support collaborative learning approaches?

There is research that, in terms of the development of higher order thinking skills, suggests that online environments are as powerful or even more powerful than face-to-face courses (Resta & Laferrièrre, 2007, p. 70). The collaborative nature of these environments would certainly have an impact. The ability of online platforms to allow synchronous and asynchronous communication would be an advantage in this regard.

It has been argued that asynchronous communication allows more time to reflect on and refine a contribution than synchronous communication...[However] synchronous communication tools, such as web video conferencing, allow for more direct social interaction and feedback between students and teachers , which potentially leaves less time for reflection, but allows direct correction of misunderstandings and can lead to more student engagement. (Giesbers et al., 2014)

It should be noted that even in fully asynchronous online environments, a strong faculty presence, as indicated in the CoI model, can ensure a positive collaborative learning experience for students. There are many online platforms or tools that can be used effectively to implement a collaborative online learning approach.

Online tools for collaborative learning

Popular online learning platforms include Moodle, Edmodo, Canvas, and Google Apps for Education. Moodle is used for many online courses at universities and also in many hybrid primary school classrooms in Nova Scotia, Canada and around the world. Each platform probably has its own merits. However, for the purposes of this article, the focus is on a platform that is widely available to students and teachers around the world and can be used to deliver online courses, i.e. h Google Apps for Education or GAfE (Google for Education, n.d.).

What is GAFe?

Google Apps for Education (GAfE), sometimes called G Suite for Education, is an integrated cloud-based authoring, collaboration, and communication tool. All the content created can be easily shared with others. Because it's cloud-based, students and teachers can collaborate synchronously and asynchronously from any device on the Internet. With the proliferation of portable technology in society, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops, this becomes a convenient and cost-effective way for many school districts to implement a powerful online collaborative learning tool.

GAfE to support collaborative learning approaches

With a single login, students and teachers have access to a host of Google apps, including:

google class

Google Classroom generally acts as the main organizational platform and the main communication point of contact with students. In this area, a teacher could post short videos of lectures or other course content for students to view and review asynchronously at their convenience and pace to increase cognitive presence in support of the CoI model. He can also create and publish collaborative activities, communicate with students, and create a social presence to support the CoI model. A teacher could also collect information through surveys and questionnaires using Google Forms. Additionally, assignments can be created and posted to Google Classroom, with the ability to provide descriptive feedback directly on submitted work, including a grade, and create teacher presence, again to support the CoI model. The collaborative aspects of Google Classroom also clearly fit into the OCL model.

Google provides a video tutorial that shows you how to set up Google Classroom and use it to set up classes, create and organize content, and provide feedback on assignments.

Class 101(01:50)

Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations

These applications allow students and teachers to collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations synchronously and asynchronously. This supports Harasim's OCL model by providing opportunities for idea generation and organization, along with the synthesis of a consensus product or understanding.

google sites

Google Sites is an easy-to-use website creation tool that allows teachers to create websites, potentially to host curriculum. It is also a creative platform that would allow students to collaborate to create, organize and present content to support the OCL and CoI models.

the google group

Google Groups can be created and used to enable organized, threaded discussions that explore and extend course content, fostering communication, conversation, and collaboration that lead to deeper understanding, in support of the OCL and CoI models.

Hangouts the Google

Google Hangouts allowed students and teachers to host synchronous live sessions where they could collaborate, join discussions, or participate in debates to build teachers and a social presence in support of the CoI model.

Google formula

Here a teacher can create forms, tests, or surveys that can be shared on Google Classroom. Google Forms automatically collects, compiles, and analyzes responses. A teacher could post surveys and quizzes using Google Forms before, during, and/or after activities to collect formative information and encourage deeper interaction with course material to encourage cognitive and teacher presence in support of the CoI model.

Gmail

GAfE can be used to create secure email accounts for all students and teachers. This is another collaboration tool for teachers and students that allows secure communication from any device online and supports both OCL and CoI models.

Google Drive

With Google Drive, students and teachers have access to a large storage space where they can securely organize assignments, documents or lesson plans and access them from any device. All content stored here can also be easily shared to support OCL and CoI models.

Jamboard the Google

Google Jamboard acts as an interactive smart board where teachers and/or groups of students can collaborate on a virtual whiteboard to sketch or brainstorm, again in support of the OCL and CoI models.

Google's privacy policies and procedures and terms of service can be viewed athttps://policies.google.com/privacy.

While privacy settings can be adjusted within specific products, they can also be adjusted using the Google Product Policy Guide (available athttps://policies.google.com/technologies/product-privacy).

For more privacy information specific to G Suite for Education, including the ability to choose a region where data is stored, seehttps://support.google.com/a/topic/7558840?hl=de&ref_topic=7556782

Copyright ©

Designers and instructional professionals must continue to comply with copyright laws when using and posting instructional materials. Materials on copyright law and fair dealing policies can be downloaded from the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada (CMEC) website:www.cmec.ca/copyrightinfo.

Accessibility and digital access

Google has many products and features for designers and users to support digital accessibility. For more information, seehttps://www.google.ca/accesibilidad/.

Depending on the decisions of system administrators, some jurisdictions may have problems accessing certain applications. For example, Google Hangouts, a video calling app, is currently disabled for students at the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) in Nova Scotia, Canada.

As educators across the country and the world rush to develop online course structures, it is important to keep in mind that effective online learning design is firmly grounded in traditional behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist learning theories. Collaborative approaches to learning, such as Harasim's online collaborative learning model and Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's community of inquiry model, have been shown to be beneficial for students' cognitive development. There are many online platforms, including Google Apps for Education, that can be used to create courses that support these OCL and CoI models. Within Google Apps for Education and with Google Classroom, the creative potential of an educational designer to create an effective, engaging, and collaborative online course is virtually limitless. This GAfE product is a comprehensive, affordable, and easily accessible collaborative learning tool for any educator interested in transitioning to an online learning environment.

Bates, A. W. (2019).Teaching in the Digital Age – Second Edition. Vancouver, BC: Tony Bates Associates Ltd. Obtenido dehttps://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/

Fernando, S. and Marikar, F. (2017). Constructivist teaching/learning theory and participatory teaching methods. 110-122. Obtained fromhttps://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v6n1p110

Fiock, H. (2020). Design of a research community in online courses.International Journal of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,21(1), 134-152. do:https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.3985

Garrison, D., Anderson, T. & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: computer conferencing in higher education.Internet and Higher Education,2(2-3), 87-105. Obtained fromhttps://auspace.athabascau.ca/bitstream/handle/2149/739/?sequence=1

Giesbers, B., Rienties, B., Tempelaar, D. & Gijselaers, W. (2014). A dynamic analysis of the interaction of asynchronous and synchronous communication in online learning: the influence of motivation.Computer Assisted Learning Magazine, 30(1), 30-50.

Google for Education. (North Dakota.). Obtained fromhttps://edu.google.com/

Google for Education (8 de enero de 2019).Class 101. [Youtube video]. available fromhttps://youtu.be/DeOVe2YV2Io

Harasim, L.M. (2017).Learning Theory and Online Technologies (2nd ed.). Nueva York: Rouledge

Hirtle, JSP (1996). Sort yourself out: social constructivism.The English Journal, 85(1), 91-92. doi: 10.2307/821136

Hoic-Bozic, N., Mornar, V. & Boticki, I. (February 2009). A blended learning approach to course design and implementation [PDF file].Educational Transactions 52(1), retrieved fromhttps://esanderslearningtheories.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/6/4/25641196/hoic-bozic___blended_learning_approach_to_course_design_and_implementation.pdf

Mishra, S. (2002). A design framework for online learning environments.british magazine of educational technology, 33(4), 493-496. Obtained fromhttps://bibliotecaenlinea-wiley-com.ezproxy.cbu.ca/doi/pdf/10.1111/1467-8535.00285

NSVS launch pad. (North Dakota.). Obtained fromhttps://nsvs.ednet.ns.ca/launchpad/launchpad37/mod/page/view.php?id=11251

Resta, P. and Laferriere, T. (2007). Technology to support collaborative learning.Journal of Educational Psychology, 19(1), 65–83. doi: 10.1007/s10648-007-9042-7

Smith, BL, MacGregor J. (1992).Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. University Park, PA: National Center for Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (NCTLA). 9-22. Obtained fromhttps://www.evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/facultydevelopment/docs/WhatisCollaborativeLearning.pdf

Smith H. (2017). Implement constructivist e-learning with instructional design. In Desmarais P. and Fuller, M. (eds.),Learning theory and educational technology..Idaho: Boise State University. Obtained fromhttps://sites.google.com/a/boisestate.edu/edtech504/

Take, D. (January 31, 2018). Synchronous learning vs. asynchronous learning in online education. Obtained fromhttps://thebestschools.org/magazine/synchronous-vs-asynchronous-education/