Unit II: Group-Based/Collaborative Learning Environments

Reflection of Guided Design, Cooperative Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Situated Learning, and Cognitive Apprenticeship

Similarities & Differences

All of the environments mentioned incorporate a group learning element.  The teacher provides some level of background knowledge that the student can expand or use in the group component.  With group design, the background knowledge comes as a self-instruction component, whereas with cooperative learning the content may be presented and learned in small groups.  One example may be introducing students to the concept of multiplication by showing 5+5+5+5 = 5x4 and asking students to think of a rule to explain what the multiplication sign means.  With PBL and SL environments, pre-existing knowledge is emphasized through the activities.

To understand how group work may look in these four environments, it was important for me to imagine how a class might look.  In each, the students are in groups but how they interact may be different.  Also, the role of the teacher can vary within each environment.

Group Design - Students would have undergone a self-instruction module then given an open-ended problem.  They would assign themselves roles as they worked through it.  The teacher would be listening to the groups as they worked and assessing their understanding by allowing the group to present their project to the class.

Cooperative Learning - Students learn a concept by working together.  They must all agree on a solution before moving on.  They can also assume roles.  In this case, the teacher is playing more of an outside role, facilitating discussion but letting most of the learning occur within the group.  A presentation may conclude the project.

Problem-Based Learning - Students apply background knowledge by working through an open-ended question.  There may be multiple solutions, but students work towards an "expert" solution that utilizes many concepts and strategies.  Students self-assess their progress as they go.  The teacher here would be guiding students by asking challenging questions that encourage higher-order thinking.  Groups may present their solutions to the class.  Students consider other viewpoints as they listen to their peers.

Sitatuated Learning - Students apply background knowledge by being involved with activities that emphasize real-world connections.  The students would be in groups, sharing their ideas with other groups.  Wrong answers sends a group back to the drawing board so they can discover their mistakes.  Peers or mentors that are knowledgeable in the content area may be on hand to provide scaffolding.

Reaction

Being somewhat of an introvert throughout my K-12 years, I always preferred working alone.  Group work usually frustrated me because I had trouble connecting others and considering other viewpoints.  Sometimes I was doing all the work while my members contributed a small part.  After reading through the articles and learning more about these models, I see now that perhaps my group work wasn't structured as effectively as it could have been.  In my college years, I've experienced a few digital projects that were open-ended in nature.  I like the challenge of coming up with my own original solution and knowing that what I create may be different from my peers.  I enjoy sharing products of my time and critical thinking then hearing feedback.  Group work is now something I prefer, mainly due to the availability of digital collaboration and sharing tools.  In a traditional setting, these can still be provided to give groups opportunities to continue the group experience outside the classroom walls.

Thinking back to my negative group experiences, it is not enough to give a group of students a task and expect them to just "get it" and share a positive experience.  Firstly, the task assigned needs to encourage higher-order thinking.  Many of the models mention real-world connections so students can see the importance of what they are learning.  Assigning roles ensures some accountability for the final product.  Discussion is crucial.  The teacher needs to be able to guide student discussion, keep it focused, and provide plenty of chances for students to reflect on their progress.  Otherwise, the learning will never dive below surface level.

Can I Apply These Models in my Second Grade Classroom?

Cooperative learning is a practice I'm very familiar with.  Our school held some workshops on its use and I've had some success in my 2nd grade classroom with it.  The "think-pair-share" activity is a simple way to encourage discussion and listening skills.  With my second graders in the past, listening to one another did not always work well.  Maybe it's the same with older kids these days too?  In the past, I'd ask kids to share with one another and some would just shout out, frustrating others who wanted to share their opinion.  They just weren't listening to each other!  Luckily, I was able to more effectively structure the nature of their discussions through cooperative learning.  


I try to implement cooperative learning activities as often as I can now.  Students just finished a group project involving research of a polar animal.  They were responsible for researching their animal using safe search engines, creating a poster, planning a presentation, and then presenting their information to the class.  Students assumed roles such as web searcher, library book finder, poster organizer, and speaker.  My role was to walk around and ask what they were finding, how they were finding it, and providing positive comments as they progressed.  A rubric was available so students could track their progress.

Looking ahead, I'd like to provide students more open-ended problems.  It's tough at this age because I'm providing a lot of the background knowledge needed for more concepts down the road, but at least my students have shown me how motivated they can be when they are challenged with a structured group project.  I'd also like to let students assume more a leadership role by being experts in certain areas.  The Cognitive Apprenticeship model intrigued me.  In math, I could have select students who have caught on to a concept guide others students through problems in a group setting.  This would be a logical next step to the group rotation structure I am already using.

Overall, I like the group learning environments and how they encourage critical thinking, connections across the curriculum, and build social skills.

Web Resources

For students needing to map out ideas together, there are a number of FREE tools available.  All of them allow you to draw out diagrams, collaborate, and share with others.  Check them out and see which you like the best.

Mind42
Bubbl.us (issues in Firefox)
Freemind (software, but cross-platform and Java based)
WiseMapping
Gliffy

It's hard to beat Google's services for group projects.  Google Drive makes it very easy to create and edit a working document or spreadsheet.  You can also draw out thinking maps by creating a Drawing, though it's not as fully featured as the links above. 

Google Drive