Collaborative Learning: Two perspectives on theory and practice

Abstract

As a new college instructor, I am always looking for innovative ways to motivate my students and encourage them to collaborate with their peers. I am not alone. According to a recent Horizon Report (2008) a “renewed emphasis on collaborative learning is pushing the educational community to develop new forms of interaction” (p. 5). The incorporation of Web 2.0 technologies into educational settings is also changing the way we think about teaching and learning by enabling students to access courses and materials anytime, anyplace. For example, Webware suites, such as Google.docs and even virtual worlds, like Second Life, can be used to support collaborative learning both in and out of the classroom. Because of these technological advances, places like the local café off-campus or the hallway areas outside the departmental offices are more than merely social gathering areas; they are also becoming educational spaces.While teaching and learning are no longer restricted to the formal settings, this does not mean that we should ignore classroom-based models. According to John Seely Brown and Richard Adler (2008), social learning areas, including virtual worlds, can “coexit with and expand traditional education” (p. 22). Beginning with non-traditional settings, the selections in the book, Online Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice, explore the social learning concept and examine different ways to incorporate this approach into the curriculum. These chapters are written by a diverse group of academics who represent countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and the United States. Overseeing this collection is Tim Roberts, a Senior Lecturer at the Central Queensland University in Australia. Not only does this editor have experience teaching thousands of students in locations around the world – many who are studying topics completely online – but he has won awards for his research. Thus, Roberts’ experiences as a practitioner and a researcher are adequate qualifications for bringing together these works.As the full title suggests, Online Collaborative Learning presents a blend of theoretical and practical perspectives. While there is a wealth of information about the theory and practice of online learning, the literature about online cooperative and collaborative is lacking. This collection of chapters attempts to fill this gap. Before launching into the pieces themselves, though, Roberts provides a discussion about the concept of collaborative learning, which he emphasizes is not a new one. He also attempts to clarify the confusion that surrounds the terms “cooperative” and “collaborative” with regards to learning. While new theories of cognition and learning continue to be touted, Roberts notes that formal learning often concentrates solely on individual learning efforts. Moreover, the problems associated with collaborative learning, such as the “free rider effect,” make some educators hesitant to adopt this type of strategy.