What makes collaborative work effective regarding students' learning?

1. Students working Collaboratively

2. Why small group collaboration?

Research shows that it has positive
effects on learning

As long as there are:
– Shared goals
– Individual accountability
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3. Why small group collaboration?

Transmission teaching styles have
reduced:
–
–

Quality
Quantity of student discussion
Sometimes, groupwork might not
profit student learning (depending
on the type of talk in the groups).
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4. This unit will help you to:





List characteristics of discussions
that benefit learning
Recognise teacher concerns
Understand techniques for
promoting effective discussion
Understand the teacher’s role in
discussion management
Plan discussion based lessons
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5. A. Experiencing a discussion


Read problem 4 on handout 1
individually and write down your
own response for it
Work as a group, compare your
responses and try to refine your
answers until you feel you have
reached a consensus
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6. Some points for reflection

Did you find it helpful to have a chance
to think about the question yourself
before it was discussed in your group?

How far did you really think together, or
did you tend to follow independent lines
of thought?
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7. Some points for reflection

Did someone 'take over'? Was someone
a 'passenger'?

Did you listen to, share ideas with and
consider the alternative views of
everyone in the group?
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8. Some points for reflection

Did you build on each others' ideas to
construct chains of coherent reasoning?

Did you feel able to share your ideas
without fear of embarrassment of being
wrong? Did anyone feel uncomfortable
or threatened? If so, why?
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9. Some points for reflection

Did your discussion stay 'on task' or were you
'wandering'?
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10. Some points for reflection

What are the implications of this idea for
your classroom?
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11. Some points for reflection

Most of the problems do not have one
‘definitive’ answer.

Students must think for themselves first.
– Quick thinking and confident students are
more likely to dominate discussion.
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12. Types of student talk
Working in a group
VS
Working as a group
What’s the difference?
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13. Types of student talk
(Mercer 1995,2000)

Disputational talk – This consists of
disagreement and individualised
decision making. It is characterised
by short exchanges consisting of
assertions and counter-assertions.
NOT BENEFICIAL
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14. Types of student talk
(Mercer 1995,2000)

Cumulative talk – speakers build
positively and uncritically on what
each other has said. This is typically
characterised by repetitions,
confirmations and elaborations.
NOT BENEFICIAL
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15. Types of student talk
(Mercer 1995,2000)

Exploratory talk – Speakers work on
and elaborate each other’s
reasoning in a collaborative
atmosphere. Enables reasoning to
become audible and knowledge
becomes publicly accountable.
Characterised by critical and
constructive exchanges.
Challenges are justified and
alternative ideas are offered.
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16. B. Analysing a Discussion
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17. C. Recognising teacher concerns
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18. D. Ground Rules
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