This Week for Faculty: Connect students to each other and enhance learning through collaboration

by | Nov 19, 2024 | Announcements

Connect students to each other and enhance learning through collaboration

Collaborative learning activities are a great way to actively engage students in their own learning. Collaborative learning can help foster community and sense of belonging in the classroom, while at the same time, help students take shared ownership and responsibility for their learning.

The essential features of collaborative learning are: 1) intentional design, providing structure and guidance to students; 2) co-laboring, meaning students share the workload equitably and all students “in the group engage actively in working together toward completion of goals”; and 3) “meaningful learning must take place” in which all students increase their knowledge and/or develop their skills (Major, 2020).

The CTL’s collaborative learning resource introduces the benefits of collaborative learning, highlights strategies, and gives an overview of Columbia-supported tools to facilitate collaborative learning.

Bring collaborative learning to your classroom

Determine which collaborative learning strategy aligns with your learning objectives. Find many examples of collaborative learning techniques in Barkley, Major, and Cross‘s Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (2014), including techniques for discussion, reciprocal teaching, problem-solving, using graphic information organizers, focusing on writing, and using games. 

Communicate the why and what of collaborative learning and tune in to your students’ perspectives on collaborative learningStudents have varying experiences with collaborative learning and these may elicit various emotions. Talk with your students about why you will use collaborative learning strategies and how it will support their learning. Invite students to share their experiences and what they will do to ensure that they maximize their learning by engaging with their peers. 

Set the tone for collaborative learning in your classroom through community building activities and by establishing community agreements which provide guidelines for how groups of students will work together. Use these agreements to foster a respectful and inclusive learning environment.

Consult with the CTL! Whether you are interested in bringing jigsawscase studiesthink-aloud-pair problem solvingpeer reviewannotation activities, or any other collaborative learning strategy to your classroom, the CTL can help! Reach out to us at CTLfaculty@columbia.edu.

Faculty Spotlight

Rachel Cummings on Using Case Studies and Discussion to Help Students Learn 
Dr. Cummings shares her experience integrating case studies and discussion activities for her Engineering course ORCS 4201: Policy for Privacy Technologies to help students implement technical concepts in real-world settings.

Upcoming sessions

Navigating HOT Moments: Before, During, & After Class
November 18, 12:00pm-1:00pm
This session will also be offered December 4
Related resource: Navigating Heated, Offensive, and Tense (HOT) Moments in the Classroom

Faculty Book Discussion Group: Teaching with AI
November 21, 3:00-4:00pm
Related resource: Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI

Ways to Be More Inclusive in Your Course
November 26, 11:00am-12:00pm
Related resource: Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia

The CTL is here to help!

Connect via Zoom or phone
Join us for office hours via Zoom (or phone) Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm to have your teaching with instructional technology questions answered, or schedule an appointment any time by contacting ColumbiaCTL@columbia.edu.

Schedule a consultation
Schedule a consultation to discuss any teaching and learning need by emailing ctlfaculty@columbia.edu or email the CTL Learning Designer assigned to your school or department.