Collaborative learning

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Collaborative learning is an educational approach that promotes interaction among students, as well as between students and teachers.


Lage, Platt, and Tregalia found that incorporating collaborative learning in an introductory microeconomics course resulted in positive feedback from both student and instructor. Instructors integrated collaborative learning in their curriculum by conducting economic experiments in class, and by allowing students to get into groups, discuss material, and then present that material to the class. After the course, a survey was conducted where students rated various aspects of the course on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). "The statement "The experiments illustrated basic economic concepts" received an average score of 4.2 (35)." In addition to this, the students' feedback comments included the following statements:


"I really liked the demonstrations and the group work - they helped me to really see the concepts, much better than a lecture would, and I could better visualize something I'd seen rather than heard-that was a big plus for tests (35)."

"As for the class itself, I loved the way it was run! The groups were very effective-it helped to have your peers explain things to you in a different way that sometimes made more sense. Also, it was easier to get to know your classmates and made for a very comfortable environment. I liked the "hands on" approach (35)."


Instructors also provided positive feedback after the study. "Both instructors also noted that students generally enjoyed working together and seemed to learn from having other students explain concepts in different ways...In general, students were more comfortable asking questions in class, probably because of the many opportunities for one-on-one interaction with the instructor...From the instructors' perspective, the course was considerably more stimulating to teach...(37).

A key aspect of this study was the difference in results between male and female students. "For female students, the mean scores on the statements "I believe I learned more in this format," and "The experiments illustrated basic economic concepts" were higher than for men in our sample. In addition, on the average, female students self-reported greater satisfaction with the worksheets and in-class experiments. Both instructors also noted that women were clearly more active participants in class than in the traditional classroom (37)."

Citation of Source Inverting the Classroom: A Gateway to Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment Maureen J. Lage, Glenn J. Platt and Michael Treglia The Journal of Economic Education Vol. 31, No. 1 (Winter, 2000), pp. 30-43 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1183338

Name: Chelsea

Comments/Questions: The goal of this study was to "invert the classroom," or to incorporate events that usually occur outside the classroom, inside the classroom. Therefore the study integrated not only collaborative learning, but also access to technological resources (video lectures, web sites, PowerPoint presentations, ect.) This study was conducted at Miami University where "The typical undergraduate student is Caucasian, is upper-middle class and resides either on campus or in a nearby off-campus housing (34)." Therefore, the results do not directly reflect how collaborative learning may impact ethnic minorities. Although, the results do reflect that women have a positive response to collaborative learning; a result that may be an indicator for how ethnic minorities will respond to this approach.

Overall Rating [1 (worst source) - 10 (best source)]: 8