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Collaborative Learning in ODL
This document discusses collaborative learning for distance students. It begins by asking why distance students should collaborate and what the best ways to help them collaborate are. It then addresses whether students like collaborating or experience problems, and most importantly whether collaboration works. The document covers mentoring as an effective way to help students collaborate that has been shown to increase retention rates cost-effectively. It also discusses peer collaboration online and problems students may face, providing potential solutions like giving students control over collaboration partners or making participation part of assessment. While more evidence is still needed, some research shows mentoring can be an effective and cost-efficient approach to collaborative learning for distance students.
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Collaborative Learning in ODL
- 1. ‘Collaborative learning inODL’ Ormond Simpson 21 November 2018 Please use the ‘Chat’ box to question and comment as we go along! 1 ‘You have to attend classes. You can’t just follow me on Twitter’
- 2. ‘Collaborative learning inODL’ 1. Why should distance students collaborate? 2. What's the best way to help students collaborate? 3. Do students like it? – peer collaboration problems 4. Most importantly! - does it work? 5. Your questions? – comment in the chat room
- 3. 1. Why shoulddistance students collaborate? to improve learning? to develop team working skills? to save money on tutors? Something else? If all or some of the above, should collaborative learning be compulsory?
- 4. 2. Ways tohelp students collaborate? i. Mentoring – previous students on a course supporting newer students on the same course ii. Peer collaboration – students on same course working together without a tutor iii. Tutor-led discussion groups online iv. Other learners – family, friends, employers, teachers v. Other ways?
- 5. (i) Mentoring Connecting learnerswith previous learners (a) asking for volunteer mentors by mail or email
- 6. Mentoring (b) telling menteeswhat to expect from a mentor
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- 8. (d) Rewarding mentors financially? with a qualification? with a certificate? ? OU certificate presented to mentors at the Open University Mentoring
- 9. Mentoring (e) does mentoringwork? International study of mentoring (UK, New Zealand and S. Korea) Increases in retention 35% over a non-mentored control group Cost benefit ratio of >200%
- 10. (ii) Peer collaborationon line Students on same course learning together (i) Connecting students - at face-to-face tutorials? - organised by email? - tutors to organise? - on a VLE? - using social networks - other ways? Meeting online on the VLE, or elsewhere – e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp etc
- 11. 11 Facebook Yammer WhatsApp Snapchat Yik Yak Twitter Email Viber SMS (text messaging) Peercollaboration online Students connecting using social software Voicemail But how effective are they for learning? Instagram
- 12. 12 3. Do studentslike it? – peer collaboration problems Collaborative learning not always popular Problem 1- Scheduling and embarrassment “ Online groups don’t work for me – it’s like a party – you either arrive too early and there’s no-one there. Or you arrive too late and everyone is already discussing assignment 3 and you’ve hardly started assignment 1” “I don’t like online discussions. I find it very hard to join in because I’m rather shy”
- 13. 13 Problem 2 –Harassment, ‘Dropout contagion’ and irrelevance “I was once harassed online so I don’t join in any more” “Three students in my discussion group dropped out and I lost heart” “All we did in my group was just chat”
- 14. Peer collaboration problems Solution?- (i) Telling students why collaborative learning is useful ‘Getting Together’ – see www.ormondsimpson.com
- 15. 15 Peer collaboration problems Solution– (ii) Give students useful strategies Use participation techniques – ‘snowballing’ or ‘pyramiding’ - ‘soap boxing’ - Concept cards - etc. Maybe as a video? ‘All Together ‘ – suggestions for getting student discussions going See www.ormondsimpson.com
- 16. Peer collaboration problems Solution?- (iii) ‘Study Dating’ Give students control over who they collaborate with
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- 20. 20 Peer collaboration problems Solution(iv) Make participation part of assessment ‘The beehive metaphor’ Hughes (2011)
- 21. The hive aslearning environment • Queen Bees - fed by workers. Purpose is reproduction • Worker Bees – collect pollen and make wax • Drones – Fed by workers and cannot survive outside the hive. One will fertilise the Queen.
- 22. The hive aslearning environment • Queens - leaders of an online discussion who produce a product or joint assignment • Workers – gather and contribute knowledge to the discussion • Drones – largely absent from the discussion although occasionally provide a new idea often late in the day Is this fair? Hughes, G. (2011) ‘Queen bees, workers and drones: gender performance in virtual learning groups’ In Kirkup (Ed) Gender issues in learning and working with IT
- 23. To modify thehive behaviour? • Compulsory contribution - all are workers or queens • But students may have good reasons not to participate: busy lives, illness, feel excluded by others, arrived late to the discussion, do not know what is going on etc.
- 24. “There was a‘sell by date’ to the contributions … As much as I appreciated I could go to the discussion board at any time, it appeared late entrants rarely got any feedback…”
- 25. Ethical dilemmas • Iscompulsory participation in online discussions necessary to prevent some learners depending on others to do all the work? • Or unfair on those who cannot easily take part?
- 26. ‘Collaborative learning inODL’ 4. Most importantly! - does it work? - yes: some evidence that mentoring works and is cost-effective. More evidence needed, but ‘random controlled studies’ very difficult in distance education
- 27. ‘Collaborative learning inODL’ 1. Why should distance students collaborate? 2. What's the best way to help students collaborate? 3. Do students like it? – peer collaboration problems 4. Most importantly! - does it work? 5. Your questions? – comment in the chat room
- 28. Comments, criticisms anddiscussion always very welcome! Email: ormond.simpson@gmail.com Website Supporting Students for Success www.ormondsimpson.com