The document provides instructions for a workshop on designing collaborative learning activities. The workshop is divided into 11 activities that guide participants through conceptualizing learning outcomes, developing design heuristics, storyboarding their activity, and prototyping it using various tools. The overall goal is for participants to work in teams to design a collaborative online learning activity by applying principles of collaborative learning and utilizing design tools and examples to create an initial prototype that can later be implemented in a virtual learning environment.

1. ProjectNumber: 531262-LLP-2012-ES-KA3-KA3MP 1
METIS - Meeting teachers co-design needs by means of
Integrated Learning Environments
http://www.metis-project.org
HowtodesignCollaborativeLearningactivities
Ahands-onworkshopexploringtoolsandtechniquesfordesigningsuccessfulonlinecollaborative
learningactivitiesinhighereducation
Author(s)/Editor(s):AndrewBrasher,PatrickMcAndrew&ChristopherWalsh
Thisworkis licensedundera Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0Unported License.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication
reflects the views only of the author(s), and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use whichmay be made of the informationcontainedtherein.

2. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 1
Contents
Workshop aims and overview ................................................................................................ 2
Workshop activity structure....................................................................................................4
1 Introduction(15 minutes) ..................................................................................... 4
2 How to ruin a collaborative learning activity (15 minutes)....................................... 5
3 Heuristicsfor collaborative learning (25 minutes)................................................... 6
4 Conceptualize: Learning outcomes (40 minutes)..................................................... 7
5 Conceptualize: Evidence, examples and patterns of Collaborative Learning (60
minutes) .......................................................................................................................... 9
6 Conceptualize: Storyboard(45 minutes) .............................................................. 10
7 Author: use the WebCollage tool to create a detailed prototype of your
collaborative learning activity(45 minutes)...................................................................... 11
8 Implement your activity in a VLE (30 minutes)...................................................... 12
9 Heuristicevaluation (35 minutes)........................................................................ 13
10 Wrap up (15 minutes)......................................................................................... 14
11 Evaluate (15 minutes)......................................................................................... 15
12 References......................................................................................................... 16

3. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 2
Workshop aims and overview
1. Overview
In this workshop you will work in a small team to design a collaborative online learning activity. You will
have the opportunity learn about the principles involved, experiment with tools that can help you
structure and analyse your ideas and learn from case studies of successful activities tried and tested on
Open University modules. At the end of the workshop you will have produced an initial design which
you canthendevelop further to be usedin your online teachingactivities.
This workshop has been created by the Metis Project, and it is one of three workshop structures that
heave been developed for different educational sectors across Europe. You will use several paper-
prototyping tools and the Integrated Learning Design Environment (ILDE), a bespoke environment for
the co-design of learning, developed by the Metis Project. The ILDE aims to support practitioners in
completing the "learning design" lifecycle from conceptualising designs to deploying them in virtual
learning environments (VLEs) for enactment and eventual redesign. In particular, you will use
WebCollage, an online tool specificallydesigned to assist you in creating collaborative learning activities
ready to run in a VLE. The overall design of this workshop is based on a meta-design template
producedbythe Metisproject (Brasher,2015) .
1.1 Learning andother outcomes
Forparticipants:
Apply one or more 'learning design' practices to incorporate collaborative learning in the
contextof your work;
Demonstrate an understanding of the value of 'learning design' and note key issues and
debatesin the field;
Use the ILDE tools to develop a learning design that fosters collaborative learning in the
contextof your work andshare it with peers; and
Demonstrate an understanding of the value of sharing design knowledge and identify forms
andformats appropriatefor your work.
1.2 WorkshopSchedule
Start
time
Activity
code
Activity Duration/
mins.
10:00 A1 Introduction 15
10:15 A2 Howto ruina collaborativelearningactivity 15
10:30 A3 Heuristicsfor collaborativelearning 25
10:55 -- Break 10

4. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 3
11:05 A4 Conceptualize:learningoutcomes 40
11:45 A5 Conceptualize: evidence,examplesandpatterns 60
12:45 -- Lunch 30
13:15 A6 Conceptualize:storyboard 45
14:00 A7 Author: use the WebCollage tool to create a detailed
prototype of your collaborativelearningactivity
45
14:45 -- Break 10
14.55 Implement:producearunnableactivityin a VLE 30
15:25 A8 Heuristic evaluation 35
16:00 A9 Wrap up 15
16:15 A10 Evaluate 15

5. How to design Collaborative Learning activities 4
Workshop activity structure
1 Introduction (15 minutes)
The facilitators introduce the workshop, the Metis project and the Integrated Learning Design
Environment(ILDE) http://ilde.upf.edu/ou/.
The ILDE’s Learning Design Project functionality that participants will use within the workshop will be
described.

6. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 5
2 How to ruin a collaborative learning activity (15
minutes)
2.1 Participantresources (per team)
 A1 sheets of paper
 3 Post-Its packs per team
 Markerpensin black,red, blueandgreen
 Student personas
 Slideswith title beginning‘A2’
2.2 Instructions
In thisactivityyou will thinkabout factorsthatcan causea collaborative learningactivityto
fail.
1. Individually, write down 3 (or more) ways to ensure that an activity you are designing will
fail! Write eachonan individual Post-It (5 minutes);
2. As a team, place all your Post-Its on a sheet of A1 paper and structure them in a waythat
seems useful (e.g. by themes or arrange into a map) (10 minutes).
(During or after the workshop a facilitator will upload a picture of your representation of
ways to ruin a collaborative learning activity to your project within the ILDE. Please feel
free to uploadother imagesduringtheworkshop).
2.3 Activity output
A representation of ways to ‘ruin a collaborative learning activity’. This representation will be used
as a starting point for the development of heuristics for successful collaborative activities in
Activity 3.

7. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 6
3 Heuristics for collaborative learning (25 minutes)
15 minutesteam work,10 minutesplenary.
3.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 A1 sheets of paper
 2 Post-Its packs per team (one in blue, onein yellow)
 Markerpensin black,red, blueandgreen
 Slideswith title beginning‘A3’
 Student personas
 Examplesof heuristics
 Use of ILDE (for captureofresults)
3.2 Instructions
1. Individually, think abouthow you would avoidruiningacollaborativelearningactivity. Write
down 2 or more heuristics(guidelinesor‘rulesof thumb’)that a collaborativeactivity
shouldadhereto for your particular teachingandlearningcontext.
 Someexampleheuristics have beensupplied: you canadopt and/ormodify
these
 Write eachheuristic ona separate Post-it (5 minutes);
2. Collaborate with the others on your team byplacing your Post-Its on an A1 page. Arrange
them in some order or map, and identifya few keyguidelines or heuristics that you believe
a successful collaborative learning activity should follow.
One member of the team should add the heuristics to your Heuristic Evaluation page
withinthe ILDE (10 minutes);
3. Each team will then present its heuristics to the whole workshop. Please focus on
describing the key heuristics as you will only have 3 minutes to present!
(10 minutesin total,yourteamwill have about3minutes).
Use the HeuristicEvaluationtemplatewithin your ILDE projectto collectyour heuristics.
3.3 Activity output
A set of heuristics.These heuristics will be used as one of the design evaluation tools in amid-way
designreview (Activity 6), and for your designprototype (Activity 9).

8. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 7
4 Conceptualize: Learning outcomes (40 minutes)
4.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 A1 sheets of paper
 2 sets of OULDE Post-Its pack number 3 ‘Aligning Outcomes-Assessments-Activities and
VisualisingLearningDesigns’
 Document listing verbs and phrases for describing collaborative activitylearning outcomes
( e.g. words such as debate, discuss, perform, motivate, engage, co-create, contribute,
share, build,designetc.).
 Markerpensin black,red, blueandgreen
 Print out of slidesdescribingtheLearningOutcomesView
 Accessto ILDE to loadrepresentationsof the results
 Slideswith title beginning‘A4’ includingtheactivityverbs andphrases
4.2 Instructions
In this activity, working individually and as a team, you will describe your vision for a collaborative
learning activityby focusing on the effects that the activity is intended to have on learners (note that
the focusof a later activity‘Conceptualize:Storyboard’ is on how these effectswill beachieved).
You will use the OULDI Post-Its packs to create a Learning Outcomes View for a collaborative
activity. The Learning Outcomes view is a notational view which illustrates how the learning
activities and assessment tasks are aligned with the intended learning outcomes of the course or
module.Theviewis informedbyBiggs’work on ConstructiveAlignment (Biggs,1999).
Use these Post-its from the OULDI Post-Its pack:
Learning outcome(s)
Learners’ output for formative or
summativeassessment
Activityundertaken bythelearner
Process:
1. Listento the introductiontothe LearningOutcomesViewandthis activity
(2 minutes);
2. Individuallywrite down one or more learning outcomes for a collaborative learning activity,
each on a separate Learning Outcome Post-Its. Use at least one of the verbs and
phrases particularly relevant to collaborative learning per learning outcome (these are
suppliedona slideandin print). (3 minutes);
3. As a team, collaborate to choose and refine one or more learning outcomes that your
activity willproduce (10minutes);

9. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 8
4. Individually, each write down one or more outputs a learner could produce to show that
they have reached one or more of these outcomes. Use a separate Learner Output Post-
Its for eachoutput. (5 minutes);
5. As a team, collaborate to choose and refine the definition of the learner outputs (10
minutes);
6. As a team, collaboratetoproduceaLearningOutcomesView on an A1 sheetof paper,
illustrating the relationshipsbetweenlearners'outputsandlearningoutcomes (10
minutes).
(Duringor after the workshopthe facilitatorwilluploadapictureof your LearningOutcome
View to your projectwithin theILDE. Pleasefeel free to uploadotherimages duringthe
workshop).
4.3 Activity output
Theteams’LearningOutcomes Viewsharedon paper(e.g. affixed to the wall)and via the ILDE.

10. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 9
5 Conceptualize: Evidence, examples and patterns of
Collaborative Learning (60 minutes)
5.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 Printedcopiesof the CollaborativeLearningPatterns (Hernández-Leo,Asensio-Pérez,
Dimitriadis,&Villasclaras,2010)
 Printedcopiesof summariesofthe casestudiesin “Review of the StrategicUse of
FORUMs on ModulesandQualifications”(Thorpe&Norwood,2013)
 2 Post-Its packs (one in pink andone ingreen)
 Accessto ILDE to allowresults to be shared
5.2 Instructions
In this activity, workingindividuallyandas a team, you will:
1. Listen to the presentations about the case studies and patterns, and whilst doing so, think
aboutif andhow they couldbeappliedtoyour teaching (35minutes);
2. As individuals, think about which features of the examples and patterns could be applied
to your teaching context and used to support your learners reach the learning outcomes
you specifiedinActivity 4 “Conceptualize:Learningoutcomes”.
 Keep in mind the heuristics and ways to ruin an activity you identified in activities 2
and3.
 Pick one or more of the patterns or case studies, and for your chosen one(s) write
down “pros” on green Post-Its, and “cons” on pink Post-Its and attach them to the
relevant print out (5 minutes);
3. As a team, use the annotatedprintouts as promptsto discussandagreeonfeatures of
the patterns andexamplesthat you can makeuse of.
Nominateanote taker to describe the prosand consandother features you think willbe
useful. Thereisa Google Documentwithinyourteam’sproject in the ILDE for this
purpose. (20minutes).
Use the ‘Noteson examplesandpatterns’ documentwithin your ILDE projectto describe the pros
andcons and otherfeatures you think will be useful.
5.3 Activity output
Notes on potentiallyuseful designfeaturesaddedto the ILDE.

11. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 10
6 Conceptualize: Storyboard (45 minutes)
6.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 A1 sheets of paper
 2 sets of OULDEPost-Its packnumber3‘AligningOutcomes-Assessments-Activitiesand
VisualisingLearningDesigns’
 Markerpensin black,red, blueandgreen
 Print out of slidesdescribingtheLearningOutcomesView
 ILDE accessto view your andother teams’heurristics.
6.2 Instructions
In this activity, working individually and as a team, you will use the OULDI Post-Its packs to create
a storyboard describinghowyour collaborativeactivity willrun.
1. Listento the introductiontothe Storyboard view (5 minutes);
2. Collaboratetolayout your storyboard (25 minutes);
Issues/questionsto think about include:
a. Which parts of the activity should be synchronous, and which should be
asynchronous?
b. Whichpattern(s) canbeused to helpsupport your plannedcollaboration?
c. Which tools have the right affordances for your activity?
Remember to reflect on the heuristics you created in Activity 3 and use them to guide
your design.(You canalsocheckitagainstother teams’heuristicsinthe ILDE).
3. Present your storyboard to the workshop (15 minutes, about 5 minutes per team).
(During or after the workshop the facilitator will upload a picture of your Storyboard to your
projectwithin the ILDE. Pleasefeel free to uploadother images duringtheworkshop).
6.3 Activity output
Theteams’storyboardssharedthroughpresentationanduploadto ILDE.

12. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 11
7 Author: use the WebCollage tool to create a
detailed prototype of your collaborative learning
activity (45 minutes)
7.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 ComputerwithaccesstoWebCollage
 Largemonitorso that everyone in the team canseewhat the author is doing
 Rolecardsfor the team participants(MediaSpecialist,Academic,Modulemanager,
Accessibilityspecialist)
 WebCollageworksheet (example)
 Slideswith title beginning‘A7’
7.2 Instructions
In this activity, working as a team, you will use WebCollage to create a detailed description
specifying howyour collaborativeactivitywillrun.
1. Listento the introductiontoWebCollage (10 minutes);
2. Given that there is limited time available for this activity, you may want to select a portion
of your storyboard to author– the facilitatorswillhelpyou withthis. (5 minutes);
3. Use WebCollagetoselectthe pattern that is most relevant to the storyboard. (5 minutes);
4. Customise the pattern to produce the first stage authored sequence. User of WebCollage
thinks-aloud during creation while other participants feed in suggestions based on their
own role in the module team and other roles (e.g. those on the supplied role cards). (15
minutes);
5. Note any issues related to your role in the Google document within your team’s ILDE
project(5 minutes);
6. Finalise the WebCollage prototype for presentation to other participants during the next
activity. (10 minutes)
7.3 Activity output
A WebCollageprototype inthe ILDE.

13. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 12
8 Implement your activity in a VLE (30 minutes)
8.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 ComputerwithaccesstoILDE
 Largemonitorso that everyone in the team canseewhat the author is doing
 WebCollageprototpefrom activity 7
 Slideswith title beginning‘A8’
8.2 Instructions
This activity will focus on demonstrating that the prototypes produced in WebCollage can be
convertedinto runnableactivitieswithina workingMoodlesystem.
1. Listento the introductiontoGluePS.(10 minutes);
2. The facilitators will select one of the prototypes and show how it can be converted to a
runnable activity in Moodle. (15 minutes) (If there is time, facilitators will support other
teamsto completeconversions oftheirdesigns.); &
3. The facilitators will review the ways in which theMoodle implementation can be refined in
WebCollageorother tools. (5 minutes).
8.3 Activity output
A runnableactivity inMoodle.

14. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 13
9 Heuristic evaluation (35 minutes)
9.1 Participants’resources (per team)
 Thedesignofanotherteam
 Theotherteam’sevaluation heuristics (i.e. the output from Activities 2 and3).
 Background to heuristic evaluation http://www.ld-grid.org/resources/methods-and-
methodologies/heuristic-evaluation (printedcopy)
 Slideswith title A9.
9.2 Instructions
Heuristic evaluation originates in usabilityresearch, as a technique for early formative evaluation of
digital systems. A team of experts is asked to assess a particular design using a given set of
heuristics or “rules of thumb”. In this activity, your team will split into two groups. One group will
evaluate another team’s design, the other group will make themselves available to answer any
questionsthat mayarise as your team’s designis evaluatedby anotherteam.
1. As a team, select a view or representation of your design that summarises its features.
For example, you could choose WebCollage’s ‘Summary View’, or your Storyboard (5
minutes);
2. Make your chosen representation available to another team, i.e. displaythe selected ILDE
view on your team’smonitorordisplay the storyboard (5 minutes);
3. One group from your team should carry out a heuristic evaluation of another team’s
design, using the heuristics provided, and bearing in mind all the heuristics identified in
this workshop. Fill in the scoring sheet within the heuristic evaluation document to
summarise yourfindings. (10 minutes)
4. Each group of evaluators will present its evaluation to the workshop (you will have about
5 minutespergroup, so leadwith the mostimportantpoints) . (15 minutes)
9.3 Activity output
CompletedHeuristic Evaluation scoringsheetinthe ILDE.

15. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 14
10 Wrap up (15 minutes)
The facilitators will conclude the workshop by describing how participants can find out more about
learning design in general and the ILDE in particular. The facilitators invite participants to discuss their
intentionsandtimescalesforprogressing towardsenactingtheirownlearningdesignsusingtheILDE.
In addition, we value your feedback on both the ILDE and the workshop so invite you to kindlycomplete
the evaluationquestionnaire.

16. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 15
11 Evaluate (15 minutes)
We value your feedbackandneedyou to kindlycompletetheevaluationquestionnaire.
11.1 Participants’resources (per individual)
 TheMetisevaluationquestionnaire: http://www.itd.cnr.it/Metis/questionnaire.html
11.2 Instructions
Completethequestionnaire! (Thankyou).

17. METIS PROJECT
How to design Collaborative Learning activities 16
12 References
Biggs, J. (1999). What the Student Does: teaching for enhanced learning. Higher Education
Research & Development,18(1),57-75.
Brasher, A. (2015). Metis deliverable D3.4: Final workshops packages: a meta-design for
workshopsfordifferenteducational levelsandeducationcontexts
Hernández-Leo, D., Asensio-Pérez, J. I., Dimitriadis, Y., & Villasclaras, E. D. (2010). Appendix:
A CSCL scripting pattern language. In P. Goodyear & S. Retalis (Eds.), E-learning,
design patternsand pattern languages:Sense Publishers.
Thorpe,M., & Norwood,L.(2013). Review of the StrategicUse of FORUMs on Modulesand
Qualifications.Retrieved 20/6/2014, from
https://intranet7.open.ac.uk/collaboration/iet-learning-design-best-
practice/Forums/E210%20level%202%20Extending%20professional%20practice%20i
n%20the%20early%20years%20accessible%20version.doc