Collaborative learning involves students learning together through coordination and sharing understanding of a problem. It is improved by explaining thoughts to others, being aware of different viewpoints, and utilizing diverse expertise. Theoretical foundations include socio-constructivism, where social interactions influence cognition, and socio-cultural views emphasizing social and cultural contexts. Prerequisites for effective collaboration are equality, open discussion, and technology that enables smooth interaction. Collaboration can be supported through instructional scaffolding and computer tools that make thinking visible and foster discussion.

1. Collaborative Learning
Learning Theory and Pedagogical Use of Technology
2012-09-27
Venla Vallivaara
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

2. During this lecture we will explore…
• What is collaborative learning?
• How does collaboration improve learning?
• What is the main theoretical background of
collaborative learning research?
• What are the prerequisities for collaborative
learning?
• How can we support collaborative learning?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

3. What is collaborative learning?
How does collaboration improve learning?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

4. What is collaborative learning?
” a situation in which two or more people learn or
attempt to learn something together”
”A coordinated synchronous activity that is the result of a
continued attempt to construct and maintain a shared
conception of a problem”
collaborative learning vs. cooperative
learning
Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by collaborative learning? In Dillenbourg, P. (Ed.) Collaborative learning: Cognitive and Computational
Approaches.
Roschelle, J. & Teasley S. (1996). The construction of shared knowledge in collaborative problem solving.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

5. • When have you experienced
truly collaborative learning?
• Do you think your learning was
more efficient due to that
collaboration? Why?
• What things or circumstances
supported your collaboration in
that situation?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

6. Why does collaboration
improve learning?
• Opportunity to externalize your thinking and
by that develop them further
• Awareness of your own thoughts, realizing the
differences between viewpoints
• Motivation to explain your thougths when they
are not clear enough for the others to
understand
• Discussing on more abstract level to find the
common ground for the joint discussion and
problem solving
• Utilizing the variety of knowledge and
Häkkinen, P. & Arvaja, M. (1999). Kollaboratiivinen the group
expertise within oppiminen teknologiaympäristöissä. Teoksessa Eteläpelto, A. & Tynjälä, P. Oppiminen ja
asiantuntijuus.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

7. What is the main theoretical background
of collaborative learning research?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

8. Socio-constructivist
approach on learning
• Piaget  ”The Genevan School”
• How social interactions affect individual cognitive
development?
• ”it is above all through interacting with others,
coordinating his/her approaches to reality with those
of others, that the individual masters new
approaches”
• Individual cognitive development as a result of spiral
causality
• Socio-cognitive conflicts
Doise, W. & Mugny, W. (1984). The Social Development of the Intellects.
Doise, W. (1990). The development of individual competencies through social interaction.
Dillenbourg, P., Baker, M, Balye, A. & O’Malley, S. (1996). The evolution of research on collaborative learning.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

9. Socio-cultural
approach on learning
• Vygostsky  Socio-cultural perspective
• Causal relationship between social interaction and
individual cognitive change?
• Genetic law of cultural development:
– Inter-psychological processes (social speech)
– Intra-psychological processes (inner speech)
• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and Society: The development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Dillenbourg, P., Baker, M, Balye, A. & O’Malley, S. (1996). The evolution of research on collaborative learning
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

10. Shared cognition
approach on learning
• Perspectives of sociology and anthropology shared
cognition and situated cognition
• Environments as a integral part of cognitive activity
– Physical context
– Social context
• Culture, social communities, language, structure of
social meanings and relationships
Dillenbourg, P., Baker, M, Balye, A. & O’Malley, S. (1996). The evolution of research on collaborative learning. In E. Spada & P. Reimans (Edls)
learning in Humans and Machine: Towards an interdisciplinary learning science (pp 189-211). Oxford: Elsevier.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

11. • What are the challenges
you have faced in
collaborative learning
situations?
• What things or
circumstances have
complicated or hindered
the collaboration?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

12. What are the prerequisities
for collaborative learning?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

13. Prerequisities for
collaborative learning
• Equality and symmetry • Individual prerequisities
• Grounding • If technology is used:
• Commitment – Support for fluent
• Certain way of discussing interaction
things – Diversity, flexibility
• Misconceptions and – Usability
disagreements allowed – Reliability
• Open questions vs. factual
questions
• Partly overlapping areas of
expertise Häkkinen, P. & Arvaja, M. (1999). Kollaboratiivinen oppiminen
teknologiaympäristöissä. Teoksessa Eteläpelto, A. & Tynjälä, P.
Oppiminen ja asiantuntijuus..
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

14. How can we support collaborative learning?
How can we script collaboration?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

15. Supporting collaborative
learning
• Because collaboration in learning situations does not
often occur spontaneously, there’s a need for
instructional support
• With scaffolding we can support learners as they
accomplish tasks that they would not be able to
accomplish on their own (Zone of Proximal
Development)
• Scaffolds can provide support
– On a content-related or conceptual level
– Related to the interactive processes between students
Kollar, I; Fisher, F & Hesse, F. W. (2006). Collaboration scripts - A Conceptual Analysis. Educational Psychology Review 18:159-185.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

16. Supporting collaborative learning
with technology
• Computer-Supported
Collaborative Learning
(CSCL)
– Technology can support
collaborative problem
solving by making thinking
visible and by fostering the
discussion during the
learning process
– The cognitive load can be
shared with technology as
well as with other people
Häkkinen, P. & Arvaja, M. (1999). Kollaboratiivinen oppiminen teknologiaympäristöissä.
Teoksessa Eteläpelto, A. & Tynjälä, P. Oppiminen ja asiantuntijuus.
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27

17. Questions?
Comments?
Venla Vallivaara
LET – Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit
University of Oulu
2012-09-27