Collaborative learning involves students working together in groups to solve problems, complete tasks, or learn material. It includes positive interdependence, promotive interaction, individual and group accountability, and structured student interaction. Groups should be heterogeneous, include 4-6 students, and use activities like think-pair-share, jigsaw, and analytic teams to generate discussion, organize information, and improve writing. Additional ideas include creating textbooks and using outside reading groups with peer instruction.

1. Collaborative
Learning
An Amateur’s Introduction

2. The Basics
• What is Collaborative Learning?
• Collaborative Learning and Active Learning
• Collaborative & Cooperative Learning
• Essentials to Include
• Positive interdependence
• Promotive Interaction
• Individual and Group Accountability
• Teamwork Skills & Structured Student Interaction
• Group Processing

3. Forming Groups
• Types of Groups
• Informal
• Formal
• Base
• Size of Groups
• Formal: 4-6 usually
• Informal: 2-6
• Members
• Heterogeneous preferred

4. What to Do with Groups
What You Want to Achieve Sample Activities
Generate Discussion Think/Pair/Share or Buzz Groups
Reciprocal Teaching Jigsaw
Problem Solving Analytic Teams
Organize Information Word Webs
Improve Writing Dyadic Essays

5. Other Interesting Ideas
• Create a textbook
• Outside Reading Groups
• Peer Instruction

6. Sourcesand Resources
• Barkley, Cross & Major. Collaborative Learning Techniques: A
Handbook for College Faculty (Wiley: San Francisco, 2005)
• Butchart, Handfield and Restall. “Using Peer Instruction to Teach
Philosophy, Logic and Critical Thinking,” Teaching Philosophy (32: 1,
March 2009), pp. 1-40.
• Cooper, James, et al. Cooperative Learning and College Instruction
(California State University Foundation: Long Beach, CA, 1990)
• Gregory, Maughn Rollins. “A Framework for Facilitating Classroom
Dialogue”, Teaching Philosophy (30: 1, March 2007, pp. 59-84)
• Johnson, Johnson & Smith, Active Learning: Cooperation in the
College Classroom (Interaction: Edina, MN, 1998)
• Silvermintz, Daniel. “Reading Philosophy with Friends: Introducing
Reading Groups into the Philosophy Classroom,” Teaching Philosophy
(29: 3, September, 2006), pp. 237-243.
• Strawser, Michael. “Creating Philosophy: Using a Cooperative
Learning Approach in the Classroom,” Teaching Philosophy (28: 2,
June 2005), pp. 115-134.