Effective Collaboration

Effective collaboration involves a shared goal, clearly defined roles, agreements about how work will happen, and ongoing, open communication. When shared learning is the goal, learners must have regular opportunities to engage with new content, share and discuss their experiences with one another, and exchange ideas, beliefs, and feedback in order to form new understandings and competencies. Collaborative learning is an ongoing process, where partnerships are developed by establishing rapport and shared understandings.

This might be initiated through the sharing of professional experiences and backgrounds, establishing a set of shared expectations for time commitments, outcomes, and conduct within the group. The coaching component of collaborative learning requires reciprocity, or two-way interactions. Each coaching interaction is individualized to the unique strengths, needs, shared understandings, and desired outcomes of the partners, given the learning context.

In an early learning context, collaborative learning involves groups of two or more educators supporting each other to gain knowledge, skills, and the ability to effectively enact practices in complex and real-life early care and education settings and reflect in order to improve. Instructors can foster supportive, collaborative partnerships between two or more peers as a context for feedback and learning.

Working interactions between a coach and an educator, an instructor and a group of students, and between peers provides a safe space for teachers to ask questions, discuss problems, receive support, gather feedback, reflect on practice, and try new ideas.

Group Work Considerations

When you create groups for collaboration, you decide what size of group will be most appropriate, and determine the purpose of collaboration.

Size:

Pairs
Small groups (3–5)
Medium/large groups (6+)

Type:

In the moment (pair share during a lecture)
Task-based (group assignment)
Community of Practice (long-term)

Consider these questions:

Which of these types of collaborative learning do you facilitate with students to support their learning?
What are your successes and challenges? What are the benefits for the students?