Some Tips on Using Collaborative Exercises
by
Paula Lustbader

Collaborative learning has been a teaching method since the days of the one-room schoolhouse. Because it requires students to work as a learning unit, it helps both weak and strong students to review and synthesize materials, develop problem-solving and reasoning skills, and refine communication skills.

But collaborative exercises are not easy: They are time-consuming; some students may dominate the smaller group; teachers have less control over content, because they cannot listen in on every group at once; and students can get off track or fail to take the exercise seriously. Except for time consumption, a teacher can overcome these problems by careful preparation.

Start by selecting who will be in what group. In selecting group members, you should consider the task at hand, the purpose of the exercise, and the ability of the students. Research indicates that the optimal number of students per group is three; however, depending upon the task, a group of five may be appropriate. Groups larger than five tend to get off track or have dominating members.

Students can be grouped randomly, based on similar ability, or based on mixing strong students with weak students. Random grouping works well for introducing new topics and having the students brainstorm. Homogeneous grouping based on ability is useful for developing analytical skills when some students have mastered the topic or concept, but others are still lagging behind.

In the homogeneous grouping, those students who have mastered the fundamentals can advance to more sophisticated problems and challenges, while those students who are still struggling with the basics can continue to work on those problems. The teacher can spend more time with the groups working at the basic level without slowing down the other students. The heterogeneous grouping works well when students are working on a new concept or topic. Some students may be further along than others, but the concept is still new enough that the stronger students would not be stifled by spending more time reinforcing their initial understanding.

You also should have a specific agenda and tasks for the groups. Begin by giving each member a task. For example, one member should be the recorder, one the reporter, and one the timekeeper or taskmaster. Then give written instructions of what you want the group to discuss and what you want the group to produce from the discussion. For instance, you could ask the group to analyze an exam question and then prepare an outline of its analysis, or you could ask the group to critique a written answer and then revise it.

Give the students an estimate of how much time they should spend on each specific task, and have each student be accountable. For example, you could require each student to write a summary of the discussion or outline of the group's analysis, or ask students to give oral responses in a large group discussion.

Finally, be actively involved with the groups. Circulate among the groups to ensure that they are staying on task and to help group members who are having difficulty with the assignment.

I have used collaborative learning in my classes for years, and have found that it not only helps students learn, but also helps students to develop a greater sense of community and humanity. This is no small feat in law school.