Collaborative Learning In A Global World

The 21st century has brought about changes in every aspect of life through ubiquitous technology and Internet-based social media. The distances between cultures and continents have narrowed, the world has become flat, and multicultural work-teams composed of members from different countries have become a daily reality in global businesses. However, in many ways these global changes in work practices have only just begun to have an impact on education. To better prepare students for the information age, researchers and policy makers largely agree about the skills needed for shared knowledge construction. Indeed, the education systems in several different countries have begun to integrate these skills into teaching and learning and are placing a strong emphasis on their implementation (Melamed et al, 2010; Resta et al, 2011). In 2015 the OECD PISA exam for the first time, included assessment of collaborative problem-solving in its country-by-country comparison. Collaborative learning is not a trivial challenge nor is it intuitive for all teachers and learners. One must acquire and practice the essential skills in order to successfully work in a team. Consequently it is essential to train teachers in collaborative teamwork, as they must serve as role models for students. In addition, new tools and practices become available at a rate that outpaces the abilities of many higher education institutions to adopt and implement. This book surveys the current state of the field and provides theoretical guidance and practical examples to help meet the gaps in research, development and practice.

Collaborative learning is well-recognised as a pedagogical practice that promotes socialisation and learning among students from kindergarten to the university level and beyond. Children, adolescents, and adults learn from each other in a vast array of formal and informal settings in schools and the wider community. This book brings together a diverse range of international scholars to profile new pedagogical developments in collaborative learning and to highlight how these practices have been implemented. The term collaborative learning is used very broadly in this volume and includes co-operative learning, peer learning, and peer collaboration. The proponents of these practices argue that by working together, students have many opportunities to learn and develop a greater understanding of others with diverse social, personal, and academic competencies. The emphasis in this volume is on chapters that have a strong evidence-base for the work that is presented. This includes chapters that present empirical studies, research reviews, case studies and theoretical reviews because there is much to be gained by sharing and learning about what happens and how different pedagogical practices have been implemented. These chapters include pedagogical practices in mathematics learning, classroom-based talk, literacy, learning processes, group work, pre-service teacher education, teacher professional development, web-based technologies, and affective education and development. This book will have appeal to pre-service and experienced teachers who are interested in how different collaborative pedagogies can be embedded in different curricula to promote student engagement with learning. It will also be valuable as a reference text in post-graduate courses that focus on research training in education.

There is strong evidence that collaborative learning is beneficial to educational development. By engaging in collaborative activity, learners utilise each other's perspectives and experiences to solve problems and develop a shared understanding of meanings. Through dialogue and social interaction, learners are empowered to perform outside of their own individual capabilities. Collaborative learning has the potential to benefit learners of all levels of experience and in a variety of situations. This edited volume showcases a series of studies of theory and case-studies of practice. The book highlights the benefits and challenges of collaborative inquiry, and how these are best managed in practice. The contributors to this volume are comprised of educators from around the world, and collaborative approaches for learners across a broad range of stages of development are discussed. The authors highlight the rich diversity of approaches to learning through collaborative activity, and provide examples of good practice. It also addresses the increasing significance of technology in the support collaborative learning. The benefits technology can bring to collaborative activity have been recognised for several years, and many of the contributions to this volume demonstrate how the impact and scope of collaborative learning may be enhanced by the use of collaborative technologies, social media and Web 2.0 interactive platforms. The examples presented in this edited work illustrate that through technology, collaborative activities no longer need to be confined to the classroom, but may occur across geographical, cultural, and language barriers. Often overcoming these barriers within a collaborative environment proves to be of great benefit to the learners in addition to the knowledge gains offered.

Online Collaborative Learning: Theory and Practice provides a resource for researchers and practitioners in the area of online collaborative learning (also known as CSCL, computer-supported collaborative learning), particularly those working within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles of relevance to those interested in both theory and practice in this area. It attempts to answer such important current questions as: how can groups with shared goals work collaboratively using the new technologies? What problems can be expected, and what are the benefits? In what ways does online group work differ from face-to-face group work? And what implications are there for both educators and students seeking to work in this area?

This book gathers the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2017), held in Budapest, Hungary on 27–29 September 2017. The authors are currently witnessing a significant transformation in the development of education. The impact of globalisation on all areas of human life, the exponential acceleration of technological developments and global markets, and the need for flexibility and agility are essential and challenging elements of this process that have to be tackled in general, but especially in engineering education. To face these current real-world challenges, higher education has to find innovative ways to quickly respond to them. Since its inception in 1998, this conference has been devoted to new approaches in learning with a focus on collaborative learning. Today the ICL conferences offer a forum for exchange concerning relevant trends and research results, and for sharing practical experience gained while developing and testing elements of new technologies and pedagogies in the learning context.

This book gathers the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2017), held in Budapest, Hungary on 27–29 September 2017. The authors are currently witnessing a significant transformation in the development of education. The impact of globalisation on all areas of human life, the exponential acceleration of technological developments and global markets, and the need for flexibility and agility are essential and challenging elements of this process that have to be tackled in general, but especially in engineering education. To face these current real-world challenges, higher education has to find innovative ways to quickly respond to them. Since its inception in 1998, this conference has been devoted to new approaches in learning with a focus on collaborative learning. Today the ICL conferences offer a forum for exchange concerning relevant trends and research results, and for sharing practical experience gained while developing and testing elements of new technologies and pedagogies in the learning context.

Presents best practices for faculty and administrators developing globally-connected courses, including learning objectives, collaborative assignments, and logistical planning As political instability, pandemic risks, rising costs, new requirements for experiential learning, and other factors make it increasingly difficult for students to study abroad, there is growing interest in globalizing and internationalizing the curricula of colleges and universities worldwide. The Wiley Handbook of Collaborative Online Learning and Global Engagement is designed to help educators develop and conduct high-impact, globally-connected courses across the humanities, the fine arts, and the social and natural sciences. This comprehensive guide covers collaborative practices, course design variables, student learning approaches, logistical planning, and more. An international team of contributors from diverse geographic, cultural, and academic backgrounds offer insight into enhancing pedagogical practice, coordinating study abroad experiences, and promoting both students' and faculty's global competencies. Throughout the text, numerous real-world case studies, interactive and experiential assignments, sample syllabi, course bibliographies, and links to web and media resources reinforce best practices for course design, learning objectives, and pedagogy development. Based on a detailed assessment of 500 students in collaborative courses across 14 countries, this innovative guide: Covers co-development of learning objectives across different courses, disciplines and cultural contexts, co-coordination of course content, technology, and resources, and intercultural learning assessment Explores new and innovative ways to engage students in distant locations in collaborative learning Provides advice for overcoming logistical challenges, managing group dynamics, controlling costs, and implementing connected courses with limited resources Discusses the impact globally-connected courses have on cultural curiosity, knowledge, strategy, and behavior Offers approaches for addressing cultural transgressions and miscommunication, and for collaborating with other faculty members across cultures and educational systems Featuring multiple cultural perspectives and international contexts, The Wiley Handbook of Collaborative Online Learning and Global Engagement is a valuable guide and reference for faculty and administrators involved in teaching, planning, implementing, or assessing courses with global learning outcomes.

Although institutions of higher education have recognized the need for preparing their graduates for a digitalized, global workplace, these efforts have been sporadic, individualized, and varied from discipline to discipline. Nevertheless, over the past 10 years, trends such as “double classrooms,” “inverted classrooms,” and “collaborative online international learning” (COIL) have gained traction at universities across the globe. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, efforts to engage students in the use of digital tools and virtual collaborative teamwork increased tenfold. Creative and innovative virtual learning environments (VLEs) have emerged, and instructors have used them to connect with their students much more frequently. The holistic nature of virtual learning, its impact on employability, and the development of global citizenry have become prime areas of research amongst the digital education landscape. Now more than ever, it is essential to look at virtual learning environments and how they can be used to prepare students and employees for the opportunities and challenges of a global, digital workplace. Developments in Virtual Learning Environments and the Global Workplace provides readers with a rationale and tool kit for facilitating virtual learning in a wide variety of contexts in response to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital global workplace. This book covers virtual learning practices, the value of virtual learning for professionals and employers, and the best practices in online learning in different settings. Additionally, the chapters dive into the future perspectives and trends within virtual learning environments and the creation/evaluation of virtual learning strategies. These insights range from diverse countries, education levels, industry sectors, and academic disciplines, making this book a comprehensive research tool. This book will greatly benefit e-learning and instructional designers, university senior managers, university staff responsible for mobility and exchange, researchers, professionals responsible for organizational development and further education, human resource directors, global company executives, managers, practitioners, stakeholders, academicians, and students looking for information on how virtual learning environments are preparing students for the global workplace.

CSCL has in the past 15 years (and often in conjunction with Springer) grown into a thriving and active community. Yet, lacking is a comprehensive CSCL handbook that displays the range of research being done in this area. This handbook will provide an overview of the diverse aspects of the field, allowing newcomers to develop a sense of the entirety of CSCL research and for existing community members to become more deeply aware of work outside their direct area. The handbook will also serve as a ready reference for foundational concepts, methods, and approaches in the field. The chapters are written in such a way that each of them can be used in a stand-alone fashion while also serving as introductory readings in relevant study courses or in teacher education. While some CSCL-relevant topics are addressed in the International Handbook of the Learning Sciences and the International Handbook of Collaborative Learning, these books do not aim to present an integrated and comprehensive view of CSCL. The International Handbook of Computer- Supported Collaborative Learning covers all relevant topics in CSCL, particularly recent developments in the field, such as the rise of computational approaches and learning analytics.

This book addresses computer-supported collaborative learning (also known as CSCL) particularly within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles on theory and practice in this area including topics such as: how can groups with shared goals work collaboratively using the new technologies? What problems can be expected, and what are the benefits? In what ways does online group work differ from face-to-face group work? And what implications are there for both educators and students seeking to work in this area?