Fostering collaboration among students and educators enhances learning, builds essential skills, prepares students for the future, and more! Explore practical methods to enhance collaboration such as project-based learning, game-based learning, and leveraging digital tools to align technology with students' needs and goals leading to meaningful engagement.
One thing that I have focused on a lot more over the past couple of years is creating more opportunities for students to collaborate with each other and also, for my own learning, to be able to collaborate with other educators. As we moved through changing learning environments, from fully remote to hybrid and, fortunately, back in person, there were a lot of challenges, and being able to collaborate was definitely one of them. One of the essential skills that employers seek is teamwork, which grows from opportunities to collaborate and build relationships. As we consider how to best prepare our students with the essential skills they need, there are many ways that we can foster meaningful collaboration in and beyond our classroom spaces. Not only will these opportunities benefit students’ learning and growth, but they will also greatly benefit our work and getting to know our students.
As students collaborate more, they can engage more meaningfully in learning and have fun in the process. Brainstorming ideas together, providing feedback to one another, working through learning challenges together, and even teaching each other are all beneficial to their growth and learning journey. They will also build confidence in the classroom and feel more confident speaking in front of and working with their peers. This will impact them far beyond the physical classroom space.
What are some quick ideas for boosting collaboration?
We can select different methods to have students work together in or outside our classrooms. Some methods, such as project-based learning (PBL) or problem-based learning, or through STEM-related activities, for example, provide students with opportunities to work independently and collaboratively towards a common goal or to solve a problem. These student-driven methods foster greater connections with the content knowledge, offering more choices in learning and also leading to more active learning. In my classroom, when students have designed their own PBL experience, it empowers them with more choices and helps them to develop self-management skills when setting goals. Some students may need help with choices during student-driven, independent work such as PBL and setting goals. However, having classmates to support them will help them to further develop these essential skills such as self-management skills. Exploring something more authentic, such as a personal interest or a curiosity, also promotes student agency in learning.
Another favorite is using game-based learning (GBL) in the classroom. GBL helps students build relevant knowledge and skills in the content area while recognizing their progress and building self-awareness. GBL also fosters more student collaboration and boosts student engagement in learning. It does not always require technology. By bringing in some traditional hands-on games, tasking students to create their own game, or selecting from the variety of digital games available, GBL offers tremendous benefits for students, especially for collaboration! Some of the favorites include Blooket, Gimkit, and Quizizz. With Quizizz and the AI Enhanced features, it is fun to create some “real-world” scenario games or suggest a character theme for the game to boost engagement. Each offers different modes of play, and all of them have libraries full of ready-to-run games and lessons, saving time for teachers to work with students.
Leveraging the Right Digital Tools
There are a variety of digital tools and methods that can help us facilitate collaboration. I think it is important to always focus on the why behind the choices. Choose a method, then find the best options for facilitating that method and amplifying the learning experience. For any of those ideas, such as PBL or STEM learning, using tools such as FigJam, Kialo Edu, Padlet, or Wakelet can be very beneficial. Each of these enables students to work together even after the class period has ended and they can be great spaces for students to use for their reflections, digital portfolios, and more. Educators can leverage the robust features of these digital tools to amplify the learning that happens in and out of our classrooms and will feel more connected to classmates and teachers.
Depending on the school and whether Microsoft Teams or Google Classroom are used, for example, these and other LMS options provide students with an opportunity to collaborate on a presentation or co-author a blog. Other ideas include cross-curricular collaboration or having students collaborate with students from a different class or grade level. Several years ago, students worked together on a Spanish travel project. Three different levels of Spanish from different class periods had to figure out how to communicate and collaborate on the project. Students used space in the classroom and then leveraged Google tools to interact through comments or voice notes, such as using Mote, right within their document or presentation!
For some fun creations, using tools such as Book Creator, where students can write a book together and see and hear each other, opens up even more possibilities for collaboration. Book Creator offers many ways for students to engage in meaningful and personalized learning. For accessibility, it has added features such as captions and translation to more than 120 languages. At the beginning of the year, have each class create a yearbook where they introduce themselves and include audio, images, video, text, and more! There is even an integration with Canva, which my students really enjoy! Students and teachers can also leave comments on each other’s books, which can be translated!
There are many choices today, whether using different teaching methods or implementing various digital tools, especially with the increase of generative AI tools for educators and students. It is important to always think through our choices.
When it comes to making good technology choices in education, make sure the method or digital tool selected is effective and aligns with the student's needs and goals. Consider the purpose and how it will enhance and amplify the learning potential of all students, and always check the privacy and security information. Embrace the fun of learning with and from students and creating more possibilities for collaboration so that students will be well-prepared for whatever the future brings them!
About the Author:
Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a World Language and STEAM Educator at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. She is also an Attorney, Edtech Consultant, Speaker, and the author of nine books about education and edtech. Follow her on Twitter/X, Instagram, and connect on LinkedIn. Contact Rachelle!
