Collaborative Learning Using Technology

Lesson: Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Summary of Lesson

• Students were broken up into collaborative learning groups of 4-5 students
• Each group was given a topic, either adding OR subtracting fractions
• Groups were given a rubric to follow (guidelines)
• Technology infused

Untitled Slide

• Each group had to use at least one form of technology of their choice to teach the concept of fractions to the class
• Could use more than one form of technology (optional)
• Groups would present to the class

Technology Tools Used by Students

• Computers/Laptops
• Flip Cameras
• PowerPoint
• iMovie
• Movie Maker
• iKaraoke
• Audacity

Technology can promote activity among students through groupwork and collaboration. “In addition to helping to promote attentive engagement, technology helps create settings where students can work together thoughtfully and productively” (Maloy, R., et. al., 2014). Using technology tools in the classroom allows for self-directed learning, student control and responsibility, and more of a student-centered environment. Students can acquire skills, exchange knowledge, demonstrate strengths, and express their creativity and ideas through collaboration with the technology tools. According to Sawyer (2006), schools “should prepare all students to participate in complex creative systems, in which they will need to work collaboratively, at multiple levels of organization, to build knowledge together.”

Learning Approach: Collaborative Learning
Students were split up into groups and given the topic of adding fractions or subtracting fractions. Using a rubric, the groups had to work together to create a presentation that teaches their given topic. Each group would then teach/present to the class once completed. In the video, footage was shown of students filming, video taping, and creating presentations using video, audio and presentation tools on the computer as a group. Students were shown working together and expressing different forms of multimedia.

Collaborative learning provides the opportunity for students to share their multiple perspectives and viewpoints when in groups. According to Edutopia (2012),"individual work can be a great way to master content, but what the group work empowers and kind of enables is a student's cultivation of a certain resilience."

Effectiveness of Lesson:
Collaborative learning was an effective approach to this lesson. As a group, students could share ideas, express their creativity, communicate, and display their strengths and skills in terms of the math content and technology. "Collaborative learning environments encourage students to work in teams, question processes, make mistakes, and monitor each other's reasoning" while keeping the students motivated and engaged (Maloy, R., et. al., 2014).

Recommendations

• Self-evaluation and peer-evaluation of individual grades based on effort and contribution to the group
• Group students either heterogeneously or homogeneously
• Assign jobs to students within the groups (responsibility)

References

• Edutopia. (2012, December 5). Collaborative learning builds deeper understanding [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/rWEwv_qobpU
• Maloy, R. W., Verock-O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, & Woolf, B. P. (2014). Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

References (cont.)

• Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Educating for innovation. Thinking skills and creativity. 1(1), 41-48.