Collaboration and Learning

According to a study by American Institutes for Research, collaborative group work may help support students' individual needs. This study looked at whether student-centered learning could happen within the context of group work. It focused on four unidentified high schools, two in the Southeast, one in New England and one in the Midwest.  Almost 90 percent of the students responded that they had learned through collaboration in their math and English classes. Zeiser and her colleagues found that the more that students reported experiencing high-quality group work, the more they also reported that their individual learning needs were met. Zeiser speculates that’s because students often choose their projects or topics and how they will conduct the projects and divide up tasks. Higher amounts of high-quality group work were also strongly associated with students feeling engaged with their schoolwork and feeling more motivated.

Surr, W., Zeiser, K. L., Briggs, O., & Kendziora, K. (2018). Learning with others – A study exploring the relationship between collaboration, personalization, and equity. Washington, D.C.: American Institutes for Research. https://hechingerreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Learning-with-Others_Executive-Summary_-August-9-2018_Updated.pdf