Sean Arteaga

Fostering communication between different types of students.

There are many benefits that adult students receive from a collaborative learning environment. These benefits include; both the facilitator and the students becoming part of the educational experience - instead of the instructor being the “sage on the stage”, knowledge is created and shared amongst the students – instead of being passed on by the instructor, and a sense of ownership and pride is shared by the adult students.

When students play a role in creating and sharing the knowledge amongst themselves, they have a higher retention rate of the material. This is accomplished because students end up having an intrinsic reason as to why they want to pass the class, thus motivating the students to perform at a higher cognitive level.

In my experience, adult students who open themselves up to the collaborative learning experience end up enjoying the class more, and end up receiving a higher grade. In online courses that I have taken, I have performed at a higher level of participation when I felt that my discussions were part of the learning experience, rather than when I have tailored my answers to a specific result from a specific question from the instructor.

As a facilitator, there are many methods that I can use in order to foster and support collaboration between students. Some of these methods include; knowing what motivates students to learn, having students share personal information about them, and emphasizing the fact that students have a role to play in this interactive class.

One method that I have used in the past to find out how I can motivate the students in my class have been to have them complete a survey which asks students why they are taking the class. I can use the results of the survey in order to understand if they are taking the class for a vocational, academic, personal, or social reason. I can use the results of this survey in order to help me form groups for the students to work in. I use this method to help ensure that students are interacting with other students who are taking the class for the same reason. For example, I can use this survey so that I do not have students who are seeking qualifications for a better job grouped with students who are only taking the class out of a desire to gain self knowledge.

The reason why I have students share personal information is to help students find others who share the same interests. This helps foster collaboration because it allows students to get to know the person that they are working with. It also helps students feel less isolated in their online class. In my experience with both a traditional and online teaching, when students do not feel isolated in a class, they are more willing to work in a group environment.

I also believe that it is important for students to realize that they are will have a role to play in the online class. By letting the students know what my expectations are upfront, it helps ease any discomfort with collaborating with their classmates. Students understand that this is a normal part of the class. This has always helped me motivate the student to completing their part of any group work.

As a facilitator, I have had challenges with creating a collaborative learning environment. One problem that I have had in the past is how to help the student who does not have a sound background in the required technology needed to be a successful online learner. For these students, I provide links to web sites that provide information to new online learners. This helps insure that I am not answering every single technology related question, as well as empowers the student to learn something new by themselves.
Another problem that I have had has been in dealing with students who are use to the face-to-face classroom. These students are more than happy to listen to the instructor and only have the instructor know what they have written or what problems they have solved. I have solved this problem in the past by having a syllabus that explicitly states what is required of the student in a class. I also make sure that I am available to answer any questions that a student may have and I do my best to emphasize with the students problems, and then use that interaction to motivate the student to work in a group. I have also solved this problem by having roles for each of the student in the group. That way everybody knows what is expected of each other. I also give students the opportunity to grade each other’s participation. That way the students know that other classmates will have a say, even if it is a small one, as to what their final grade will be.