According to the advocates of social constructivism, collaboration is the fundamental element required to facilitate learning. Today, social constructivists should be really happy as there’s a variety of EdTech apps at our disposal to help us achieve a collaborative learning experience for the students. So, what apps are these? How should you use them? How do they benefit learning? Let’s find out together.
Why are EdTech tools essential for creating collaborative learning?
Incorporating collaborative technology into your lesson planning and assessment strategies can help create a consistent and effective learning environment. By leveraging the power of technology, you can foster collaboration and engagement among students while also providing them with the tools they need to succeed. This can help ensure that students receive the best possible education and that their learning experience is both enjoyable and productive. So, how can we achieve that?
Let’s explore the three ways to create a fruitful collaborative learning environment.
Use a classroom management system
The first step would be to use a classroom management system
A classroom management system is a specific type of LMS (Learning Management System) that facilitates collaboration and communication among learners and instructors.
Some examples of collaborative learning platforms are Google Classroom, Class123, ClassDojo, Schoology, Canvas, Edmodo, Blackboard and Moodle.
Among other features, these platforms include discussion forums, group workspaces, and communication tools such as chat rooms. Using these features, students can work together in the virtual environment, allowing them to share ideas, resources, and feedback in real-time. They can also stay connected and engaged with their peers, even when they are not physically in the same space.
Assign a collaborative project or activity
Assign a project or activity to multiple students. Such assignments encourage students to collaborate and share ideas.
For example, ask them to work together and do a presentation for the upcoming lesson. To do the project, propose to the students to use a collaboration suite such as Google Drive. With Google Drive, they can access and edit shared documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time. Alternatively, another cool tool you could use is Wakelet. Wakelet is a web-based platform that allows your students to contribute to collections of online resources, such as articles, videos, and images.
Such tools will enable students to collaborate and benefit from each other’s insights and perspectives. This will not only help them develop their skills in working together but also provide them with an opportunity to learn from each other.
Encourage students to discuss online
Finally, you should encourage students to engage in meaningful dialogue about topics that interest them and are related to your lesson by utilising online discussion boards or forums. This will allow students to share their ideas, ask questions, and gain valuable insight from their peers. In these discussion boards, students can provide constructive feedback and support to each other or even post photos and videos relevant to the topic. Collaboration platforms incorporate forums that function like discussion boards. Alternatively, if you don’t have a collaboration platform, you can use Padlet, a free tool for this purpose.
Through the discussions between students, their critical thinking skills will develop. Of course, the downside is that you’ll have to monitor these conversations and intervene if something goes wrong.
Bottom line
By incorporating tools such as virtual classrooms, shared documents, video conferencing tools, and online forums into your lesson plan, you are providing students with opportunities to not only enhance their learning experience but also build important professional skills such as digital literacy and communication. Overall, the advantages of incorporating collaborative technology into a modern lesson allow for a more engaging, effective and memorable learning environment in today’s digital age.