By: Kellie Ferguson, Faculty Developer of Integrative and Experiential Learning, and Jasmine Yap, Director of Inclusive Teaching Practices
NSSE data on collaborative learning at DU
In a previous blog post, we explored the significance of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and what it reveals about student experiences at DU. One key finding from the NSSE data is the decline in collaborative learning among both first-year students and seniors over the past decade, with a slight rebound from a low point in 2021. This trend is concerning given the well-documented benefits of collaborative learning for student engagement, retention, and overall academic success (Barkley, Cross, & Major, 2014; Loes, 2022).
According to the NSSE 2024 data, first-year students at DU are less likely to engage in collaborative learning activities than their counterparts at top-performing institutions. Only 33.6% of DU freshmen reported regular collaborative learning experiences, compared to 36.7% at the highest-performing schools. DU freshmen also had fewer interactions with diverse peers, with engagement rates of 40.2% versus 44.2% at leading institutions.
The pattern continues with DU seniors, who showed lower participation in collaborative learning than the top 50% of NSSE institutions (32.1% compared to 34.7%). When compared to the top 10% of NSSE institutions, the difference becomes even more pronounced. When we look at DU seniors against our nine peer institutions specifically, we see similar gaps in both collaborative learning (32.1% vs. 35.0%) and engagement with diverse peers (38.3% vs. 41.8%).
These findings suggest we have opportunities to enhance the collaborative learning environment at DU, particularly in creating more meaningful interactions across diverse student groups. What’s especially concerning is how seniors show even lower engagement rates than first-year students, suggesting that collaborative learning actually declines throughout students’ undergraduate years at DU rather than strengthening as they progress toward graduation.
In this post, we highlight the importance of the NSSE findings on collaborative learning, explain why this teaching method is essential for creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment, and offer practical strategies for integrating collaborative learning into your courses. By addressing these collaboration gaps, we can collectively strengthen DU’s academic community and better prepare our students for the collaborative workplaces they’ll enter after graduation.
What is collaborative learning?
Collaborative learning is an educational approach where students work together in small groups to achieve shared learning goals. This method emphasizes teamwork, problem-solving, and knowledge-sharing, allowing students to build critical thinking skills while fostering communication and cooperation (Roselli, 2016). It transforms the classroom into an interactive space where learners contribute their unique perspectives, fostering a more enriched and dynamic educational experience.
Why collaborative learning?
As a powerful pedagogical approach in higher education, collaborative learning fosters critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills, which are essential for academic and professional success (Gillies, 2016). Research shows that collaborative learning significantly improves learning outcomes, with students demonstrating higher academic achievement, greater retention of information, and increased satisfaction with their learning experiences (McMillan et al., 2020).
According to social constructivist theory (Vygotsky 1930-1934/1978), knowledge is constructed through social interactions, where learners actively engage with peers to co-create understanding and meaning. Vygotsky proposed that learning occurs within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), where students can achieve higher levels of understanding with the guidance of more knowledgeable others. Through dialogue and negotiation, students co-create understanding, challenge perspectives, and assimilate new information more effectively, leading to deeper learning (Akpan et al., 2021).
Additionally, from a culturally responsive teaching perspective, collaborative learning is particularly important in collectivist cultures, which make up approximately 70% of the world’s cultures, where group harmony and cooperation are highly valued (Hofstede & Bond, 1984; Hofstede, 2021). This approach not only improves academic outcomes but also prepares students for the collaborative nature of modern workplaces (Chandra, 2015).
Collaborative learning is a High-Impact Practice (HIP)
Collaborative learning has been identified as 1 of 11 High-Impact Practices (HIPs), which are teaching and learning practices that offer significant educational benefits for students, particularly those historically underserved in higher education (AAC&U, 2024). As George Kuh explains in the video to the right, HIPs share some key characteristics:
Research has consistently demonstrated the positive impact of HIPs on student learning, showing their effectiveness in facilitating engagement and retention across diverse student populations (Kuh, 2008). Of the 11 HIPs identified by George Kuh and the AAC&U, collaborative learning has been shown to be particularly impactful, with one study showing it has a “vast positive impact for student learning and development” (Kilgo et.al., 2015). Another study found that collaborative learning experiences “harness the ability and motivation of students towards their personal development, understanding of science and technology, appreciation for art, analytical skills gain, and openness to diversity,” which suggests that “collaborative learning is a direct tool that institutions can implement to bring about critical student development outcomes” (Cabrera et. al., 2002).
Collaborative learning fosters connection and community
Creating an inclusive “community of learners” (hooks, 1994) in higher education requires intentional course design that values diverse perspectives and knowledge systems. Research shows that when students feel a sense of belonging, they participate more actively and are more likely to persist academically, as a strong sense of belonging enhances their engagement, motivation, retention, and overall wellbeing, particularly for underserved student populations who benefit from inclusive environments, supportive relationships, and institution-wide approaches that value diversity and inclusion (Allen et al., 2024). Key to this environment is authentically valuing students’ funds of knowledge and cultural wealth, including their aspirational, linguistic, and familial capital (González et al., 2005; Yosso, 2005). Connecting the curriculum to students’ prior knowledge and experiences from their home, school, and community enables them to contextualize course content through their own cultural lenses. This approach deepens learning by making it more meaningful and relevant to their personal experiences (Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence – University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2024). Research by Smith et al. (2014) further supports this by demonstrating that peer discussion significantly enhances understanding and performance, even when no group member initially knows the correct answer. This finding underscores the crucial role of collaborative learning environments in facilitating meaning-making. Creating a space where every voice matters and different ways of knowing are actively validated empowers students to participate actively in class and collaborate with others.
Collaborative Assignment Ideas and Examples
Here are three examples that demonstrate how collaborative learning activities can be used in both in-person and online courses:
Activity instructions:
- Divide a longer text into sections. Split the class into groups. Assign each group a section of the text. Each group annotates that section, focusing on key ideas, vocabulary, questions, or any other relevant material. They are considered the “expert” for that portion of the text.
- You might provide each group with specific questions or prompts to focus their analysis and annotation on. This could include key concepts, themes, arguments, or potential connections to other parts of the material.
- Then, reorganize the groups so that each new group formation has an “expert” from each section of the text. These “experts” share their annotations and teach the others in their group about their assigned part, creating a comprehensive understanding of the whole text.
Collaborative Learning:
- This activity can help promote interdependence and peer teaching. This is because each member is responsible for contributing their expertise, and the group’s overall understanding depends on everyone’s participation.
Online adaptation:
To adapt this for an online environment, consider the following adjustments:
- Each “expert” group creates annotations for their section using an online annotation tool (like Perusall, Hypothes.is, or a collaborative Microsoft Word document.)
- Establish new groups, each containing one expert member from each group. In the new groups, all the section “experts” share their annotations. You can set up these sharing spaces using Canvas Group Discussions.
- In the group discussion forums, all “experts” discuss their individual sections and create a final document summarizing the entire text.
Activity Instructions:
- Organize students into groups of 3-4 people. These groups will work towards a common objective – the creation of a single piece of writing. You can either assign each group member a section or ask the group to assign themselves a section of the writing that they will contribute to.
- There are many ways to organize group members for collaborative writing projects. Here are some examples:
- Roles: One student researches, one outlines, one drafts, etc.
- Linear: One student writes the intro, another the context, another body paragraphs, etc.
- Other Roles: Two students research opposing viewpoints (writing paragraphs for each), one supports a chosen side with a new point, and one edits/merges.
Collaborative learning:
- This activity can help foster teamwork and interdependence by assigning shared goals and distributed roles, requiring students to communicate, negotiate, and learn from each other to create a single piece of writing.
Online adaptation:
This activity can be easily adjusted to fit an online class by:
- Using Canvas group discussion for conversation and planning,
- Creating a shared file for collaborative writing, like a shared Microsoft Word document.
Activity Instructions:
- Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. Provide a case study related to a course concept or a real-world problem (e.g., a medical diagnosis, an environmental issue, a technological innovation, etc.).
- Each group member will be assigned a specific aspect of the case study to research and analyze. This could include background information, relevant principles, potential solutions, ethical considerations, or the impact of the case on different stakeholders.
- Groups will then come together to share their findings, discuss the case study, and develop a comprehensive analysis or proposed solution. They could create a presentation, a written report, or even a mock trial to present their findings.
Collaborative Learning:
- This activity promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills. Students learn to analyze complex information, collaborate to synthesize diverse perspectives, and apply course principles to real-world scenarios.
Online Adaptation:
This activity can easily be adjusted to fit an online environment by:
- Sharing the case study document through Canvas. Ask student groups to use online research tools, like the DU library database, for individual research.
- Group discussions and planning can occur through Canvas group discussion forums. Collaborative documents or presentation software can be used for the final product.
For more ideas and examples, check out the OTL’s Collaborative Assignments resource page. For assistance in designing and implementing collaborative learning strategies in your classroom, please contact the OTL at otl@du.edu.
Already hungry for more?
Comprehensive NSSE reports can be found in the My4D portal. Go to Data Insights – click on “University Reports” on the left-hand side. Then click on “University Surveys” along the top. The second tile on the left called “National Survey of Student Engagement” holds all of the PDF reports we received from NSSE. You can also reach out to studentsuccess@du.edu with any questions about the survey results.
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