Collaborative Learning Techniques - 2nd Edition by Elizabeth F Barkley & Claire H Major & K Patricia Cross (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Collaborative Learning Techniques is the bestseller that college and university faculty around the world have used to help them make the most of small group learning.

A mountain of evidence shows that students who learn in small groups together exhibit higher academic achievement, motivation, and satisfaction than those who don't. Collaborative learning puts into practice the major conclusion from learning theory: that students must be actively engaged in building their own minds. In this book, the authors synthesize the relevant research and theory to support thirty-five collaborative learning activities for use in both traditional and online classrooms.

This second edition reflects the changed world of higher education. New technologies have opened up endless possibilities for college teaching, but it's not always easy to use these technologies effectively. Updated to address the challenges of today's new teaching environments, including online, "flipped," and large lectures, Collaborative Learning Techniques is a wonderful reference for educators who want to make the most of any course environment. This revised and expanded edition includes:

• Additional techniques, with an all-new chapter on using games to provide exciting, current, technologically-sophisticated curricula
• A section on effective online implementation for each of the thirty-five techniques
• Significantly expanded pedagogical rationale and updates on the latest research showing how and why collaborative learning works
• Examples for implementing collaborative learning techniques in a variety of learning environments, including large lecture classes and "flipped" classes
• Expanded guidance on how to solve common problems associated with group work

The authors guide instructors through all aspects of group work, providing a solid grounding in what to do, how to do it, and why it is important for student learning. The detailed procedures in Collaborative Learning Techniques will help teachers make sure group activities go smoothly, no matter the size or delivery method of their classes. With practical advice on how to form student groups, assign roles, build team spirit, address unexpected problems, and evaluate and grade student participation, this new edition of the international classic makes incorporating effective group work easy.

From the Back Cover

An updated edition of the bestselling guide to thirty-five creative assignments for pairs and groups

Now in its second edition, the bestselling Collaborative Learning Techniques reflects the changed world of higher education and offers college and university faculty a definitive guide for making the most of small group learning. In this new edition, the authors include ideas for using games in technologically-sophisticated curricula, information on effective online implementation for each of the book's thirty-five techniques, as well as illustrative examples for adopting collaborative learning techniques in a variety of learning environments, including large lecture classes and "flipped" classes. The authors guide instructors through all aspects of group work and provide a solid grounding in what to do, how to do it, and why it is important for student learning.

"Using group work to promote learning depends on well-designed group activities. I'd give the collection offered in this book an A+."
--Maryellen Weimer, editor, The Teaching Professor newsletter

"So you have flipped your classroom, or decided to make your lectures more interactive, now what? CoLTs provides the answer with 35 specific, research-proven, and clearly described ways to promote positive interdependence, individual accountability, and teamwork skills."
--José Antonio Bowen, author of Teaching Naked and president of Goucher College

About the Author

Elizabeth F. Barkley is professor of music at Foothill College in Los Altos, California.

Claire Howell Major is a professor of higher education at the University of Alabama.

K. Patricia Cross is David Gardner Professor of Higher Education, emerita at the University of California, Berkeley.