Collaborative learning (CL) involves a team of students who learn through working together to share ideas, solve a problem, or accomplish a common goal. In mathematics education, CL’s popularity surged in the 1980s, but it has since continued to evolve (Artzt and Newman 1997; Davidson 1990). The terms collaborative/cooperative learning are often used interchangeably, although some claim the former requires giving students considerable autonomy (more appropriate for older students), while the latter is more clearly orchestrated by the teacher (appropriate for all ages) (Panitz 1999).
Three dimensions seem to define collaborative learning (CL) and help distinguish among its many different models: the structure of the CL environment (including assessments and rewards), the teacher and student roles, and the types of tasks.
The CL structure defines how student groups are formed (usually by teacher assignment) and how group members are expected to interact. Research generally recommends...
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References
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Lahann, P., Lambdin, D.V. (2014). Collaborative Learning in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4978-8_23
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