Technology is a key building block in facilitating collaborative learning – both inside and outside of the classroom. Front of class technology, such as interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs), allow students to contribute to lesson content from the front of the class, engage with their peers in problem-solving activities and create a more collective approach to lesson time.
One such IFPD is Promethean’s ActivPanel, which has been designed specifically for the education environment. The ActivPanel enables up to 10 unique touches for whole-class, individual, one-to-one and small team learning simultaneously. Supplied as standard with award-winning ActivInspire software, the ActivPanel comes with a wealth of interactive tools, images, sounds and templates to support a range of learning activities. Further supporting teachers in adopting a collaborative learning approach, Promethean Planet – the online global interactive community for educators – has thousands of free lessons and resources to inspire innovative teaching and learning.
Alongside the rise of IFPDs, laptops and mobile devices are increasingly commonplace in classrooms, particularly within secondary schools. Such IT infrastructure can be used to facilitate remote collaboration and online learning outside of the classroom, which means the modern classroom doesn’t confine collaborative learning within the physical boundaries of bricks and mortar. This enables students to remain connected to each other while performing their task, yet still working autonomously, allowing students to take on a truly collaborative approach to their assignments.
Depending on the task set by the teacher, some activities may involve the use of online environments accessible anywhere with shared spaces where students can share ideas and resources or receive team assignments. It might be that groups come together to plan, review their ideas, allocate responsibilities among themselves in the classroom and then work individually or in smaller sub teams, reconvening to review their work at an agreed time.
Above all, it’s important for schools to remember that the success of these virtual learning spaces depends on the collaborative partnerships that have been forged within the walls of the classroom. Therefore it’s key that even when students are working more remotely, teaching staff are aware of the progress being made and any challenges or obstacles that might affect the success of the task.
Finally, the benefits to students who work in a truly collaborative setting, wherever they are in the modern classroom environment, is that they can generate new approaches to problem solving and also learn to ask for and accept help from their peers. This will build vital skills that can have a long-term positive effect on their future careers. We don’t know what the future classroom will look like exactly, but one thing we can be sure of is that a collaborative approach will help shape it – with teachers and students working together.