Documents 1.b: Collaborative learning

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''Back to [[Unidad 1|Unit 1]]''  
''Back to [[Unidad 1|Unit 1]]''  
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== Collaborative learning in eTwinning Projects  ==
== Collaborative learning in eTwinning Projects  ==
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In collaborative learning, the activities are structured so that students get to work together, learning from one another; therefore, interaction and participation on behalf of everyone is required. This way, students become responsible for their learning as well as that of others.  
In collaborative learning, the activities are structured so that students get to work together, learning from one another; therefore, interaction and participation on behalf of everyone is required. This way, students become responsible for their learning as well as that of others.  
Collaborative learning is not the only way to learn, but rather just another strategy. There is an agreement to a certain extent when it comes to admitting that it improves motivation, performance, social abilities and learning strategies in students. This kind of learning is especially suitable when a group of students is working on a project where everybody's collaboration is required to reach the objective set. We will see that this is the starting point for many projects developed within the eTwinning action framework.  
Collaborative learning is not the only way to learn, but rather just another strategy. There is an agreement to a certain extent when it comes to admitting that it improves motivation, performance, social abilities and learning strategies in students. This kind of learning is especially suitable when a group of students is working on a project where everybody's collaboration is required to reach the objective set. We will see that this is the starting point for many projects developed within the eTwinning action framework.  
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Collaborative learning is nto just about creating groups of students and waiting for them to learn. In comparison with other types of learning, it becomes even more necessary to design an activity&nbsp;founded on a project-based syllabus, adequate materials and supervision on behalf of the teacher of the processes taking place within the group of students: the development of planned activities, participation from all members, conflict negotiation, roles played by students...  
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Collaborative learning is not just about creating groups of students and waiting for them to learn. In comparison with other types of learning, it becomes even more necessary to design an activity&nbsp;founded on a project-based syllabus, adequate materials and supervision on behalf of the teacher of the processes taking place within the group of students: the development of planned activities, participation from all members, conflict negotiation, roles played by students...  
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This way of learning is founded on the theory of situated constructivism. The general constructivist theory states that leaning is a process where knowledge is based on the individual's previous knowledge, by integrating and actively assimilating new knowledge, where students are responsible for their own learning. Situated constructivism adds the social dimension of learning to this general theory, highlighting the importance of interaction amonsgt classmates and with the teacher in the knowledge-building process.  
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This way of learning is founded on the theory of social constructivism. The general constructivist theory states that learning is a process where knowledge is based on the individual's previous knowledge, by integrating and actively assimilating new knowledge, and where students are responsible for their own learning. Social constructivism adds the social dimension of learning, highlighting the importance of interaction amongst classmates and with the teacher in the knowledge-building process.  
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As opposed to more cognitive approaches where students are believes to build their learning individually by interacting with the syllabus, phenomenon or problem, it is believed that knowledge is ncessarily based on situations providing specific experiences that allow students to explore and reflect with mates and teachers.  
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As opposed to more cognitive approaches where students are believed to build their learning individually by interacting with the syllabus, phenomenon or problem, it is believed that knowledge is necessarily based on situations providing specific experiences that allow students to explore and reflect with mates and teachers.  
== What it is and how to organise collaboration  ==
== What it is and how to organise collaboration  ==
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Collaboration in a project goes beyond communication or coordination amongst participants. It must be an essential element in the project, a way to understand and organise the entire process, from its starting point to its conclusion. This collaboration can take place on various levels, all of which are complementary. This richness and variety in interactions amongst participants is what, in most cases,&nbsp;establishes the quality of the project. In general, we are not used to working collaboratively. At first, organising a project like this may seem complicated, but it is really just about making new approaches to methodologies and objectives, assuming that we must give up certain common dynamics in the classroom for others that are usually not present. Once we start working with a collaborative structure, we can soon see that it is easy, efficient and motivating both for students and teachers.  
Collaboration in a project goes beyond communication or coordination amongst participants. It must be an essential element in the project, a way to understand and organise the entire process, from its starting point to its conclusion. This collaboration can take place on various levels, all of which are complementary. This richness and variety in interactions amongst participants is what, in most cases,&nbsp;establishes the quality of the project. In general, we are not used to working collaboratively. At first, organising a project like this may seem complicated, but it is really just about making new approaches to methodologies and objectives, assuming that we must give up certain common dynamics in the classroom for others that are usually not present. Once we start working with a collaborative structure, we can soon see that it is easy, efficient and motivating both for students and teachers.  
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The main point is to begotiate starting off from initial ideas, find some objectives, contents and methodologies that can and may be assumed by everyone. Basically, finding a final design and a project development that comes as a result of everybody's work, and where everyone feels comfortable and reflected.  
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The main point is to negotiate starting off from initial ideas, finding some objectives, contents and methodologies that can and may be assumed by everyone. Basically, finding a final design and a project development that comes as a result of everybody's work, and where everyone feels comfortable and reflected.  
Some lines of collaboration can be found amongst:  
Some lines of collaboration can be found amongst:  
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• '''Coordinating teachers'''. Negotiation and a good understanding amongst the teachers in charge of the project. Syllabuses can be very different in each participating country so we must ensure compatibility between our needs and those of our partners. This does not necessarily involve finding a teacher with identical ideas to ours. The concept of intersyllabus can be extended to coordinators; a project about the environment can be developed in the area of science, ethics or economy, and each one of them have a partner in charge in each country. It is not the identity, but the complementarity what must be borne in mind.  
• '''Coordinating teachers'''. Negotiation and a good understanding amongst the teachers in charge of the project. Syllabuses can be very different in each participating country so we must ensure compatibility between our needs and those of our partners. This does not necessarily involve finding a teacher with identical ideas to ours. The concept of intersyllabus can be extended to coordinators; a project about the environment can be developed in the area of science, ethics or economy, and each one of them have a partner in charge in each country. It is not the identity, but the complementarity what must be borne in mind.  
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• '''Groups of teachers'''. Usually, each school requires more or less participation on behalf of teachers. This does necessarily have to take place with the same level of involvement and commitment in all cases. we may need constant presence from teachers of other subjects or groups, or specific contributions for specific activities.  
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• '''Groups of teachers'''. Usually, each school requires more or less participation on behalf of teachers. This does not necessarily have to take place with the same level of involvement and commitment in all cases. We may need constant presence from teachers of other subjects or groups, or specific contributions for specific activities.  
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• '''Teachers and students'''. Usually, most students, especially from a certain age onward, have a command of certain basic tools such as e-mail or instant messaging services, like Skype. Some students may also know how to create and manage other tools such as blogs or wikis, and even have a certain command of text editing programmes or multimedia. Why not ask them what they can do? We can have count on their collaboration on all levels of the project; not just as students but also as creators of contents or designers. They are bound to provide new ideas and will also feel much more involved in the project.  
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• '''Teachers and students'''. Usually, most students, especially from a certain age onward, have a command of certain basic tools such as e-mail or instant messaging services, like Skype. Some students may also know how to create and manage other tools such as blogs or wikis, and even have a certain command of text editing programmes or multimedia. Why not ask them what they can do? We can count on their collaboration on all levels of the project; not just as students but also as creators of contents or designers. They are bound to provide new ideas and will also feel much more involved in the project.  
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• '''Students in the same centre'''. We can achieve greater levels of motivation in students of we make them take an active part in their learning. In order to do so, teaam work is a very useful tool. The way to irganise work in a project must be varied and be adapted to each specific activity. Even though individual work can be suitable for some activities, group organisation will promote social and self-learning skills. Whether it is done in pairs on in larger groups, the teacher can help students to establish task division in an efficient and balanced way, as well as provide the sources to obtain information and supervise the quality and correction of the work. Team work allos to make the most of students' skills; tasks such as searching for information, writing, edition and publishing, public presentation, etc. can be assigned depending on the features and knowledge each one of them has.  
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• '''Students in the same centre'''. We can achieve greater levels of motivation in students if we make them take an active part in their learning. In order to do so, team work is a very useful tool. The way to organise work in a project must be varied and be adapted to each specific activity. Even though individual work can be suitable for some activities, group organisation will promote social and self-learning skills. Whether it is done in pairs on in larger groups, the teacher can help students to establish task division in an efficient and balanced way, as well as provide the sources to obtain information and supervise the quality and correction of the work. Team work allows to make the most of students' skills; tasks such as searching for information, writing, edition and publishing, public presentation, etc. can be assigned depending on the features and knowledge each one of them has.  
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• '''Alumnos de los distintos centros'''. Éste es el elemento central en un proyecto eTwinning. Si queremos desarrollar en nuestros alumnos competencias lingüísticas, interculturales y sociales, debemos organizar el proyecto de forma que se haga necesaria la interacción entre los alumnos de distintos centros. No se limita esto a elaborar materiales de forma paralela y luego compararlos en el aula. Podemos aumentar el nivel de conocimiento mutuo y de colaboración si elegimos las actividades adecuadas. Así, si prevemos actividades de comunicación entre ellos (por correo, Chat, foros, etc.), podemos diseñarlas con unos objetivos claros y bien definidos. Ante un intercambio de correos en los que los alumnos se presentan, podemos pedirles que elaboren un documento de texto o una presentación de diapositivas comparándose con el grupo de alumnos del otro centro. Eso les obligaría a pedir y ofrecer información concreta y que permita dichas comparaciones. Este mecanismo de intercambio de información, negociación de contenidos y elaboración conjunta de un documento común puede aplicarse a cualquier producto final que queramos elaborar. Así mismo, si queremos hacer algún tipo de competición por equipos, podemos organizarlos con miembros de distintas nacionalidades, de forma que el compañero sea el que esté al otro lado del ordenador y no el alumno de la mesa contigua.  
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• '''Students&nbsp;from different schools'''. This is the core element of an eTwinning project. If we wish to develop our students in terms of linguistic, intercultural and social&nbsp;competences, we must organise the project so that interaction between students from different schools becomes necessary. This is not limited to making materials at the same time and then comparing them in class. We may increase mutual understanding and collaboration if we choose the right activities. Thus, if we can plan the communication activities between them (by e-mail, chat, forums, etc.), we can design them based on clear and well-defined objectives. When exchanging e-mails where students introduce themselves, we can ask them to create a text document or a slide presentation making a comparison with the students from the other school. This would make them have to ask for and offer specific information to establish such comparisons. This mechanism to exchange information, negotiate contents and jointly create a document can be applied to any final product we wish to create. In addition, should we want to have any kind of competition in teams, we can organise them including members from different nationalities, so that partners are on either side of the computer and not at the next desk.  
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Cuando analizamos proyectos con un grado notable de colaboración, podemos observar que, no sólo se consiguen los objetivos previstos, sino que otros factores como la motivación o la calidad final de los materiales elaborados aumentan considerablemente.  
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When we analyse projects with a high level of cooperation we can see that, not only the planned objectives are reached, but also other factors, such as motivation or the final quality of the materials, also increase considerably.  
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== El Aprendizaje en Colaboración Apoyado por el Ordenador ==
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== Computer-based collaborative learning ==
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Como su nombre indica, incorpora las posibilidades de las TIC al modelo mencionado anteriormente. Éste tiene especial importancia en los proyectos ''eTwinning'', donde la colaboración entre dos centros de dos países distintos tiene lugar necesariamente a través de las TIC. Gracias a las TIC, el concepto trabajar juntos cobra un nuevo significado porque es posible trabajar con una escuela situada a miles de kilómetros a través del correo electrónico o con un experto en un tema concreto a través de un chat; de esta forma, los muros del centro escolar dejan de ser una limitación física para tener acceso a recursos y personas, bien del entorno cercano a la escuela o más allá de éste.  
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This option includes the ICTs possibilities&nbsp;for the previously mentioned model. It is especially important in ''eTwinning projects'', where collaboration between two centres from different countries must take place through ICTs. Thanks to these tools, the concept of working together has acquired a new meaning, as it is now possible to work with a school that is thousands of kilometres away just through e-mail, or with an expert on a specific subject through a chat; this way, the school walls are no longer a physical limitation to have access to resources and people, whether they are near the school or further away.  
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Además de las nuevas posibilidades de comunicación, las TIC proporcionan nuevas formas de sustentar y fomentar el trabajo en colaboración por la capacidad de éstas para acceder y tratar la información. Por ejemplo, el que todas las intervenciones en un foro permanezcan (en contraposición a las intervenciones habladas), que se pueda volver sobre ellas, contestarlas, matizarlas... ofrece más oportunidades de colaboración (al margen de que los participantes estén en la misma aula o no), y también de aprender a asimilar la construcción de un discurso donde los argumentos intentan estar justificados, son rebatidos y vueltos a elaborar.  
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In addition to the new possibilities for communication, ICTs provide new ways to support and develop collaborative work due to their capacity to access and deal with the information. For instance, the fact that all the comments made in a forum remain there&nbsp;(as opposed to oral comments), so we can go back to them, answer, modify them... offers more opportunities for cooperation (regardless of whether participants are in the same room or not), and also to learn to assimilate the building of a speech where arguments must be justified, discussed and then written over again.  
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Otro ejemplo importante son las plataformas de trabajo colaborativo, como la que se ofrece en el portal ''eTwinning'' a los centros hermanados y denominada ''TwinSpace''. Es un espacio virtual común en Internet para los miembros del proyecto; allí podemos almacenar, organizar, corregir y compartir documentación e información (en forma de documentos de texto, imágenes, avisos, etc.) de una forma muy ágil, sin papeles y accesible en todo momento y desde cualquier lugar, algo difícil de imaginar en un contexto escolar tradicional.  
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Another important example is set by collaborative work platforms, such as the one offered to twinned centres in the ''eTwinning'' site, known as ''TwinSpace''. It is a common virtual space on the Internet for project members; here we can store, organise, correct and share documents and information (such as text documents, images, news, etc.) easily, with no paperwork and made accessible at all times and from any place: something which was hard to imagine in a traditional educational context.  
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== Consideraciones Prácticas ==
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== Practical notes ==
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Afrontar de forma realista el modelo de Aprendizaje en Colaboración Apoyado por el Ordenador en el caso de los proyectos eTwinning requiere conocer aspectos prácticos del trabajo diario en la clase que conviene tener en cuenta:  
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Making a realistic approach to the computer-based collaborative learning model in the case of eTwinning projects requires learning more about the practical aspects of everyday class work:  
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'''Organizativos'''  
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'''Organisation'''  
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Los profesores que participan en experiencias en las que los alumnos trabajan en grupos con ordenadores observan que el control de la clase es muy distinto del habitual. El alumno tiene delante el ordenador, que es a su vez una fuente de información (además del profesor) y un importante foco de atención (y a veces de distracción), lo cual origina con frecuencia situaciones incómodas (según lo describen los propios profesores), pues se produce, por un lado, una pérdida de autoridad del profesor en cuanto que deja de ser la única fuente de información y, por otro, también se pierde el control de lo que los alumnos están haciendo. Esta situación evoluciona normalmente, pasadas una sesión o dos (después de que se establezcan unas normas en clase y una planificación cuidadosa del trabajo que se va a realizar con los ordenadores...), hacia lo que suele ser la situación más normal: el profesor asume que tiene el papel de facilitar y organizar el trabajo de los grupos, y el alumno, a su vez, entiende su papel activo de forma responsable.  
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Teachers taking part in experiences where students work in groups using computers can see that class control is really different. Students have the computer before them, which at the same time is a source of information (as well as the teacher) and an important centre of attention (and sometimes of distraction), which often leads to uncomfortable situations (as described by teachers themselves): on the one hand, the teacher loses authority because he/she is no longer the only source of information and, on the other, one loses control over what students are doing. This situation starts evolving normally after one or two sessions (once the ground rules have been set in class and the work to be done on the computers has been carefully planned...) towards what is the most common situation: teachers assume their role as facilitators and organisers of the group work and students also responsibly understand their active role.  
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'''Curriculares'''  
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'''Curricular'''  
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Muy relacionado con el anterior, está la necesidad de contar con, o preparar un, currículum basado en proyectos, de forma que el desarrollo del proyecto cubra aquellos aspectos curriculares que nos marquemos como objetivo, expresados de forma general (por ejemplo, el manejo escrito de la lengua extranjera) y concreta (por ejemplo, el conocimiento del concepto de pirámide de población). Esto orientará y facilitará el trabajo de nuestros alumnos. Es también importante prever que el trabajo con proyectos suele generar productos en forma de dossieres, materiales gráficos, etc., bien en formato tradicional o multimedia (páginas web, grabaciones de vídeo, etc.).  
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Closely connected to the previous one is the need to have or prepare a project-based syllabus, so that the project development covers those curricular aspects we have set as objectives, expressed in general terms (such as the written command of a foreign language) and specific terms (such as the knowledge of the concept of population pyramid). This will guide and help our students' work. We should also foresee that project work usually&nbsp;results in&nbsp;products such as files, graphic materials, etc., whether they come in a traditional or a multimedia&nbsp;format (web pages, video recordings, etc.).  
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El proyecto debe servir a las necesidades curriculares de todos los participantes. La comunicación entre los socios previa al inicio del proyecto es fundamental, ya que hay una gran variedad en los currículos de los distintos países. Señalábamos arriba que no es necesario encontrar un socio que esté impartiendo los mismos contenidos, con los mismos objetivos, a alumnos de la misma edad que los nuestros. Es la complementariedad de los objetivos, y no su igualdad, el objetivo fundamental que debemos buscar.  
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The project must cover the curricular needs of all participants. Communication between partners before&nbsp;starting the project becomes essential, as there is a large variety of syllabuses in the different countries. We said before that we do not necessarily have&nbsp;to find a partner who is teaching the same concepts, with the same objectives, or to students of the same age as ours. It is the complementation of objectives, and not their equality, what we must look for.  
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'''Tecnológicos'''  
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'''Technological'''  
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En la planificación de nuestro proyecto debemos contar con las tecnologías disponibles en nuestro centro escolar: ordenadores, ancho de banda de acceso a Internet, software adecuado para nuestro proyecto (clientes de correo electrónico, tratamiento de imágenes, etc.). Si no se encuentran disponibles en nuestra aula deberemos garantizar el acceso al aula de informática, a cañones proyectores...  
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While planning our project we must bear mind what possible technologies we can use at our school: computers, Internet broadband, suitable software for our project (e-mail, image modification, etc.). Should they not be available in our classroom, we must ensure access to the computer lab, overhead projectors...  
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También deberemos familiarizarnos con su manejo previamente. Además debemos analizar cuál es el valor añadido que estas tecnologías aportarán en su integración en nuestro proyecto, tanto en cuanto a la necesaria comunicación con otro centro, como en lo que las herramientas aportan por sí mismas; por ejemplo, el permitir el acceso a cierta información en Internet. No es necesario contar con un gran equipamiento en el centro; lo fundamental cuando diseñamos un proyecto es tener una idea adecuada de las posibilidades, tanto en equipos como accesibilidad o conocimientos informáticos y ajustar el diseño del proyecto a esas circunstancias.  
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We should also become familiar with how to use them beforehand. We must also analyse the added value that these technologies will provide to our project, both regarding communication with other schools and what the tools provide as such; for instance, by allowing access to certain information on the Internet. We do not need to have major equipment at the school. What really matters when designing a project is to have a clear idea of the options, both in terms of equipment and computer science-related knowledge, and to adjust the size of the project to those circumstances.  
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'''Pedagógicos'''  
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'''Pedagogical'''  
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Las actividades que planteemos con nuestros alumnos dentro del desarrollo de nuestro proyecto seguirán los principios del aprendizaje en colaboración en muchos casos, pero es importante no olvidar que en los proyectos ''eTwinning'' la colaboración no sólo se establece entre los alumnos de nuestro aula, sino también con los del aula del centro hermano del otro país. Por ello, debemos ser cuidadosos para que ese contacto no se limite únicamente a un intercambio de materiales acabados o información entre los dos países, sino que también se produzca la interacción y participación entre las dos clases (valorando la información recibida del otro centro, integrándola en nuestro trabajo, aportando nuestra opinión, ...) y persiguiendo algún objetivo común que haga necesaria esa colaboración.  
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The activities we plan with our students within the development of our project most of the time will follow the collaborative learning principles, but we must not forget that in ''eTwinning'' cooperation is not only established amongst students in our classroom, but also with the students in the twinned school from the other country. That is why we must make sure that contact is not just limited to an exchange of finished materials or information between the two countries, but there should also be interaction and participation between both classes (assessing the information received from the other school, thus integrating it in our work, giving our opinion...) and pursuing some common objectives that will make that cooperation necessary.  
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== Trabajo en grupos ==
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== Group work ==
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Para desarrollar un proyecto eTwinning no es obligatorio establecer grupos de trabajo con los alumnos; eso depende de si los contenidos a desarrollar se prestan a esta metodología y de si el profesor quiere o no utilizarla. Sin embargo, la gran mayoría de los proyectos se están llevando a cabo mediante trabajo en grupos.  
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In order to develop an eTwinning project we do not have to establish work groups with students; this depends on whether the contents to be developed are suitable for this methodology and whether the teacher wants to use it or not. However, most projects are being carried out through group work.  
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Trabajar de esta forma tiene ventajas significativas como, por ejemplo, que los estudiantes aprenden mejor porque participan activamente en el proceso de aprendizaje, tienen una mayor comprensión del tema y retienen la información por más tiempo.  
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Working this way has significant advantages, such as the fact that students learn better because they take an active part in the learning process, they achieve greater understanding of the subject and remember the information for longer.  
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''Pautas generales del trabajo colaborativo.''  
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''General guidelines for collaborative work.''  
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Es necesario que el profesor haga saber a los alumnos desde el principio que van a trabajar en grupo y cuáles son las técnicas que usará, además de informarles de la importancia y beneficios del aprendizaje en colaboración.  
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Teachers must make students know from the start that they are going to work in groups and what the techniques to be used are, as well as tell them about the importance and benefits of collaborative learning.  
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El profesor debe planear cada etapa del trabajo en grupo; hay que decidir qué temas, áreas o proyectos pueden presentarse, cómo organizar los grupos de alumnos, y además, explicarles cómo se les evaluará.  
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Teachers must plan every stage of group work; they must decide on the topics, fields or projects that could be posed, how to organise the groups and tell them how they will be assessed.  
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Es necesario crear tareas que requieran interdependencia, explicar la importancia de trabajar en grupo para llegar a un fin concreto, asignar a los alumnos tareas según sus habilidades y asegurarse de que el trabajo esté equitativamente repartido con el fin de que todos aporten su parte al resultado final.  
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It is necessary to create tasks requiring interdependence, explain the importance of working in groups in order to reach a specific goal, assign students certain tasks according to their abilities and make sure that the work is distributed in a balanced way, so that everyone will make their contribution.  
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Se pueden formar muchos tipos de grupos dependiendo de las circunstancias: homogéneos o heterogéneos, grandes o pequeños, etc. En todo caso los grupos formados se pueden ir reestructurando durante el desarrollo del proyecto, tanto para adaptarlos a las sucesivas actividades como para remediar aquellos casos en los que no funcionen como sería deseable.  
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Many kinds of groups can be formed depending on the circumstances: homogeneous or heterogeneous, big or small, etc. In any case, the groups formed can be restructured throughout the development of the project, so they can be adapted to further activities and to solve those cases where they may not work as desired.  
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Tengamos en cuenta que, al usar herramientas de comunicación y plataformas de trabajo colaborativo, los grupos pueden estar formados por alumnos de distintos centros. Esto enriquecerá notablemente el proyecto, al introducir no sólo el necesario uso de las TIC para la comunicación, sino también un importante factor intercultural en los procesos de negociación.  
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We must bear in&nbsp;mind that when we&nbsp;use communication tools&nbsp;and collaborative work platforms, groups can be formed by students from different schools. This will enrich the project, as it includes not&nbsp;only the use of ICTs for communication, but also an important intercultural factor in negotiation processes.  
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Actuación del profesor. Cuando se trabaja en grupos de colaboración, el profesor tienen el papel de facilitar las cosas; es un mediador. Así mismo, también ha de ayudar al grupo a deshacerse de los fallos conceptuales, falsos supuestos y razonamientos erróneos. Por lo tanto, una vez que los grupos están formados y los estudiantes trabajando, el profesor debe intervenir como recurso y guía, dándole pistas para que vayan descubriendo por si mismos y reorganizando las tareas según los descubrimientos de los alumnos y según el propio funcionamiento del grupo.  
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Teacher's actions. When working in collaborative groups, teachers have the role of making things easier: they are mediators. In addition, they also have to help the group to get rid of conceptual errors, misconceptions and&nbsp;wrong reasoning. Therefore, once the groups are well-formed and students are working, the teachers must take part as resources and guides, providing clues so they can discover things for themselves and reorganising the tasks according to the students' discoveries and depending on the way the group works.  
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Lo primero que ha de hacer el profesor una vez formados los grupos, es cerciorarse de que todos los miembros comprendan lo que se pretende que hagan y de que han identificado la información disponible y decidido si ésta es suficiente. A continuación ha de intervenir en los grupos consiguiendo que se hagan preguntas del tipo ¿por qué?, ¿cómo?, ¿qué?, ¿dónde?,...  
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The first thing teachers have to do once the groups are formed is to make sure that all members understand what they are to do and that they have found the information required and decided whether it is enough. Now they have to take part in the groups by making them ask questions like what?, how?, what?, where?...  
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En el proceso de avance en el trabajo, las preguntas que al principio se planteaban los alumnos se van a ir convirtiendo en preguntas más específicas que en muchos casos necesitarán de nuevos enfoques y el profesor tendrá que redirigir el trabajo.  
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Throughout the progress of the work,&nbsp;the students' initial&nbsp;questions will become more specific; in many cases they will require new&nbsp;strategies and teachers will have to make a new approach towards work.  
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El profesor debe actuar como supervisor y evaluador, comprobando que los alumnos cumplen con sus tareas en el grupo, que los contenidos se están trabajando correctamente y que el grupo como tal está en condiciones de cumplir los objetivos planteados. Esto otorga una especial importancia a la evaluación continua. Si el grupo no funciona como se espera, el profesor debe, con la colaboración de los alumnos, descubrir cuáles son las causas y aplicar los remedios convenientes: provocar y dirigir una reflexión interna en el grupo, reestructurar el reparto de tareas o modificar su composición.  
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Teachers should act as supervisors and evaluators by checking that students comply with all the tasks in their group, contents are being dealt with correctly and the group as such is apt for achieving the objectives posed. This&nbsp;awards special importance to permanent assessment. If the group does not work as expected, teachers should, in cooperation with students, discover which are the causes and apply the suitable remedies: lead to and direct an internal reflection in the group, restructure task distribution and modify composition. <br>
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== To find out more<br>  ==
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'''How to design motivating projects '''<br>
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In this link there are ideas about getting the pupils involved and committed to a project. Motivation does not only come from a series of attractive activities, but also from participating in the whole process of decision making. Following some principles of learning by project, this presentation explores ways of promoting intrinsic motivation in the pupils and their participation in each of its phases.
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[http://www.etwinning.es/es/formacion/talleres-de-desarrollo-profesional/457-como-disenar-proyectos-motivadores http://www.etwinning.es/es/formacion/talleres-de-desarrollo-profesional/457-como-disenar-proyectos-motivadores]
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Current revision as of 09:14, 10 November 2011

Back to Unit 1


Contents

Collaborative learning in eTwinning Projects

In collaborative learning, the activities are structured so that students get to work together, learning from one another; therefore, interaction and participation on behalf of everyone is required. This way, students become responsible for their learning as well as that of others.

Collaborative learning is not the only way to learn, but rather just another strategy. There is an agreement to a certain extent when it comes to admitting that it improves motivation, performance, social abilities and learning strategies in students. This kind of learning is especially suitable when a group of students is working on a project where everybody's collaboration is required to reach the objective set. We will see that this is the starting point for many projects developed within the eTwinning action framework.

Collaborative learning is not just about creating groups of students and waiting for them to learn. In comparison with other types of learning, it becomes even more necessary to design an activity founded on a project-based syllabus, adequate materials and supervision on behalf of the teacher of the processes taking place within the group of students: the development of planned activities, participation from all members, conflict negotiation, roles played by students...

This way of learning is founded on the theory of social constructivism. The general constructivist theory states that learning is a process where knowledge is based on the individual's previous knowledge, by integrating and actively assimilating new knowledge, and where students are responsible for their own learning. Social constructivism adds the social dimension of learning, highlighting the importance of interaction amongst classmates and with the teacher in the knowledge-building process.

As opposed to more cognitive approaches where students are believed to build their learning individually by interacting with the syllabus, phenomenon or problem, it is believed that knowledge is necessarily based on situations providing specific experiences that allow students to explore and reflect with mates and teachers.

What it is and how to organise collaboration

Collaboration in a project goes beyond communication or coordination amongst participants. It must be an essential element in the project, a way to understand and organise the entire process, from its starting point to its conclusion. This collaboration can take place on various levels, all of which are complementary. This richness and variety in interactions amongst participants is what, in most cases, establishes the quality of the project. In general, we are not used to working collaboratively. At first, organising a project like this may seem complicated, but it is really just about making new approaches to methodologies and objectives, assuming that we must give up certain common dynamics in the classroom for others that are usually not present. Once we start working with a collaborative structure, we can soon see that it is easy, efficient and motivating both for students and teachers.

The main point is to negotiate starting off from initial ideas, finding some objectives, contents and methodologies that can and may be assumed by everyone. Basically, finding a final design and a project development that comes as a result of everybody's work, and where everyone feels comfortable and reflected.

Some lines of collaboration can be found amongst:

Coordinating teachers. Negotiation and a good understanding amongst the teachers in charge of the project. Syllabuses can be very different in each participating country so we must ensure compatibility between our needs and those of our partners. This does not necessarily involve finding a teacher with identical ideas to ours. The concept of intersyllabus can be extended to coordinators; a project about the environment can be developed in the area of science, ethics or economy, and each one of them have a partner in charge in each country. It is not the identity, but the complementarity what must be borne in mind.

Groups of teachers. Usually, each school requires more or less participation on behalf of teachers. This does not necessarily have to take place with the same level of involvement and commitment in all cases. We may need constant presence from teachers of other subjects or groups, or specific contributions for specific activities.

Teachers and students. Usually, most students, especially from a certain age onward, have a command of certain basic tools such as e-mail or instant messaging services, like Skype. Some students may also know how to create and manage other tools such as blogs or wikis, and even have a certain command of text editing programmes or multimedia. Why not ask them what they can do? We can count on their collaboration on all levels of the project; not just as students but also as creators of contents or designers. They are bound to provide new ideas and will also feel much more involved in the project.

Students in the same centre. We can achieve greater levels of motivation in students if we make them take an active part in their learning. In order to do so, team work is a very useful tool. The way to organise work in a project must be varied and be adapted to each specific activity. Even though individual work can be suitable for some activities, group organisation will promote social and self-learning skills. Whether it is done in pairs on in larger groups, the teacher can help students to establish task division in an efficient and balanced way, as well as provide the sources to obtain information and supervise the quality and correction of the work. Team work allows to make the most of students' skills; tasks such as searching for information, writing, edition and publishing, public presentation, etc. can be assigned depending on the features and knowledge each one of them has.

Students from different schools. This is the core element of an eTwinning project. If we wish to develop our students in terms of linguistic, intercultural and social competences, we must organise the project so that interaction between students from different schools becomes necessary. This is not limited to making materials at the same time and then comparing them in class. We may increase mutual understanding and collaboration if we choose the right activities. Thus, if we can plan the communication activities between them (by e-mail, chat, forums, etc.), we can design them based on clear and well-defined objectives. When exchanging e-mails where students introduce themselves, we can ask them to create a text document or a slide presentation making a comparison with the students from the other school. This would make them have to ask for and offer specific information to establish such comparisons. This mechanism to exchange information, negotiate contents and jointly create a document can be applied to any final product we wish to create. In addition, should we want to have any kind of competition in teams, we can organise them including members from different nationalities, so that partners are on either side of the computer and not at the next desk.

When we analyse projects with a high level of cooperation we can see that, not only the planned objectives are reached, but also other factors, such as motivation or the final quality of the materials, also increase considerably.

Computer-based collaborative learning

This option includes the ICTs possibilities for the previously mentioned model. It is especially important in eTwinning projects, where collaboration between two centres from different countries must take place through ICTs. Thanks to these tools, the concept of working together has acquired a new meaning, as it is now possible to work with a school that is thousands of kilometres away just through e-mail, or with an expert on a specific subject through a chat; this way, the school walls are no longer a physical limitation to have access to resources and people, whether they are near the school or further away.

In addition to the new possibilities for communication, ICTs provide new ways to support and develop collaborative work due to their capacity to access and deal with the information. For instance, the fact that all the comments made in a forum remain there (as opposed to oral comments), so we can go back to them, answer, modify them... offers more opportunities for cooperation (regardless of whether participants are in the same room or not), and also to learn to assimilate the building of a speech where arguments must be justified, discussed and then written over again.

Another important example is set by collaborative work platforms, such as the one offered to twinned centres in the eTwinning site, known as TwinSpace. It is a common virtual space on the Internet for project members; here we can store, organise, correct and share documents and information (such as text documents, images, news, etc.) easily, with no paperwork and made accessible at all times and from any place: something which was hard to imagine in a traditional educational context.

Practical notes

Making a realistic approach to the computer-based collaborative learning model in the case of eTwinning projects requires learning more about the practical aspects of everyday class work:

Organisation

Teachers taking part in experiences where students work in groups using computers can see that class control is really different. Students have the computer before them, which at the same time is a source of information (as well as the teacher) and an important centre of attention (and sometimes of distraction), which often leads to uncomfortable situations (as described by teachers themselves): on the one hand, the teacher loses authority because he/she is no longer the only source of information and, on the other, one loses control over what students are doing. This situation starts evolving normally after one or two sessions (once the ground rules have been set in class and the work to be done on the computers has been carefully planned...) towards what is the most common situation: teachers assume their role as facilitators and organisers of the group work and students also responsibly understand their active role.

Curricular

Closely connected to the previous one is the need to have or prepare a project-based syllabus, so that the project development covers those curricular aspects we have set as objectives, expressed in general terms (such as the written command of a foreign language) and specific terms (such as the knowledge of the concept of population pyramid). This will guide and help our students' work. We should also foresee that project work usually results in products such as files, graphic materials, etc., whether they come in a traditional or a multimedia format (web pages, video recordings, etc.).

The project must cover the curricular needs of all participants. Communication between partners before starting the project becomes essential, as there is a large variety of syllabuses in the different countries. We said before that we do not necessarily have to find a partner who is teaching the same concepts, with the same objectives, or to students of the same age as ours. It is the complementation of objectives, and not their equality, what we must look for.

Technological

While planning our project we must bear mind what possible technologies we can use at our school: computers, Internet broadband, suitable software for our project (e-mail, image modification, etc.). Should they not be available in our classroom, we must ensure access to the computer lab, overhead projectors...

We should also become familiar with how to use them beforehand. We must also analyse the added value that these technologies will provide to our project, both regarding communication with other schools and what the tools provide as such; for instance, by allowing access to certain information on the Internet. We do not need to have major equipment at the school. What really matters when designing a project is to have a clear idea of the options, both in terms of equipment and computer science-related knowledge, and to adjust the size of the project to those circumstances.

Pedagogical

The activities we plan with our students within the development of our project most of the time will follow the collaborative learning principles, but we must not forget that in eTwinning cooperation is not only established amongst students in our classroom, but also with the students in the twinned school from the other country. That is why we must make sure that contact is not just limited to an exchange of finished materials or information between the two countries, but there should also be interaction and participation between both classes (assessing the information received from the other school, thus integrating it in our work, giving our opinion...) and pursuing some common objectives that will make that cooperation necessary.

Group work

In order to develop an eTwinning project we do not have to establish work groups with students; this depends on whether the contents to be developed are suitable for this methodology and whether the teacher wants to use it or not. However, most projects are being carried out through group work.

Working this way has significant advantages, such as the fact that students learn better because they take an active part in the learning process, they achieve greater understanding of the subject and remember the information for longer.


General guidelines for collaborative work.

• Teachers must make students know from the start that they are going to work in groups and what the techniques to be used are, as well as tell them about the importance and benefits of collaborative learning.

• Teachers must plan every stage of group work; they must decide on the topics, fields or projects that could be posed, how to organise the groups and tell them how they will be assessed.

• It is necessary to create tasks requiring interdependence, explain the importance of working in groups in order to reach a specific goal, assign students certain tasks according to their abilities and make sure that the work is distributed in a balanced way, so that everyone will make their contribution.

• Many kinds of groups can be formed depending on the circumstances: homogeneous or heterogeneous, big or small, etc. In any case, the groups formed can be restructured throughout the development of the project, so they can be adapted to further activities and to solve those cases where they may not work as desired.

• We must bear in mind that when we use communication tools and collaborative work platforms, groups can be formed by students from different schools. This will enrich the project, as it includes not only the use of ICTs for communication, but also an important intercultural factor in negotiation processes.

• Teacher's actions. When working in collaborative groups, teachers have the role of making things easier: they are mediators. In addition, they also have to help the group to get rid of conceptual errors, misconceptions and wrong reasoning. Therefore, once the groups are well-formed and students are working, the teachers must take part as resources and guides, providing clues so they can discover things for themselves and reorganising the tasks according to the students' discoveries and depending on the way the group works.

The first thing teachers have to do once the groups are formed is to make sure that all members understand what they are to do and that they have found the information required and decided whether it is enough. Now they have to take part in the groups by making them ask questions like what?, how?, what?, where?...

Throughout the progress of the work, the students' initial questions will become more specific; in many cases they will require new strategies and teachers will have to make a new approach towards work.

Teachers should act as supervisors and evaluators by checking that students comply with all the tasks in their group, contents are being dealt with correctly and the group as such is apt for achieving the objectives posed. This awards special importance to permanent assessment. If the group does not work as expected, teachers should, in cooperation with students, discover which are the causes and apply the suitable remedies: lead to and direct an internal reflection in the group, restructure task distribution and modify composition.


To find out more

How to design motivating projects

In this link there are ideas about getting the pupils involved and committed to a project. Motivation does not only come from a series of attractive activities, but also from participating in the whole process of decision making. Following some principles of learning by project, this presentation explores ways of promoting intrinsic motivation in the pupils and their participation in each of its phases.

http://www.etwinning.es/es/formacion/talleres-de-desarrollo-profesional/457-como-disenar-proyectos-motivadores



Back to Unit 1 Next: Documents 1.c: eTwinning in Comenius




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