Chapter 6: Strategies for Collaborative Learning in Large Online Classrooms

There is widespread agreement that collaborative learning, where students interact with each other toward a shared goal or project, enhances student learning when compared to traditional lecture techniques. Nonetheless, there is a great difficulty in incorporating these techniques into large courses and into online courses. Thus, there is even greater difficulty in incorporating these techniques into large online courses. Given the value of these techniques, however, it is imperative that we find methods to incorporate them whenever possible. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of collaborative learning in large online classrooms and then examine a variety of techniques and tools to identify general guidelines and best practices for effectively establishing collaborative learning environments. By drawing on, but abstracting from, specific collaborative techniques, we aim to show how faculty can incorporate collaborative learning into any online classroom. Additionally, we aim to show how this can be done in a way that simultaneously enhances student learning while reducing, or at least not increasing, the burden on faculty.