Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty [Paperback]

Elizabeth F. Barkley (Author), K. Patricia Cross (Author), Claire Howell Major (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787955183 | ISBN-13: 978-0787955182 | Publication Date: October 8, 2004 | Edition: 1

Engaging students in active learning is a predominant theme in today's classrooms. To promote active learning, teachers across the disciplines and in all kinds of colleges are incorporating collaborative learning into their teaching. Collaborative Learning Techniques is a scholarly and well-written handbook that guides teachers through all aspects of group work, providing solid information on what to do, how to do it, and why it is important to student learning. Synthesizing the relevant research and good practice literature, the authors present detailed procedures for thirty collaborative learning techniques (CoLTs) and offer practical suggestions on a wide range of topics, including how to form groups, assign roles, build team spirit, solve problems, and evaluate and grade student participation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For faculty who are serious about pursuing more powerful forms of student learning, this book is a must. It brings together, as no other resource does, the best that has been thought, said, and done on the topic of collaborative learning. It’s a handbook for teachers who want students to use their heads."
--Pat Hutchings, vice president, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

"Collaborative Learning Techniques is a clear, comprehensive, and practical guide to the what, why, and how of collaborative learning that will benefit all college teachers. Collaborative Learning Techniques will be a well-used reference for years to come."
--Tom Angelo, coauthor with K. Patricia Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques

"Classroom Assessment Techniques became the most implemented innovation of the last two decades. With Collaborative Learning Techniques, Elizabeth Barkley and her colleagues have created a handbook that will become the most implemented innovation of the next two decades."
--Terry O’Banion, President Emeritus and Senior League Fellow, League for Innovation in the Community College and author of A Learning College for the 21^st Century

"An indispensable guide to collaborative learning for teachers interested in proven strategies to enhance student learning."
--Barbara Leigh Smith, codirector of The Pew Charitable Trusts' National Learning Communities Project and coauthor of Learning Communities: Reforming Undergraduate Education

"Great for current practitioners and for those wanting to learn how to incorporate collaborative learning into their classrooms. This is a comprehensive guide to what collaborative learning is, why it’s important, and how to implement it."
--Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, University of California, Berkeley and author, Tools for Teaching

From the Publisher

“For faculty who are serious about pursuing more powerful forms of student learning, this book is a must. It brings together, as no other resource does, the best that has been thought, said, and done on the topic of collaborative learning. It’s a handbook for teachers who want students to use their heads.”--Pat Hutchings, vice president, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

 "Collaborative Learning Techniques is a clear, comprehensive, and practical guide to the what, why, and how of collaborative learning that will benefit all college teachers. Collaborative Learning Techniques will be a well-used reference for years to come."--Tom Angelo, coauthor with K. Patricia Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques

“Classroom Assessment Techniques became the most implemented innovation of the last two decades. With Collaborative Learning Techniques, Elizabeth Barkley and her colleagues have created a handbook that will become the most implemented innovation of the next two decades.”--Terry O’Banion, President Emeritus and Senior League Fellow, League for Innovation in the Community College and author of A Learning College for the 21st Century

 "An indispensable guide to collaborative learning for teachers interested in proven strategies to enhance student learning."--Barbara Leigh Smith, codirector of The Pew Charitable Trusts' National Learning Communities Project and coauthor of Learning Communities: Reforming Undergraduate Education

“Great for current practitioners and for those wanting to learn how to incorporate collaborative learning into their classrooms. This is a comprehensive guide to what collaborative learning is, why it’s important, and how to implement it.”--Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, University of California, Berkeley and author, Tools for Teaching

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (October 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787955183
• ISBN-13: 978-0787955182
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Creative Teaching, January 17, 2005

By 

Betsy Palmer (Bozeman, MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (Paperback)

Collaborative Learning Techniques is both a "how to" and a "why to" guide to collaborative learning. By providing simple, easy-to-follow examples of 30 collaborative learning techniques, it provides a starting point for faculty who wish to experiment with collaborative learning in their classrooms. Each technique is described in detail followed by several examples from a variety of disciplines. I particularly appreciated the observations and advice section and the tips for adapting to on-line environments. More importantly, however, this text goes beyond describing a few teaching tricks. By exploring the theory and research on collaborative learning it also facilitates "deeper learning" about why we do what we do in collaborative learning classrooms. Even faculty who have been using collaborative learning techniques for years will gain new insights from the authors' discussion of the nuances of a truly collaborative classroom.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for teaching professionals, November 24, 2004

By 

Robert Hartwell (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (Paperback)

While the value of collaborative learning is well documented, its implementation has always been a stumbling block for me. "Collaborative Learning Techniques" is a godsend in this regard, containing as is does myriad useful strategies for incorporating and structuring collaborative activities. Busy professionals will also appreciate its clear writing, clean organization, useful tables, and refreshing absence of "education-speak."

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding teaching resource, February 11, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Jones - See all my reviews

This review is from: Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (Paperback)

Collaborative Learning Techniques is an excellent resource that highlights practical strategies that can be realistically implemented. The implementation of group work can be very challenging, but the authors have provided (throughout their book) very clear examples. Such illustrations contain great
in-depth details so that other faculty can easily understand how to implement these different techniques. These strategies also seek to improve numerous types of outcomes including writing, problem solving, and class participation in discussions. Overall, this is a very rich resource providing a comprehensive overview of important collaborative learning techniques.