Fostering Collaborative Learning in an Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Education Course

Abstract

An interdisciplinary approach to designing lessons requires collaboration among teachers.In undergraduate programs in education, faculty often assign group tasks and students struggle with negotiating ideas and effectively engaging in collaborative learning with peers. In this study, researchers used repeated surveys and social network analysis to examine pre-service teachers' peer-group interactions while co-designing an interdisciplinary unit plan. Findings suggest effective relationships are needed to support collaborative learning, peer leaders can support collaborative learning and instructors can make leadership roles and strategies visible to help manage collaboration including how to use technology to support collaborative learning. Findings from the first year of this design-based research study serve to develop recommendations for teaching and learning strategies that will tested over the next year.