What is collaborative learning?

Collaborative learning refers to planned activities in which learners talk and contribute toward a shared learning goal.

Structuring group work

Sitting learners together alone does not create collaboration. Tasks should involve shared responsibility, make room for everyone and require explaining, reasoning or making something together. In a science question, students might examine different evidence and discuss their conclusions; the teacher clarifies roles and success criteria. Brief individual questions check that one person has not done all the thinking.

Monitoring quality

Teachers observe who participates, whether disagreements are resolved with evidence and whether misconceptions are corrected. Group size and duration depend on the task. Participation routes help quieter learners and those needing language support. EEF stresses that collaborative activities depend on deliberate design and implementation; group work is not automatically effective.