Learning and Teaching in Practice/Collaboration in education

Collaboration in learning assumes a two-way interaction between learners and teachers, and interaction amongst learners. According to Dooley (2008), learners and teachers construct knowledge together and teach each other as they strive towards a common goal. Although collaborative learning is described by different names such as cooperative learning, peer learning, peer teaching, collective learning, and learning communities, each form of learning has differences. For example, cooperative learning is teacher led whereas collaborative learning is led by the members of the group. One commonality defining these different terms for learning is the necessity for group work of some kind. The teacher becomes more like a mentor to the students, guiding their learning. In a well functioning group, students with more knowledge than others may engage in peer mentoring.

Case studies with Emilia and Brett are used to illustrate these concepts. Further on in this section, Open Education Practices are outlined. These rely on the concept of sharing and collaboration when accessing and creating resources.