Social, collaborative or peer learning

Although the notion of Social Learning was theorised in the book “Social Learning Theory” in 1977 by Albert Bandura, it is part of the socio-constructivist trend more generally attributed to the work of Vygostky and Brunner following that of Jean Piaget. But it would not be a stretch to say that this evidence has survived the centuries. Man is a social being who learns through and with others, or, to quote Professor Philippe Carré: “We always learn alone but never without others”.

Thus, at Audencia, many of the activities offered to students make use of this learning method, for example: a critical marketing hackathon, a team case study on the background of a pandemic, speed boat(?),peer-assessments, etc. Thanks to this method – because this is not the only one generally used – students learn via their interactions with peers, face-to-face, but also asynchronously, via chats, forums or other shared media, and finally via co-constructed productions.

The use of activities involving social, collaborative or peer learning thus encourages the development of skills :

Technical :

in the field of the work carried out, integrated into future professional, community or personal activities, etc.

Multidisciplinary :

analysis, critical thinking, learning to learn, co-construction, cooperation, emulation, etc.

Behavioural :

listening, expression, self-assertion, difference, managing the emotions, collaboration, etc.

USEFUL LINKS

White paper on social learning

The central notion in the use of this learning modality is certainly that ofinteraction and all that follows from it. Although its interest is that it takes the learner’s knowledge as a starting point, favours his/her independence, and generally gives an important place to their learning rhythms and strategies, the conditions of its success require you to take into account the following :

the environments dedicated to these interactions,
the activities that accompany and inspire this modality,
the dynamics of the activity implemented,
the involvement of the learners and their willingness to do and be together,
their ability to learn independently on the subjects in question.

CONSEQUENCES FOR THE TEACHER’S ROLE

As a teacher, your role in a socio-constructivist pedagogy mobilising social, collaborative or peer learning will mainly be that of facilitator and mediator, encouraging interactions, looking after relationships, stimulating reflections, guiding discussion methods and means. A role that requires compassion, empathy, neutrality and patience.

A few pointers :

How can this modality be used in learning ?

First of all, you need to answer the question of why you need this modality. What are your pedagogical objectives and to what extent is it relevant to include collaborative activities? Another way of asking the question is : what knowledge do I want students to develop through their interactions ? The same question can be asked for expertise and interpersonal skills. Is a deliverable expected ? If so, what? Finally, the idea is to position this sequence among other introductory sequences, possibly icebreakers, using the productions made, extension work ... and why not a “criterion-based” assessment of their work by peers.

How can interactions be facilitated ?

It is necessary to plan and prepare the appropriate resources: spaces/places (material and/or virtual) and tools (collection of expressions and sharing) that encourage sharing and discussion. It is also necessary to plan the time, or rather the timings. Resources also include the number of stakeholders involved and their role in the facilitation. In short, you must “inspire desire” and think accessibility.

Another important point is the students’ relational motivations and knowledge of the subject.

You need to consider how much interest each person has in the subject, and what they know about it. One by one, at an individual level, how do students position themselves a priori ? What do they say about it if asked : a way to better perceive their respective interests and already developed knowledge. Furthermore, is the group “homogeneous” or “heterogeneous” with regard to the subject ? Are the differences related to their interests or their levels of knowledge ? With the “Zone of Proximal Development” principle in mind, are the students – in these respects – able to “offer” something to each other ?

How can collaborative learning be encouraged in the long term ?

Probably by being very clear about the rules of the game and the roles of each person. This means thinking about them, setting them, stating them, having them validated and even better, co-constructing them. And opening up discussions during dedicated times to allow experiences and feelings to be expressed, and to allow the rules to evolve. In real time, it means intervening in the event of tensions, arbitrating directly and/or postponing the regulation of tensions. Basic knowledge of group dynamics is always a plus.

Our experience as pedagogical engineers has allowed us to often support teachers in this development (implementing tools, situational observations, etc.), so please contact us on : pedagogy@audencia.com