Abstract:

It is not uncommon for faculty to consider pedagogical techniques and tools that are collaborative and reflective in nature in order to elicit the participation of learners with different learning styles and needs. Melville (2009) explained how 21st century skills “require individuals to develop habits of inquiry and lifelong learning in their professional and personal lives” (p. 735). When students are involved in the process of inquiry, they are actively participating in the development of ongoing professional and personal goals while being able to “.. experience the process of knowledge creation” (Spronken-Smith et al., 2007, p.2). The constructivist nature of an inquiry-based approach provides adult learners with the opportunity to engage in socially constructed knowledge while being able to be motivated in the exploration of concepts (Sproken -Smith, Bullard, Ray, Roberts, & Keiffer 2008). The inclusion of study groups as a teaching strategy in courses for pre-service student teachers has the potential of encouraging discussion, reflection and collaborative problem solving. These strategies are key to service learning experiences and constructivist approaches which require sharing of multiple perspectives in order to explore pre-conceived notions about the specific needs of students and families in schools.

The main focus for this session will be to share how an online framework for discussion served as a collaborative tool to encourage as well as measure critical thinking of students during their student teaching experiences. The development of formative and summative assessment plans that could assist in measuring individual and group efforts during online discussions will also be explored.

In addition, the presenter will share examples on how Web 2.0 tools were utilized to meet the needs of diverse students as they participated in discussions.

Session handouts will be provided to all participants and will include detailed resources related to online discussions, theoretical models, collaborative grouping techniques and tools.

Keywords:

Collaborative grouping techniques and tools, frameworks for discussion.