‘We had a good laugh together’: using Teams for collaborative learning

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi21.810

Keywords:

online learning community; student collaboration; MS Teams

Abstract

This case study describes the journey of an undergraduate module in its transition from an in-person lectures-plus-seminar configuration to an interactive, online format using Teams. I show how I created a sense of community and the opportunity for online group interaction by establishing small study groups that carried out weekly online group tasks in their own Team ‘channel’. Weekly roles were assigned to group members to spread the workload and ensure equal participation. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and students particularly appreciated the opportunity to interact with their peers, during a potentially lonely time, for summative marks. Limitations to the model are discussed and potential solutions are offered.

Author Biography

Katy Jones, Cardiff University

I am a senior lecturer in the Centre for Language and Communication Research in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University

References

Bach, S., Haynes, P. and Lewis Smith, J. (2006) Online learning and teaching in higher education. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Biggs, J. (2003) Teaching for quality learning at university (2nd ed). Maidenhead: Oxford University Press.

Borg, M, O. and Shapiro, S, L. (1996) ‘Personality type and student performance in principles of economic education’, Journal of Economic Education, 27(1), pp.3-25.

Entwistle, N. and Ramsden, P. (1983/2015) Understanding student learning. Routledge Revivals.

Fawns, T., Jones, D, and Aitken, G, (2020) ‘Challenging assumptions about “moving online” in response to COVID-19, and some practical advice’, MedEdPublish, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000083.1

Fawns, T (2021) Keynote 1 (1st July 2021). Centre for Education, Support and Innovation Conference 2021. A flipped conference: building on the lessons from a year’s blended and online teaching. Cardiff University.

Felder, R.M. and Brent, R. (2009) Active learning: An introduction, ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2(4).

Gillet-Swan, J. (2017) ‘The challenges of online learning: supporting and engaging the isolated learner’, Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), pp. 20-30.

Harmer, J. (2015) The practice of English language teaching. 5th edn. Harlow: Longman.

Jackson, A. (2020) The expectation gap: students’ experience of learning during Covid-19 and their expectations for next year. Wonkhe.com. Available at: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-expectation-gap-students-experience-of-learning-during-covid-19-and-their-expectations-for-next-year/ (Accessed: 12 July 2021).

Jackson, A. (2021) The expectation gap II – students’ hopes for learning and teaching in the next normal. Wonkhe.com Available at: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-expectation-gap-ii-students-hopes-for-learning-and-teaching-in-the-next-normal/ (Accessed: 12 July 2021).

Johnson, R.T. and Johnson, D.W. (2008) ‘Active learning: Cooperation in the classroom’, The Annual Report of Educational Psychology in Japan, 47, pp.29-30. https://doi.org/10.5926/arepj1962.47.0_29

Mosley, N. (2020) The evolution of digital learning in higher education, Steal These Thoughts podcast, Episode 11. Available at: Podcast Episode #11: The evolution of digital learning in higher education w/Neil Mosley – Steal These Thoughts! (Accessed: 8 September 2021).

Paulson, F. L., Paulson, P. R. and Meyer, C.A. (1991) ‘What makes a portfolio a portfolio?’ Educational Leadership 48(5), pp. 60-63.

Pearson/Wonkhe (2020) Student expectations survey July 2020. Available at: https://wonkhe.com/wp-content/wonkhe-uploads/2020/07/Pearson-Wonkhe-student-expectations-survey-published-version.pdf (Accessed: 12 July 2021).

Prince, M.J. (2004) ‘Does active learning work? A review of the research’, Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), pp. 223-231. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x

Slavin, R. E. (1996) ‘Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know’, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21(1), pp.43-69. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1996.0004

Tanis, C.J. (2020) ‘The seven principles of online learning: Feedback from faculty and alumni on its importance for teaching and learning’, Research in Learning Technology 28(0), pp.1-25. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2319

Thornbury, S. (2006) An A-Z of ELT. Oxford: Macmillan.

Downloads

Published

28-09-2021

How to Cite

Jones, K. (2021) “‘We had a good laugh together’: using Teams for collaborative learning ”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (21). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi21.810.

Issue

No. 21 (2021)

Section

Case Studies

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).