In this update, I examine the rather traditional studying methodology of working within a study group as a form of Collaborative Intelligence.

Collaborative Intelligence

In their discussion with respect to collaborative intelligence, Cope & Kalantzis explain:

"In e-learning ecologies, it becomes more necessary to recognize the social sources of intelligence. We can also actively nurture the social mind in these environments—hence a renewed focus on collaborative intelligence. There are two fundamental aspects of this new recognition of the sociability of knowledge: a shift away from knowledge memorization towards a culture of knowledge sourcing; and developing skills and strategies for knowledge collaboration and social learning.”[1] (my emphasis in bold)

Looking at this description, for a format of learning to qualify as collaborative learning it must:

1. Have “social sources of intelligence”;

2. Operate with a “social mind”;

3. Foster a “a culture of knowledge sourcing”; and

4. Develop “skills and strategies for knowledge collaboration and social learning”

Study Groups

Study groups are small groups of students who come together (usually of their own initiative) to study materials together. In a well-run study group, peers plan the topics they wish to review and cover the material using a variety of strategies.

Speedyprep.com sets out 7 benefits of study groups.[2] You can read the blog here. The 7 benefits suggested are:

Procrastination solution
Learn faster
Get new perspectives
Learn new study skills
Breaks the monotony
Fill in learning gaps; and
Practice for the real world.

The Distillation Blog at UBC[3] explains why study groups are so advantageous: they provide an environment in which students teach each other and this maximizes learning. The blog shares this image:

Learning Pyramid

A really well-organized study group might form months before exam time and meet periodically (say, once a week). During these groups, everyone is responsible for reviewing the same material. However, participants might assign specific topics to each member, who will be responsible for teaching the material to their peers. The teachers might present their information to their peers, and be responsible for answering questions; they might make exercises that their peers can put together, or develop visual study aids such as flowcharts or diagrams. They might make notes on the topic which will be shared with the group. In this way, while all the students review their syllabus and have a basic understanding of it, they become masters of certain topics and are able to use this mastery to understand the relationship to other topics that are presented by their peers.

“Dr. Richard Light was asked [by the president of Harvard] to figure out the single best predictor of success in college. And what was that? That was the ability of a student to either create a study group or join a study group....”[4]

These students discuss the benefits of being a study group that they have experienced in this video:

Study Groups as a from of Collaborative Intelligence

Arguably, study groups are a form of collaborative intelligence. Looking at how Cope and Kalantzis describe collaborative intelligence above, we can see how study groups fit within the definition.

Have “social sources of intelligence”

Study groups use the work of every participant and take advantage of each participants’ understanding of the material in order to enhance the communal and individual participants’ knowledge of the subject matter.

Operate with a “social mind”

Study groups are environments in which participants learn through discourse with one another in a variety of ways. As noted above, they might:

1) discuss topics together;
2) lecture one another;
3) provide and receive instruction from one another; and
4) create activities for; and carry out said activities together

Arguably, this level of learning together can qualify as creating and operating with a social mind.

Foster a “a culture of knowledge sourcing”

Participants in study groups often learn from each other’s mastery of topics that the participants are studying. This in itself fosters a culture of knowledge sourcing.

Develop “skills and strategies for knowledge collaboration and social learning”

Because study groups require all aspects of organization, (eg. identifying a time, place, analyzing a syllabus, assigning tasks; being responsible for producing materials fro the group; holding each other accountable; designing and delivering information; supporting one another etc.), they inherently develop skills and strategies for knowledge collaboration and social learning.

Concluding Thoughts

Collaborative intelligence is presented as a from of reflexive pedagogy, rather than didatic pedagogy. In this course, we consider reflexive pedagogy being enabled by the e-learning environment. However, it can be argued that study groups are a type of reflexive pedagogy that has been enabled well before the digital spaces in which we e-learn were created. They are a good example of older types of reflexive pedagogy that are still in use today. One of the benefits of e-learning ecologies is that students can now use e-learning environments to host study groups, rather than requiring the group to meet in a single physical environment. 

[1] Pg. 35, Bill Cope & Mary Kalantzis, “Conceptualizing e-Learning (chapter 1)”.

[2] https://www.speedyprep.com/blog/7-benefits-of-study-groups/

[3] https://science.ubc.ca/students/blog/study-groups

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbgOXodJTgo