What is Collaborative Intelligence? Why is it significant today? 

Collaborative intelligence is a method in which individuals share, develop, and build knowledge together. In traditional, didactic educational practices, the end goal was to acquire knowledge. Knowledge was a possession of an individual. Historical education systems were built upon a hierarchical model in which the learner was only exposed to whatever material the teacher provided. In many instances, students were provided information from a teacher, then expected to memorize and regurgitate the content. The content was chosen specifically for knowledge to systematically build upon prior knowledge. However, in the real world people are expected to manipulate symbols and information. People are expected to think critically and explain their thinking.

Constructivist theorists, such as Dewey and Vygotsky, explain that learning is an active process. Throughout the course of time with the development of technology, the active process itself and the end goals have changed. Dewey’s theory in education clearly explains that students should be engaged in real-world experiences that demonstrate their creativity and understanding. Dewey continued to explain that what students learn in school should have meaningful relevancy to our reality, and working collaboratively is what our students will be required to do outside of the classroom.

Today, in the 21st century information is all around us. Students have the ability to find information easily. Collaborative intelligence is the typical organization of most professional institutions. Students need to develop their social skills and critical thinking skills as they are acquiring knowledge. Collaborative intelligence requires individuals to use their prerequisite skills and work together as a network to accomplish end goals. This method allows for groups of people to solve problems, develop new technologies, and contribute diverse perspectives on a given topic (Dillenbourg). Collaborative intelligence is not only teaching students to use their knowledge, but how their voice and their perspective can benefit others.

21st Century Learners and Collaborative Intelligence

In classrooms today, students have computers and different devices that they use to gather, organize, compile, and reflect on information. 1:1 classrooms have changed the way in which our students physically work, but have they changed the way in which they think? As teachers provide students with information, videos, or a digital textbook, they are repeating the traditional didactic classroom (Cope and Kalanztis). However, when students become knowledge seekers, knowledge sharers, and critics, that classroom is now a collaborative, 21st century classroom.

Social media and participatory media sources give each individual a voice. Anyone can share, comment, or access information provided from a peer or a stranger. There is not one, ultimate resource that a teacher is handing to their student to memorize. Teachers are now asking students to evaluate sources, contribute their thinking, and apply their new found knowledge.

The video below describes and emphasizes the idea that 21st century learners are building skills for jobs that are still unforseen. Educators are creating a world-wide culture of learning that is changing the face of education due to new media resources. 

21st century learners are at an advantage. Ubiquitous learning, the idea that students can access information or classwork anytime from anywhere, has enabled for collaborative projects to actually be completed. Historically, a collaborative project in a classroom took a lot of time. Teachers could not require students to meet after school or on weekend to complete their projects. Each group always had certain members that took charge of the end result. Collaborative projects, or group work, has been around for centuries as a pedagogical tool to develop students social skills and critical thinking skills, however in the 21st century it is more important than ever. Our “real time” world expects for individuals to always be connected, responsive, and collaborative.

Employers today look for individuals who are able to problem solve, understand concepts, and communicate effectively. As these skills have always been a part of the educational process, technology has changed the way in which we use these skills. As described through Vygotsky’s theory, the community is our center and each individual inherits a role that contributes to the center. Furthermore, he explained that the tools for cognitive development, such as culture, language, and peers, control the development and growth of the individual (Keesee).

Educational institutions today have taken the first step by providing students with tools (new technology) that can be used for collaboration, but still it is how we use these tools and what we are looking for the end goal to be. The pedagogical change, as stated by Cope and Kalanztis, lies within the ability to modify and change the tasks that are used as assessment. Students today are creating multimodal knowledge representations, and teachers have the ability to track each and every step of the process. Self-assessment, recursive feedback, and revisions are continuous. It is not only the end product that is important and beneficial to the student, but the entire process.  

Therefore, connecting back to the constructivist theorists’ main arguments, which originated in the early 1900’s, learning is an active process that should involve guided interactions. The curriculum should exhibit real world and authentic problems and examples, and it should involve processes or project-based learning (Gergen). Technology has changed the way in which students learn, develop, and create collaboratively. Collaborative intelligence is what gives our students the skills to change the world as we know it. 

Collaborative Intelligence in Today's Classrooms

Collaborative Intelligence, as Henry Jenkins explains, is opposite of the idea of creating autonomous thinkers. He continues to explain that we have a networked culture that produces and circulates knowledge. This knowledge is therefore edited, revised, and critiqued as time progress and changes are made. Most importantly, collaborative intelligence relies on diversity and a variety of perspectives. Henry Jenkin’s states, “the greater the diversity of inputs into the process, the richer the output."

Diversity in thought is what drives innovation. Katherine Phillips summarizes decades of scientific research and says that diversity brings unique expertise, perspectives, and experiences for individuals to share. Ultimately, Phillips explains that research has proven that diversity enhances creativity. Educators throughout time have taken this into account, and with emerging technology many programs have been created to allow students to develop their collaborative skills and see the world outside of the four walls of the classroom. 

Below you will find a few examples of collaborative programs that can be used in classrooms today. 

 

Wiki Pages

As technology is revolutionizing the way in which we share information, certain programs within education have also adapted these formats. Wiki pages are one example of collaborative intelligence that are used both in our society for general information sharing, but also now in education as project-based collaborative learning. In essence, any individual can contribute to, update, or revise a wikipedia page to share information on a given topic. With a variety of contributors, multiple perspectives and ideas are compiled to create an overall “truth” of a concept. In the classroom, teachers at every educational level, are having students create wiki pages or wiki-like pages. The active process of creating a wiki page with other group members allows for students to use their individual ideas and perspectives to contribute to a whole. The whole is then more elaborate, comprehensive, and thorough with multiple eyes and perspectives.

 

Throughout this process, making the wiki page a collaborative project, the teacher is allowing for students to peer review, discuss their findings, and self-assess their work compared to others. Each student is given a specific role that is necessary for the group to complete the project.  As the students can track their progress and understand their specific role, the teacher can also check the students’ progress in real time, provide feedback, and guide their students.

 

Using Wiki pages allows for students to construct knowledge, not memorize and repeat knowledge. Students have a sense of a purpose as their product will be published and shared. They are not completing their assignment solely for the letter grade, but also for an authentic audience. The collaborative intelligence process gives the students an idea of their role in our society.

For more information about teaching with Wiki in your classroom, please view the Wiki Education Foundation that emphasizes the power of teaching with Wikipedia in the classroom.

Click here to see an example of a fifth grade class that created a Wiki page to share their learning of Westward Expansion. 

Where can your students create a wiki page? 

1. Wikispaces.com Wikispaces was designed for students and teachers to collaborate in a safe platform specifically designed for education. 

2. Google Sites - For our GAFE schools, Google Sites is a great way to create a wiki like page. Click on the link for a tutorial for Google Sites in your classroom. 

3. Weebly - Weebly.com is another safe, easy to use resource for students to use. 

 

Youtube

The power of multimedia resources is very evident in our culture. 21st century learners seek knowledge, and they know how to find answers to their questions. One resource many teachers, students, and individuals use is Youtube. In education, Youtube is thought of as a resource that gains the attention of our visual and auditory learners. Youtube is also looked at as a entertainment resource. Students and teachers both understand that Youtube is a social media that prohibits and encourages individuals to share their ideas and critiques of others’ work. However, Youtube can be much more than just a social media resource.

Youtube is used as a learning resource by our 21st century learners. Youtube can also be used as a collaborative learning tool. Students can work together to create videos and comment and critique one another's’ videos. Students first need to research a topic or concept, create their own explanation of the topic, then they would begin to design and create their video. This active process again exhibits the same ideas expressed throughout the past century of Constructivist theories, but it is modernized to our new media learning.

Check out this video as one teacher explains how he uses Youtube as a tool. 

Here is one example of how I have had my students collaboratively use Youtube in my classroom. 

 

Google Hangouts 

Google has created a variety of resources for students to collaborate, share, give feedback, and track their progress. One resource that promotes collaborative intelligence is Google Hangouts. Unlike the two examples above, Google Hangouts promotes conversation, presentations, and the idea of natural conversation. Google Hangouts are a virtual space that allows users to video chat or present information to one another. Similar to a traditional classroom discussion, students can respond to one anothers' comments via face to face conversation. Students can present new ideas, ask questions, or look at content together. Beyond the obvious use for a virtual classroom, Google Hangouts connects individuals with others around the world. Google has created educational programs such as Google Hangouts "Mystery" classroom programs that connect classrooms throughout the world, and Google Hangouts Virtual Fieldtrips that allow students to explore other places with people around the world. 

Click here to see how Google Hangouts is used in classrooms today. 

 

Conclusions and Reflections

Collaborative intelligence is clearly present in our classrooms and educational facilities today, however the way in which individuals collaborate is continually changing. Students are not only collaborating to learn about new content, they are continually shaping their views on real-life concepts. New media and 1:1 classrooms are changing the way students are learning and creating, and they are changing what our students are leanring. Students are developing skills today to be the innovators of tomorrow in every field. 

Emphasizing the importance of collaborative intelligence to teachers is the first step that the educational realm needs to address today. Many classrooms still mimic the traditional, didactic model of education, but there needs to be a pedagogical shift that starts with the teachers. Collaborative intelligence does not mean that students are relying on one another to learn material, but it requires structured guidance from the teachers to provide students with the tools to be successful in a collaborative learning environment. 

The 21st century learners are knowledge seekers, but they still need guidance, structure, and continual feedback. Technology enhances the way in which these students are retrieving information and how they are communicating their understanding. As educators, we can guide students to grow their personal strengths, and develop their current weaknesses through tasks that involve each individual playing a specific role. 

References

Dillenbourg, Pierre. What do you mean by collaborative learning?. P. Dillenbourg. Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches., Oxford: Elsevier, pp.1-19, 1999. <hal-00190240>
 

Gergen, Kenneth. "Social Construction and Pedagogical Practice." Social Construction in Context: <http://www.swarthmore.edu/Documents/faculty/gergen/Social_Construction_and_Pedagogical_Practice.pdf>.

 

Jenkins, Henry. "Sharing Notes about Collective Intelligence." Confessions of an AcaFan. Web. 31 Jan. 2016

 

Keesee, Gayla. "Learning Theories." Teaching and Learning Resources /. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.

 

Phillips, Katherine W. "How Diversity Makes Us Smarter." Scientific American. N.p., 1 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

 

Scott, David, and Eleanore Hargreaves. The SAGE Handbook of Learning.