Barkley, Elizabeth; Cross, K. Patricia & Howell Major, Claire (2007).

Techniques
of collaborative learning. Madrid: Ministry of Education and
Science/Morata.
236 pp.
978-84-7112-522-4
Approximate price: 20 euros

Reviewed by Liliana Bergesio and Jorge Montial

National University of Jujuy, Argentina
August 11, 2008

This book starts from a common concern and

generalized in secondary and higher education in
our time: how to achieve learning in students
active. The latter is understood here as the need for
that teachers do not limit themselves to transferring knowledge to
the students but rather work so that they can achieve
structure in your mind the new knowledge through a process
of information assimilation based on its own
understanding. That is to say, they understand that active learning
is, basically, meaningful and lasting; and that this
produced through personal involvement. The authors
they firmly assert that the best way to achieve in the
the student body that active learning is through learning
collaborative, which consists of "two or more students
work together and share the burden equitably
I work while they progress towards the results of
planned learning" (p.18). Collaborative learning
is being increasingly incorporated by teachers of all disciplines (whether from the
social sciences, humanities, exact or natural sciences) and all types of university centers
(especially in America and Europe) in their teaching methodologies. The latter has resulted in the
accumulation of a significant amount of theoretical material and empirical experiences about the
matter
Collaborative learning techniques is a well-founded manual that guides teachers in
many aspects of group work, providing solid information—both theoretical and practical—about
what to do, how to do it, and why it is important for the learning of each student.
This manual is basically a compilation where the authors, based on their own
experience—which is long and prolific in the field—, in numerous investigations and in
Collaborative learning techniques 2

relevant bibliography on good teaching practices, presents detailed procedures for

thirty collaborative learning techniques. They thus provide a broad and complete overview of the
topic with numerous examples that make this book a valuable contribution to practice
teacher at various levels of education; where each of the techniques presented is
accompanied by practical examples, presented clearly, that can be used in different
areas of knowledge and subjects.
It is a clear, comprehensive, and practical text for middle school teachers.
higher education, who want to motivate their students to take more responsibility and commit more to
the acquisition of knowledge in the classroom.
An ending perhaps not planned by the authors, but achieved, is that by scrolling through the pages of this
Book those of us who practice the profession of teaching, we can reflect on what we do in our
concrete practice, modifying attitudes, and contrasting the examples presented with the
situations that arise in our specific reality. That is to say, it is not just a material of
consultation, but also of reflection and educational practice. And it is, finally, a letter of invitation to
teachers to commit to teaching and dare to incorporate techniques that promote
the active learning of students.
About the Structure of the Book
The book begins with a brief and clear Preface that outlines the purpose of the work and...
they make suggestions on how it can be used effectively, according to the training and/or preferences of
reader. It is recommended there that something is absolutely true in this case:
Collaborative learning techniques is not a book that should be read from start to finish.
End. Readers can start from the point that is most useful and appealing to them and
continue with the rest of the book without following a predetermined order. Thus, it is likely that the
experts in collaborative learning jump directly to the Third Part to
discover new techniques. Those who are accustomed to theory and research.
related to collaborative learning, but have little experience with it in the
class, they can choose to start with the Second Part. However, for the majority of
The teachers will find it more useful to start from the beginning.
The book itself is structured, then, in three parts.
In the First Part, the reader is introduced to the topic, presenting arguments in favor of
collaborative learning. Here, the goal is basically to explain the epistemological foundations that
differentiate cooperative learning from collaborative learning, summarize the current learning theory,
presents the pedagogical foundations of collaboration and synthesizes the related research on
the effectiveness of collaborative learning. The authors emphasize, and we can agree with them, that there is
more research on collaborative learning than on any other method of
teaching, including lectures. And while most are credible and positive, however
those focused on primary and secondary education dominate, while education
the superior enters late on stage. But despite this delay, a large part of the investigations on
this topic in higher education has mapped the terrain and conducted valuable meta-analyses that
they synthesize the findings in different areas and institutions. The purpose of this part of the work is to carry out
an introduction to the extensive bibliography on collaborative learning in order to deduce from the
experience and research information that is useful for teachers to decide whether it is the same
it can be effective in achieving your teaching objectives.
Specifically, the following issues are addressed:
What do we understand by collaborative learning?
What are the differences between cooperative and collaborative learning?
What are the characteristics that define effective learning groups?
Collaborative learning techniques 3

What is the pedagogical foundation of collaborative learning?

What is the evidence that collaborative learning promotes and enhances
learning?
Which students benefit the most from collaborative learning?
Is everyone happy with collaborative learning?
To define what is meant by collaborative learning in this book, we start from the idea of
collaborate to work with one or more other people. In practice, collaborative learning
means, the authors say, that students work in pairs or small groups to achieve
some common learning objectives; for this reason, they affirm that it is, basically, 'learning through the
group work, instead of doing it working alone” (p.17). While there are other expressions (that in
occasions are interspersed in the work) to refer to this type of activity, such as cooperative learning,
team learning, group learning or learning with the help of peers, this manual uses the
collaborative learning expression to refer to learning activities explicitly
designed for couples or small interactive groups and carried out by them. Although the authors
They believe that a flexible definition of collaborative learning is necessary.
to highlight some characteristics that they consider essential. They summarize this in three requirements that
It must comply: having an intentional design; having the active commitment of all members
from the group to work together (in the sense of co-laboring); and in its development, a
meaningful teaching.
Collaborative learning seems to be an innovation in teaching and learning whose
the moment has arrived. Because, as the authors rightly state, if it is done well (that is, if it is not
not just a discursive issue but a practice that respects certain care of each technique and/or
methodological tool) puts into practice the main conclusions of modern theory
cognitive learning, that is: students must actively participate in the
construction of your mind. To date, research supports and enriches the theory as
our in this work. Here a large amount of empirical evidence is presented about how the
small groups of peers who study together have advantages regarding performance
academic, motivation, and satisfaction. In this regard, numerous studies are
Some of which are presented in the Second and Third Parts of this book that show that the
structured work in small groups, which takes advantage of positive interdependence and the
individual responsibility also increases student performance. Therefore, learning
collaborative is presented as a good alternative to promote active learning at the level
superior although, from now on, not exclusively.
Given this question, it does not seem that there are many findings in the research.
bad news on the subject. However, sometimes research on these methods is criticized.
teaching by comparing meticulously designed experimental procedures with the
current classes are taught, without exception, in the traditional way. In a sense, this
leans the balance in favor of the experimental method, in this case, collaborative learning. The
authors claim that perhaps the reason explaining the findings, generally positive, that appear in
the published reports regarding the contribution of collaborative learning to performance, whether
that the studied groups are usually carefully structured so that the students
they learn. They suggest that a research on the lectures should be proposed
thoroughly to raise questions and promote active reflection among students about what
what was being said would also yield more positive results than current studies
on the effectiveness of lectures.
Finally, and this is also very valuable, the authors identify a series of problems
about which there is little research. While the grouped tests of the studies of
The research seems very positive; the authors discover that these reports do not appear...
Collaborative learning techniques 4

criticisms or signs of student dissatisfaction regarding group work. It seems that

the investigations do not report or do not echo the criticisms of students that all
teachers, who have tried group work, hear from time to time (among those who can
mention that people progress at different speeds, that some students dominate the group
while others evade work and do not do their part, the conversation does not focus on
the topic and time is wasted, and that some groups simply do not work). The result is that
There is hardly any research on failing groups and, more specifically, regarding how
does that experience influence the learning of its members. The question that arises in this regard is: does the
Does collaborative learning involve risks if done incorrectly? And if so, what are the consequences?
for the students who live that experience? The authors assume that if the learning
Collaborative work done poorly carries risks, but it is not known what students learn from it.
they belong to a group that is functioning poorly. Nevertheless, they argue that 'the evidence that if they do
Collaborative learning is beneficial; its multiple advantages are so convincing that it would be a
madness not to learn how to make collaborative learning groups function productively
(p.30).
Another interesting absence in research regarding collaborative learning
that the authors comment on are attempts to systematically study the influence of learning
collaborative among the teachers. Although there are scattered testimonies of the satisfaction of working in
close collaboration with colleagues and a growing group of devotees presents anecdotes
about their greater interest in teaching through collaborative learning, the authors have not
I have been able to find systematic research that documents the advantages and disadvantages of it for
the teaching staff. Perhaps this will change considering that in different parts of the world (about
everything in the United States) the centers established on campuses to improve teaching and the
learning are increasingly using, as the basic formula of their work, the workshops,
teacher tutors, team teaching, and what we could call 'collaborative learning'
for teachers.” This may lead to the situation where, when the teaching staff finds in collaboration
a path of satisfaction and professional development brings to your classrooms your experiences with your own
learning and pouring their own changes into those future systematizations, but that is a task
still pending.
Returning to the book, the Second Part begins with a sentence that we believe summarizes it.
that will later be presented in detail: "Embarking on collaborative learning should be a
reasonable adventure: stimulating, challenging, and requiring careful prior planning
35). Because in this part of the book, titled 'Implementation of collaborative learning', there
It collects and synthesizes the experience of many teachers who have used it in their classes, and addresses the
a matter of how to use it efficiently in the classroom, recovering the knowledge from practice and study
regarding how to create productive learning environments through the use of groups
collaborative learning, offering practical advice on various activities related to
learning, teaching, and evaluation, among others. The chapters that compose it are those that
they continue, ending each of them with the presentation of brief conclusions about the
Presented in each case: Chapter II: Guide the students (Presentation and first contacts;
Rules and procedures of the subject; Guiding students on learning
Collaborative); Chapter III: Forming groups (Types of groups; Size of groups; The members of
the groups); Chapter IV: Structuring the learning task (General considerations when structuring the
task; Design the initial instruction of the learning task; Create tasks related to the
general design of the subject); Chapter V: Facilitate student collaboration (Presentation of the
Activity
communication of the group's report; Help groups conclude the activity); Chapter VI:
Qualify and evaluate collaborative learning (Ensure individual responsibility and the
Collaborative learning techniques 5

positive group interdependence; General guidelines for grading collaborative work;

Important decisions for qualifying collaborative work); Finally, the Third Part:
"Collaborative Learning Techniques (CLTs)" contains detailed descriptions of 30 techniques for
create effective teamwork tasks. The techniques presented are organized into five
categories and each one is presented in a separate chapter; Chapter VII: Techniques for dialogue (Think,
forma una pareja y comenta; Rueda de ideas; Grupos de conversación; Para hablar, paga ficha;
Interview in three steps; Critical debates; Chapter VIII: Techniques for reciprocal teaching
apuntes por parejas; Celdas de aprendizaje; La pecera; Juego de rol; Rompecabezas; Equipos de
exams); Chapter IX: Techniques for problem solving (Problem solving in pairs
pensando en voz alta; Pasa el problema; Estudios de casos; Resolución estructurada de problemas;
Analysis teams; Research in groups); Chapter X: Techniques that use graphic organizers
information (Affinity grouping; Group table; Team matrix; Sequential chains;
Word Networks); Chapter XI: Writing-Centered Techniques (Journals for Dialogue; Round Table;
Ensayos diádicos; Corrección por el compañero; Escritura colaborativa; Antologías de equipo;
Seminar on a presentation). The book is completed with two Appendices: "Key to the names of
teachers of the examples of the TACs" and "Other ideas to integrate the learning task in a
reference curricular framework.
Final Comments
Collaborative learning seems to be, as the authors themselves suggest, an innovation.
of teaching and learning whose time has come. Well done puts into practice the main
conclusions of the modern cognitive theory of learning, specifically, that students
they must actively participate in the construction of their knowledge. In this book, you can
finding empirical evidence supported by theoretical developments that show that small
study groups that study together have advantages regarding performance
academic, motivation, and satisfaction.
However, most of the research reflected in the bibliography refers to
carefully structured groups, designed to achieve learning, something that is not provided to them
escape to the authors of this book. Thus, the critically important aspects that derive from the
the complete research presented in this manual is that positive interdependence and the
individual responsibility is a factor that contributes to success in collaborative learning.
The book offers numerous examples and suggestions on a wide range of topics
related to collaborative learning. Among them: how to form groups, assign roles, create
team spirit, presenting problem-solving strategies, various ways to evaluate and
assess the participation and work of the students, among many others. In this regard, the authors
they affirm that an important purpose of this manual is to gather the information derived from the
research and experience to help teachers design creative tasks,
stimulating and effective for groups" (p. 31). It can be said, without fear, that this objective has been
fulfilled. However, the extensive presentation of techniques, which all follow a similar mode.
in presentation, at times it becomes confusing and repetitive. Therefore, it would have been desirable to use
some graphic criteria for differentiation between the different groups of techniques, which would contribute to
a better understanding by the reader.
It is a recommended book as reference material where middle school teachers and/or
University students will find numerous theoretical and practical tools to promote and implement
collaborative learning in the classroom.

About the authors of the book: Elizabeth F. Barkley is a professor of Music at Foothill College,
from Los Altos Hills (California, USA). She was named California's Higher Education Professor of the Year
Collaborative learning techniques 6

in 1998 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, officially commended by the legislature
from the state of California for its contributions to education in the first university cycle (1999),
selected as Innovator of the Year in conjunction with the National League for Innovation (1999),
awarded the Hayward Award for Educational Excellence (1999) and recognized by the Center for
Diversity in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (1999). In addition, your subject Music of Multicultural
Americafue was sectioned as 'Best Online Course' by the California Virtual Campus (2001).
She works as a teacher and is also dedicated to the study of teaching and learning. She holds an M.A. from
University of California, Riverside Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of several
music textbooks, including Crossroads: Popular Music in America (2002).
K. Patricia Cross, emerita university professor of Higher Education at the University of
California, Berkeley, USA. His teaching career spanned forty years; he has been a dean of
students at Cornell, Distinguished Research Scientist at the Educational Testing Service, professor of
Higher Education and director of the Department of Administration, Planning, and Social Policy at Harvard
Graduate School of Education David Pierpont Gardner Professor of Higher Education in Berkeley. He was
elected twice (1975 and 1989) president of the Board of the American Association of Higher
Education has received many awards for its leadership in education, the most recent being the
2004 PBS/O'Banion Prize for "inspiring a significant change in teaching and learning."
he has been awarded fifteen honorary degrees and appears in Who’s Who in America, International Who’s
Who of WomenyWho’s Who in American Education. She graduated in Mathematics from Illinois State.
Master's and Doctorate in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois.
Claire Howell Major is a professor of Higher Education Administration at the College of
Education at the University of Alabama, USA. She was the director of the Problem Based Learning project.
funded by the help of the Pew Charitable Trusts of Samford University. Taught classes of
language in various institutions in the southeastern US. His research focuses on teaching
and learning in higher education, paying great attention to innovative methods of
teaching. He has published numerous articles and has presented his research at forums
national and international. He has worked with the faculty of institutions across the country to
promote teaching excellence. He also has direct experience in the use of methods
active and collaborative to teach various groups of students. She is a graduate in Language
English degree from the University of South Alabama, master in English Language from the University of Alabama.
Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Georgia.

About the reviewers of the book Liliana Bergesio: Bachelor in Anthropology and Master in
Theory and Methodology of Social Sciences. PhD candidate in Social Sciences and
Specialist in Higher Education. Researcher and teacher at the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences depending on the National University of Jujuy (Argentina).
Jorge Montial: Technician in Social Communication and researcher at the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences dependent on the National University of Jujuy (Argentina).

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