Classroom Environment for Collaborative Learning

Before individual learners can collaborate and learn effectively with others, a safe and supportive classroom culture is established through the use of strategies such as protocols, norms, or agreements. The establishment of a classroom culture and expectations enables individual accountability for learning and for group members to be supportive of the learning of others. For effective interpersonal learning to take place students also need a range of social, communication and thinking skills. Without these they cannot effectively collaborate with other group members.

The teacher plays a vital role in modelling and participating in cooperative learning tasks. Teachers actively participate in these strategies and activities while modelling the thinking, social, communication skills and class protocols for their students.

Examples of processes and initiatives

Quality Learning

Quality Learning is a program which has been developed by David Langford. Quality Learning combines quality management tools, techniques, theories and philosophies to chart and improve the learning process.

Team/Small-Group in Australia and Protocols
Team/Small-Group in Australia and Protocols are initiatives of the Australian Schools Network and are processes and structures through which people interact, work together in teams and resolve conflict.

Tribes – A New Way of Learning and Being Together©
Tribes is a democratic whole school process to enable the establishment of a positive learning environment and a supportive culture which promotes human learning.

Restorative practices
Restorative practices were developed by Juvenile Justice to support teachers in changing their thinking about classroom management and in developing strategies such as conferencing to address issues within the school and classroom. Restorative practices support teachers in developing the skills to become facilitators in their classrooms.

International Institute for Restorative Practices
This website contains an e-forum to facilitate discussion on restorative practices.

Responsive Classroom Online Bookstore
website is an online bookstore with resources to support teachers in developing positive, caring and safe classrooms.

Youth Research Centre: Restorative Practices

Further information

Beyond Monet; the Artful Science of Instructional Integration by Barrie Bennett and Carol Rolhesier – explores the notion of an endless number of teaching and learning processes, the instructional possibilities to improve student learning and the skills, strategies and tools which can be integrated to improve student learning.

Cooperative Learning by Dr Spencer Kagan 1994 – has created simple structures which enable teachers to guide the cooperative learning of their students, while enhancing social skills, self-esteem and a positive classroom environment. His book Cooperative Learning outlines these structures and how they can be integrated into any lesson with ease.

Joan Dalton is an Australian author who has written and developed resources with a focus on improving student learning and the establishment of classroom norms to support a positive learning environment.

Teacher aids and further resources to support students in identifying strengths and weakness when working with others can also be found at St Luke's Welcome Page.