Collaboration is essential to learning, and distance has not changed that—in fact, it's probably more essential than ever. Even in virtual spaces, students benefit from sharing their ideas and considering and building on the ideas of others. The past year's shifts got me thinking about how to ensure collaboration remains front and center.
A few years ago, I was working as an elementary teacher and technology integration coach in Redmond, Wash., I modeled virtual lessons for 3rd graders from several schools as teachers tested blended learning approaches. They delivered some lessons online and some in-person. At first, I tried to adapt strategies that had worked in the classroom to ensure the students, who logged on from their individual schools, were able to work together from afar.
But my strategy didn't go as planned. It was challenging to encourage partner or small-group discussions, and the way I was asking students to use the "Chat" feature on our online platform was taking too much time. The students also didn't feel the same connection to the class while working over a computer.
After that lesson, I looked for better ways to foster collaboration during our virtual meetings. My students and I came up with several strategies that worked, particularly during virtual math lessons. By sharing them here, I hope they'll help others.
Let students lead on setting class norms around collaboration.
Authentic collaboration begins when students feel their ideas are welcomed, respected, and equally considered. Setting class norms allows them to articulate what they need and feel like fully included members of the group.
After my first virtual lesson, I decided to go "back to the drawing board" and guide the creation of remote-learning class norms. I asked my students to consider how they wanted to share their math ideas, how they would feel heard during discussions, and how they might respectfully critique each other's ideas. Some students shared that they were comfortable unmuting their microphones. Others preferred to use the chat feature to share their thinking.
We also agreed that we would use silent signals and emoji to show agreement about ideas or that more than one student had the same thought. They felt I valued their perspective, and I was confident that they were developing practices necessary for effective math learning. Much of the advice below comes from our co-created norms.
Make sure the discussions focus on the mathematics.
Engaging students in discourse is an effective mathematics teaching practice but can be a little challenging when teaching virtually. I decided to refocus my lessons from teacher-led instruction to student-led discussions and allocate time to having students share their work, explain their thinking, and discuss mathematics content.
For example, one discussion we had centered around a sample solution to a problem. I provided an example of accurate work for my students to analyze and consider the soundness of the strategies, procedures, or models used to represent the thought process. In another discussion, I invited my students to critique an incorrect solution, identify the error, and provide feedback to improve the strategies used or to correct simple mistakes.
One of my favorite approaches was to display two student work samples and invite the class to make connections between them. I had students hold their work up to the camera and used a snipping to tool to capture a screen shot, then displayed work samples side by side on my computer in split-screen windows. My students were able to use their prior knowledge to make sense of the new learning.
Use routines and "talk moves" to help students build on each other's ideas.
As I planned each lesson, I wanted all my students to feel that they could contribute to our conversations. I structured the discussions to allow for different ways of interactions that would ensure access, engagement, and equitable contributions during discussions.
For example, during an error analysis discussion, I asked students to take a stand on the solution pathway I displayed. A digital poll allowed students to indicate their initial thoughts about the solution. Volunteers from each stance explained the rationale for their choice, while other students rephrased, added to, or asked a question about the argument given.
The combination of the take-a-stand routine and having students rephrase, add to, and ask questions helped all my students engage in mathematical thinking and contribute to the conversation.
Provide asynchronous opportunities for collaborative discussions.
Teaching virtually often involves less time working with students face-to-face, which makes the time we do have even more precious. In deciding to elevate collaborative discussions during my synchronous instruction, I began asking students to prepare for discussions through their asynchronous assignments.
Instead of asking students to submit their work to me, I set up a discussion board where students could post their work to an assigned problem and then provide feedback on their peers' posts. My students suggested that feedback could be in the form of a "glow" and a "grow." In other words, comments would praise the mathematical work presented and provide constructive feedback to improve it.
To prepare for the connection discussion, I posted the two examples that we would discuss during our next class. Students analyzed the work and created a video recording of themselves sharing their thoughts. They uploaded their recordings to the collaborative space where their classmates commented and provided feedback on the mathematical thinking. During our class meeting, students expressed excitement about the videos they created and critiqued, saying they enjoyed trying new technology and having a new way to express themselves.
Leveraging digital tools such as discussion boards and video recordings can provide flexible means for students to access and contribute to synchronous discussions. Both options encourage analysis and active listening skills while also developing deeper understanding of the mathematics.
This is a challenging time for students and teachers. We all miss working together in person. But if we think critically and use the tools at our disposal creatively, we can still encourage collaboration. Maybe some of these make-do strategies will stick around and become must-do strategies when all this is behind us.
