Online Collaborative Learning Theory

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What is Online Collaborative Learning?

As defined by Linda Harasim on her website that studies Online Collaborative Learning, OCL is: “Online collaborative learning theory emphasizes the role of peer discourse as key to learning and defines learning as intellectual convergence, achieved through three progressive stages of group discourse: Idea Generating, Idea Organizing and Intellectual Convergence.” Some of the main takeaways about each of these steps are summarized below.

  • Idea Generating – brainstorm, research or generate, and verbalize information.
  • Idea Organizing – organize their ideas and select what’s necessary.
  • Intellectual Convergence – shared contribution and understanding to the topic.

What are some ways of applying this theory?

1. Hybrid Teaching Scenario

I am currently a teacher at an international school, and it is guaranteed all our students have iPads and internet access at school, as well as some tech device and internet access at home. Having this implementation helps us for when:

  • a student is contagious, but well enough to attend class – s/he goes online and attends the lesson virtually while others attend in class.
  • a student’s parents have some “business” traveling to do and they must go along with them, but they don’t want to miss out on the content being learned – s/he goes online and attends the lesson virtually while others attend in class.

Students having access to a device with which they can do their online homework and internet is crucial for what I will describe next on applying OCL theory.

Elementary – Grade 4 Science

After having learned about the different body systems (i.e. digestive, respiratory, excretory systems), students are then put in groups to work on researching one of the body systems more in depth and organizing their knowledge through online collaboration.

  1. Idea Generating – I have done this in my class this semester, where I’ve asked my students to follow a Google Slides presentation template of the different things they need to research in regards to that body system. However, students are responsible to find the information relevant (and they can use their book, websites, or even chatGPT) to fill in. Next, they’re to add some sort of design and elements in the presentation that they deem relevant to their topic. Finally, everyone must have done something to contribute in finalizing all the elements, so they may choose to email each other, chat through our platform, or video conference with Google Meet or Zoom. They submit once everyone has contributed and all parts of the template are done.
  2. Idea Organizing – I come in at level two. I give them feedback on whether the slides have too much or too little information, whether the vocabulary chosen to explain is at their level, whether they’re being good online citizens and giving credit to the necessary sources, and whether it is visually legible with all the decorations/design they added. After I give feedback, they go back in their groups – here really, this can happen with all students in a classroom or all students online – and they edit the presentation in a way that it follows the guidelines necessary. Additionally, this presentation is organized and finalized to be what they all want to present and what they ALL understand of the body system they are to present.
  3. Intellectual Convergence – Everyone first submits their work into our system (e.g. Google Classroom), and then on presentation day, I or them can open up the presentation to present. They all demonstrate a shared understanding of the overall presentation of the body system, and they all also individually take responsibility for at least one part of the necessary items that needed to be addressed in regards to the, say, digestive system.
2. Fully Online Teaching Scenario
Middle School – Grade 6 Language Arts

Students have learned about persuasive texts and the elements required for a persuasive essay. In groups of 2-3, students will come up with an idea to convince others about, put it all together, and write a persuasive essay by using online collaboration for each step.

  1. Idea Generating – during this step, students can be given a list of topics they may have an interest in. Together, they must agree on one topic. They can use Google Jamboard to write down some ideas that could help in their stance. For instance, if students choose the topic, “Students should be allowed to bring pets at school.” In their Jamboard, they are to write down the reasons that could convince others. A jam board can have many pages, so one group can work on a different page, while the instructor goes in to see each group’s work.
  2. Idea Organizing – After that, guide the students to pick the top 3-4 reasons that they feel not only stand out, but also would convince others to take their stance. They furthermore research other websites that may support their details. At the end, they all put it together in an essay (in say, Google Docs), and review each other’s contributions and overall coherence of the essay. The teacher here can facilitate which group members get to use the microphone to give feedback to others before they submit. Another option could be, simply to give comments or written feedback on the sides of their documents.
  3. Intellectual Convergence –  They create a Canva Poster with their persuasive document and add necessary elements or pictures to emphasize on the chosen supporting details. Now, they are ready to submit their work as group to the teacher.

And that really is the gist of Collaborativism or  OCL Theory. By having these steps, you can easily create a rubric (or three rubrics) to assess the three different steps in this Collaborative Learning Theory.

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