2. Holistic collaborative learning experience

Through digitally enhanced collaborative learning the students are actively engaged with the information and new input in synchronous and asynchronous activities to develop collaborative, communicational skills, as well as critical thinking and creativity. The holistic (Orooji & Taghiyareh, 2015) approach attempts to shape a collaborative learning context, where all aspects and elements of this context work together to enable a successful learning experience. It starts with defining the goals that are to be achieved and goes on with thoroughly selecting topics that are to be included, describing the milestones of the learning process, and putting in the spotlight the collaboration, reflection, and feedback. The students’ readiness to learn in a collaborative setting, where they undertake an active role has an important influence on the development of the learning context and its acceptance (Orooji & Taghiyareh, 2015). On the other hand, the supporting role of the educator is crucial and therefore the guidance with supporting strategy has to be planned carefully.

The collaborative learning experience can be rolled out for the whole course, one module or unit or just a single activity. In the following table, you can find the planning tips.

You can find a planning guide here.