1. COLLABORATIVE STUDY:Academic and Social Benefitsfor EFL StudentsLaura KieselbachNortheastern University EdD ProgramBergamo Conference, October 10, 2014Journal of Curriculum Theorizing

2. Collaboration in Three Parts:2 or more peopleWork togetherLearn something newImplications of this approach: Enhanced skill development in critical reading,listening, speaking and writing skillsFor EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students,this method is resulting in improved achievementlevels and enhanced social skills. 3. Discovery Chen & Chen (2010): studied 56Taiwanese students who used socialtagging as a reading strategy Social Tagging defined: a system that enablesusers to add keywords (tags) to Internet resources(e.g. web pages, images, videos) without relyingon a controlled vocabulary Result: those in worked in collaborationwith their peers to access new modalitiesof social communication and seekopportunities for data mining performedbetter than independent workers 4. Jim Cummins (2011) asserts: EFL students should have abundant access toprint text and engage actively with these texts Animated discussions and debates should bethe classroom norm to offer a plethora ofopportunities for EFL students to hear andspeak the English language Conversational fluency is very different fromacademic fluency, resulting often in poorperformance of EFL students on standardizedtests A period of 5 years is generally required forfluent acquisition of the language 5. STUDENT TESTIMONIALS:We could help each otherI always knew I could ask my classmates for help.Working together offered personal bonds along withacademicThis qualitative data obtained by Zoghi, Mustapha, &Maasum (2010) reflects the enriching experience ofinterdependence on peers for learning thatencourages social and cognitive individualdevelopment. 6. Basics of CollaborationFransen, Kirschner, & Erkens (2011) emphasizethe importance of collaborative learningcommunities sharing mental models andperformance monitoring.Considerations when forming collaborative teams: Student ability Group characteristics Role assignmentsOutcomes of collaborative teams: Discussion, discovery, debate 7. Four Components, according to Dillenbourg (1999):1. Peers are (more or less) at the same level (grade,performance, maturity), can perform the sameactions, have a common goal, and work together.2. Interaction is present: students not only worktogether, but evaluate one another, negotiate anunderstanding during conflict, and reasonsynchronously to build mutual knowledge.3. Processes specifically required for learning(induction, cognition, explanation, conflictresolution) must be present in the individual beforehe/she can be effective in a group4. Effect requires students to know the exact scenarioin order to make sense of productivity and teachersshould utilize tools to determine acquisition ofknowledge after collaboration. 8. The challenge of successfulcollaboration for EFL students is thetransfer of cognitive tools from thesocial plane (interaction with others) tothe inner plane (reasoning), since thisprocess implies social interaction- Dillenbourg (1999) 9. Strategies Carefully design the situation to increasethe probability of productivity Place EFL learners in a team of expertsbeyond their ability (this helps with gainsand knowledge acquisition) Go beyond basic language teachingmethods in allowing collaboration thislends to greater reading comprehension inEFL learners Regularly use print to interact with text forEFL learners this allows a purposefulengagement with words When available, incorporate technologythat allows for hands-on EFL involvement 10. StudiesChen & Chen (2010): TACO Tag-based collaborative reading learning system 2 groups A and B one with TACO Read Wuthering Heights excerpt Pre-test and post-test preformed Results demonstrated high correlation betweenperformance and those that worked with theTACO systemZoghi (2010): MCSR Modified Collaborative Reading Strategy 42 EFL freshmen, 90 min/week, 6 weeks Strategic reading in small groups Students read with more efficiency and betterclarity when working with peers 11. Social BenefitsCollaboration allows EFL learners greaterexposure to the language and the processes ofcritical thinking and problem solving.EFL learners learn the valuable skills of equalparticipation and accountability in a sharedclassroom environment.The communal skills and cognition cues of EFLlearners working in collaboration with their peersare drastically enhanced compared to independentlearners. 12. Theoretical and Pedagogical ImplicationsPrograms like the MCRS (modified collaborativereading strategy) gave EFL learners a greateropportunity to participate in their own learning,according to student feedback.Language acquisition and writing abilities areenhanced by collaboratively working among peers.Opportunities for meaningful and purposefulcommunication engages cognitive processing thatoperates as a source for language accuracy in ELLs.The nature of collaborative learning with fluentspeakers lends itself to discussion, correction, anddevelopment of skills, making it a resourceful andeffective teaching method. 13. In Summary Clearly specify tasks and outcomes whenimplementing collaborative learning. Identify the best place for EFL leaners to thriveamong his/her peers groups. Be purposeful when instructing students to listen,to you and to their peers: EFL learners becomemore aware of the language this way Encourage EFL learners to question their peers inorder to gain comprehension and understanding Carefully assign roles so that all students cancontribute their ideas and insight EFL learners will construct and transform learningthat occurs as a joint activity through the processof approximation and internalization 14. THE END!Thank youfor your time!