Week 4: Collaborating with Digital Technologies

Description of Class Handout:

I developed this handout for a PDHPE class as I have done something similar in classes I have taught on my practicums. It links in with the PDHPE syllabus and content area as it looks at health issues in Australia and students are asked to pick one health issue and make a poster about it. However, the main objective of this task is how students can work collaboratively on a task. This means that all students can be involved in the task and take responsibility for their learning as a group. 

This class handout makes the learning task socially and intellectually involving as students from different diverse backgrounds are building relationships while learning at the same time. Students are developing teamwork skills and being responsible for their work by talking to the other members of the group ideas on how to go about the task (Smith & MacGregor, 1992). Students are encouraged to take accountability for their learning by taking an even share of the group so that the task in inclusive for everyone and all students needs are met (Hyde et al., 2013).

How does the use of technology assist in developing truly collaborative tasks for students? Describe one collaborative idea you have in your content area and the technology that enables this to work.

Collaborative learning is a teaching strategy used in classrooms as it involves students working together to complete a learning task (Smith & MacGregor, 1992). This learning strategy is useful for a diverse range of students such as EAL/d students as collaborative learning creates a positive learning environment as students are engaged in their learning as feel like they can complete set tasks with the help of their classmates (Strnadova et al., 2022). Collaborative learning can be implemented with the use of technology.

One collaborative idea I have used in my classrooms is the use of social media to promote learning. Henderson et al., reading supports my idea to use social media during collaborative learning tasks because the reading suggests that social media use can be an effective way be benefiting student learning. Social media allows students to communicate together during group tasks even when they are not together (2013). This was beneficial for students to work collaborative especially through the COVID19 pandemic as students had to stay at home. Linking of this, students can contact teachers with any concerns they have about a learning task. Students can also send teachers work to gain feedback instead of handing in paper versions.

I have also done research activities where students use social media to find information such as advertisements, newspaper articles and blogs. An example of a learning activity I have done is to search through Facebook and stop at the first food advertisement they find and answer the work sheet provided about the influence and techniques used in the advertisement. Students worked collaborative during this task because not all students have social media access, so those students had to work with another student to complete the task.