Demonstrating the Value of Collaboration

Demonstrating the Value of Collaboration

Our society is built upon collaboration, and, as the future unfolds, most students will find teamwork and group productivity to be important aspects of their careers. Yet, effective collaboration seems to be an acquired, rather than an innate skill.

Demonstrating the value of collaboration is an important first step as you help students buy into the group project concept. Here’s an easy exercise to give your class, regardless of their grade level.

Stronger Together

Write the word ‘COLLABORATION’ on the board and then give your students 1 minute to see how many words they can make from the letters in that word. After 1 minute, ask them to record their scores. For example, if Johnny comes up with: at, in, bat, lab and on, his score is 5.

Next, put the students in pairs, and give them 20 seconds to combine their answers (and produce additional results, if time permits). Almost certainly, the students’ combined score will surpass the scores they had as individuals.

Finally, put two pairs together, and allow 20 more seconds to combine answers and collaborate on additional ideas. Again, the students will collectively arrive at a better score – and prove that four heads are better than one.

You can use vocabulary, reading comprehension, math, or almost any kind of challenge to conduct this “collective brain power” exercise. You may want to increase the activity’s complexity for high school students. Give them a pop quiz on whatever subject you’re teaching. The students’ scores should improve when they put their heads together, utilizing the strengths that each group member brings to the table.

The Cup Challenge

Pinterest led us to a middle school teacher’s blog, which offers another engaging team-building activity, called the "Cup Challenge." The only materials required are yarn, rubber bands, plastic cups and index cards. This manual task requires multiple sets of hands to work effectively, along with planning and cooperation. Although the blog targets middle school teachers, the exercise would be a fun ice-breaker for almost any age group.

See full instructions, including illustrative photos here.

Another useful resource is this compilation of collaborative games for Grades 1-8, from TeachHub.

The Elements of Collaboration

 Without collaboration, there would have been no Industrial Revolution, no trips to the moon. Prior to any group project, it’s beneficial to remind students of the elements that go into successful collaboration, and the skills they will acquire as a result.

Listening – Good listeners make eye contact, provide supportive comments and give each other time to speak.

Creative and Critical Thinking – Group assignments rarely have specific rules or guidelines. It’s up to the group members to devise a collaborative plan for achieving the best results.

Negotiation – Disagreements or conflicting ideas are common “side-effects” of collaboration. Team members must learn to find shared ideas and areas of agreement, as well as to present persuasive reasons to move forward in one direction versus another.

Trial and Error – Since there is no single clear path to success, team members must be willing to experiment, assess effectiveness, and learn from mistakes.

Leadership and Individual Roles – Effective groups utilize the strengths of each member, dividing up tasks and assigning roles appropriately. Groups also need an effective leader, with guidelines regarding the leader’s role and level of authority.

For your convenience, we have formatted this activity in a printable, downloadable document. We hope your class enjoys the exercise – please share your results in our Comments section!

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