Introduction
What is Active and Collaborative Learning, and Why Use it?
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – W.B. Yeats.
“I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.” – Confucius
As emphasised in these quotes, the value of learning by doing has existed over time and place. Its value continues to be recognised in many national and international policies to this day. The following webpages aim to help you in your teaching and to support students' learning through more active and collaborative learning approaches.
UCD has also been increasingly recognising this approach over the last decade and in 2025/2026 the new UCD Centre for Future Learning building will include a high proportion of active and collaborative learning spaces. This building, along with the existing similar spaces in UCD, described as Active Learning Environments (ALE) or Active Learning Rooms, will increase the opportunities for students to experience these approaches. These types of spaces have recognised that students benefit from active engagement with disciplinary materials and from collaboration with their peers.
Active and collaborative learning can also -
- Support students in their skills for the global workforce and lifelong learning
- Collaborative learning, in particular, can support more social learning and in developing students’ sense of belonging in their institution.
These two benefits of active and collaborative learning are coherent with the objectives identified in UCD’s Strategy to 2030: Breaking Boundaries.
This webpage gives an overview of active and collaborative learning, the evidence behind it and some initial thoughts.
- The Activities webpage gives specific ideas on activities that are easily set up (i.e. one-minute paper, think-pair share) and those that may require more planning (i.e. buzz groups, cross-overs, fishbowls, rounds).
- The Grand Designs webpage presents approaches that necessitate more module and/or programme team oversight, i.e. case-based, problem-based, team-based, project-based learning.
Active learning
gets students to do something, either behaviorally, cognitively, or socially, for example, questioning, discussing, writing, problem-solving, doing any kind of teamwork, peer learning, and being involved in hands-on experiments
(Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2023, p1379)
This definition highlights three key components:
i) behavioural (students must do something in class)
ii) cognitive engagement (students must engage mentally with an activity)
iii) social (collaboration with peers) (Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2023; Watkins, Carnell & Lodge, 2007).
Collaborative Learning
As noted above, collaborative learning is often considered one of the approaches to active learning:
Collaborative learning is now used as an umbrella term for various instructional approaches to small group learning, including but not limited to cooperative learning, team-based learning, peer tutoring, study groups, project-based learning, problem-based learning, and learning communities
(Yang, 2023, p.718).
Sometimes the terms collaborative and cooperative learning have been identified as being on a spectrum of their structure, with group-work and peer learning activities being key components of these approaches. For example, in this video Dr Anshu Suri, UCD Garfield Weston Assistant Professor of Marketing at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, describes how she uses peer-based learning in her teaching.
Collaborative learning, as the name suggests, has a stronger focus on the collective achievement of the learners, the team has to collaborate to achieve the outcome. There are some key differences between them. However, the language around these is less important (Jacobs, 2015) than having flexibility in their use, a clear purpose of the function of the group activities you use, and being clear on this with your students. Yang (2023) highlights some of the differences between these approaches:
Collaborative Learning
- Open-ended tasks
- Loosely structured
- Tasks are not divided up
- Group performance emphasised
Some examples:
- Consensus groups
- Collaborative writing
- Team-based learning
(adapted from Yang, 2023)
Cooperative Learning
- Closed tasks
- Highly structured
- Tasks divided up between students
- Individual Performance
Some examples:
- Think-Pair-Share
- Jigsaw
- Group Investigation
- Team-Games Tournament
- Cross-overs
- Buzz groups
- Problem-based Learning
(adapted from Yang, 2023)
Does this type of learning work?
There is a growing body of evidence on the benefits of student learning from active and collaborative learning approaches. In parallel, there is evidence of the value of learning in active and collaborative spaces (Baepler et al, 2016). Although most of the early research on active learning focused on STEM subjects, there is increasing evidence that students from a wider range of disciplines also benefit from this approach. For example:
- A recent meta-analysis focusing only on social science and humanities disciplines confirmed the earlier finding of the benefits of active learning to students of STEM disciplines (Kozanitis & Nenciovici 2023). However, much less research has been done in the humanities.
- Active learning benefitted students of the social sciences and humanities regardless of the type of assessment, group size, and course levels (introductory to advanced) (Kozanitis & Nenciovici 2023).
- One large meta-analysis of studies in STEM disciplines found that average examination scores improved and that failure rates reduced significantly (Freeman et al, 2014). This was also supported in Brook’s (2011) study when the approach used in an Active Learning Space
- Using active and collaborative learning in class changes what is expected of both staff and students (Freeman et al, 2014: Kozanitis & Nenciovici 2023).
- Active learning spaces, when used in a blended approach, can be more efficient for staff time (Baepler, Walker, & Driessen, 2014b).
Some Top Tips from this research for you to consider
- Your students need to be prepared for the changes in the move from traditional lectures to active and collaborative learning settings.
- Active and collaborative learning requires greater cognitive effort from students in class (the factor that most likely improves student learning outcomes) but this also can result in lower student ratings of their learning experience. Therefore, consider in your student feedback creating some specific questions that align with this approach.
- You should explicitly explain the value of increased cognitive efforts to your students, telling them how much of a difference it will make in terms of their learning.
- Consider carefully the design of your sessions, the in-class activities, and the module/programme designs for maximum effect.
Getting Started on Your Design
Both the active and collaborative learning classrooms and the other spaces in the UCD Centre for Future Learning building have been designed for interaction between students for either pre-, during, or post-classroom session(s).
Some ‘simple’ activities, which can indeed be used in any classroom, are often described as ‘quick wins’ as they may require modest preparation time, other activities could be described as ‘more complex’ as they require more preparation time. See examples of some of these quick win activities in the 'Simple' and 'Complex' Activities webpage.
It may be that you wish to also scale up these activities as part of a more comprehensive module or programme design approach, in conjunction with other key stakeholders, and these require more consideration in the overall learning design, i.e. some ‘grand designs’. See examples of some activities that are more ‘grand designs'.
A useful starting point is this YouTube video from the UCD T&L Teaching Toolkit Thursdays Series on ‘Active and Collaborative Learning’ (Jennings & Wolf, 2024), which gives some of the theories and ideas around the concept and also some initial ideas to get you started. Please ensure you have cookies enabled on your browser to view the video. If you cannot see the video, go to cookie preferences and allow targeting cookies.
Having listened to the video, we would suggest you start your design by exploring the next 'Simple' and 'Complex' Activities webpage, as it:
- Highlights some key questions around planning for and then teaching in these spaces
- Presents a template to help plan your activity.
- Gives examples and initial ideas on some commonly used activities, moving from activities that are easily set up to those that may require more complex planning.
- Highlights resources that give a wider range of activities and examples.
References and Bibliography
Baepler, P., Brooks, D.C., & Walker, J.D., Eds. (2014a). Active Learning Spaces: New Directions in Teaching and Learning no. 137. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Baepler, P., Walker, J.D. & Driessen, M. (2014b). It's not about seat time: Blending, flipping, and efficiency in active learning classrooms. Computers & Education 78: 227-236
Baepler, P., Walker, J.D., Brooks, D.C., Saichaie, K., & Petersen, C.I. (2016). A guide to teaching in the active learning classroom: History, Research & Practice. Stylus.
Brooks, D.C. (2011). Space matters: The impact of formal learning environments on student learning. British Journal of Educational Technology. 42(5), 719-726.
Brooks, D.C. (2012). Space and consequences: The impact of different formal learning spaces on instructor and student behavior. Journal of Learning Spaces 1:2. No pagination.
Carolan, G; Curran, C; and McCormack, A (2020) "New Technologies and New Spaces: Opportunities for Innovative Educational Environments," Irish Journal of Academic Practice: 8: 1, Article 5. doi:https://doi.org/10.21427/ja9v-2c81 Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol8/iss1/5
Center for Educational Innovation (2024) Active Learning, https://cei.umn.edu/teaching-resources/active-learning, University of Minnesota
Center for Educational Innovation (2024b) Teaching in an Active Learning Classroom (ALC), https://cei.umn.edu/teaching-resources/teaching-active-learning-classroom-alc University of Minnesota
Cotner, S., Loper, J., Walker, J.D., & Brooks, D.C. (2013). ’It’s not you, it’s the room’ (Or, are the high-tech, active learning classrooms worth it?). Journal of College Science Teaching 42(6), 341, 23
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 83198320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
Gonzales, F. (2016, December). Last word: For some, active learning can be a nightmare. Prism, p. 52. http://www.asee-prism.org/last-word-dec-4/ https://cei.umn.edu/teaching-resources/teaching-active-learning-classroom-alc
Heilporn, G., Lakhal, S. & Bélisle, M. (2021) An examination of teachers’ strategies to foster student engagement in blended learning in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. 18, 25 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00260-3
Jacobs, G. M. (2015) "Collaborative Learning or Cooperative Learning? The Name Is Not Important; Flexibility Is." Online Submission 3.1 (2015): 32-52.
Kozanitis, A., Nenciovici, L. (2023) Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: a meta-analysis. High Educ 86, 1377–1394 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00977-8
Menekse, M., & Chi, M. T. H. (2014). An investigation of effective dialogue patterns in collaborative interactions. AERA Online Paper Repository. http://www.aera.net/Publications/Online-Paper-Repository/AERA-Online-Paper-Repository/Owner/349661
Watkins, C., Carnell, E., & Lodge, C. (2007). Effective Learning in Classrooms. London: Sage. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446211472
Walker, J. D., & Baepler, P. (2017). Measuring Social Relations in New Classroom Spaces: Development and Validation of the Social Context and Learning Environments (SCALE) Survey. Journal of Learning Spaces, 6(3): 34-41.
Walker, J.D., Brooks, D.C., & Baepler, P. (2011). Pedagogy and space: Empirical research on new learning environments. EDUCAUSE Quarterly 34(4),
Whiteside, A.W., Brooks, D.C. & Walker, J.D. (2010). Making the case for space: Three years of empirical research on formal and informal learning environments. EDUCAUSE Quarterly 33(3).
Yang, X. (2023) A Historical Review of Collaborative Learning and Cooperative Learning. TechTrends 67:718–728https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00823-9