The first thing I thought about when we started studying this topic was that it was about doing something together, talking about a topic, exchanging ideas and maybe coming to some conclusion together. Achieving collective learning could, for example, be about interrupting a lecture with student-active activities. The text Igniting the collective spark (1) made me start thinking about all the emotional ways we can interact with each other, to connect to what I have previously read about group dynamics (e.g. Moreland and Levine’s model of group socialization as it is presented in (2) which refers to e.g. (3)). We have all experienced occasions when group assignments have worked better and worse. The teacher’s job is not only to give out a group assignment, but also to try to shape the surrounding environment (the classroom situation & classroom climate, the physical space and the social space) in which the task is to be done so that, for example, it feels safe and stimulating enough for participation. The teacher should also make sure that the instructions are clear enough for the group to get started and open enough to allow for own thinking. Being a good teacher has many dimensions!

It also comes to my mind that what constitutes constructive collaboration depends on what is considered to be the purpose of collaboration. Then we come back to the basics of management work, that it is important that everyone strives towards the same goal or in the same direction. As it is written about in Igniting the collective spark (1), it can also be the case that groups do not see what type of communication they should have (rational or non-rational exploratory thinking) and then goal achievement can be worse.

  1. Ringer, M., Gordon, R. and Vandenbussche, B. (2022). Igniting the collective spark: The relevance of thinking together. The collective spark: Igniting thinking in groups teams and the wider world. Ringer, R. Gordon and B. Vandenbussche. Gent, Grafische Cel: 8-21
  2. Thornberg R (2013) Det sociala livet i skolan Socialpsykologi för lärare, 2a upplagan, Liber Ab, Stockholm.
  3. Levine J.M and Morland R.L (2003) Group socialization: Theory and Research. I.A.W. Kruglanski and E.T. Higgins (red.) Social psychology: A general reader (s 534-547) New York: Psychology Press.