Collaborative production of pedagogical knowledge: enhancing students’ learning

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate students' qualitatively different ways of understanding basic economic relationships in three undergraduate courses in the discipline of accounting. Design/methodology/approach -The theoretical frame is variation theory, which is a learning theory about the different ways students understand the learning object (in this study, basic economic relationships). The instructors chose a learning object which was investigated under two different teaching conditions -the traditional lecture model and the adjusted Learning Study model. Two student groups in a Business Programme (one group admitted the year after the first group) were identified as a comparison group and a target group. The two groups were comparable in various relevant parameters. All students took three required accounting courses. In the comparison group, the instructors used the traditional lecture model; in the target group, the instructors used the adjusted Learning Study model. The first year of the study was used for training the instructors and for the preparation of teaching prerequisites. Findings -There were significant differences between the two groups' examination results in the three courses. Students in the adjusted Learning Study model group performed better. The conclusions have scientific implications for students' understanding of the subject and educational implications for teaching in terms of new teaching methods and revised curricula. The findings are valuable to professional instructors/lecturers in higher education. Originality/value -The findings and methods of this study contribute to the international research on empirically based didactic knowledge of subject content in higher education. Even though the subject content is specific in the study, the methodology of variation theory is applicable to other disciplines.

Effectiveness of instructor-led collaborative learning in the classroom

“…Additionally he participated in the discussions using Socratic questions to encourage collaboration and critical thinking between the students. Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden (2012) found that using collaborative study groups helped students improve their learning, at a business school in Sweden. The designed an experiment with business school students to test the effectiveness of collaborative study groups called a "learning study model" (Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden, 2012).…”

“…Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden (2012) found that using collaborative study groups helped students improve their learning, at a business school in Sweden. The designed an experiment with business school students to test the effectiveness of collaborative study groups called a "learning study model" (Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden, 2012). This model used collaborative learning theory to help students apply "variation theory," which is a learning theory about the different ways students understand the quantitative subjects.…”

“…Collaborative learning is a social learning process which is often implemented in higher education through study groups, team projects, peer reviews, or discussions (Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden, 2012;Yazici, 2004). The term cooperative learning is generally used as a synonym (Gillies, 2007).…”

“…The term cooperative learning is generally used as a synonym (Gillies, 2007). According to several empirical studies, collaborative learning is an effective pedagogy to help university students learn with and from one another (Gillies, 2007;Kienle, 2009;Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden, 2012;Strang, 2010aStrang, , 2012Yazici, 2004).…”

Why Does Collaborative Learning Not Always Work Even When the Appropriate Tools Are Available?

“…CL participation boosts learners in critical thinking through problem-solving process, enhancing them more in drill-practice skills (Maesin et al, 2009). CL contributes to learners' performance and improves their learning process as well (Rovio-Johansson and Lumsden, 2012). In addition, CL can also help learners to prepare for their exams with more confidence as stated by Picou (2011).…”