The Collaborative Classroom

What is the Collaborative Classroom?

Characteristics of a Collaborative Classroom

Collaborative classrooms seem to have four general characteristics. The first two capture changing relationships between teachers and students. The third characterizes teachers' new approaches to instruction. The fourth addresses the composition of a collaborative classroom.

1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students

2. Shared authority among teachers and students

3. Teachers as mediators

4. Heterogeneous groupings of students

Challenges and Conflicts

• Classroom Control 
• Preparation Time for Collaborative Learning 
• Individual Differences Among Students 
• Individual Responsibility for Learning 
• Conflict of Values