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MCC Daily Tribune

Collaborative Learning Course Designation at MCC

Do you use active and collaborative learning in the courses you teach?

If so, please consider having your course designated as a Collaborative Learning (CL) course, one of  MCC’s newest high-impact practice.

Why should you consider a CL-designation for your course?

According to Cornell University, research shows educational experiences that are social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning. Other benefits of collaborative learning for students include the development of higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership skills. By promoting student-faculty and peer-to-peer interactions, CL courses increase students’ self-esteem, help them develop a sense of responsibility, prepare them for real life social and employment situations, and increase student retention. Most importantly, the students in CL courses develop a greater understanding of diverse perspectives by working together to solve discipline-based problems and/or develop contextualized products.     

A CL-designation indicates that a course promotes active and collaborative learning, but there are no specific requirements as to how the professor accomplishes this objective nor does a CL-designation require particular assignments. The type of teaching methods to be used in the classroom and the level at which these methods are applied will be determined by the instructor(s) teaching the course and/or (in the case of a “blanket” designation) approved by the department. Ultimately, the CL designation indicates that the course stresses active and collaborative participatory activities that enable students to better understand, evaluate, and advance concepts and/or processes pertaining to a particular field of study.  

What are the next steps? 

If you are interested in learning more about the CL designation or would like an application, please feel free to contact either Ryan Clemens (CHE/GEO) at rclemens@monroecc.edu or Terry Shamblin (ESOL/TRS) at tshamblin@monroecc.edu . 

Ryan Clemens
Collaborative Learning Committee
10/05/2022