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MCC Daily Tribune

Collaborative Learning Course Designation

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 for the spring semester and beyond.

Why should you consider designating your course as CL?

Collaborative Learning (CL) represents a High Impact Practice at Monroe Community College, includes all disciplines, and encompasses a variety of activities in the classroom, lab, studio, and/or field. CL-designated courses provide active, cooperation-based academic environments that emphasize learning the language, skills, and processes of the discipline through collaborative engagement with peers and professors.  Collaborative Learning (CL) combines two key goals: learning to work and solve problems as part of a group of interdependent individuals and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening to and reflecting on the insights of others, especially those with different backgrounds and life experiences.      

The CL-designation identifies courses that incorporate CL activities by providing an active learning environment that emphasizes cooperative learning in the classroom. The purpose of a CL-designation is to promote a culture in which students of varied backgrounds are encouraged to work together to solve problems and/or create products relevant to the discipline being studied

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.  

If you are interested in learning more about Collaborative Learning or would like an application, please contact Ryan Clemens (rclemens@monroecc.edu).

Ryan Clemens
Chemistry and Geosciences
09/17/2026