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Collaborative learning is an approach where students work together on learning tasks, enhancing their critical thinking and communication skills through active and social learning.

Common approaches include peer learning, team-based learning, problem-based learning, and jigsaw learning

Collaborative Learning Model

Collaborative learning can be seen as a continuum from information exchange to working together to co-creation, as identified by Jane Salmons in her Collaborative Learning Model (2019).

Collaborative Learning Model and approaches (Salmons, 2019)

Salmons’ work, Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn, is well worth exploring for a deeper insight into effective collaborative learning activities.

Collaborative Learning Technologies 

Various technologies can facilitate collaborative learning; your learning designer can support you designing learning activities using these tools, and your school elearning team can provide technical training and support:

Resources

Collaborative Learning
Center for Teaching Innovation | Cornell University

Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn : Engaging Students in the Classroom and Online (2019) Salmons & Wilson
A professional guide for educators and learning designers who want to design, teach, facilitate, and assess collaborative learning.

• Part I introduces the Taxonomy of Online Collaboration and offers theoretical and research foundations.
• Part II focuses on ways to use Taxonomy of Online Collaboration, including, clarifying roles and developing trust, communicating effectively, organizing project tasks and systems.-
• Part III offers ways to design collaborative learning activities, assignments or projects, and ways to fairly assess participants’ performance.

This resource was prepared with the aid of ChatGPT -4o(https://chatgpt.com) and Copilot (https://copilot.microsoft.com)

Gamified learning is the application of game design elements in non-game contexts to engage and motivate learners. It involves using elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, and rewards to make learning more interactive and fun. By incorporating these elements, educators can create a more engaging and effective learning environment.

Kapp defines gamification as “using game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems” (2012). Kapp’s work, including his book The Gamification of Learning and Instruction are foundational resources for understanding the principles and applications of gamified learning.

Levels of Gamification

Gamification can be simple or complex:

Kapp advises focusing on incorporating gamification elements into many courses rather than developing complex games for a few courses. This approach ensures a broad impact, enhancing engagement and learning across the curriculum without requiring significant time and resources.

Approaches to Gamified Learning

Below are some common approaches to incorporating gamified learning into educational settings, along with examples and relevant learning technologies.

Types of Gamification

Gamification can be structural, content, or a combination:

Benefits and Risks of Gamification

Gamification has both benefits and risks:

Gamified Learning Technologies

Resources

Adventures in Gamification and Personalized Learning: A Case Study in Game- Based Course Design (2021)

Curious about Gamification and Learning: Some Resources (2020)
Overview of his resources by expert Karl Kapp

Gamification and accessibility (2019)

Gamification of e-learning in higher education: a systematic literature review (2023)

Gamification: Separating fact from fiction (2014)
Karl Kapp

Books

The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education(2012)
Karl Kapp

The gamification of learning and instruction fieldbook : ideas into practice  (2012)
A step-by-step guide for implementing the concepts and techniques outlined in The gamification of learning and instruction. Not available online.

Practical microlearning on gamification presented by expert Karl Kapp

Gamification of Learning (2014)
“In this course, professor, Karl Kapp lays the foundations of the theory, provides examples of gamification in three real-world learning scenarios, and breaks down the dynamics of gamification (aka what makes games fun!): escape, collection, discovery, pattern recognition, and other risk/reward activities.”

Gamification for Interactive Learning (2017)
“In this course, Karl Kapp explores the various types of gamification, and shows how to use gamification and interactive learning to develop effective learning experiences.” 

For guidance on how to select appropriate teaching and learning tools and information on what they can do, please see the Tools we support eLearning page.

Tools are organised by function, eg. assessment, collaboration, content creation, multimedia