Designing a Collaborative Activity for Deeper Learning
Interactive Session presented at NLII Annual Meeting, January 26, 2004
by Kathleen Bennett and Patricia McGee

The challenge is to create learning opportunities for students that allow them to pursue their own learning paths and inclinations, through complex materials, while at the same time, meeting stringent academic standards.

This exercise represents one model of designing a collaborative activity to encourage deeper learning by students.

Scenario I: Idea/theme/topic: what do you mean they didn’t bathe? This question is one of several which would trigger engagement with the deeper theme of hygiene in 1450 AD. Other areas of this issue which students could explore would be surgery, childbirth, dentistry, and sanitation. Any of these entry points would trigger deeper learning as students pursued the threads to create the deliverable. They would have a choice of focus as well as choice of deliverable. Multiple assessment strategies would be available from the start.

Scenario II: A Pan-Hellenic gathering is being held in Lugano, Switzerland, in 400 BC. Tribal representatives will come from all across the continent and some of the surrounding isles. Each student will be given (or choose) a tribal role. You must research every aspect of this time period so you can accurately represent your tribe at the gathering. Your presentation must achieve several of the following:

• Affirm the artistic gifts of your tribe
• Delineate their spiritual life
• Affirm their economic status
• Communicate the flavor of daily life