Collaborative learning can help increase students’ satisfaction with class tasks and help them internalize class material more effectively by pairing rote cognitive learning with more affective social and experiential learning. In this section, we offer teaching guidance on a collaborative group exercise and a Socratic seminar task.
Socratic Seminar
A Socratic seminar is a structured group discussion that encourages students to think critically, listen actively, and engage with ideas through guided questioning rather than debate. This resource walks students and instructors through how to prepare for a seminar, participate meaningfully in discussion, and evaluate contributions, making it a practical tool for incorporating collaborative dialogue into the classroom.
Collaborative Group Work
This classroom resource on collaborative group work guides students through an activity designed to build teamwork, leadership awareness, and positive group dynamics by having them work together on a problem-solving task. It explains how to set up the exercise, what roles students might take, and how group contributions can be recognized and evaluated to support effective collaboration.