Collective learning

Definition

Collective learning can refer to different concepts:

• It is sometimes used as a global term for everything that is cooperative, collaborative, etc.
• It can refer to pedagogical designs that feature collective intelligence, i.e. some sorts of sharing activities like it often happens in project-oriented learning designs where teams work on their own project but sometimes must engage in exchange activities.

Collective learning types

de Laat and Simons typology of "Individual and collective learning processes and outcomes":

		Outcomes
		Individual	Collective
Processes	Individual	Individual learning	Individual learning processes with collective outcomes
	Collective	Learning in social interaction	Collective learning

de Laat and Simons typology of different collective learning types:

	Implicit	Explicit
Individual outcomes	Networking	Learning team
Collective organisational outcomes	Working team	Community of practise
Collective professional outcomes	Working team	Community of learners

References

• de Laat, Maarten and Robert-Jan Simons, Collective learning: Theoretical perspectives and ways to suppport networked learning, Vocational Training, 27.

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