Using a novel approach for design and development, researchers and practitioners co-created teacher-facing, research-based resources to help educators incorporate collaborative learning into their classrooms.
Digital Promise brought together practitioners and researchers—two traditionally siloed communities in education—to co-design resources that translate research on collaborative learning into clear and actionable classroom strategies.
For nearly four years, teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and researchers worked together across all stages of the project, including mapping research on collaborative learning, establishing joint priorities, discussing and clarifying, and writing research primers for teachers. Through this frequent, bi-directional collaboration, they also shared stories, challenged each other’s views, and mutually learned from one another.
The resulting resources provide educators with practical, evidence-based materials, including classroom videos and a toolkit that directly addresses practitioners’ desires for actionable strategies and real examples.
Through this initiative, researchers and teachers developed a new model for translating research on collaborative learning into classroom practice while centering the needs of educators—ultimately helping them better support learners.
As one teacher shared, “The collaborative learning project honors both teachers and students, highlighting meaningful work and creating tools I can use across education spaces. It’s a true bridge between research and real classrooms.”
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