Assessments That Promote Collaborative Learning

As the algebra teacher called a student up to the overhead projector to share how his group had solved a problem, the student anxiously asked, “What if I do it wrong?” The teacher immediately responded, “Then everyone will help you.” Then she addressed the class: “Help Rodney be as clear as possible. If he does something that you’re not sure about, make sure you raise your hand and ask him a question.” Rodney took a deep breath and dove into explaining how his group approached the mathematics.