This online collaboration game was created based on the ideas that students require practice to develop collaboration skills, that these skills are important, and that having more developed skills in this area will lower the amount of cognitive effort required to engage in group tasks like problem solving. The game focuses on developing communication skills, social affinity, and group monitoring skills.

​

Collaboration is an important 21st century skill and an expected learning outcome in K-12 schools. Collaboration is also a method of instruction that could support additional learning outcomes such as critical thinking and problem solving skills, communication skills, and creativity. (Mendenhall, A., & Johnson, T. E., 2010; O’Donnel, A. & Hmelo-Silver, C., 2013; Draper, D. C., 2015; Gu, X., Chen, S., Zhu, W., & Lin, L., 2015; Kuhn, 2015)

​

Collaboration requires social dispositions as well as cognitive and metacognitive skills. (Faccione, 1990; O’Donnel, A. & Hmelo-Silver, C., 2013) When put in a group situation, students do not automatically work together effectively. They require guidance in these skills (Nevgi, 2006; Wang, 2009). Often students are asked to collaborate and engage with content knowledge at the same time (Johnson & Johnson, 2008). Managing these skills while engaging with novel content can be challenging for students.

​

Additionally, beyond the cognitive and metacognitive skills related to the completion of learning objectives, social skills and individual and group characteristics play important roles in collaborative success. An individual’s empathy, self-efficacy, and motivation can impact the way they interact with their group (Jones, A., & Issroff, K., 2005). A group’s dynamic can be affected by social affinity (friendship), perceived equity in abilities and resources, distribution of control, and their ability to monitor group understanding. (Cohen, 1994; Jones, A., & Issroff, K., 2005)

​

However, in environments that support students’ ability to work together effectively on appropriate tasks, they can engage in meaningful learning. (Cohen, 1994; O’Donnel, A. & Hmelo-Silver, C., 2013; Kuhn, 2015) This can develop their collaboration skills and result in content knowledge gains. Collaborative learning can also increase motivation and students’ perceived value of the learning activity (Gomez, Wu, & Passerini, 2010).

​

This game could be introduced as a “pre-activity” with the goal of improving and developing students’ collaboration skills and characteristics. Students can then continue to engage with their groups in the face-to-face classroom and online, engaging in novel content and continuing to develop their collaboration skills. Already, class time and set curriculums limit teachers’ abilities to introduce student-centered learning activities, like problem-solving, in their classrooms. Having this pre-activity in the form of an online game allows students to complete the activity at home or at the library, and not take away from instructional time.