Affective Learning Together

In the twenty-first century, networks linking people together are of increasing importance at all ages, in everyday life, workplaces and schools. Such networks are not only means of getting the job done and of learning together, but are also ways of maintaining social and emotional support. But managing relationships with others in order to achieve something, with all the fluctuating emotions that are involved, can also be a problem in itself, affecting motivation, performance and learning. Affective Learning Together contains in-depth theoretical reviews and case studies in the classroom, of the social and affective dimensions of group learning in a variety of educational situations and taught disciplines, from small groups working on design projects or debating topics in biology and in history in secondary schools, to teams of medical students and more informal working groups at university level. The emphasis is on the detailed analysis of the dynamics of relations between students interacts with the way they elaborate meaning and knowledge together. The book includes discussion of such topics as: * knowledge elaboration processes in groups in relation to institutional expectations and students' discourses; * the variety of social learning situations and experiences, from face-to-face small working groups to informal settings; * the relationships between emotion, motivation and group processes; * the role of social (ethnic, gender-based) identities in group learning; * the role of conflict, argument and interpersonal tensions in group work. Integrating theories of cognitive, social and emotional dimensions of learning together is at the leading edge of research in the intersecting fields of educational research and computer science applied to technology-enhanced learning. Understanding how students work together and relate to each other is essential for designing and managing group learning situations, including the case where educational technologies play a role. Bringing together a broad range of contributions from internationally recognised researchers who are searching to broaden, deepen and integrate the field of study of learning together, this book will be essential reading for all serious students of contemporary educational practice.