Co-construction in education
Co-construction is a collaborative approach where educators and students work together to create knowledge, develop skills, and enhance learning experiences. This method emphasises active participation, mutual respect, and shared responsibility in the learning process.
What is co-construction?
Co-construction involves students and educators jointly engaging in the learning process. This approach values the contributions of all participants, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment among students (Reusser, 2001). It encourages critical thinking, creativity, and deeper understanding through dialogue and collaboration.
Some strategies to engage in co-construction include:
- Collaborative projects: Design projects that require students to work together, share ideas, and create a final product (Scager et al., 2016).
- Group discussions: Facilitate discussions where students can express their thoughts, ask questions, and build on each other’s ideas (Vespone, 2023).
- Peer teaching: Encourage students to teach each other, reinforcing their understanding and building confidence (Damşa et al., 2019).
- Feedback loops: Create opportunities for students to give and receive feedback, promoting continuous improvement and reflection (Morton et al., 2021).
Given the established precedent of traditional pedagogy and teacher-as-expert classroom practices in university settings, a co-constructed learning approach, incorporating sociocultural learning theories, offers an alternative method of creating student engagement and deeper learning.
Why design co-construction in education?
Co-construction is useful for educators because it enhances student engagement, ownership and autonomy. For example, when students are involved in designing their learning activities, they are more motivated and take greater responsibility for their learning. Additionally, co-construction promotes critical thinking and creativity by encouraging collaborative learning and the integration of diverse perspectives.
How does co-construction contribute to quality?
Co-construction contributes to the quality of teaching and learning by fostering deeper understanding and continuous feedback. Through dialogue and collaboration, students achieve a more profound grasp of the subject matter. Regular feedback loops between students and educators ensure continuous improvement and adaptation of teaching methods.
Co-construction will help you:
Focus on student learning through:
- Active participation by encouraging students to actively engage in their learning process.
- Empowerment by involving students in the design and implementation of educational activities, making them feel more empowered.
- Critical thinking by developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills through collaborative efforts.
Connect outcomes, teaching, and assessment through:
- Alignment by ensuring that learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessments are aligned.
- Continuous feedback by providing regular feedback loops to enhance learning and teaching practices.
- Innovative approaches by integrating diverse perspectives, leading to more creative and effective solutions.
Improve the quality of teaching & learning by:
- Facilitating a deeper understanding of the subject matter through active engagement.
- Building a supportive learning community based on mutual respect and shared goals.
- Preparing students for future challenges by developing lifelong adaptability and collaboration skills.
A curriculum centred on empowerment and agency is public service and requires a model of education that is based on participation and co-construction, and that is committed to social justice.
Related educational resources
Photo: napkin.aiIntroduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
This self-paced Canvas toolkit will give you an understanding of what UDL is and provide a blueprint for how to design and implement simple changes in your teaching practice to make your courses more accessible to all students not just the average student.