Ask Me Why I Asked: Using Concepts of Collaborative Communication to Think Together about Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Improving communication skills is a priority for many of us in the classroom, in the workplace and in many other interpersonal relationships. We who work as educational developers often provide space for conversations that focus on content or topics in teaching and learning, but perhaps could do more to promote the process of conversation. One university in the U.S. has used a process called Collaborative Communication (CC) to promote informal dialogue on teaching and learning among instructors and staff. In this article I explain the aspects of CC, including examples, share general feedback from participants in an informal CC learning community, and share the benefits for using CC as a framework for creating meaningful dialogue around teaching and learning.