Collective intelligence is a shared understand that comes from collective efforts-- whether that be collaborative study, competition, and group efforts. Collaborative learning is largely accepted now as "the way to go" to engage students and allow for social interaction and more authentic learning experiences.

"Collaborative learning is based on the view that knowledge is a social construct. Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles:

• The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction.
• Interaction and "doing" are of primary importance
• Working in groups is an important mode of learning.
• Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning. (Collborative Learning: Group Work).

In addition, it creates a classroom culture in which students are actively engaged and involved in the learning process.

For example, my students for the last couple of years have used CPM (College Prepatory Mathematics) for our math curriculum. It is used from sixth grade through high school (and fifth grade gifted students). The program is focused around providing a collaborative learning experience in which students learn and teach each other to develop more true understandings of mathematical concepts.

cpm.org

The description for the first course book (which I used in instruction) even states "Students learn in collaboration with others while sharing information, expertise, and ideas" (above). The program is strong in encouraging productive struggle, building upon already created understandings, collaborative/social learning, and discussion. In addition to being collaborative for students, the program itself is collaborative for teachers of CPM, too. The online resources for teachers aloow teachers to share usefule resources they have created and/or used for each lesson within the platform. As an aside, I personally have always struggled and hated math instruction and study, but I liked this method of learning; it felt more organic, and the whole time I taught it, I wished I had it as a student.

However, in researching collective intelligence I came across an interesting persepective from Thomas W. Malone, the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence.

He says in an interview with Edge, "What does collective intelligence mean? It's important to realize that intelligence is not just something that happens inside individual brains. It also arises with groups of individuals. In fact, I'd define collective intelligence as groups of individuals acting collectively in ways that seem intelligent. By that definition, of course, collective intelligence has been around for a very long time. Families, companies, countries, and armies: those are all examples of groups of people working together in ways that at least sometimes seem intelligent.

It's also possible for groups of people to work together in ways that seem pretty stupid, and I think collective stupidity is just as possible as collective intelligence. Part of what I want to understand and part of what the people I'm working with want to understand is what are the conditions that lead to collective intelligence rather than collective stupidity. But in whatever form, either intelligence or stupidity, this collective behavior has existed for a long time.

What's new, though, is a new kind of collective intelligence enabled by the Internet." (See full transcript and video here. Definitely worth a look-- it is fascinating!)

I think it is important to note that in Malone's definition of collective intelligence-- it is not always right or 'intelligent.' Collective stupidity or misunderstanding is just as important to acknowledge; just because you are working together and a particular group has come to a consensus, doesn't mean that it is right or correct.

Additionally Malone notes that the internet is opening us to new ways to create collective intelligence. Wikipedia allows users to input information. Discussion threads on website like Reddit allows users to discuss and create groups. Social media is booming with discussion and groups that are leading to a collaborative understandings and group mentality. This can be great-- in many cases, people are forming around themselves a community and a fund of information that otherwise might not be accessible to them. Collective intelligence through the internet can provide us with so much access and information! However, I am reminded when looking at the news we also have to be careful of that idea of collective stupidity and group mentality leading to situations like Charlottesville, terrorist action across the globe, frenzied political action, and groups that are pro-negative situations (like pro-anorexia groups or pro-suicide groups).

Collective intelligence is important and impactful and SHOULD be in classrooms, but we also need to discuss that collective intelligence is not always 'intelligent' or impactful in positive ways.

“Collaborative Learning: Group Work.” Center for Teaching Excellence, Cornell University, www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborative-learning.html.

“Collective Intelligence: A Conversation with Thomas W. Malone.” Edge, 12 Nov. 2012, www.edge.org/conversation/thomas_w__malone-collective-intelligence.

“CPM Educational Program.” CPM Educational Program, cpm.org.