The idea of "collaborative learning" refers to the steps taken by a group of people who work together so as to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a specific product. There are numerous collaborative learning approaches that can help to uncover deep lessons and experiences, and provide qualitative evidence of outcomes. A few popular and well-known approaches are included here.
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
This is an approach to organizational change that focuses on strengths, rather than on weaknesses. While many traditional methods begin by focusing on pitfalls and problems, Appreciative Inquiry asks people to explore strengths and successes that already exist, both internally and externally.
EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION
Experience capitalization is an approach that allows team members to systematically analyse and document real-life experiences, in a participatory way. This is an iterative process that helps identify specific innovations and practices, and understand the reasons behind success or failure. This creates knowledge, which can be shared and used to generate change, both internally and in other initiatives.
MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
This approach is a form of participatory monitoring and evaluation. It is participatory because many project stakeholders are involved both in deciding the sorts of change to be recorded and in analysing the data. It is a form of monitoring because it occurs throughout the program cycle and provides information to help people manage the programme. It contributes to evaluation because it provides data on impact and outcomes that can be used to help assess the performance of the program as a whole.
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
CoPs are generally defined as groups of people who work or have an interest in a specific theme, who want to develop and share knowledge, ask questions or find experts. They can comprise people working in the same type of job, or people who want to learn how to improve their practice, solve problems, and find new or different ways of doing things. In our work, they can be groups of people within an organization, or large groups of people from many organizations, sectors and countries around the world.