At A.B. Paterson College, students use collaborative learning to allow them to pool resources, and construct knowledge and gather information from a wider range of sources, in less time than if they were working alone.  It allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the topic and encourages greater communication between students and staff.  It also raises social awareness, in terms of historical and cultural differences between peers, and the way that they interpret that information and undertake problem-solving and innovation.

Collaborative learning fosters skills in self-regulation, negotiation, dispute management, and understanding team and individual roles within the group dynamic.  An important aspect of Collaborative Learning is the integration of modern technology.  Digital Learning at A.B. Paterson College is defined as the use of ICT to enhance and support teaching and learning.  ICT covers a wide range of systems from accessing online courses, to producing assessment pieces.

At the College, students are immersed in creative, collaborative, differentiated, higher order, open-ended teaching and learning.  Technology is utilised to assist with the development and implementation of an environment that blends the very best of the traditional and digital world.  Students and staff will be globally connected and partners in the learning process. Students will co-lead innovative teaching and learning processes.  Digital learning encourages inquiry-based, self-paced and personalised learning. Digital teaching occurs in a dynamic way that facilitates exploration, with students taking responsibility for their learning journey.

A.B. Paterson College students are encouraged to develop 21st Century Learning by creating and sharing information in innovative ways, whilst working with their peers on a variety of subjects.  21st Century Learning is a set of six skills that are globally recognised as essential for students to prepare for the challenges and demands of the 21st century workplace. These are:

1. Collaboration

2. Knowledge construction

3. Self-regulation 

4. Real-world problem-solving and Innovation

5. ICT for Learning

6. Skilful communication

To support the student in their development of 21st Century Learning and understanding of real-world concepts, the College provides 24/7 blended teaching and learning, through both on-site and online environments.  The online environment of Desire2Learn (D2L) gives students the opportunity to have control over the place, path, and/or pace of their learning. It provides students with an engaging and visual format for learning that enables students to be self-paced, revise concepts they are unfamiliar with, and enhance the communication between home and school, as students are able to share their work with family members. Feedback from the teacher can be accessed from this system, using this triangular relationship as a vehicle to focus on our primary goal: the child and his or her ongoing progress. 

At A.B. Paterson College, the key principle that underpins our Collaborative and Digital Learning practice is the Australian Curriculum, QCAA and Harvard’s Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework. Elements of TfU include the generative topic that, in its purest form, enables teachers and students to co-design and contextualise the learning environment to engage both parties.

Through the advancement and availability of technology at the College, teachers are able to redefine tasks to a point that was previously inconceivable.  Students employ the use of online collaborative tools and use our variety of flexible learning spaces to produce innovative and creative ideas.  Every student has access to digital devices; promoting a constant rich and active learning context for students to explore the world around them.