Best practices for collaboration

Educators in both online and in-person classrooms find that using Roblox to collaborate in classrooms can be meaningful as well as educational. Based on the experiences of Roblox educators, here are some ways of fostering a collaborative atmosphere by setting clear expectations and using supportive strategies.

Set classroom expectations

Example guidelines

Each class is different, but to help you get started, we've included these guidelines commonly used by our educators.

Build your own, don't copy. If you do want to use someone's work, ask permission.
Respect the work of others. Never vandalize or put down the work of others.
Solve problems together. Assume the best of each other. Try and solve a conflict without teacher intervention.

To help out your classroom, we have a downloadable .DOCX handout with these above guidelines. It can also be edited to suit your classroom.

Download Handout

Resolve conflict

It's recommended to train students to be able to identify and resolve conflicts as they emerge. Help students independently resolve conflict, by modeling and teaching them the tips below.

Encourage "I" messages ("I feel …") rather than "you" messages ("You did …"). This helps both sides listen.
Have students take turns speaking without interruption. If a student wants to interrupt, prompt them to take a deep breath or do a small private hand gesture (e.g. tap themselves on the thumb) to help them personally re-focus.
When trying to find a resolution to a conflict, talk about interests and goals ("I feel this would look better blue"), rather than positions ("You're wrong, blue is the best color …"). Sharing interests and goals gives students something concrete to try resolving conflict.

Collaboration strategies

One way of creating a positive learning environment is to use strategies that foster collaboration. Below are strategies to meet specific goals you may have.

Students helping one another

Strategies that encourage students to work together build independence and make collaboration feel more natural.

Help Students Help Themselves

If students have a question, have them ask three peers before an instructor in a process often called "Ask Three Before Me". During a class, remind students of this rule whenever they're asking you for help.

Reward Positive Contributions

Allow and motivate students to contribute by letting them lead skill-shares. If a student discovers something fun, or has a skill they want to share, give them 5-10 minutes during an independent work time to lead a tutorial. Allow other students to optionally "attend" that student's skill-share. This encourages an atmosphere of sharing and rewards students for wanting to help others.

Facilitate groups

One way of having collaboration is often through group work. To ensure group work is productive and meaningful, we recommend the following strategies.

Assigning Roles

Depending on the project, have students take on roles (either chosen or assigned). For instance, a team building a game may include a world builder and a coder. If you assign roles, be sure to rotate them so students learn new skills. They also might discover something they didn't expect to enjoy.

Having Groups Manage a "To-Do" List

To ensure all group members are busy, have a group collectively manage a to-do list. If someone has an idea or task, they can add it onto the list for someone who needs something to work on.

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