A study and a proposal of a collaborative and competitive learning methodology

Competition is evident throughout our society, lives and work. “It transcends time and place, as well as all manners of people”. In this paper, we present a study and a framework proposal for a mixed collaborative-competitive learning environment, applied to a programming course in a University level engineering program. While neither collaboration, nor competition, is inherently good or bad in supporting the learning process, the way teachers employ these strategies in classrooms determines their value in preparing “soon-to-be” professionals. We believe this mixed-based learning approach best serves students as they are able to achieve academic success both in working with others and on an individual basis. Besides the traditional theoretical lessons and laboratory practices of the course, the integration of the framework automates all the support and evaluation processes. It implements both an individual competitive setting and a collaborative one, where intergroup competition occurs, by means of two interconnected modules. We discuss our results and findings in its preliminary use, concluding that the framework promises to have a good impact in the way we teach some programming courses in our Institute.