ABSTRACT
Conflict Resolution as a field has wrestled with the tensions between practice and theory. The benefits of collaborative learning, such as group projects, are numerous. Carol Colbeck, Susan Campbell, and Stefani Bjorklund argued in 2000 that collaborative learning leads to improved communication, problem solving, and—valuable for our purposes—conflict management. Undergraduate students rarely cheer when presented with a group project, particularly when their grade is tied to group success. Skills such as listening, assertive communication, and recognition of conflict styles are taught using in-class activities provided by resources such as The Conflict and Communication Activity Book. To learn assertive communication, groups identify a series of statements as either aggressive or non-assertive, and discuss what each style communicates. Peer evaluation forms require students to evaluate each of their group mates. The evaluation categories include: attendance to meetings, participation, responsibilities, and contribution. Groups are also asked how disagreements were handled within the group and how students responded to tension.
