Educational Alternatives, Volume 19, 2021

Abstract: The paper explores the connections between collaborative learning and the World Café methodology in an educational basis. World Café was used in a large group of postgraduate students. The aim was to discover at which extent would support the communication of individual ideas and producing new collective ones. Research on a postgraduate level, find students coming from different institutional and working environments, sharing diverse interdisciplinary backgrounds. The article claims that innovative forms of collaborative learning, as the World Café is, shape a desirable alternative way for students to experience their journey to knowledge. Our particular work with the students included interactive practices that focused on reflecting on real problems regarding education today. The article describes and analyses the method both as a practice to be researched as well as a useful flexible format to investigate educational issues. This paper argues the extensive interest in the methodology, highlighting the benefits of working with the World Café, a creative process based on dialogue, co-creation and collective knowledge. The results of the evaluation and the overall feedback from students showed that this particular method had a strong impact on their interaction and communication skills, introducing a new perspective for learning.