Title: 6 Advantages of Collaborative Learning
1Collaborative learning is one of the teaching
approaches where students work in groups so as to
understand a concept, create a product or solve a
problem. Unlike individual learning, students
engage with one another to ask for information,
evaluate their ideas and monitor their work
together. Collaborative learning is, therefore,
an accurate term that caters for educational
approaches encompassing joint scholarly effort
between students, or students and teachers
together. Despite working together, each is
responsible for and accountable to each other.
Collaborative learning can take the form of face
to face communication or use computer platforms
(chat-room or online forums). Collaborative
teaching and learning create an environment where
members aggressively cooperate by sharing
experiences and take on different roles. The main
tasks that students work on in collaborative
learning are collaborative writing, group
projects, problem-solving, discussions, study
groups, and other activities. You may be asking
yourself, what are benefits of cooperative and
collaborative learning? There are several
advantages of collaborative learning. We can
categorize them as to be of social, academic or
psychological advantage. Looking for a web
conferencing way out that lets an online
collaborative learning with your associates or
friends online? Well, a video conferencing
software like ezTalks is now available on the
market. The exciting part of it is that it
Incorporates data (both voice and video) within
your browser so you can hold meetings over the
Internet. You can use this video conferencing
software for online collaborative learning.
2- Benefits of collaborative teaching and learning
for students are - Enhances Problem-solving Skills
- Collaborative learning involves clear stipulation
of an educational task with instructions that
require students to discuss the work so as to
come up with solutions to the problem. During
the discussion, they are encouraged to listen
attentively to the comments group members make.
They also contribute to the sharing and can
re-evaluate their views and come to conclusions.
Though at times, group discussion may fall under
the control of the loudest individual, students
have to be systematic by giving each a chance to
speak out they also stipulate a time limit to
minimize dominance. The fact that students must
provide answers to the task at hand calls for
active participation in researching the project
at hand and examining every possible answer so as
to arrive to make the right solution to make the
desired conclusion, thus improving an
individual's problem -solving skills. - Inspires Critical Thinking
- An active collaborative learning requires an
instructor to view teaching as a method of
developing and increasing students' capacity to
learn as their role is to transmit information
while facilitating the learning process. It
includes creating and handling meaningful
learning experiences that stimulate students to
think through actual and existent problems.
Through collaborative learning, we expect
students to clarify ideas, views, and opinions
through their discussion forums before making a
conclusion. It, therefore, nurtures the
improvement of critical thinking skills via
interpretation of ideas, and assessment of other
student's thoughts and views. - Improves Social Interactions and Supports
Diversity - One of the collaborative learning advantages
involves the use of different strategies such as
Jigsaw technique which involves separating a task
into subtasks. The jigsaw technique is a system
of designing classroom activities in a way that
students rely on each other to accomplish the
tasks. It involves students forming groups, and
each group handles part of the job so that at
the end they all create a complete activity just
like a jigsaw puzzle. Use of Jigsaw strategy
provides students with the chance to
enthusiastically help each other shape
understanding as the instructor assigns them to
groups that require varying skill.
3- To efficiently handle the task, students from
different groups have to meet to exchange - ideas and opinions amongst themselves. This kind
of teamwork allows students to be experts in
their allocated subject areas. At the end
students then go back to their class - and teach others.
- Aid the Development of Self-management Skills
- Collaborative learning requires you to be a good
decision maker. It is evident in group- works
where you have to be able to and willing to take
a difficult task or assignment and break it down
so that you can find the solution. To be a good
self-manager you will have to be a good problem
solver, able to think through challenging tasks,
study problems, examine and scrutinize
solutions. Self-management skills are those
individual attributes that help you feel and be
more dynamic and productive in the office. With
self- management competencies, you can
interconnect and interact professionally and
competently with your colleagues, managers, and
even clienteles. They also help you make good
decisions and improve time management. - Development of Oral Communication Skills
- Collaborative learning is dependent on the
effectiveness of the group for the students to
attend and accomplish their assignments. The
entire group discussion relies on strong
communication skills (sending information,
receiving feedback, and sharing it with the
whole class). You also have to comment (orally
and in writing) when looking for ideas. You can
achieve success within a group students need to
be able to communicate both on intellectual and
emotional levels by explaining their thoughts,
expressing their feelings openly but positively,
listening prudently to others, asking questions
and clarifications on other students opinion and
telling how others feel through their nonverbal
communication. With collaborative learning, one
can reflect on the actions and exchanges of the
group and encourage others to do well as members
share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings. - Fosters the Development of Interpersonal
Relationships - For collaborative learning to work, students must
work together in their groups. When students
spend their time together working, they learn how
to relate with one another. They also make
friendship by getting to know each other, thus
boosting group morale and performance. It means
that they can laugh or cry together. When people
are friends,
4they form symbiotic and trusting relationships
which give the team members a sense of belonging.
Usually, before or after a group discussion,
members engage in casual conversation which
fosters the development of interpersonal
relationships Conclusion During a collaborative
learning session, students not only work on
academic assignments but also get to develop
their social skills and learn together which
improves their relationships with others in the
class. Being able to become accustom
collaborative learning into your teaching plan
successfully. will allow your students engage and
involve themselves more actively in the learning
process rather than be passive students. It gives
them a chance to learn their strengths and
weaknesses as they work in groups. As they
interact more with their peers, they acquire new
ways of handling problems. Collaborative
learning not only enhances the l learning process
but also makes students happy. https//www.eztalk
s.com/online-education/advantages-of-collaborative
-learning.html