COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

It is an educational approach of teaching and learning that involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem, complete a task or create a product.

It is based in part on Jean Peaget’s theory that children learn when they are cognitively ready and on Lev Vygotsky’s zone proximal development theory.

This zone describes a students readiness to advance to higher level of understanding while also needs additional help to get there.

Collaborative learning combines these two concepts by grouping students together, where they can support and learn from each other.

Significance of collaborative learningLearning an active process. Thus assimilate new

information to prior knowledge.Learning requires a challenge.Learners benefit when exposed to diverse viewpoints

from people with varied background.Learning flourishes in social environment where

conversation between learners take place.In cl learning environment the learners are challenged

both socially and emotionally as they listen to different perspectives and are required to articulate and defend their ideas.-develop their own unique ideas.

ELEMENTS OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING+ve Interdependence:The group members should relay on one another to achieve goals. Each gp member’s effort is required and is indispensible 4 the success of the gp. Face to face interaction:

The gp members interact with each other. Provide feedback, challenging one another’s conclusions and reasoning and teaching and encouraging each other.

Individual accountability: all are accountable for their share and mastery of work or materials learned. To ensure this, small sized gp and individual test are recommended. Interpersonal or collaborative skills: encouraged and helped to produce social skills like trust building, leadership, decision making, communication and conflict management skills.Group processing: members set gp goals, periodically asses their work as a team and identifies areas that they should improve.

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Collaborative learning techniquesGroup Discussion:Group Discussion is a general unstructured discussion of an issue or topic by the group. Individual members are free to contribute or not contribute.♦ Ideally, everyone is actively involved in the discussion and the discussion topic is of equal interest to all group members.♦ When group discussion is successful, it is difficult to determine if there is a discussion leader. Three-Step InterviewStudents form dyads. one interview other. Switch roles. The dyad link with a second dyad. This method helps students network with eachother and develop communication skills.♦ Useful as an icebreaker.

Think/Pair/ShareGroup members think about a

question/topic individually, then share their thoughts with a partner. Large group summarized sharing also occurs.

♦ The goal of a think/pair/share is to allow participants time to think BEFORE they discuss. Research shows that when people are given time to contemplate an answer to a question, their answers differ from those they would give if them responded immediately.

♦ When doing a think/Pair/Share, give participants a specific amount of time (30 seconds, 5 minutes, etc.) for the “think” portion.

JigsawIn Jigsaw, group members are broken into

smaller groups. Each small group works on some aspect of the same problem,question, or issue. They then share their part of the puzzle with the large group.

♦ Jigsaws, when used properly, make the group as a whole dependant upon all of the subgroups.

♦ When using a Jigsaw, make sure you carefully define the limits of what each group will contribute to the topic that is being explored.

Advantages of C L.Develops higher lever thinking skills.Promote student faculty interaction and familiarity.Increases student retention.Builds self esteem in students.Enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience.Promote a +ve attitude towards a subject matter.Develops oral communication skills.Develop social interaction skills.Promotes +ve race relation. Uses a team approach to

problem solving while maintaining individual accountability.

Encourage diversity understanding.Encourages student responsibility for learning.Create an environment of active, involved, exploratory

learning.

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