Relevance of collaborative learning in classrooms
- 1. RELEVANCE OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN CLASSROOMS INTRODUCTION Learning is a social activity. In fact, this social dimension is a critical aspect in the learning process for people of any age. People learn in communities. Together they accomplish more than as individuals. Students are no different. Opportunities for cognitive rehearsal, clarification and re-teaching have a positive effect on academic achievement. When students collaborate, they get an opportunity to discuss new concepts with someone close to their own level of understanding. When students discuss and defend their ideas or solutions with teammates, they learn to think problems through, to support their own opinions, and to critically consider the opinions of others before coming to a conclusion. But the responsibility for learning still rests with the students. Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together. Unlike individual learning, people engaged in collaborative learning capitalize on one another’s resources and skills. More specifically, collaborative learning is based on the fact that knowledge can be created within a population when members actively interact by sharing experiences. Collaborative learning refers to an environment in which the learners engage in a common task where each individual depends on and is accountable to each other. Collaborative learning is heavily rooted in Vygotsky’s views that there exists a social nature of learning which is shown through his theory of Zone of Proximal Development. Often, collaborative learning is used as an umbrella term for a variety of approaches in education. Thus, collaborative learning is commonly illustrated when group of students work together to search for understanding meaning or solutions or to create a product of their learning. Collaborative learning activities can include collaborative writing, group projects, joint problem solving, debates, study teams, and other activities. The approach is closely related to co-operative learning. Alternatively, collaborative learning occurs when individuals are actively engaged in a community in which learning takes place through explicit or implicit collaborative efforts. Collaborative learning has often been portrayed as a cognitive process by which adults participate as facilitators of knowledge and children as receivers. Principles of Collaborative Learning Collaborative learning is based on the view that knowledge is a social construct. Collaborative activities are most often based on the four principles: The learner/student is the primary focus of instruction. ‘Interaction’ and ‘Doing’ are of primary importance.
- 2. Working in groups is an important mode of learning. Structured approaches to develop solutions for real-world problems should be incorporated into learning. Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students working in pairs or small groups to discuss concepts, or to find solutions to problems. This often occurs in a class session after students are introduced to course material through readings or videos before class or through instructor’s lectures. Similar to the idea that two or three heads are better than one, through collaborative learning, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions. Benefits of Collaborative Learning o Develops higher level thinking skills o Increases student retention o Builds self-esteem in students o Develops oral communication skills o Encourages diversity understanding o Enhances self-management skills o Encourages student responsibility for kerning o Develops social interaction skills o Test anxiety is significantly reduced o Creates a stronger social support system Collaborative learning is similar to, but not the same as, co-operative learning. In co-operative learning, the task is divided vertically. (i.e, members work more or less concurrently on different aspects of a project) where as in collaborative learning, the task is divided horizontally (i.e, members work together more or less sequentially on different aspects of a project. Collaborative learning has been called by various names : co-operative learning, collective learning, learning communities, peer learning, team learning etc. What they have in common is that they all incorporate group work. However, collaboration is more than co-operation collaborative learning includes students teaching one another, students teaching the teacher, and of course the teacher teaching the students too. The basis of collaborative learning is constructivism. Knowledge is constructed, and transformed by the students. Learners do not passively receive knowledge from the teacher. Teaching/Learning becomes a transaction between the students in the learning process. In a collaborative learning environment, students gain confidence from observing that, if their team-mates can solve problems, they will also be able to overcome them. Speaking in front of a small group with which they are familiar, rather than in front of the whole class, is also less stressful. In addition, participants are better able to accept criticism, since they themselves are also allowed to criticize. They also form close friendships with their team-mates. The students’ level of tolerance and acceptance no doubt is beneficial in real life situations where one often has to be prepared to compromise.
- 3. Characteristics of a Collaborative Classroom Collaborative classrooms seem to have four general characteristics. The first two capture changing relationships between teachers and students. The third characterizes teacher’s new approaches to instruction. The fourth address the composition of a collaborative classroom. 1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students 2. Shared authority among teachers and students 3. Teachers as mediators 4. Heterogeneous grouping of students 1. Shared knowledge among teachers and students In traditional classrooms, the dominant metaphor for teaching is the teacher as information giver; knowledge flows only one way from teacher to student. In contrast, the metaphor for collaborative classrooms is shared knowledge. The teacher has vital knowledge about content, skills, and instruction, and still provides that information to students. However, collaborative teachers also value and build upon the knowledge, personal experiences, language, strategies, and culture that students bring to the learning situation. 2. Shared authority among teachers and students In collaborative classrooms, teachers share authority with students in very specific ways. In most traditional classrooms, the teacher is largely responsible for setting goals, designing learning tasks, and assessing what is learned. Collaborative teachers set specific goals within the framework of what is being taught, provide options for activities and assignments that capture different student interests and goals, and encourage students to assess what they learn. Collaborative teachers encourage students' use of their own knowledge, ensure that students share their knowledge and their learning strategies, treat each other respectfully, and focus on high levels of understanding. They help students listen to diverse opinions, support knowledge claims with evidence, engage in critical and creative thinking, and participate in open and meaningful dialogue. 3. Teachers as mediators As knowledge and authority are shared among teachers and students, the role of the teacher increasingly emphasizes mediated learning. Successful mediation helps students connect new information to their experiences and to learning in other areas, helps students figure out what to do when they are stumped, and helps them learn how to learn. Above all, the teacher as mediator adjusts the level of information and support so as to maximize the ability to take responsibility for learning.
- 4. 4. Heterogeneous grouping of students The perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all students are important for enriching learning in the classroom. As learning beyond the classroom increasingly requires understanding diverse perspectives, it is essential to provide students opportunities to do this in multiple contexts in schools. In collaborative classrooms where students are engaged in a thinking curriculum, everyone learns from everyone else, and no student is deprived of this opportunity for making contributions and appreciating the contributions of others. Interactions in a Collaborative Classroom The collaborative classroom is alive with two-way communication. A major mode of communication is dialogue, which in a collaborative classroom is thinking made public. A major goal for teachers is to maintain this dialogue among students. Collaborative teachers maintain the same sort of high-level talk and interaction when a whole class engages in discussion. They avoid recitation, which consists primarily of reviewing, drilling, and quizzing; i.e., asking questions to which the answer is known by the teacher and there is only one right answer. In true discussion, students talk to each other as well as to the teacher, entertain a variety of points of view, and grapple with questions that have no right or wrong answers. Sometimes both students and the teacher change their minds about an idea. In sum, interactions in whole group discussion mirror what goes on in small groups. Still a third way interactions differ in collaborative classrooms has been suggested above. Teachers, in their new roles as mediators, spend more time in true interactions with students. They guide students' search for information and help them share their own knowledge. They move from group to group, modeling a learning strategy for one group, engaging in discussion with another, giving feedback to still another. Challenges and Conflicts When teachers and schools move from traditional to collaborative instruction, several important issues are likely to arise. They are important concerns for teachers, administrators, and parents. *Classroom Control Collaborative classrooms tend to be noisier than traditional classrooms. Students need opportunities to move about, talk, ask questions, and so on. Thus, we argue that the noise in a smoothly running collaborative classroom indicates that active learning is going on. *Individual Differences among Students Different levels of students can be found in classrooms. This should be kept in mind while planning a learning environment.
- 5. *Individual Responsibility for Learning In collaborative classrooms, it is often difficult to assign individual grades. Effective communication and collaboration are essential for becoming a successful learner. It is primarily through dialogue and examining different perspectives that students become knowledgeable, strategic, self-determined, and empathetic. Moreover, involving students in real-world tasks and linking new information to prior knowledge requires effective communication and collaboration among teachers, students, and others. Indeed, it is through dialogue and interaction that curriculum objectives come alive. Collaborative learning affords students enormous advantages not available from more traditional instruction because a group--whether it be the whole class or a learning group within the class--can accomplish meaningful learning and solve problems better than any individual can alone. CONCLUSION Learning is most effective when learners have the opportunity to think and talk together, to discuss ideas, question, analyze and solve problems without the constant mediation of the teacher. Collaborative learning entails the whole process of learning. Reaching the goal implies that students have helped each other to understand and learn. In order to work towards a collaborative learning environment, the teachers must fully understand their student’s performance level. A collaborative learning classroom will strengthen the student’s learning. It will provide authentic experience and will help them become life-long learners. REFERENCE 1. Angelo,T (1993), Classroom Assessment Techniques, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass Publishers. 2. Johnson,D.W, and Johnson,R.T (1997), Learning together and alone, Edina, Interaction Book Company. 3. Bruffee,Kenneth (1999), Collaborative Learning, New York, John Hopkins University Press. 4. Barkley,Elizabeth (2005) Collaborative Learning Techniques, California, Jossey-Bass Publishers. 5. Brown,L, and Lara,V (2011) Professional Development Module on C0llaborative Learning, Texas, JAI Publishers.