Collaborative learning


Collaborative learning

12 December, 2017



Collaborative learning can help learners in different ways, by working in groups a student can listen and interpret peers’ views and opinions, working in groups can allow room for suggestions to help others but also gain constructive criticism, if a student within a group is struggling on a certain topic but other members of a group understand they can help each other. Collaboration in group learning an also provide students who are quiet or shy can help to boost their confidence with support from

Other group members. Collaboration also has a social

Impact which can improve learning, if the learner feels more comfortable and relaxed within groups they can take in more from the learning experience

.

Collaboration in learning has huge research underpinning it, and is for the purpose of academic achievement, success for one helps other group members success (Goherk, 2016) Collaborative learning improves group/team work and has social benefits( Tolmie Et al,2010),

There are many advantages of collaborative learning, students who experience collaborative learning say that tasks get done quicker, each individual have different input and contributions helping gain a better understanding as others in groups may have more knowledge on subjects than themselves (Middlecamp, 1997)




The video shows a wide range of benefits, during a lecture based on collaboration recently we conducted a fun experiment, comparing a task carried out with a student alone against a group of students. How quickly a sweet could be passed from the front of the classroom to the back, a race between solo student and group of students, showed how working together gets the job done quicker and involved social interactions.



By children helping each other with problem solving they build communication skills (Davis, 2012), groups who use collaborative learning have better thinking skills, with longer lasting knowledge due to group discussions, processing other group members ideas and information, when ideas are discussed the knowledge lasts longer (Ahlefeldt). The approach of collaborative learning has many advantages including social developments and academic benefits including success in assessments (Laal and Ghodsi  ,2011)

During a university lecture I recently attended, a crime scene was set up, we were asked to try and identify how many people are needed to help solve a crime scene, such as forensics, police officers,
Profilers etc, this helped me realise that to do one job efficiently and effectively you must work with others taking on bored others expertise and strengths to help yourself but also by using your strengths and knowledge to help others.





This picture perfectly describes my view on collaborative learning, showing two brains put together sharing ideas are better then one, helping each other working together, improving quality of learning.








Davis, M. 2012,How Collaborative Learning Leads to Student Success, 2012. Available at:




Laal, M,S. and Ghodsi, M. 2011, Benefits of collaborative learning. Available at:




Gokhale, A,A. 2011, Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking, Available at:






 Andrew Kenneth Tolmie a, Keith J. Topping b, Donald Christie c, Caroline Donaldson d, Christine Howe e, Emma Jessiman f, Kay Livingston g, Allen Thurston h, Social effects of collaborative learning in primary schools  Available at: http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/424/1/Tolmie2009Socialeffects.pdf , Accessed 9 December 2017.



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