Collaborative Learning.

Collaboration has been defined as an act that consists of groups working together to solve a common problem or goal. (Smith and MacGregor, 1992; MacGregor, 1990). Collaboration requires active engagement and interaction between the group members to reach their goal (Dillenbourg et al. 1996; Kirschner et al. 2009a) Klemperer argues that collaborative learning is not simply students talking to each other (1994). Collaboration requires equal involvement from all group members, thoughts, critical thinking and ideas are essential to improve upon one another a coordinated interaction in which ideas and perspectives are explored and exchanged. (Goos, Galbriath & Renshaw, 2002) In the 21st Century collaborative learning has become a trend which has changed our society to need us to think and work together. (Austin, 2000; Welch, 1998). There is no longer an emphasis on individual efforts the focus is now on group work (Leonard and Leonard, 2001) Therefore we need to prepare our students for the new collaborative world having said this working in collaboration is not a new idea in education (Lloyd and Beard, 1995), this trend has been endorsed by the work of modern theorists of education, such as Piaget who highlighted the importance of peer interaction and the role it played in the developmental of logical reasoning. Vygotsky (1978) furthered this research by noting that social interaction was at the core of the developmental process. Noakes-Malach argue ‘’Critically, the question is not whether collaboration is beneficial to learning, but instead how and when collaboration improves outcomes’ (2015, p. 1). Reasons for using collaborative learning through groups are generally summarized as educational, motivational and ideological. (Reynolds, 1994) Educational In a student led environment, students and teachers are able to investigate and explore material in a collaborative way by bouncing off each other’s ideas. As the core of this belief is that children can learn from each other as well as the teacher and the knowledge gained is constructed and reconstructed as a social process. This provides preparation for the working world as group work is a daily reality. Understanding is process which is constantly being created and negotiated therefore this should be supported in modern education. (Reynolds, 1994) “What others first did for the child and the child next learned to do for himself, speaking aloud as did others, he has now learned to do for himself” (Garvey, 1984, p. 215 Motivational It is believed by many that we learn best when we are involved and enjoying the experience. By using games, simulations or role play for example would be a more memorable learning experience as it involves not only the mind but takes into consideration values and feelings to create more well-rounded knowledge and it is often suggested that learning in these conditions is more likely to be retained. (Reynolds 1994) Ideological Today’s society is becoming more reliant on collaboration. The process for a mutual analysis prepares students for our society which is based on democratic principles. Through collaborative learning individuals are able to develop their skills to live and work together to maintain our society which is built on those ideals. (Reynolds, 1994) Talking is a key learning tool as the learner needs an opportunity to talk through their learning experience in order to internalize it for themselves to understand. There are many benefits that come from collaborative learning, one of the key tools we use to communicate, interpret and work is through talking. Talking is vitality important as it allows us to make sense of our experience (Lloyd & Beard, 1995). Therefore, practicing talking with peers and solving problems together improves the student’s communication skills and prepares them with the appropriate skills to be able to work in a team environment Barnes also argues that learning to communicate is at the heart of education. (Barnes, 1976 p.73) The value of collaborative learning has been supported by many, some of the advocated have argued that despite the importance of collaborative learning as a skill, little has been done over the years to implement it into classrooms. Having said this the role of the teacher is changing which could be the first step towards collaborative learning as it is slowly changing from a one way communication process. Barnes and Todd suggest that ‘by setting aside the traditional teaching model learning becomes a social experience, putting pupils into situations where they will be confronted with opposing views requiring negotiation and learning that perhaps others’ viewpoints may be just as valid as their own’ (1977, p. 127). The view of teachers being the expert facilitator of knowledge has changed, as the teacher is no longer the only source for information and knowledge as technology is taking a greater role in the classroom therefore students can take on their own independent research. Rather than the teacher providing the knowledge they will have a more trasmissive role facilitating the research and supporting the learning process. Over the past forty years, studies have indicated that students make strong progress in their learning, by achieving a deeper and more flexible level understanding of common concepts in a range of subjects as a small group compared to the level of understanding they achieve on their own. (Johnson & Johnson, 1981, Schwartz, 1995). As even when assessed individually it was found that students who has participated in group learning tasks often perform better than those who has worked individually. (Barron, 2002) Having said this there is also much evidence from the laboratory and classroom studies, that show individuals in a group can sometimes perform worse than if they work alone. These findings advise discretion from instructors, as there are particular types of tasks and group contexts in which individuals fail to perform well, even as the group succeeds. (Noakes-Malach, 2015). Kutnick & Thomas discovered that students who work in pairs performed much better than those working individually and pairs improved upon initial performance no matter whether they are placed in equal and unequal matched pairings’ (1990, p. 399) This suggests that students will learn from each other no matter their level of knowledge there are still things that a more able talented student can learn from a student which has difficulties such as patience, a deeper level of knowledge and understanding of concept due to explaining. Collaborative learning will not just take place by placing children together in a group. It requires a lot of teamwork and scaffolding to reach this. Teachers are able to facilitate effective collaborative learning through a number of methods such as; establish group agreements, teaching listening skills, teaching negotiation skills, modelling behavior. By establishing group agreements will give each student a voice and give accountability for all meaning that all the students will start from the same point from the beginning and be able to explore what they think together. The students voice is an essential part of collaborative teaching, therefore it is important that the teacher listens and teaches listening skills as it is required for group work especially to ensure that the students are involved in the process rather than being dictated by the teacher, therefore it is important that all ideas are heard. Good listening is a valuable tool in our society as good listeners are often more empathetic, do not cut people off and are easier to like and respect. Negotiations is also an important lesson for the teacher to teach as students with the most confidence or the loudest voice may take over the group activity and people may be left out or not agree with the decisions being made. However, a good negotiator is able to listen, have patience and compromise with their peers in areas of group disagreements. Although these points may seem obvious to us as adults, they are not skills which are innate therefore it is important that we teach children who may be experiencing this for the first time an understanding to have an opportunity to negotiate and manage a budget for example. It is essential for the teacher to model what they expect the students to learn, by modeling listening, paraphrasing, questioning and negotiating. Allows the students to imitate and learn in a less direct instruction. Deep research and higher-level learning such as analyzing data or synthesizing information can be done to a much deeper level of understanding if done collaboratively. Vygotsky argued that social interaction is a fundamental part of learning, he stresses the importance of both our environment and culture in the way we understand the word around us. Through this children are able to reflect and make plans to help nurture behavior and solve problems (Steiner and Souberman, 1978). When leaving school young adults will find themselves in situations where they will have to work alongside people in a team that they might not necessarily know or like. Therefore, it is essential that they have these experiences in school to prepare them to be as successful as they can in the future. Technology is a huge part of collaborative learning as computers and software programmes no longer only aid communication they are not able to aid an entire classroom to build their knowledge base (Dillenbourg, 1999). It is also not only restricted to the classroom as the students can carry on with their work at home via ‘Google docs’, ‘Twitter’ ect. Due to this collaboration and increased use of technology the role of the teacher will change significantly from a transmitter of information to a facilitator of knowledge. 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(1995). Managing classroom collaboration. (Cassell Practical Handbooks). London: Cassel. Reynolds, M. (1994). Group work in education and training : Ideas in practice. (Educational and Training Technology). London: Kogan Page. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.