Collaborative learning

1. Submitted by,
Rima Tom
Roll no:9

2. INTRODUCTION
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 like asking one another for information, evaluating one
another’s ideas, monitoring one another’s work, etc.. More
specifically, collaborative learning is based on the model that
knowledge can be created within a population where members
actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetry
roles. Put differently, collaborative learning refers
to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in
a common task where each individual depends on and is
accountable to each other. These include both face-to-face
conversations. and computer discussions (online forums, chat
rooms, etc.). Methods for examining collaborative learning
processes include conversation analysis and statistical
discourse analysis.

3. Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is heavily rooted
in Vygotsky’s views that there exists an inherent 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 that
involve joint intellectual effort by students or students and
teachers. Thus, collaborative learning is commonly illustrated
when groups of students work together to search for
understanding, meaning, or solutions or to create an artifact or
product of their learning. Further, collaborative learning
redefines traditional student-teacher relationship in the
classroom which results in controversy over whether this
paradigm is more beneficial than harmful. Collaborative learning
activities can include collaborative writing, group projects, joint
problem solving, debates, study teams, and other activities. The
approach is closely related to cooperative 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 solely a cognitive process
by which adults participate as facilitators of knowledge and
children as receivers. Thus collaborative learning also occurs

4. when children and adults in engage play, work, and other
activities together.
According to Gerlach, Collaborative learning is based on the
idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the
participants talk among themselves. It is through the talk that
learning occurs.
Collaborative learning is based on the view that
knowledge is a social construct. Collaborative activities are
most often based on four principles:
 The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction.
 Interaction and doing are of primary importance
 Working in groups is an important mode of learning.
 Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world
problems should be incorporated into learning.
Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger
groups. Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of
collaborative learning that involves students working in pairs or
small groups to discuss concepts, or find solutions to problems.
This often occurs in a class session after students are
introduced to course material through readings or videos before
class, and/or through instructor lectures. Similar to the idea that
two or three heads are better than one, many instructors have
found that through peer instruction, students teach each other
by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying
misconceptions.

5. Collaborative learning requires working together
toward a common goal. This type of learning has been called by
various names: cooperative learning, collaborative learning,
collective learning, learning communities, peer teaching, peer
learning, or team learning. What they have in common is that
that all incorporate group work. However, collaboration is more
than co-operation. Collaboration entails the whole process of
learning. This may include students teaching one another,
students teaching the teacher, and of course the teacher
teaching the students, too. More importantly, it means that
students are responsible for one another's learning as well as
their own and that reaching the goal implies that students have
helped each other to understand and learn.
Research shows that educational experiences that are
active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to
deeper learning. The benefits of collaborative learning include:
 Development of higher-level thinking, oral communication,
self-management, and leadership skills.
 Promotion of student-faculty interaction.
 Increase in student retention, self-esteem, and
responsibility.
 Exposure to and an increase in understanding of diverse
perspectives.
 Preparation for real life social and employment situations.

6. The benefits of collaborative
learning
According to proponents of collaborative learning, the fact that
students are actively exchanging, debating and negotiating
ideas within their groups increases students’ interest in learning.
Importantly, by engaging in discussion and taking responsibility
for their learning, students are encouraged to become critical
thinkers. Many researchers have reported that students working
in small groups tend to learn more of what is being taught.
Moreover, they retain the information longer and also appear
more satisfied with their classes. For collaborative learning to
be effective, there should be both "group goals" and "individual
accountability". This means that the collaborative learning task
must ensure that every group member has learnt something.
Ideally, a collaborative learning task would allow for each
member to be responsible for some concept necessary to
complete the task. This implies that every group member will
learn their assigned concept and will be responsible for
explaining/teaching this to other members of the group. As most
teachers have discovered, we usually learn more by teaching
than we ever learnt as “learners”! Indeed this sentiment is
backed up by research - it has been consistently found that
students who learn most are those who give and receive
elaborated explanations about what they are learning and how
they are learning it.

7. Steps of Collaborative Learning
Small group work
This generally involves a 3-step process:
 Introduce the task. This can be as simple as instructing
students to turn to their neighbor to discuss or debate a
topic.
 Provide students with enough time to engage with the task.
Walk around and address any questions as needed.
 Debrief. Call on a few students to share a summary of their
conclusions. Address any misconceptions or clarify any
confusing points. Open the floor for questions.
This process can be as short at 5 minutes, but can be longer
depending on the task at hand.
Larger group work
Here are some strategies to help ensure productive group
dynamics:
 Provide opportunities for students to develop rapport and
group cohesion through icebreakers, team-building, and
reflection exercises.
 Give students time to create a group work plan allowing
them to plan for deadlines, and divvy up responsibilities.
 Have students establish ground rules. Students can create
a contract for each member to sign; this contract can

8. include agreed-upon penalties for those who fail to fulfill
obligations.
 Assign roles to members of each group and change the
roles periodically. For example, one student can be the
coordinator, another the note-taker, another the
summarizer, and another the planner of next steps.
 Allow students to rate each other’s quality and quantity of
contributions. Use these evaluations when giving individual
grades, but do not let it weigh heavily on a students’ final
grade. Communicate clearly how peer assessment will
influence grades.
 Check in with groups intermittently, but encourage students
to handle their own issues before coming to you for
assistance.

9. Conclusion
Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people
learn something together. Collaborative learning is an umbrella
term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint
intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers
together. Collaborative learning is a type of active learning that
takes place in students teams. The students participating in
collaborative learning are actively exchanging, debating and
negotiating ideas within their groups, which increases their
interest in learning.

10. REFERENCES
 Psychological bases of education-Dr.N.K.Arjunan
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_learning
 http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-
students/collaborative-learning.html
 http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/