Collaborative learning involves students working together in teams to discuss lessons and complete assignments. It celebrates diversity and develops higher-level thinking and social skills, but requires adjustments for both educators and students - educators must shift their role to focus on facilitating student-led learning, while students must learn time management and take responsibility for their own learning within a group structure.

2. What is Collaborative Learning?
 Also referred as cooperative learning
 Method of teaching and learning in which students
team together
 Examples of collaborative learning
 Students discussing a lecture
 Students from different schools working together over
the Internet

3. Benefits of Collaborative Learning
 Celebration of diversity
 Acknowledgment of individual differences
 Interpersonal development
 Actively involving students in learning
 More opportunities for personal feedback
 Develops higher level thinking skills
 Develops social interaction skills
 Encourages student responsibility for learning

4. Challenges of Collaborative
Learning
For Educators
 Revision of time allocations for
assignments
 Adaptation to changing role that
includes increased student
responsibility for own learning
For Students
 Adjustment to group work
format
 Time management issues
involved with working around
group members’ schedules
 Increased responsibility for own
learning
 Classrooms set-up for teacher-
centered/lectures

5. Reference
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004).
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopc
ollab/index_sub3.html