Are you looking for new ways to learn and memorize new content? Having good study habits is very important to grow personally and professionally, and probably by now you are very clear about the forms of study that work best for you on a day-to-day basis.
But it is not until the moment that we begin to have some difficulty in learning some content that we realize the need to look for new strategies to learn, although because the content is too complete or also because the way in which we usually study we just find it too boring.
That is why in this post we will talk a little about what collaborative learning is, a that can help you enrich your own dynamics or way of learning, not only for studies at school or university, but for any content or information you want to learn and manage.
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What is collaborative learning?
Collaborative learning is an educational approach that seeks to improve learning through working together. It usually takes place in groups of two or more in which everyone solves problems, completes tasks, or learns new concepts of collective interest.
This approach allows everyone to learn through active work, the idea is that everyone processes and synthesizes information and concepts through practical activities, instead of attending to the mere memorization of facts and figures.
By defending their positions, reformulating ideas, listening to different points of view and articulating their own, the students or participants they gain a more complete understanding as a group than as individuals.
Have you heard that phrase that two or three heads are better than one? This is exactly what promotes collaborative learning! Educational researchers have found that through peer instruction, female students teach each other to clear up misunderstandings and clear up misconceptions.
Advantages and disadvantages of collaborative learning
Like everything (or almost everything in this life) not everything is too black or too white when it comes to learning. For this, let’s see some advantages and disadvantages of collaborative learning:
1. Advantages of collaborative learning
Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and owned by students lead to deeper learning. The benefits of collaborative learning include:
- Development of thinking skills, oral communication, self-management and high-level leadership.
- Promotion of student-teacher interaction.
- Increased retention, self-esteem and responsibility of students.
- Exposure and increased understanding of diverse perspectives.
- Preparation for real-life social and work situations
Collaborative learning is always positive, but it varies, so it is important to make sure you know all the details correctly when applying it.
Effective collaborative learning requires much more than simply sitting participants together and asking them to work together; interventions need to be well structured with well designed tasks to lead to higher learning achievements.
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2. Disadvantages of collaborative learning
Although, collaborative learning might not be as convenient in certain circumstances. Some disadvantages of this technique are:
2.1. Not all people learn at the same speed
It is completely normal for people to learn at different speeds, so collaborative learning group work can sometimes take longer than individual learning.
However, by providing the opportunity for group learning, someone within the group may have the opportunity to explain something to another student that a teacher or lecturer has had difficulty explaining to the same student.
2.2. Someone should be in charge of the group
In group situations, the best scenario is that no one is in charge and everyone works together to complete the task. In some groups it may be the case that someone decides to take over or become the leader of the group, which can create tension in the group.
Teachers and professors can prevent students from taking over groups by indicating this at the beginning of the assignment and encouraging other people in the group to participate.
23. Some groups may struggle if they don’t have group work skills
If the participants have never worked in groups before, they will not have the skills to work together. Teachers and lecturers should initially help by explaining the task and the objectives of the required group work. This should help start the conversation about the required task.
Another disadvantage of collaborative learning is that when working in a group it is common to see that some make more effort than others. It may also happen that some introverted participants do not fully develop their skills because they do not fight to have their voice heard.
So, it is recommended that teachers put introverted participants with those who tend to be a bit lazy so that they all work well together and encourage each other.
What is the difference between cooperative learning and collaborative learning?
It is very common to see doubts regarding the differences between collaborative learning and cooperative learning. Next, we will clarify this doubt:
Collaborative learning is a personal philosophy, not just a learning technique carried out in a classroom. The premise of collaborative learning is based on the construction of consensus through the cooperation of group members, in contrast to competition in which the best individuals stand out among the others.
All of this takes place in situations of respect that highlight the capabilities and contributions of each individual.
Unlike collaborative learning, cooperative learning continues to be centered on the teacher and the structure proposed for the activities themselves, the organization of tasks and their development, continues to be linked more to the verticality of supervision and a certain control established before. than to the consensual horizontality through the collective or group.
How is collaborative learning applied?
1. Set group goals and objectives
Effective collaborative learning involves group goal setting as well as individual accountability. This keeps the group focused and establishes an unequivocal purpose. Before starting a task, it is better to define goals and objectives to save time.
2. Organize medium study groups
Small groups of 3 or less lack sufficient diversity and may not allow divergent thinking to occur. Groups that are too large create a “free ride” where not all members participate. A moderate sized group of 4-5 is ideal.
3. Make the rules clear
Research suggests that collaborative learning is influenced by the quality of interactions, but for the activity to be carried out in an environment of respect for all, it is necessary to establish rules to avoid discussions or situations that may affect the quality of learning. even when collaborative learning is carried out .
4. Promote open communication
Address any emotional issues that arise immediately and any interpersonal issues before moving forward, building trust is critical.
5. Generate debates and contrast ideas
Through resources such as readings, face-to-face classes, films or videos.
6. Create self-assessment tools
That they help to value and learn to receive positive and negative evaluations under different models and situations.
7. Use ICT
Technologies represent a great support when learning new content and studying, using tools such as email, Google Drive, WordPress, Prez or it can help facilitate teamwork and sharing of content and learning.
Would you like to learn more about educational technologies? In we tell you everything!
Considerations for applying collaborative learning
Cooperative learning is a powerful methodology to transmit in practice the principles and values that inspire us and offers us a wide range of techniques and resources to make training actions more participatory and dynamic.
It is based on the simple and powerful idea of “cooperate to learn and learn to cooperate”. However, it is important to take into account certain considerations to apply collaborative learning:
- It is important to take into account the expectations of the participants in each collaborative learning session
- Basic rules of participation and contribution must be established.
- Each stage of group work must be planned.
- Carefully explain to each participant how the groups or peer discussion will work and how the scoring will be.
- At all stages of collaborative learning, it is important to help participants develop the skills they will need to be successful, by applying team-building exercises or introducing self-reflection techniques.
- Each member of the team must assume responsibilities in each session.
- Self-assessment and peer-assessment should be incorporated for group members to consider their own contributions and those of their peers.
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Examples of collaborative learning
The application of collaborative learning can be very varied depending on the context in which it is carried out and the nature of the participants. However, each session seeks a common goal, to ensure that everyone has a much more complete understanding of a specific topic through practical activities, debates, question and answer sessions, etc.
Here are some examples of collaborative learning activities:
1. Ask your partner
Each participant has one minute to think of a challenge question that has to do with the content of the class and then ask the person next to them.
If you want to take this activity to the next level, you could put together several questions and create a small quiz.
2. Sharing
It is a highly recommended activity to carry out whenever a sub-topic is finished within the class. The lesson stops and the students meet in small groups to compare their notes and ask each other what they have not understood.
After a few minutes, the participants raise the questions they have not been able to answer out loud.
3. The Mock Debate
In this activity, the participants must meet in groups of three people. Inside each…
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