Collaborative learning involves students working together to achieve a common goal or task. Research shows that people learn more effectively through collaboration, retaining 10-95% more of what they learn depending on the level of interaction. In the past, key skills for employers included reading, writing and computation, but now interpersonal skills, problem solving and teamwork are most important. Collaborative learning develops critical thinking, communication skills and a sense of community. It motivates students and helps them learn more while building confidence, leadership and social skills.
3. From the above we deduce that
We Learn:
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we both see and hear
70% of what is discussed with others
80% of what we experience personally
95% of what we teach someone else
4. 1970
3. READING
2. COMPUTATION
1. WRITING
2000
3. INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS
2. PROBLEM SOLVING
1. TEAMWORK
According to Fortune 500 Companies:
The Top Skills sought by employers
6. Teaching vs learning
John Amos Comenius, a 16th
Century scholar; summarised the
approach that teaching should
follow, “The main object is to find
a method by which teachers
teach less but learners learn
more”, proving that current
problems have noble pedigrees.
7. Collaborative learning
Collaborative learning in the ECDE level means
children working together to accomplish a task,
or to achieve a certain goal.
We humans, like many other animals, are social
beings. We are more successful if we use our
intelligence to work with others to achieve more.
To be able to work collaboratively is a skill we all
need.
9. Assumptions about learning
Learning is an active constructive process
Learning depends on rich contexts
Learners are diverse
Learning is inherently social
10. … it is those of us who can solve problems
while working with others who succeed… A
successful Scientist must be able to cooperate
with other scientists, with technicians and with
students. An executive, to cooperate with other
executives, salespersons, suppliers and
superiors. (Dunne and Bennett, 1990)
11. . . . collaborative learning fosters the development. . . collaborative learning fosters the development
of critical thinking through discussion, clarificationof critical thinking through discussion, clarification
of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. . . .of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. . . .
13. In a teaching situation you are
likely to face challenges such
as:
How to help the pupils to acquire more
knowledge?
How to make learning more interesting for
the pupils?
How to motivate the pupils?
How to challenge the pupils so that they
can perform better?
One way to overcome this is through
collaborative learning.
14. Why use collaborative learning?
Pupils learn qualities of humility,
self-control, fair play, patience and
leadership.
Builds pupils’ confidence and
character.
promote pupils learning and
academic achievement
enhance pupil satisfaction with
their learning experience
help pupils develop skills in oral
communication
develop pupil's' social skills
promote pupil self-esteem
increase pupil retention
develop a community of learners
16. Can you read the following aloud
"It is the long history of humankind
(and animal kind, too) those who
learn to collaborate and improvise
most effectively prevail." - Charles
Darwin
17. "If you have an apple and I have an apple
and we exchange these apples then you
and I will still each have one apple. But if
you have an idea and I have an idea and we
exchange these ideas, then each of us will
have two ideas." - George Bernard Shaw
18. Collaboration is important not just because it's
a better way to learn. The spirit of collaboration
is penetrating every institution and all of our
lives. So learning to collaborate is part of
equipping yourself for effectiveness, problem
solving, innovation and life-long learning in an
ever-changing networked economy. Don
Tapscott
Just like our earlier discussions on active learning, small group work, the idea is to involve students more in their own learning process.
Comenius - Known today as the "Father of Modern Education," pioneered modern educational methods.
Comenius was asked to be the first President of Harvard College -- and declined.
Comenius was the first to use pictures in a textbook.
Comenius was the first to promote continuing education -- and the first to advocate equal education for all, including women and the poor. Just like our earlier discussions on active learning, small group work, the idea is to involve students more in their own learning process.
Collaborative learning represents a significant shift away from the typical teacher-centred or lecture-centred milieu in higher education class rooms.
In collaborative classrooms, the lecturing/listening/note-taking does not disappear but it lives alongside other processes that are based on students’ discussion and active work with the course material.
Lecturers who use collaborative learning approaches tend to think of themselves less as experts transmitters of knowledge and more as coaches or midwives of a more emergent learning process.
The process is based on establishing a community of learners.
Since we use collaborative learning to help students learn more effectively it is important to consider teaching strategies that go beyond a mere mastery of content and ideas. Collaborative learning promotes and educational agenda that encompasses several intertwined rationales
Involvement – by its very nature collaborative learning is both socially and intellectually involving. Research has shown that it makes a significant difference in student performance and subsequently student retention.
Cooperation and teamwork – In collaborative activities students inevitably encounter difference and have to work to recognise and deal with it. This helps build a community of learners.
Community – Habits of participation and responsibility to a subject/classroom community can help in the broader communities. Collaborative learning encourages students to develop an active voice in shaping their ideas and values and also developing a sensitive ear to the views and opinions of thers.
In the hands of an expert rope maker loose strands can be skilfully woven together to form a rope with greater strength and durability. The same can be said of a committed and creative lecturer.
Don’t get me wrong – there will be cynics – one colleague in another institution- was undertaking collaborative learning in the form of group work when his Dean called and said, “I see you’re doing group work, I’ll call back when you’re teaching!”
Active constructive process – to learn new information, ideas or skills students have to work actively with them in purposeful ways. In collaborative learning situations students are creating something new by integrating the new material with something they already know or use it to reorganise what they thought they knew.
Rich contexts – the idea of collaborative learning activities is to immerse students in challenging tasks or questions. Rather than beginning with facts and ideas and then moving to applications CL activities frequently begin with problems This changes the role of the student from distant observer to practitioner. Rich context challenge students to practice and develop higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills.
Diversity – Our students bring multiple perspectives to the classroom – diverse backgrounds, learning styles, experiences and aspirations. Ashby's Law of requisite variety.
Inherent sociability- collaborative learning produces intellectual synergy of many minds coming to bear on a problem and the social stimulation of mutual engagement of mutual engagement in a common endeavour (Voltaire – there is no problem a meeting of minds cannot resolve)
Cooperative efforts result in participants striving for mutual benefit so that all group members:
gain from each other's efforts. (Your success benefits me and my success benefits you.)
recognize that all group members share a common fate. (We all sink or swim together here.)
know that one's performance is mutually caused by oneself and one's team members. (We can not do it without you.)
feel proud and jointly celebrate when a group member is recognized for achievement. (We all congratulate you on your accomplishment!).