By Swati Saini
We are well aware of the shortcomings in traditional methods of education. Outdated memorization techniques for learning and a lack of important skills among the learners such as critical thinking, and creativity are being addressed.
The great institutes are moving towards adopting new ways of teaching which will lead to students’ overall development and make them ready for the future.
Henry Ford quotes
‘Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.’
The best learning happens when learners are actively involved in their learning process. The best schools in Gurgaon adopt an approach that encourages learners to create groups and work together to solve a given problem. When a group of two or more students works together to complete an activity, discuss a problem, or collaborate on a task, we call it collaborative learning. The intended consequence of accomplishing tasks together is to help students learn the complexities of solving a problem and promote deeper learning through doing.
Group work not only helps students understand the set learning objectives better, it also provides opportunities to develop additional skills. While working in groups, students need to harness group members’ strengths, address group learning needs, manage time, divide a large project into small tasks, cooperate, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and reach a consensus. These are useful skills in collaborative workspaces and future careers.
In this way, the students can defend their places, reframe new ideas, understand other people’s points of view, and gain a better understanding of a subject rather than working as individuals. There are several benefits learners get when working in a group setting-
Benefits of Collective Learning
Celebration of Diversity:
A small group of students could be culturally and socially very diverse and thus, collaborative learning could open up the world to learners as they begin to gain a new perspective on life from their peers. Students also get to reflect upon their lives and values against those of their classmates and learn to acknowledge differences without being critical.
Interpersonal Development:
In a group setting, it’s essential that students learn to work with all types of people and relate to their peers so that the project at hand benefits from their structured interaction.
Confidence, Communication:
Collaborative learning methods at an early age can help students boost their confidence and self-esteem, besides improving their sense of ownership at work. The task of presenting their ideas, defending them, and collaborating with others to expand their horizons also requires good communication skills, which also get a boost in these activities.
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
I would like to mention some collaborative learning strategies used in a top School in Gurgaon and how teachers can incorporate them into their curriculum to foster student success:
Think-Pair-Share: This is a strategy where students think individually about a question, pair up with a classmate to discuss it, and then present their responses with another pair or the whole class.
Jigsaw: a comprehension strategy. The jigsaw classroom is a research-based cooperative learning technique that brings about both individual accountability and the achievement of team goals. The process derives its name from the jigsaw puzzle because it involves putting the parts of the assignment together to form a whole picture
Student-led teaching: Two heads are better than one, there’s power in partnerships, teamwork is dreamwork, and there’s strength in numbers where the students become the coach. This exercise allows the student to research, master, and present the material all while working on their public speaking skills.
Freedom of learning and designing learning space:
The design of a collaborative learning space begins with a dialogue between all stakeholders. Everyone, including teachers and students, is part of the conversation and the design experience from the start. With a focus on purpose, together they can create plans for a classroom that will invite active participation and inquiry.
The layout of the classroom space can affect group work. If we’re in a closed room with tables or desks that are easy to move, it’s easier to create groups that work together for a sustained duration of time. Rooms with set seating, like a traditional learning space setup or an auditorium, make it more difficult.
Collaborate anywhere! Learning does not always take place in the classroom. We can learn anywhere!