Two is Better Than One

What is collaborative learning? Basically collaborative learning is a situation where

two or more people gather around or attempt to learn something together in pairs or in a group.
Collaborative learning and individual learning is two different thing. Individual learning is
more to learning something on your own without the help of other people while in collaborative
learning, you engage with other people and can gather more information and ideas from your
group members. Collaborative learning can take the form of face to face communication or
using computer platforms such as online forums or chat-room. You may be asking yourself
what are the benefits of collaborative learning? The benefits of collaborative learning includes
self-management, social interaction skills and critical thinking.

The first benefit of collaborative learning is it can enhances your self-management

skills. There are three key of self-management skills that can be improved and they are
initiative, organisation and accountability. Initiative here means that you are able to work
without always being told what to do. This is so important because your group members will
not always be there to tell you what to do and what not to do. So, you need to use your head
and have the drive to achieve your group goals. For example, when you were given a task do
not wait for your group leaders or group members to guide you and try to explore and do it on
your own on finishing the task instead. Next key is practice organising your time and things
that need to be done. Organising your time wisely will help you to create some time for you to
do your work without procrastinate other things that need to be done. Organising the things
that need to be done is actually as crucial as organising your time because you must organise
the things that need to be done from the most important to the least important things so that
you can prioritise the work that is very essential without forgetting about the other work. For
example, doing your assignment that needs to be passed up in this week and doing your
assignment that needs to be passed up in next week. You should finish the assignment that need
to be passed up this week first than only you can finish the other assignment. Collaborative
learning also will help you to develop your accountability which is take ownership of the
responsibilities. For instance your task does not goes well, you will make it as your personal
mission to look for ways to improve and completing the task using your problem solving skills.
In conclusion, collaborative learning can help you improve your self-management skills by
enhancing the three key of self-management skills.
 Second advantage of collaborative learning is that it helps you develops social
interaction skills. First, it will teach you to practice cooperate with your group members by
playing your part efficiently and same goes to the other group members. Next, it teaches you
to show some respect. Respecting each other and respecting yourself will help your group to
work in harmony. For example on showing respect to the group members is to be patient and
do not interrupt when one of your group members are talking or giving his or her idea. After
he or she has finished giving their opinion then only you can agree or argue. This kind of act
will help your group to finish the task given smoothly. The other social skills that can be
improved through collaborative learning is friendship skills. Everyone needs friends but some
people have problems in making or keeping friends. For example, there are people that is
passive type of person so it is hard for them to make new friends. Since collaborative learning
means that you need to work in group, this situation will make you to interact more with other
human being like smiling, eye contact and listening but at the same time this will help you to
build your friendship skills from time to time. In conclusion, collaborative learning will not
only helps you to improve your self-management skills but also can help you build your social
interaction skills with other people.

Lastly, collaborative learning will also stimulates critical thinking among students.
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse the way you think and present evidence for your ideas
rather than simply accepting your personal reasoning as sufficient proof. Critical thinking will
help you and your group to solve problem by considering all possible options. For example
everyone in your group must have their own idea to solve problems but not all ideas are good
enough for you to solve the complication. One way to solve the problem is to gather all options
and choose the best one out of it. Critical thinking will also enhances your language and
presentation skills. Thinking clearly and systematically can improve the way you express your
idea. In learning how to analyse the logical structure of texts, critical thinking will also
improves your comprehension abilities simultaneously. For example, when you are giving a
talk or speech in front of class, you will rely on the text that you have prepared earlier but you
will also going to need to use your critical thinking skills to talk about something out of the
text in such a short period of time. In conclusion, collaborative learning can increase your
language and presentation skills and improve your ability to think critically which are the soft-
skills that is very important for students.
 In a nutshell, collaborative learning can gives you more benefits compare to learning
individually. It will help you improves your self-management skills, social interaction skills
and your critical thinking skills. These soft-skills are very important for students and very
essential in future too. Collaborative learning has proven to encourage improvement and
maturation of a variety skills that are necessary for future success in the work place