TEXT 3:

What Is Collaborative Learning

The right education is the one, which is planned according to the future need. Present
students are future job-seekers. The future working environment won't be the same as
today and that is why collaborative learning is the major aspect that produces well trained
knowledgeable and skilled individual based on various projects.

What Is Collaborative Learning?

Collaborative Learning is when two or more individuals learn something distinct together.
The simplest mode of collaborative learning is mutual study. Collaborative learning may be
helpful in research projects, project work and other sorts of team-based activities. In
collaborative learning, individual learn new things with each other's help. It is today a very
modern teaching means around the world. Teachers divide learners into groups in and
colleges and schools and make them study and finish projects. Collaborative learning can
be divided into online and offline. For example, you can make use of some online
education tools, like ezTalks Meetings, to make an online collaborative learning.

Elements of Collaborative Learning

Positive interdependence is the fundamental element of collaborative learning. The learners

should know that for that group to be strong, each one of them can put in equal amounts
of efforts. It may be of no advantage to the group if just one of the learners is working hard.
They should also be made to recognize that each one of them has a unique ability that they
bring to the group and that the group is inadequate without them.
The second significant element of team-based learning is to enhance the children's
conversation skills by encouraging face to face interaction between them. The learners
should be made to explain the various elements of a subject to each other and ensure that
every trainee understands what is being taught. It is their responsibility to ensure that every
individual in the group is on the same level at the end of the lesson.

The size of the groups must not be huge. It is the teacher's responsibility to make the
learners understand that everyone is liable to and for everyone in the group. They should
be made to realise that each student is equal in the group. The teacher should monitor the
students from time to time to ensure that everybody is putting in equal amounts of effort.

It is the teacher's obligation to teach the learners social skills like communication, trust-
building, leadership and decision-making

The teacher should continually spend time with the group to evaluate how much
improvement they have made. This will tell the leaners if they are on track or not and they
will know how much more effort they require to put in.

Types of Collaborative Learning

Informal Cooperative Learning Groups

These ad-hoc groups may be organized on-the-fly as an assistant in direct teaching.

Informal groups were particularly helpful in breaking up a lecture into shorter fragments
interspersed with a group project. While this approach leads to less time for lecture, it will
improve the amount of material retained by learners as well as their comfort working with
each other.

Formal Cooperative Learning Groups

This kind of group forms the basis for greatest routine practices of cooperative learning.
Groups are assembled for at least one class period and may stay together for many weeks
working on extensive projects. These groups are where learners study and become
comfortable applying the various techniques of working together cooperatively.

Cooperative Base Groups

Cooperative base organizations are long-term, stable groups that last for at least a year
made up of individuals with distinct perspectives and aptitudes. They provide a context in
which learners may support each other in academics as well as in other aspects of their
lives. The group members make sure everyone is finishing their work and hold each other
responsible for their contributions.

Implementing combining base groups in such a way that learners meet periodically for the
duration of a course finishing cooperative learning tasks may provide the lasting support
and caring that students require "to make academic progress and develop socially and
cognitively in healthy habits.

Collaborative learning is not popular in many institutions. It is not even encouraged in

various schools. Numerous people think that the old way of teaching is the excellent way to
pass knowledge from one student to another. The fear of learners was not learning or
studying or anything on their own is one of the purposes why collaborative learning is
discouraged.

Another reason why institutions discourage team-based learning is significant given to high
marks during exams. If people gave more importance to assignments and projects that
homework and knowledge than marks obtained, collaborative learning could be
implemented in our schools easily.

Therefore Collaborative learning helps students to become actively and constructively

involved in the topic, to feel responsible for their learning and that of the group, to settle
group conflicts amicably and to improve good teamwork skills.