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| How Kids Learn: Collaborative Learning |
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Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. According to Gerlach, "Collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves (Gerlach, 1994). It is through the talk that learning occurs." When applying a Collaborative Learning Strategy, students are often divided into groups and teachers will decide on how group tasks will be done. In a Jigsaw strategy, class is divided up into groups of 4 . Each member of a group is given a number from 1-4. In order to make students interact more easily, the tables in the classroom are arranged so that everyone in a group faces each other. For example, in a Primary 3 Maths lesson on simple or basic multiplication and division, all the number Ones of the various groups are gathered in one group, all the number Twos in another, and so on. Each of these groups will discuss a specific aspect of multiplication, after which the students will return to their original group and present what they have learnt to the other three members. This strategy will help teachers save time when covering a lengthy topic because all the students are learning at once. Beside, students are also given a good reason to pay attention and try to retain what we are absorbing, because their peers are depending on them to describe what they have learnt. As another example, a teacher may ask the class a question on recycling. Instead of having the whole class call out the answer to the question, each student will face their peer and tell each other the answer. In this manner, teachers can track who does not participate in the lesson by asking those whose peers got the answer wrong to put up their hands. That way, a student need not be embarrassed to admit he/she does not know the answer, and his/her peer can explain to him/her how to solve the problem. Students can also share and discuss ideas on essay in pairs and even divide their comprehension passage into paragraphs, explaining to their peers what they have read so the two of them can finish this exercise together. Working in pairs has the same outcome as the jigsaw strategy. Students will feel responsible for their partner’s learning and this encourages division of work. It also helps students to feel more at east It helps students ease in speaking up in class and exchanging ideas with their peers. Gerlach, J. M. (1994). "Is this collaboration?" In Bosworth, K. and Hamilton, S. J. (Eds.), Collaborative Learning: Underlying Processes and Effective Techniques, New Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 59.
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In the classroom, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning. Teachers apply different teaching techniques to achieve learning goals and objectives, many of which can actually be replicated at home or in a group study environment. In this series, we take a look at several teaching and learning techniques, beginning with collaborative learning.