What is Collaborative Learning?
Once you have read this guide, your comprehension of collaborative learning will be enhanced.
You will receive practical advice on how to enhance and establish collaborative learning in your organization.
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The Definition of Collaborative Learning
The technique of collaborative learning involves using groups to improve learning by fostering cooperation. Multiple learners form teams and collaborate to solve problems, accomplish assignments, or acquire new knowledge.
Instead of relying on memorizing facts and figures, this method encourages learners to actively process and combine information and ideas.
Students engage in collaborative group work on projects to collectively comprehend the concepts being introduced.
By engaging in defending their stances, reinterpreting concepts, actively listening to alternative perspectives, and expressing their own arguments, learners will acquire a more comprehensive comprehension of the subject matter as a collective rather than as individuals.
Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning. The Main Difference
There is uncertainty surrounding the distinction between these two forms of learning.
In reality, cooperative learning is a form of collaborative learning, which is why initially, they may appear comparable.
Cooperative learning and collaborative learning differ in that, during cooperative learning, individuals are accountable for their own progress and achievement as well as the group's overall performance.
In order to ensure comprehension among all team members, it is necessary for them to utilize their expertise and available resources.
Cooperative learning is often compared to a theatrical production, with predefined roles and structure. The success of the learning process relies on the interconnectedness and support of all the roles, similar to how a show depends on the cast and crew working together. However, there is also a director who closely supervises the project.
Thinking about collaborative learning within an organization, in the context of software development, a team of junior developers is assigned the task of learning a new framework and using it to develop a program. Each developer is responsible for developing their own section of the code, but the success of the overall project depends on everyone effectively learning and performing their individual tasks. Despite having separate roles, the group as a whole is invested in the success of each team member.
In collaborative learning, each team member is responsible for their own learning and success, and they have the freedom to determine their roles, resources, and organization. There is no authority figure dictating the rules, so the group must autonomously guide themselves.
The Benefits of Collaborative Learning
What are the reasons for utilizing collaborative learning? Due to the fact that every organization can experience advantages from having an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.
Collaborative learning offers numerous advantages, benefiting both the organization as a whole and the individuals participating in it.
The Benefits of Collaborative Learning: organization.
- Improves abilities to control and lead oneself.
- Enhances the abilities and understanding of the workforce.
- Enhances collaboration and communication among different teams and departments.
- Enhances the ability to learn and remember information.
- Enhances employee retention and fosters active participation in the workplace.
The Benefits of Collaborative Learning: Individual
- Transforms the learning experience into an engaged and dynamic process.
- Encourages acquiring knowledge through the perspectives of others.
- It educates individuals on the skills of making thoughtful and rapid judgments.
- Encourages receiving critique and recommendations.
- Enhances the ability to communicate effectively through public speaking and attentive listening.
- Improves cooperation.
Examples of Collaborative Learning
There are numerous methods to encourage cooperative learning within an organization.
- Evaluating training systems: Pair less experienced employees with more experienced ones within teams or departments. Collaborate with them to assess the current training systems, identify any shortcomings, and propose effective updates to enhance the training experience for both the organization and its employees.
- Solving problems across teams: Gather different groups and provide them with a challenge to address. This could involve the process of creating a new aspect for a product, implementing modifications on an already existing software, or establishing a fresh training program. Start by providing a general description of the outcomes you desire, and then allow the teams to handle the task. In conclusion, the teams will showcase their creations, explain their decision-making process, and provide a detailed overview of their strategies to successfully complete the assignment.
- Developing new products: Collaborative learning is of great advantage when it comes to the development of new products. Teams have the ability to collaborate and find suitable areas of focus, generate innovative ideas, and develop preliminary plans for new products. After showcasing their products, engaging in a question and answer segment can contribute to further developing the idea. This allows them to justify their ideas, address criticism, and refine their presentation.
- Clarifying ideas to other departments: Instruct the different departments to develop a presentation wherein they can share their knowledge and expertise with their counterparts in other departments. They ought to showcase their work, elaborate on the challenges they tackle, and share ongoing ideas they are currently developing. Additional departments will engage in a session where questions are asked and answered. They will share their insights to help resolve ongoing problems, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the overall functioning of the organization.
- Establish a community of learners who work together and share information: A collaborative learning community encourages people to work together in solving problems, emphasizes open communication, and provides ample opportunities for individuals to both learn from and teach others. If an organization consistently offers these opportunities, it will establish a community focused on collaborative learning, where individuals will actively engage in collaborative learning. Clear instructions, a defined objective, moderate-sized groups consisting of three to five people, and adaptable rules are characteristic of effective collaborative learning activities. These characteristics permit groups to explore and innovate while fostering open communication.
Collaborative Learning Theories
Although collaborative learning theories may have slight variations, the overarching concept is that learning is inherently a social activity. This means that learning is facilitated through communication, problem-solving, and the desire to comprehend the world around us.
Collaborative Learning Vygotsky
The theory of social learning by Lev Vygotsky highlights the significance of social interaction in the process of learning and cognitive development.
He held the belief that community played a crucial role in the formation of significance and understanding.
Vygotsky's theory believes that learning is influenced by social and cultural factors, suggesting that personal growth is not possible without being influenced by the surrounding social and cultural environment.
He suggested that speech has a significant impact on the formation of ideas, as engaging in conversations with individuals who possess more knowledge is essential for enhancing comprehension and cognitive abilities.
The Zone of Proximal Development is a significant element of Vygotsky's theory of social learning.
This concept suggests that when you envision someone's abilities as zones, there exists a middle zone called the zone of proximal development. This zone represents what an individual is capable of learning but requires support to achieve.
New skills that are in the process of being developed can be found within this area. If a person has the opportunity to learn from others, they will acquire the skills that are within their zone of proximal development.
Vygotsky additionally created the notion of the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO).
A More Knowledgeable Other refers to an individual who possesses the information or expertise that the learner is attempting to acquire. This could be a parent, teacher, or older individual, but it could also be someone of the same age group.
A learner can witness desired behaviors being demonstrated or obtain crucial information by engaging with this individual.
Vygotsky referred to this as collaborative dialogue, where the learner actively seeks knowledge, incorporates the information shared by someone more knowledgeable, and applies it to their own actions.
Individuals who possess a greater level of understanding and expertise in a certain subject or skill can assist the learner in navigating and learning within their Zone of Proximal Development.
Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory
Jean Piaget embarked on a quest to comprehend the process through which infants and children acquire knowledge about their surroundings, and how they gain the ability to utilize logical thinking and speculation to form hypotheses.
According to his theory, as children develop, they gradually form a comprehension of the world they live in. Along the way, they encounter situations where their understanding doesn't match their actual experiences. To address these inconsistencies, they adjust their thinking patterns and reorganize their mental processes.
Piaget created the idea of 'schemas,' which he described as units of knowledge, the fundamental elements enabling individuals to arrange information and comprehend intricate notions.
In English language, he described a schema as a coherent and recurring series of actions with closely linked components, all guided by a central meaning.
He held the belief that certain schemas are innate, like the natural sucking reflex seen in newborns, while others are learned through personal experiences.
Piaget believed that a person's cognitive development was linked to the amount and complexity of their schemata.
As children grow, they rely on their mental frameworks to make sense of the world through the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation occurs when a child applies their existing framework to understand a new object, situation, or interaction. On the other hand, accommodation takes place when a child realizes that their existing framework is inadequate and undergoes a modification to better comprehend the new object.
Piaget theorized that the drive for equilibrium is what propels development. Equilibrium refers to the state where a child's existing knowledge can incorporate new information easily. However, when this balance is disrupted, the child experiences discomfort known as disequilibrium. To alleviate this discomfort, the child seeks to make adjustments through a process called accommodation, ultimately acquiring new knowledge through this process.
Piaget believed that in order for assimilation and accommodation to occur, the learner must be actively engaged. The child must actively explore and seek out problem-solving abilities. It is through interacting with both the physical and social surroundings that the child learns and develops.
Piaget's cognitive development process consists of four stages.
Piaget introduced a process of cognitive development consisting of four stages that he considered necessary for learning to take place.
- Sensorimotor: During the period from birth until two years old, children develop the ability to create mental representations. During this stage, a child begins to develop a concept of object permanence.
- Preoperational: Symbolic thinking develops between the ages of two and seven.
- The concrete operational stage: Between the ages of seven and eleven, children start to employ logical reasoning to problem solve mentally, as opposed to relying on physical experience or memorizing concepts.
- The formal operational stage: At the age of eleven, a stage starts where individuals can achieve complete logical thinking, enabling them to solve intricate hypotheses.
Piaget vs Vygotsky. The main difference
Although Piaget and Vygotsky shared the belief that cognitive development occurs in distinct stages and is influenced by both genetics and environment, they held contrasting perspectives on certain important aspects.
Piaget argued that children independently propel their own cognitive development by their inherent inclination to adjust to new encounters, while Vygotsky contended that it is social interaction that propels children's cognitive development.
Piaget believed that children achieve optimal learning through self-discovery and active engagement, while Vygotsky emphasized that instruction and guidance are essential for a child's learning process.
Vygotsky proposed that cognitive development is influenced by various cultures and historical periods, whereas Piaget believed it to be a universal process.
Piaget believed that the stages of development are fixed, but children will only engage in learning when they are prepared. On the other hand, Vygotsky maintained that development can be expedited through the utilization of the zone of proximal development and the presence of more knowledgeable individuals.
Piaget believed that cognitive development led to language, while Vygotsky believed that language played a crucial role in cognitive development.
A study conducted by Freund in 1990 suggests that children who receive guided instruction within Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development demonstrate better comprehension compared to children who learn independently within Piaget's discovery learning framework.
Kegan's theory of cognitive development
The above theories focus on the cognitive development of children. It was previously believed that cognitive development ceased around the age of 25, but some individuals now argue that it continues throughout a person's lifetime.
Robert Kegan suggested that individuals have the ability to consistently enhance the frameworks they employ to interpret the world by altering their interactions with it.
He formulated a model comprising of five phases that highlight the shift from an individual's perspective (I am) to a materialistic perspective (I have).
Kagan claims that the subject framework lacks the ability to engage in self-reflection due to its strong attachment to personal perspectives, making it difficult for objectivity to be achieved.
This framework may encompass one's beliefs, actions, and underlying assumptions about the world.
The object framework enables an individual to disconnect from an idea, analyze it, and approach it from a neutral standpoint. Kegan suggests that this process of shifting perspectives contributes to the growth of cognitive abilities.
To put it simply, Kagan's theory suggests that as individuals grow older, they progress to more advanced levels of growth and maturity.
This implies cultivating an individual identity and acquiring the characteristics linked to wisdom and emotional growth.
An individual who has reached a mature level of growth possesses discipline over their conduct, possesses self-knowledge, and demonstrates advanced capability in handling interpersonal connections and the societal aspects influencing them.
Kegan’s five stages are:
1. Impulsive mind:
In the early years of a child's life, their actions are guided by their impulses.
2. Imperial mind:
Topic: Human desires and perceptions - The subject of human desires, interests, and needs is closely tied to impulses and perceptions.
This phase is known as adolescence, although there are adults who still stay in this stage.
All interactions between individuals are based on exchanges, with personal gain being the main motivation behind every action.
External consequences, rather than internal convictions, dictate the course of actions.
3. Socialized mind:
Topic: The Importance of Mutual Interpersonal Relationships in Meeting Needs and Wants - In regards to the topic of mutual interpersonal relationships, it is essential to acknowledge that every individual possesses their own set of needs, interests, and wants.
According to Kegan, the majority of individuals find themselves in this particular phase.
In this phase, our interactions with others, including individuals, social groups, and the broader society, greatly influence our thoughts and opinions about ourselves.
The socially accepted way of life takes precedence over individual preferences when it comes to a person's mindset.
4. Self-authoring mind:
Topic: Self-definition and interpersonal relationships - Sentence: Self-definition and personal autonomy involve mutual interpersonal relationships.
At this point, an individual has the ability to define themselves.
They are not influenced by societal opinions and will independently determine their own identities, beliefs, and conduct.
5. Self-transforming mind:
Subject: It is very simple - Object: It possesses its own definition and independence.
Kegan holds the belief that only one percent of adults achieve this stage.
During stage 5, the perception of oneself is not fixed but can adapt and respond continuously to new information, interactions, and experiences that are being assimilated.
Summary:
In any organization, it is desirable to provide employees with the necessary resources for their progression to higher levels.
Promoting progress within a company has been shown to bring about various advantages such as enhanced productivity, improved staff retention, and greater employee contentment.
Moving into the higher levels requires possessing traits such as inquisitiveness, analytical thinking, and willingness to embrace novel ideas and principles, all of which are valuable qualities to nurture in a team of employees.