Collaborative Learning

Hello there Bloggers, this will be my last blog for this term and I will finish by discussing collaborative learning. I will be exploring the challenges of adopting collaboration in the classroom, by also looking at the importance of the teacher’s role, for an overall idea on how collaborative learning has an impact on primary education.

Collaboration is beneficial in education as children are working together, learning and coming across new opportunities as part of a team. According to Dillenbourg et al (1999), collaborative learning is an, “Active engagement and interaction among group members to be able to achieve a common goal” (1999, p. 1). This highlights how communicating with one another enables new ideas to flourish, which enhances the ability to reach the target as more than one opinion is explored. Donaldson (2015) agrees, by commenting on how good teaching and learning encourages collaboration in the classroom as social skills are promoted, through thinking and sharing. Children might have different opinions and answers towards learning, however, by having the opportunity to express these ideas, children are able to look at different views and explore new ideas, putting them into situations where they will be confronted with opposing views. This will require negotiation which will have an impact on their overall learning as children become creative thinkers (Austin, 2000). Communication is key for children to be able to make sense out of an experience, as Lloyd and Beard (1995) discuss how talk is vitally important and one of the main tools used to interpret, communicate, and work through to have a clear understanding of a topic, as children might not understand the way a teacher has delivered this. Being able to speak to other children about the topic will have a positive impact on their understanding, by allowing them to discover and express a wider depth of learning. Barnes (1976) agrees by expressing how learning to communicate is at the heart of education, highlighting how children understand education in adventurous, fascinating ways, which at times is from speaking to others as they express emotion.

Historically, education has evolved in society and through this we see how collaboration has been influenced in teaching and learning styles. This is seen in areas such as the classroom, where children used to be sat in rows in non-colourful rooms, where no communication was taking place and children were not able to share (Barnes, 1976).  This had an unenthusiastic impact on education as children were not having the opportunity to be open- minded and the freedom to discover. However, in today’s society the design of schools and the classrooms speaks echoes about education’s view on collaboration. This has a positive impact on a child’s confidence in learning as classes have now influenced the design of round tables, where children can communicate by facing one another and have the use of eye contact. Lenard and Lenard (2001) aptly noted how the emphasis of individual efforts has shifted to make room for group work in education. However, Lloyd and Beard (1995) differs from this by commenting on how working collaboratively in the classroom is no means of a new idea, and believes that children and teachers working together have always had a place in education. This is influenced by Vygotsky (1978) theory as he noted that social interaction between one another was at the core of a child’s development process. The emphasis of togetherness and working within a team however, has increased immensely and is now seen as a norm in the world of education (Austin, 2000).

There has been a variety of research into collaborative learning in education, and the impact it has on children’s social and personal development. Studies show children have more of a connection, achieving a deeper and more flexible understanding when working in groups, where more in depth and a stronger process of learning is taking place. Children are also having fun and an enjoyable experience of learning together (Welch, 1998). On the other hand, this research does specify for everyone as some children do prefer to work on their own, as they become distracted from others, losing control of their attention span. Barron (2000) however, has researched into this and comments on how children who do participate and take part in a learning task tent to achieve and perform better assessed than those who working individually, which answers the question to whether or not collaboration has an impact in primary schools. The importance of children being faced with challenges and experiences will support and guide them for later life, as Kutnick and Thomas (1990) highlights how children who work in pairs perform significantly better in school than they would if they worked by themselves, it seems that it does not matter to them whether they are in equal or unequal matched pairing. This is essential for children, to be able to experience sitting and talking to others who they do not have much of a connection with, as everyone is not going to get along. Having the experience of working together in schools will impact their self-assurance for now and in the future of the workplace, by preparing them for a society which is built on collaboration.

It is significantly important for teachers to have a positive mindset and the skills on how to facilitate collaborative learning effectively outside and inside the classroom. The best planning is likely to take place in teachers who are able to work together to plan lessons, identifying and developing resources as well as addressing requirements, achievements and outcomes. However, placing children together with a piece of text or an engaging task takes scaffolding, where teachers will need to teach;

·                     Listening skills
·         Negotiation
·         Group agreements
·         Model behaviour
·         Artful questioning
 

Educators cannot always monitor children’s behaviour and work when they are in small groups, it is then their responsibility to be able to ensure the group activity is beneficial towards their learning, and engaging for every child to participate and have a role.  There are a variety of opportunities where a teacher could influence collaborative learning, through tasks such as problem solving where children would need to work together, to help and support each other through skills such as communication, decision making and flexibility. The play ground also offers collaborative learning, where children can be freed to be imaginative and creative together, through fantasy play. Garvey (1984) expressed how teacher’s who create these possibilities expose children to new learning and experiences, by commenting on how children can learn from others, then learn for themselves, “What others first did for the child and the child next learned to do for himself, speaking aloud as did others, he has now learned to do for himself” (1984, p. 215). Children are able to better understand and anticipate difference, being able to recognise this in themselves and others, and use this to an advantage. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZqFYtWCWXg << This video is very useful as it links to collaboration. We seen a child trying to build a tower with blocks becoming frustrated as they keep falling down. However, a friend comes over and offers help, they begin to work together through sharing ideas and thoughts, finally another child gets involved to make the tower as tall as it can be, this was not possibly without all three of them – it was a group effort that enabled them to build it.

Reference List

Austin, J. E. (2000) ‘Principles for Partnership, Journal of Leader to Leader’, 18 (2), pp. 44-50.

Barnes, D. (1976) From Communication to curriculum. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Barron, B. (2000) 'Achieving Coordination in Collaborative Problem-Solving Groups

', Journal of the Learning Sciences, 9(4), pp. 403-436.

Dillenbourg, P. (1999) Collaborative learning: Cognitive and Computational approaches: Advances in Learning and Instruction. London: Pergamon.

Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful futures: Independent review of curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Available at: file:///C:/Users/Acer/Downloads/Donaldson%20Report%20-%20Successful%20Futures%20-%20Independent%20Review%20of%20Curriculum%20and%20Assessment%20Arrangements%20in%20Wales%20(5).pdf (Accessed 29 November 2017) 

Garvey, C. (1984) Children’s Talk. London: Fontana.

Kutnick, P. and Thomas, M. (1990) ‘Dyadic pairings for the enhancement of cognitive development in the school curriculum’, British Educational Research Journal, 16(4), pp. 1-26.

Leonard and Leonard (2001) Achieving professional community in school: the administrator challenge, planning and changing, 36(1), pp.23-39.

Lloyd, C., & Beard, J. (1995) Managing classroom collaboration. Cassell Practical Handbooks. London: Cassell.

Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Welch, M. (1998) ‘Collaboration: Staying on the bandwagon’, Journal of Teacher Education, 49(1), pp. 26–38