2013年5月15日星期三

Session V Collborative learning


Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which students team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful project. Cooperative learning is a specific kind of collaborative learning. Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximise their own and each other’s learning (Johnson & Johnson, 1999:5). Cooperative learning advocates that students learn from each other in the learning process, and exchange learning experiences with each other, in order to increase the efficiency of learning.

In this lesson, I tried to use Google docs for collaborative learning. During the editing process, the operation of each group member will be seen by other members timely. Besides, by looking at the revision history, everyone can see which part of the document is modified, which person and when change it. Teachers also can observe the progress online at any time and give some guidance to every member. Therefore, using Google docs can stimulate learners’ motivation and creativity; increase their ability to communicate with others, also can effectively improve the learning efficiency. Google docs provide learners with an open collaborative learning environment.

Blog can effectively encourage the students to participate in not only reading and commenting on teachers' or other students’ logs but also more importantly for the ability to set their own topics and thus share their own thoughts with others by building their own logs. Such type of Blog can be assessed both inside and outside school and can enable more learners to participate in group learning. Besides, teachers cultivate their students' ability to learn collaboratively through this method. Teachers can provide a project or topic for their students to participate in together. Collaborative learning refers to all relevant collaborative and mutual help behaviors committed by the students in participating in as teams to achieving their common learning targets and maximize their own and others' learning outcomes under a certain incentive mechanism. It is a learning method conforming to the modern teaching methods and approaches based on the learning theories of constructivism and humanism. Teachers can propose a project or topic at regular intervals for their students divided into groups or all students to together participate in discussion. And those not in the class can also participate in to express their viewpoints and opinions. In the discussion, open-minding can be achieved and knowledge provided by others can be drunk to perfect the students themselves and also increase the ability to learn collaboratively.


Reference:
Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R. T. (1999) Learning together and alone: cooperative, competitive and individualistic learning.  Boston, Mass: Allyn and Beacon.

1 条评论:

  1. The good point is that there there are deffernces between Collaborative Learning and Cooperative learning.

    Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which students team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful project. A group of students discussing a lecture or students from different schools working together over the Internet on a shared assignment are both examples of collaborative learning.

    Cooperative learning is a specific kind of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. They are individually accountable for their work, and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. Cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team.

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