Cooperative Learning with the Computer

Defining Cooperative Learning

Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, five elements are needed:

1. a common goal
2. interdependence
3. interaction
4. individual accountability
5. social skills

Therefore not every group work is cooperative learning since students working on their work sheets physically sat around a table may be working together without these features of cooperative learning.

From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it:

(a) encourages active learning, while motivating students
(b) increases academic performance
(c) promotes literacy and language skills
(d) Improves teacher effectiveness

In addition, there are studies which shows that cooperative learning enhances personal and social development among students of all ages, while enhancing self esteem and improving social relations between racially and culturally different students.

Cooperative Learning and the Computer

Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student's social skills.
Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. And given the option to work individually or in group, the students generally wish to work together in computer-based and non-computer-based activities.

Therefore researchers agree that the computer is a fairly natural learning vehicle for cooperative (at times called promotive) learning.

Components of Cooperative Learning

Educators are still wary about the computers role in cooperative learning. Thus they pose the position that the use of computers do not automatically result in cooperative learning. Thus therefore assign the teacher several tasks in order to ensure collaborative learning. These are:

• Assigning students to mixed-ability teams
• Establishing positive interdependence
• Teaching cooperative social skills
• Insuring individual accountability, and
• Helping groups process information

These are in addition to assigning a common work goal in which each member of the group will realize that their group will not succeed unless everyone contributes to the groups success. It is also important for the teacher limits learning group clusters so that there can be closer involvement in thinking and learning.

ISSUE

Cooperative learning is learning with the groups, or group work. Aren't there debates in group work?

Group work is brainstorming. Every students have their own ideas based on how the way they see the situation or topic. Yes, most of the times there are debates in group work. We cant prevent this kind of situation. This is natural phenomena in every group work. Example, if there are six members in a group, there may be six ideas on that group in a particular topic. And for the teachers, they need to enlighten their students about the importance of being open-minded, learn from the ideas of others, and construct and outline their best ideas for their group to be strong. And in the end, it's on the students on how they deal with it.