COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

From the historical perspective we are now able to see that the world today is moving

ahead with the innovation of second language and it also evolves with various language teaching

methods to enhance the student with oral and mental proficiency rather than reading alone. It has

been estimated that some 60% of today’s world population is multilingual. It is fair to say that

throughout history foreign language has always been importance in concern. There are also other

methods of teaching the second language like Community Language Learning (CLL) developed

by Charles A. Curran and Cooperative Language Learning also known as Collaborative Learning

(CL). This article focuses on collaborative Learning method of teaching a second language.

Introduction

A distinction between cooperation and collaboration falls as a main component. The

distinction is based on different ideas of the role and participation of individual members in the

activity. Cooperative work is accomplished by the division of labour among participants. It is an

activity where each person is responsible for a portion of the problem solving, whereas

collaboration involves the mutual engagement of participants in a coordinated effort to solve the

problem together.

As Linda Ross states Collaborative learning or action research is a powerful form of staff

development because it is Practice to Theory rather than Theory to Practice. Teachers are

encouraged to reach their own solutions and conclusions and this is far more attractive and has

more impact than being presented with ideals which cannot be attained.
 Collaborative learning is also seen in two different perspectives. On the one hand

collaborative learning is distinctive socially based learning and on the alternative way

collaborative learning is not at all seen as a type of learning, but as a theory of instruction. It is

the method of learning where a student get the acquisition of new language is depending on the

previous learning. This term collaborative learning is used as a term that involves joint

intellectual effort by student or students and teachers. Thus, It is commonly demonstrated when

groups of students work together to search, understand or find solution for their learning. This

method ties up student-teacher relationship in the class. Study work, projects, problem solving,

debate, case study, oral presentation, panel discussion, …what not in all sorts of work we find

the activity of collaborativeness.

This method of teaching enhance good and healthy environment to the student and

certainly results in enthusiasm of the both. Teacher tends to see progress in the activities of

students and the class room acts as a base for students to interact one another. Collaborative

learning reduces the mental pressure of the student because the involvement of the teacher is

less. Here students play not only their roles but of others also. A group can be formed for any

subject matter in any discipline. It can be held anywhere in the field, laboratory, or it may be

wherever. Students take their role and help each other and in the mean while the unknown gets to

know from the known. Each and everybody’s point of view is taken for analysis by the peer

group and it leads to interpretation, translation, even the calmest person gets arena to voice out

his view of ideas loudly. Collaborative learning also builds a good team work and leadership

skill, time management and other skills also.

In a group work of collaborative learning certain strategies has to be followed by the group.
  The implementer of the plan should focus on the group and should plan for every stage of

the group work.

 The planer must give the skeletal system of the plan and should instruct how the group

will function accordingly and on what basis the students will be evaluated.

 Students should be taught with the skills they need to succeed in groups.

 The instructor has to monitor the groups progression in the time period according to the

subject matter (e.g. if it’s a project fortnight meeting of the instructor can be done).

 The assessment of their skills not only for knowledge but also for the developmental

progress in the student can be analyzed.

Collaborative learning is where students know their skills, their ability, can compare their

thinking with of others, investigate subject matter with other peer student, practice higher level

thinking or learning skills like discussing, negotiation, interpretation, organization, clarifying,

discarding, problem solving etc… certain skills get develop unknowing in the student when they

are involved deep in doing collaborative learning.

A single problem can be seen/ think in a multi- perspective. It leads to a various interpretations

and it when gets to the hands of students they analyze. It develops the creativity skill and critical

thinking etc… students take much easier the job when then work in a team. They put their

involvement and contribution. It is common that team work is done quiet easier than the

individual work.

This collaborative method of teaching can also reduce the anxiety to speak, perform in public,

promotes task management, reduces absenteeism in the class, gives some emotional bond
towards their team members, it also takes away gender and culture barriers and in a team it

matters less and peer gets respected as a co-team member.

Student – Student Collaboration

Collaborative learning not only allows students to engage deeply with content but also helps in

understanding themselves. It also helps in developing their interpersonal skills needed to be

successful in their careers. Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec (1993) state that collaborative

learning provides students with the opportunity to develop social skills. They found that many of

the outcomes that came from students were more than expected. There are umpteenth numbers of

instructional and learning strategies that encourage the students with collaborative learning.

Additionally these skills are important in preparing students for the world of work, where these

methods like collaborative learning, problem solving and group involvement are very much

important. Other than this there are peer reading, peer teaching, reciprocal learning, and team

learning and so on.

Collaborative inquiry, which combines many of the elements of the student collaboration just

mentioned, is a research-based strategy in which learners work together through various phase “

of planning, reflection, and action as they explore an issue or question of importance to the

group” (Goodnough, 2005 88).

Teacher – Student Collaborative learning

The purpose for collaboration in an educational setting is to learn and unpack content together to

develop a shared understanding. Harding Smith (1993) points out that collaborative learning

approach are based on the idea that learning must be social act. It is through interaction that

learning occurs. Johnson and Johnson (1986) emphasize that when students and teachers talk and
listen to each other. They gain deeper understanding not only with the content but also with the

student. Collaboration between student and teacher plays a critical role in helping students reflect

and engage in their own way of experience. It is heavily rooted in Vygotsky’s views that there

exists an inherent social nature of learning shown through his theory of zone of proximal

development.

This collaborative method of learning also has two sides like advantage and disadvantage. In the

self-selection of the students to form a group there will be someone left alone. And sometimes

group selection based on homogeneous with regard to ethnic and achievement level. So it

reinforce student stereotyping. In the case of heterogeneity there is a mixing of ability levels of

learning styles, student of various background change and mix genders and cultures in order to

break down barriers. In a group few may find it easier to remain silent and uninvolved.

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)

Computer –supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is one of the most promising innovation to

improve teaching and learning with the help of modern information and communication

technology. Collaborative or group learning refers to instructional methods whereby students are

encouraged or required to work together on learning task. Recent research on the role of

collaboration learning has deeper theoretical framework that could better guide the developing of

technology- aided learning environments. Collaborative learning appears to engage students to

participate in in-depth inquiry over substantial periods of time and to provide socially distributed

cognitive resource for comprehension monitoring and other Meta cognitive activities. Many

researchers have shown how very different technical application can be used to facilitate

collaborative and distributed teaching and learning include special network applications for
CSCL. Larger meta-analyses on the effectiveness of computers have shown that, in the majority

of experiments the use of technology has markedly improved the learning outcomes. These

studies do not, however, distinguish between different pedagogical ideas how computers have

been implemented in classrooms. Several empirical study and experiments offer evidence to

CSCL. Without computers also the same positive results can be achieved with help of

collaborative learning.

According to Slavin, research on cooperative learning can be considered as one of the greatest

success stories in the history of educational research. The amount and quality of that research in

the accelerated in the early 1970’s and is currently one of the most expanding topics in

educational research. Numerous studies have compared cooperative learning to traditional

teacher-centered studies and several theories have been presented to explain the mechanism

behind the observed gains in achievement. The other source of inspiration for developing

computer-supported collaborative learning originates from the research of collaborate /

cooperative work (CSCW). Collaboration “is a principle-based process of working together that

produces trust, integrity and break-through results by building true consensus, ownership and

alignment” (Marshall,1995).

Thus both the method is rising now days and this method really helps the students to achieve

their goals. Collaborative learning thus encapsules the idea of making student more

knowledgeable by moving on their way itself.

Bailey, K.M. 1985. ‘classroom-centered research on language teaching and learning’, in

M. Celce-murcia (ed.) foreign teaching assistants.

Baloche, L. 1998. The cooperative classroom. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Slavin. R.E. (1989), research on cooperative learning: An international perspective.

Scandinavian journal of educational research, 33(4), 231-243.

Johnson, R. T & Johnson, D.W. (1986). Action research : cooperative learning in the science

classroom. Science and children, 24(2),31-32