Collaborative Learning In The Classroom – Being Parents

Collaborative learning in the classroom is a more and more frequently used strategy and tool today. This didactic strategy has a great impact on education worldwide and shows that educational structures are starting to be obsolete.

What is collaborative learning?

To understand what collaborative learning is, it is important to know that its pillars are based on social interaction. In other words,  this type of learning is based on group work and constant interactions between children or young people.

Collaborative learning in the classroom  primarily seeks to strengthen the skills and abilities of each student through interaction  and knowledge exchange with fellow students.

Benefits of collaborative learning in the classroom

This learning method constitutes a fundamental method for the learning of new generations. Collaborative learning in the classroom has many advantages and benefits at any level of study.

Among these advantages, we find the fact that it is a new modality that opens the door to learning in this era. Therefore, it represents a way of being motivated for the students.

In addition, as we mentioned previously,  collaborative learning is linked to collective work, that is to say in groups. Thanks to it, the child learns to interact with others.

This group work allows pupils and students to become protagonists of their learning and to learn to collaborate with each other to achieve a common goal. On this path, the individual skills of each will stand out.

In addition, collaborative learning in the classroom allows students to develop communication skills among themselves. These skills will be useful in the educational field but also in all areas of daily life.

Among the other advantages of the implementation of collaborative learning in the classroom, we also find  the development of the sense of responsibility, competition and leadership  of each of the children or young people. In addition, and this point is just as important, this method involves all the pupils without exception, which improves their self-esteem and their independence.

How to apply collaborative learning in the classroom

How to make the pupils feel motivated and want to learn? What can be done to strengthen the capacities of each one, in a group, and to ensure that they benefit from their abilities? How to promote interactions within the classroom?

There are many questions that can be asked about the education of children and young people. However, they all boil down to one answer: collaborative learning. So here’s a new question for those responsible for educating students:  How do you apply collaborative learning in the classroom?

It is the teacher who fundamentally has to lead the collaborative learning process. In other words, while it is true that students learn by collaborating with each other, they need a figure who guides, helps and motivates them to learn.

The teacher will be the person responsible for developing critical thinking in each student so that, subsequently, during group work, each student is able to analyze the points of view of his classmates in an objective manner.

Tips for applying collaborative learning in the classroom

Encourage communication and dialogue

In the learning dynamic, communication between students is fundamental. They should all be able to express themselves freely, not being afraid to share what they think. This serves to feel at ease in the school field, but also to develop the openness necessary to understand different points of view.

Organize groups

As we see, for this type of learning to be effective, it is important to organize working groups. Thus, it is helpful that each group’s constitution is fair and similar, even if all the students have different skills and abilities.

To sum up, collaborative learning in the classroom is fundamental in the era in which we live. This is really a very beneficial strategy, both for teachers and for students. Interweaving this method with others is a good way to keep students motivated and to leave old structures behind.