During the day children sit in class going over material that their teacher has planned out for them. Either through lecture or memorization most children will learn the material given. Children learn in different ways and this application may work well for some children. Generally when a child memorizes material he does not retain the information for very long. In recent years more teachers are leaning toward a concept called collaborative learning.
Collaborative learning is a term that is used when more than two students come together to study. Students are given a topic to learn and give different perspectives to the other students. Sometimes difficult for teachers and students in the beginning, it will help students understand materials easier than lecturing. There are many benefits to collaborative learning. If this tool is used effectively the outcome can be very rewarding to both teachers and students.
The idea is to place students together who otherwise would not choose one another. This creates a better understanding of diversity among the students. Being in these groups imitates real life employment and social involvement. This is more closely related to how employees act at work or how you would function in certain social situations. In this respect it also enhances oral communication skills for children who may be shy or introverted, which in turn builds self-esteem for children who did not previously possess it.
When students are learning in this type of setting, it cultivates deep thinking skills by allowing children to really learn the material opposed to memorizing it. Once children see how other students present their information they may understand the material better than when they went over the same material themselves. This reduces the student’s fears of testing if they feel they are part of the whole class. In most cases this type of learning will also promote leadership skills to all students who actively participate. Once the students get the idea of how to conduct themselves, your class will be less disruptive by staying on the topic.