CO LABOUR

All learners must engage actively together towards stated objectives. If one group member watches them it is not collaborative learning. Thiagi (www.thiagi.com) often says that there can be no passengers in a game. If there are, then the entire game becomes a flop. All students must contribute equally.

If one person is watching the others complete a group task, then it is not collaborative learning. Elizabeth Barkley and colleagues (www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Learning-Techniques-Handbook-College/dp/0787955183) say that the meaning of the Latin based word collaborate shines through as clearly today as in antiquity: to co-labour. Equitable engagement is an important element.

However it is useful to consider learning styles of the learners here. Whether all members receive the same group task or different tasks, all learners must contribute more or less equally.

I say this because recently we had an experience where a participant dropped out of a programme that we conducted commenting it consisted of too many small group activities. On hindsight, I wondered whether the tasks that the learner received in the small group activity could have been planned better.
Nevertheless co labour is still insufficient. The third feature of collaborative learning – meaningful learning should take place. We will discuss it in the next post.

Comments

enngeyoo yeppo ooo said…
Some participant prefer content and concepts and small group discussion for them is waste of time and its trainers tactice to cover the time.

However as per Malcolm Knowls adult learners prefer active participation and involvement.
5:59 PM
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