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Parents and teachers often frown upon the idea of collaborative learning. They feel students will waste their time talking more and studying less. Yet, research has indicated that discussing a topic that is being learnt leads to better retention.
Students who study in solitude may have their own techniques of retention. But no one can remember vast amounts of information learnt in solitude. Unless of course, the learnt matter is put into practice.
Students when learning may not really always write down what they learnt. They might not develop alternate skills that could enhance their understanding of the subject. Some students might do mock-presentations of what they learnt to an invisible audience. Some of them might do mock-teachings. But these things are not necessarily done without motivation. Here is where collaborative learning comes in.
When studying in groups, students automatically put into practice what they learnt by speaking about the topics of study to fellow study-members. A discussion about a topic creates a lot of opinions amongst many people. They start to explain their version of the concept. At the end of it all, a student can actually go and write an exam without even reading a word.
Collaborative learning is much more than studying in groups. It often works with the backdrop of a sound technological infrastructure. It could include online learning forums, discussion groups, communities of practice, knowledge management tools, and much more.
Collaborative learning is not restricted to educational institutions. It can be applied to corporates too.
