Lesson 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer Conten

Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who worked together in a common learning task. It is also called as group learning but to be truly cooperative learning it must have these 5 elements: common goal, interdependence, interaction, individual accountability and social skills. From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it: encourage active learning, while motivating students; increases academic performances, promotes literacy and language skills and improves teacher effectiveness. In addition, there are studies shows that cooperative learning enhances personal and social development among students of all ages, while enhancing self-esteem and improving social relations between racially 

and culturally different students.

Cooperative Learning and the Computer

        Studies showed that when students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. Psychologists think that computer fosters this positive social behavior due to the fact it has a display monitor-- just like a television set—that is looked upon as something communal. Therefore researchers agree that the computer is a fairly natural learning vehicle for cooperative learning.

Components of Cooperative Learning

        The following are the things that the teacher must do to ensure collaborative learning and these are: assign the students to mixed-ability teams, establish positive interdependence, teach cooperative social skill, insure individual accountability and help group process information.

Experience

        Computers are seen as destruction in developing the social/ interpersonal skill of most young children but that’s not true. I’ve been experiencing a lot of school activities or school requirements that requires computer, but I’ve done it together with my classmates. One time, we were asked to construct a poem but it should be in pair. It should also be encoded and of course print it. So by this activity, we were able to work together to have a good poem. Another one which is very common especially to those college students; the reporting, in which it connects to making a PowerPoint presentation. Most of the time reporting is done in pairs; so this kind of activity requires cooperation with your partner. We must plan on how we are going to present the topic, the information we are going to put in the PowerPoint, and the activities that we are going to give to the audience. Through this not just the cognitive skill was developed but also our social skill.