LESSON 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer

LESSON 13:Cooperative Learning with the Computer

 Singapore has set the global pace for student-centered learning with a 2:1 (2 pupils with one computer) ratio in its masterplan for IT in Education. This shows that even in other progressive countries, the 1:1: pupil-computer ratio is still an ideal to be achieved. Reality therefore dictates that schools face the fact that each classroom, especially in public or government schools, may not be equipped with the appropriate number of computers.

          The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools. But the situation may not be that bad since there are motivational and social benefits to cooperative learning and these can compensate for lack of hardware that educators face.

 Defining cooperative learning

            Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, 5 elements are needed:

1. A common goal

2. Interdependence

3. Interaction

4. Individual accountability

5. Social skills

          Therefore not every group work is cooperative learning since students working on their work sheets physically sat around a table may be working together without these features of cooperative learning.

From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it:

(a) Encourage active learning, while motivating students

(b) Increases academic performance

(c) Promotes literacy and language skills

(d) Improves teacher effectiveness

          In addition, there are studies show 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

    Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student’s social skills.

            Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. And given the option to work individually or in a group, the students generally wish to work together in computer-based and non-computer-based activities. Reflecting on this phenomenon, psychologists think the computer fosters this positive social behavior due to the fact that 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 (at times called promotive) learning.

Components of cooperative learning

            Educators are still wary about the computer’s role in cooperative learning. Thus they pose the position that the use of computers do not automatically result in cooperative learning. There therefore assign the teacher several tasks in order to ensure collaborative learning. These are:

· Assigning students to mixed-ability teams

· Establishing positive interdependence

· Teaching cooperative social skills

· Insuring individual accountability, and

· Helping groups process information

          These are in addition to assigning a common work goal in which each member of the group will realize that their group will not succeed unless everyone contributes to the groups’ success. It is also important for the teacher limits learning group clusters (six is the ideal number in a group) so there can be closer involvement in thinking and learning.

Cooperative learning using computer is gives an idea to do such thing which we did not probably encounter in our lives. Like my experience in doing projects in computer is not enough to do my task well, but I take my IT subject and through the effort of my classmates to guide and teach me how to do such task, now I can able to make my own project. Also, cooperative learning will lessen the task of the teacher to individually teach them

Cooperation in doing computer activities is important this well help student who are not yet expert in handling computer, cooperative work also encourages students active learning as well as motivating them to boost their performance and increase their social skills through social interaction between each group. As teacher in the future I will engage my students to have a collaborative work like in physics topic that in order to understand fully the concepts and ideas behind it, we should give or show the some simulation and other techniques which requires computer as a medium of instruction. Cooperative learning also allows asking their companion some queries and can share their ideas about it.

Through cooperative and active participation I can now do such thing that is very useful in my studies like for example that before I don’t know how to do even a simple PowerPoint but, through the guidance and support of my classmates I can now make my own presentation doing researches which I didn’t do usually before because the most reason is I don’t know how to handle a computer before