What are the benefits of collaboration in education?

In this blogpost, we will be discussing the many benefits of collaboration in education. We shall also be looking at the different levels of collaboration in an educational institute and explain what collaborative learning actually is. Collaboration is essential in every sector, not only in business organizations, but also in the non-profit sector and most importantly, education.

What are the benefits of collaboration in education?

The different benefits of collaboration in education are:

• It boosts creativity in the classroom
• It increases the self-awareness of students
• It improves academic achievement
• It teaches critical thinking skills
• It also develop interpersonal skills

Through the method of collaboration in the classroom, students can learn far more than just academic concepts. It also prepares them for the real world outside, since collaboration skills are being required by all employers and recruiters. Through collaborative techniques, students also develop a better attitude towards learning itself. The various benefits are discussed as follows:

It boosts creativity in the classroom

When students deeply collaborate with each other, they are encouraged to throw in their ideas and suggestions that may seem ‘wild’ or unconventional. This might not happen in traditional classrooms, where the participation of students is much lesser as compared to a collaborative classroom.

It increases the self-awareness of students

Collaborative learning also improves the self-awareness of students. Self-awareness is highly essential for the personal development of any individual. Through better self-awareness, students can understand their strengths as well as their weaknesses. This can be further developed by constant interactions and constructive feedback from other students.

It improves academic achievement

Learning concepts and theories are always better when done in a social setting. Collaborative learning can even make dry theories and subjects fun and interesting. Students not only learn the theory from books and the teacher but also from their peers and their unique points of view on the subject. This can greatly enrich the knowledge retention in the students’ minds.

It teaches critical thinking skills

Critical thinking can only be developed by continuous practice. Through collaborative learning, students can sharpen their critical thinking skills by healthy discussions and debates. Through discussions, students can explore topics from different perspectives and also learn about real-life applications. Thus, the learning becomes a lot more holistic in nature.

It also develop interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills also can be sharpened through collaborative learning. When students are learning together, they learn to communicate thoughts and feelings in a clearer and more concise manner. They can also learn to give feedback in an honest yet respectful manner, and also learn to receive feedback positively.

Since collaboration in classrooms yields these great benefits, it is considered highly important. Educators and instructors are increasingly applying this approach in order to create a positive and supportive environment for learning. Since collaboration increases academic achievements, parents also support it highly. Collaboration also leads to other advantages like:

It brings students and teachers closer together

Collaboration in the classroom does greatly improve the relationship between students. It also improves the student-teacher relationship. As teachers are nothing but facilitators and guides in this whole process, the students learnt to fend for themselves and depend on the teachers for doubt clarification. Thus, the teacher is not seen as a hostile role, but friendlier and approachable.

It promotes the acceptance and understanding of diversity

Understanding and celebrating diversity is highly essential today, as organizations are becoming more global. Teams are being filled with individuals from various geographical locations and cultural backgrounds. Without understanding diversity, there might be conflicts in the team. However, collaboration can improve the understanding of diversity, and use it as an asset.

It brings an active approach to learning

In traditional classrooms, the students have a more passive approach to learning. They are expected to listen and understand theories and concepts from an external source. This is not the case in collaborative learning, where the students are highly active in the learning and read and educate themselves through different resources.

It teaches responsibility and accountability

In collaborative learning, the students take responsibility for their learning and also that of the others in the group. Since there is high interdependence in the group for grasping concepts, the students take more responsibility and also show more accountability in their tasks. In addition, the students are transparent and concise in their work.

It also teaches the importance of cooperation

Since students are responsible for the learning of others, they learn the importance of cooperation and helping. While collaboration is when individuals work together to achieve a shared goal, cooperation occurs when students help each other achieve their own personal goals. Through collaborative learning, students learn to become more responsible citizens in the future.

It improves the method of assessments

Assessments and evaluations in the educational setting have always been criticized for being too objective and not taking the individualities of the students into consideration. This can change with collaborative learning where the individual capabilities of the students and how they use them in a group setting, is given a lot of importance.

It increases the attendance of students

Students may skip school as they find some class uninteresting and pointless. However, with collaborative learning, students find classes fun and engaging. They have individual roles and responsibilities to fulfill, and thus show better attendance in classrooms which employ collaborative learning techniques.

Levels of collaboration in an educational institute

The collaboration in educational institutes is not only restricted to students but also extends beyond the classroom. The various levels at which collaboration takes place in an educational institute are explained in this section:

Student collaboration

This is the most important type of collaboration in an educational institution. Here, students work together closely in order to learn concepts and theories. They also help each other learn better by brainstorming ideas, having healthy debates, role-playing as well as giving constructive criticism. This requires skills like communication skills, interpersonal skills, empathy, etc.

Parent-institute collaboration

While the students are those who require collaboration the most, their parents also can enhance their educational process by collaborating with the school administration. It has been found that when parents are actively involved in their students’ education, it can improve the test scores as well as the attendance of students in the classroom.

Admin-teacher collaboration

The administration and the teachers also need to collaborate effectively to improve the performance of the educational institute as a whole. This is not only beneficial for students but also the teachers. Through administration and teacher collaboration, a supportive community-like environment can be created for the educators, equipped with resources as well as moral support.

Teacher collaboration

Teachers also need to collaborate together to implement collaborative learning techniques among the students. In this approach, several instructors may be involved in the teaching of a particular subject. And thus, it is important that they all are on the same page on the progress of the teaching. This can also allow them to share information and sharpen their skills as teachers.

What is collaborative learning?

In collaborative learning, two or more students work together in order to understand a particular concept or subject better. They share information, tools, resources as well as browse ideas and different perspectives, to enhance the learning itself. The collaborative learning will also assign individual roles and responsibilities to the students as part of the process.

This approach to learning is largely preferred as it gets the students actively involved in the learning process. It not only improves the grasping capacity of the students, but also increases their knowledge retention abilities. Collaborative learning can additionally teach students other important skills like interpersonal skills, oral communication, conflict-resolution skills, etc.

Conclusion

In this blogpost, we have discussed the many benefits of collaboration in education. We have also looked at the different levels of collaboration in an educational institute and explained what collaborative learning actually is.

Frequently asked questions: (What are the benefits of collaboration in education?)

What are the advantages of peer to peer learning over teacher student collaborative learning?

Peer learning has many advantages for students as well as teachers. Some of the most important advantages of peer learning are:

It leads to better grades

Through peer to peer learning, students can grasp concepts faster and retain knowledge for longer periods of time. Thus, it leads to more academic achievement and eventually better grades. This is why school administrators and parents alike support peer to peer teaching. Students also benefit by learning from their own peers rather than other resources.

 

It improves student engagement

Student engagement is also high in peer to peer learning. This solves the problem of low levels of participation and engagement in students that many teachers have to face. When students are more engaged in the learning, their attendance is better and so is their role in active learning in the classroom.

It brings about a love of learning

When students learn through peer to peer teaching, they have a better love of learning. They are more active in the learning process and also have a responsibility in the classroom. They also can learn concepts in a more fun and interactive manner. Due to this, students improve their attitudes to learning.

It increases self-confidence and self-esteem

Peer to peer teaching can highly boost self-confidence and self-esteem in both the tutors and the tutees. While tutoring someone else, the student learns to use their strengths in a productive and worthwhile manner. They may also learn about strengths and skills they never had before. Since it greatly enhances self-awareness in students, peer to peer teaching improves self-confidence.

It reduces the workload for teachers

Teachers and instructors can also greatly experience lesser workloads when they employ peer to peer teaching in the classroom. They however, need to impart the right skills for the students, and also facilitate and supervise the process closely in order to ensure effectiveness. Still, peer to peer teaching can greatly help in reducing workloads and make the learning process fulfilling.

What are the benefits of collaboration?

The important benefits of collaboration are:

• It improves the decision-making process
• It boosts employee morale in the organization
• It can make remote-working smoother
• It makes problem-solving easier
• It increases individual productivity

Why is it important to collaborate with other educators?

When teachers and educators collaborate with each other, they can share information and other resources. They can form a community where they learn more and develop their skills. Through collaboration, teachers can greatly improve the learning process and also develop the classroom atmosphere.

Why is collaboration important in college?

Collaboration is greatly useful for college students, while being challenging at the same time. Through collaboration, students can understand their peers better and also develop their interpersonal skills. In this manner, college students can easily prepare themselves for the work environment where their collaboration skills would be much needed.

Citations

https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/benefits-collaboration

https://www.gdrc.org/kmgmt/c-learn/44.html

https://www.eduflow.com/blog/some-major-benefits-of-collaborative-learning-supported-by-science

Importance of collaborative learning in the classroom

https://classroom.synonym.com/advantages-collaboration-education-19763.html

Collaborative learning: how can it help your students?

https://study.com/academy/lesson/benefits-of-collaboration-in-the-classroom.html

https://www.nuiteq.com/company/blog/why-is-collaborative-learning-important