online assignment

1. ASSIGNMENT
PREPARED BY:
SARANYA.V.S
MATHEMATICS
REGISTER NO:13386005
STTC,MUCKOLAKKAL

2. AN ASSIGNMENT ON
CO-OPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE
LEARNING

3. CO-OPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Learning is the act of acquiring new,or modifying and reinforcing,exciting
knowledge,behavior,skill,values or preferences and may involve synthesizing ifferent
types of information.Learning is not compulsory.It is contextual.It does not happen all
at once.But builds upon and is shaped by what we already know.Learning produces
changes in the organisms and the changes produced are relatively permanent.
Cooperative and collaborative learning are two learning styles
recommended for sound learning as well as the development of the cognitive structure
and /or construction of knowledge.But it is found that most teachers are confused
about their styles of action.Manypeople,including educators and practitioners consider
these are synonyms. At the sametime certain other theorists conceive them as different
learning strategies though the basic nature is the same.Under these circumstances a
detailed discussion is warranted.
In olden days,in most of the classes the students remained as passive
recepients of what was exposed by the teachers.then also efficient teachers used to
arouse curiosity of the learners by asking questions so that they were motivated to
think. Gradually subsequent on theories of several educationists including Dewey the
learner’s role was changed to that of an active participant.Take for example,the project
method based on Dewey;s pragmatic philosophy.In that scheme all the learners have to
actively participate in a goal oriented task and get it completed.
Meanwhile Armstrong highlighted the need for maintaining heuristic spirit of
discovery ,he said should be made familiar to students through heuristic questions.The
idea fascinated the mathematics teacher more,as it being a logical since provided more
opportunity to create curiosity in the learners if problems were posed through
challenging heuristic questions.This spirit of discovery resulted in increasing the strength
of the participatory approach in learning by which children started co-operating in the
generation of the knowledge being transmitted.
Bruner was the strongest exponent of discovery approach.He declared that
learning should be “learn to learn” and the duty of the teacher is to facilitate ‘a shared
environment’ where pupils actively participate by raising doubts,sharing experience and

4. thus become active participants in the generation of knowledge which in turn enriched
the cognitive structure of the learner.
The result of such efforts was the popularization of the idea of the idea of
“participatory learning”.Different educationists suggested different styles of action but
the participatory nature of the role of the learner was stressed in all those
strategies.Whatever be the size of the class all the students in a class were expected to
participate.
A review of all that had happened was made here purposefully. Now the new strategies
of co-operative and collaborative learning are highlighted in curriculum transaction and
some people claim that this is something new and original.But these are really the result
of a gradual change in the outlook of educators and practitioners.Hence these
techniques of instruction can be well appreciated only if the history of the development
is traced.
During the 1960’s Johnson and Johnson highlighted the need for planning learning
by forming small groups where the learners co-operate and learn for themselves. All
these have resulted in collaborative learning and co-operative learning within small
groups for performing a given task.Thiis movement gained strength during the 1980’s
anmd 1990’s.Also many expert theorists and practitioners tried out the strategies in
groups of various sizes and have come to valid conclusions regarding the desirability of
including small number of participants in study groups.They have also suggested
strategies to be followed.RobertsH.S.Smith B.L and Mac Gregor are only a few among
them. Thus the general idea of participatory learning posed by the predicessors have
attained more scienfic temper and acceptability.
CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING
This is a tehniue in which small groups work together to reach an already fixed
target. Five essential qualities have been pointed out in co-operative learning .These are
1. Positive interdependence.
2. Face to face interaction

5. 3. Individual accountability
4. Structured activity.
5. Team work skills and group processes.
In tune with these qualities the member of a group get designated roles and
structured tasks to perform. The completion of the tasks assigned to a group warrants
interdependence among the members. Each member is accountable for the satisfactory
completion of the task.Thegroup together also will be accountable.
To cite an example,suppose a small project is taken up for collecting the data
required for graphical representation of certain phenomena.say,one set of graphs may
be to represent the distribution marks among the learners of a class,in the tests given
for continuous and comprehensive evaluation.Another graph may be for the
comparison of students belonging assigned to a small group. Each group is held
responsible for making the data collection,deciding upon the most appropriate graph
suited for the type of data collected,for drawing the graph,interpreting it etc.Each group
is entrusted with the responsibility for completing the task satisfactorily with in the time
limit allowed.The group is made to self evaluate the social skills exhibited by each
memember,the level of responsibility shown etc.
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
The five essential qualities required for successful co-operative learning are
relevant in collaborative learning also. But in the style of working tere are some
differences
1. The interference of the tacher in collaborative learning will be less.
2. Social interaction is given is given more stress.
3. Individual performance is de_emphasised while team work is insisted upon.
4. Groups plan learning activities together and divide tasks among
themselves.They together carry out their action plansm which result in the
constructin of new knowledge.

6. Then the completed project or a detailed report on that is displayed before the
class grading is basedon their work as a team.They are encouraged to review their
projects by presenting these to the teacher.Work can be individual or in groups.
The main aim is knowledge construction.in tune with the philosophy of social
constructivism. It may be noted that collaboration is the term popularly used by the
Social constructivists.
SPECIAL ADVANTAGES OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
i. Provision for diversity
Students learn to work with all types of people.Mutual questioning and clarifications
promote reflective thinking among them.Such diverse discussions will help students to
build up better understanding of other cultures.
ii. Acknowledgement of individual differences
When questions are raised different students find answers in different ways depending
on their social and cultural background.so they learn to accept different perspectives of
the same iisue.
iii. Development of inter-personal relations
Sincerely mingling with colleaeus develop social skills which will be beneficial especially
to those one who have poor social skills.
iv. Feeling of ownership of the project
They get a feeling of ownership of the project executed and will try to contribute for its
successful completion through critical thinking.
v. Opportunity for personal feedback
It provides more opportunity for personal feedback.since the group is small every
student can exchange idea’s and get feedback.

7. COMMON FEATURES OR SIMILARITIES OF CO-OPERATIVE
LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Inspite of the difference in terminology there are traits common to the two learning
strategies
1.Both aim at active participation of the learners in the learning process.That is both
reflect the message of participatory learning in which the learners are given the role of
active participants instead of remaining as passive receipents of knowledge transmitted
by some expert.
2.Another similarity is that both aim at active student participated in small groups.This is
done because if the group is large,all the students will not get opportunity to actively
participante in the process of learning.
3.Both the techniques require a specific task to be executed andcompleted.
4.The two techniques support the spirit of discovery oriented learning.If co-operative
learning aims at development of the cognitive structure,collaborative learning aims at
constructing new knowledge to enrich the cognitive structure.
5.Both the techniques assign various duties to be played by each member.
6.Both aim at development of social skills to establish healthy relation with the other
members of the group.This anticipate healthy social living in future life.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING AND
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

8. Cooper and Mac Greger have pointed out certainsignificant differences in
some traits.
1.Based on the theories concerning
cognitive development.
1.Based on the social constructivist
theory.
2.A comparatively large number of
tasks are assigned to the members of a
group.
2.The number of roles assigned to
members is less.
3.The instructor has to play a major
role,he acts as the centre of authority.
3.The instructor adopts a
laissez_faireapproach.He limits his
authority and allows members to act
freely.
4.The teacher closely watches the group
work and provides guidance wherever
needed and monitors the progress
towards the final goal.
4.Teacher leaves the members to their
style of work gives guidance only if they
request him to do so.
5.Development of social skills is taken
up as an instructional goal.
5.Social skills for working in groups is
taken for granted
6.Group tasks will not be open because
the teacher regulates and assigns tasks.
6.Group tasks will be open and left the
discretion of the learners.They plan
learning activities together and divide
tasks among themselves.
7.The framework for regulating group
activities is highly structured and
defined.
7.The framework is not structurally
defined and thir exists no rigidly.
8.Co-operative learning gives stress to
foundation knowledge.
8.collaborative learning considers
knowledge as a social
construct.foundation knowledge is not
seriously considered
9.Takes up only simpler and specific
types of group work.
9.Has wider scope and includes a variety
of small group projects.

9. 10.Will be more effective for
fundamental courses especially at the
lower levels
10.More suited to higher levels where
foundational knowledge will be
comparatively less.
11.The final product is determined in
advance and all activities are geared
towards that.
11.The final product is not fixed in
advance,what the members produce is
accepted as the product.
CONCLUSION
studies on the two techniques of learning empirical as well as theoretical are going on
in various parts of the world.one such study was regarding the number of members in a
small group that would give maximum result.According to slavin two three members per
group can produce better achievement than groups of four or five.Until all have
concluded that most teachers pairs and small group of three or four.
Because of the revolution incommunication facilities like internet,E-mail,etc.we
can now establish collaborative with teachers of other countries even.
Anyhow,there is no doubt in that all teachers should study these techniques in
detail and practice the two strategies according to the learning students involved.
REFERENCE
K.soman,K.sivarajan “Mathematics Education”.(2008).calicut:Calicut university.