240910 part 1

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As Dr Ashley was explaining the differences of co-operation and collaboration by questioning us on how would we share 4 elephants among ourselves? The idea of getting the elephants to eat one another until the last one is left behind struck me. Wouldn’t it be easier for us to share the last elephant? However is this the best solution? Or is the idea even feasible? I am rather apprehensive about it.

Before we move into the topic of collaborative learning, we must look into the context of self-directed learning. As we all know that in order to build a sturdy house, we must first laid a strong foundation. This analogy is the same in the context of education. In order to promote collaborative learning, we must first instill the concept of self-directed learning in every student. However as we also know that since every student is unique and learnt differently from one another. What should we do as an educator to ensure all students attain the same goal of self-directed learning and collaborative learning in the end?

I believe that differentiated learning would be the solution. In a class of 40 students, in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page; you would first have to engage every individual. As you start to deliver your lesson, the students would slowly lose their focus due to various reasons and the whole process would repeats itself. By first addressing a problem statement at the start of the lesson, it allows the students to take ownership of their own learning. We are promoting self-directed learning here and the students should be allow to communicate and learn from one another through active participation in class discussion. Thus encouraging collaborative learning to take place at the same time.

However for effective learning to take place, teachers should assume the position of facilitators.. We could guide them along the way by means of consultation or through self-questioning techniques. When the power of learning is shifted to the students that is when they start to take ownership of their own learning and thus result in every one of them achieving the outcome of meaningful learning.

K: What I already KNOW
I already know the concept of problem based learning is through self-directed learning, differentiated instructions and collaborative learning.

W: What I WANT TO LEARN

I hope to be able to learn the in-depth knowledge of self-directed learning and collaborative learning.

L: What I LEARNED this week

I learned that through active discussion and participation in class, thats when new ideas are formed and effective learning will take place.

Q: What Questions I still have

Since the main difference between collaboration and co-operation is a x-factor as mentioned by you. Is it right for me to decipher the x-factor as the sharing between peers or even between groups in order to attain collaborative learning?