Bottom of the 4th - Cooperative Learning

I do not know of a teaching strategy that would better relate and be an example of the social learning theory in practice other than cooperative learning. In this week's resources, Dr. Orey (2009) describes social learning theories as students when they are actively taking part in assembling and creating artifacts that demonstrate what they are learning while engaging in educational dialogue. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) say that cooperative learning is when students are interacting with one another for learning purposes and for forming new understandings. Through cooperation and collaboration, students can learn from one another, forming new understandings that by themselves, would not occur.



One thing that the Internet and technology does well is allow for collaboration and socialization. Because of this, cooperative learning can take on a new form other than just working together in the classroom. With proper planning by groups, multimedia projects can be produced as a culminating artifact. The Web not only allows for collaboration among classmates, but it also allows for cooperative learning to occur between students of classrooms from different parts of the world. Through sites such as ePALS, Keypals Club International, and Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections, students from different cultures can learn with one another and from one another. There are endless possibilities when it comes to web quests and web site designs for collaboration, as well as multi-player simulation games. Wikis and blogs, at this point, seem to be common practice for cooperative learning and collaborating among classmates.



Again, I can not think of a better way to open up doors to working with other people near and very far, as far as a person can imagine. Even when thinking about the classes that I am taking along with many other students across the globe, Walden University is an example of social learning theories and cooperative learning. The Web must be a tool that is used for these purposes.



References:

Laureate Education. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning, theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD]. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.