Collaborative Learning, the lazy student’s dream, the conscientious student’s nightmare… Just the other day my daughter came home and said she has to work in collaborative groups in her Literature class. She was not happy. She said one of the people in her groups is notorious for not doing their work. She asked her teacher if she could work alone because she was concerned about the grade she will get. Her teacher told her no. She said everyone in the group will be given the same grade and if someone doesn’t do there work everyone suffers. She is concerned and will continue to be because she is a very conscientious student.
The first grad class I took required two collaborative projects. For our first grade we had to form groups of 4– 6 people, write a paper, and do a presentation. My group consisted of three people because of uneven numbers and half way through the semester one of the members dropped out without notifying his group. This left quite a lot of work for me and my classmate. The work was done and the teacher understood, but still the amount of work that I had to do was exhausting.
The 6th grade students I teach had to work in collaborative groups earlier in the school year. Each student was given a grade by each person in their group based on a rubric. In addition, the two teachers in the classroom collaborated and gave a grade based on the same rubric. Needless to say, those who did the work were pleased with their overall grade.
What do each of these examples say for collaborative learning? Is it beneficial or not?
I think collaborative learning is beneficial as long as it is introduced and used in the right manner. As so eliquintly put by Trimbur, "...it enables individuals to participate actively and meaningfully in group life. ...it is through the social interaction of shared activity that individuals realize their own power to take control of their situation by collaborating with others."(463) Collaborative learning prepares students for real life.
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I hear every word you are saying. I also had the "horrible" and the "wonderful" collaborate experience as an undergraduate student-and the group's grade was given as a group effort. One person dropped out of the class and the professor still allowed the student's sporatic participation that was not responsive to the needs of the group. The other participant had his own agenda (his favorite subject was brought into every class no matter what the actual topic). The oral presentation was not collaborative and not all members even researched the discussion topic. There was no collaborate effort for the final paper---. Personally, I learned a lot on my own, but I hated the project. I would never recommend the classes this professor teaches. The subjects are timely, but I would definitely tell any prospecive student what the class work would entail.
While, that is real life it is a sad commentary on the realities of collaborative learning,teaching, and academia.
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