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THE
benefits of peer learning exercises had been recognised a long time
back, collaborative learning is all set to be the most happening
methodology in the area of corporate training. Learners linked across
time zones with digital collaboration tools like video and teleconferencing,
chats, emails and bulletin boards, able to interact in real time
under the supervision of online mentors - online community learning
might well replace education in isolation.
With
virtual classrooms becoming a reality, collaborative learning is
in for an exciting future as it gets aligned with the business objectives
of an organisation. “Today a major part of corporate training
is Web enabled as Internet technologies are being leveraged to provide
just-in-time and just-enough training, consequently the need for
collaboration (mix of individualisation and interactivity) especially
in a technology enabled learning environment is very significant,”
says Sunil Kandlikar, chief executive officer, LearningByte International,
Hyderabad. Collaboration evidently provides for the much-needed
human element in a technology-based learning environment.
In
a typical elearning scenario, while learners personalise their courses
and learn at their own time and pace, collaboration happens through
various interactive tools. For instance there are times when they
want to share their experiences and ideas, ask a question or reply
to a query. In a totally self-study environment where the learners
interact only with the content displayed on the screen, there is
no provision to have any kind of interaction other than with the
content. “In fact most learners end up looking helplessly at
the computer screen when they should have been interacting with
their peers or experts. Hence the need to exploit the potential
of the medium and building a learning environment that fosters individualisation
and interactivity and at the same time to be independent and collaborate,
thus forming a learning community,” points out Kandilkar.
An
instructional method in which learners work in groups towards a
common academic growth, it is an acknowledged fact that these students
perform better in critical thinking tests than those who study individually.
Research
has also proved that collaborative learning improves problem solving
strategies because learners come up with different interpretations
of the given situation. Experts also believe students are capable
of performing at higher intellectual levels and have greater retention
power when asked to work in collaborative situations than individually.
What
might eventually lead to the growth of knowledge communities, a
learning network is a group of organisations that come together
for collaborative learning, with each member organisation also forming
an internal group. It could well be the order of tomorrow.
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