Modern education calls for dynamic reforms that involve unorthodox, innovative teaching techniques that cater to the newer generations of learners who are expected to keep up with the technological advancement of the world. These innovative teaching methodologies not only help students forge ahead in their academics but also help them develop new skills that are essential to tackle the challenges of today’s world.
In this article, we learn about one such innovative teaching technique that fosters leadership, teamwork, communication, articulation, critical thinking, and research skills of the students in a fun and engaging manner for their holistic development!
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is a modern technique involving students working in twain or small groups to discuss and explore the lessons independently. Here, the teachers teach the students the basics of the lesson and then encourage them to discuss the concepts of the lesson amongst themselves to foster communication, critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills.
The modern teaching methodology moves away from the traditional teacher-oriented teaching style and allows students to explore advanced concepts on their own and rely on their skills to convey their points of view to their peers in the classrooms. The team-building skills developed during these practices further enhance the students’ collaborative and presentation skills, allowing them to develop other essential skills, making the entire process fun and a pragmatic approach towards honing multiple skills!
A few of the best schools in Bangalore have collaborative learning in their lesson plans to help students in their holistic development. A few benefits that top schools like the Global Indian International School vouch for are –
Benefits Of Collaborative Learning
There are many benefits to this innovative teaching technique; however, here are four benefits that stand out from the rest and have the most impact on the development of the students and their approach towards academics –
A Single Approach To Develop Multiple Skills
The modern learning methodology involves a simple activity to develop many essential skills that are required for the holistic development of the students in the most fun and engaging manner.
As the activity involves students discussing their understanding of the lesson and presenting their points of view, collaborative learning allows students to develop and hone a plethora of skills, like communication, listening, leadership, logical reasoning, critical thinking, presentation, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and other auxiliary skills needed to face the challenges of higher education and profession in the near future. The entire collaborative learning approach ensures students realise their potential and build confidence for a happier and more exciting academic journey!
Promotes Open-Mindedness
As the collaborative learning approach encourages team-building skills and requires students to cooperate with each other, the young minds get to experience the various opinions, understandings, perspectives and results of their friends. The activity allows students to think in multiple ways to arrive at their answers. It promotes open-mindedness, which is extremely important in this collaborative world where teamwork is very important!
Collaborative learning also helps students respect the diversity and opinions of others and prompts them to think more about various academic and intellectual nuances, making them kind and empathetic individuals who are essential for a brighter and happier tomorrow!
Helps Teachers Enhance Students’ Performance
As observers in this activity, teachers have a vantage view of the discussions, allowing them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their students. Teachers can make notes of their students’ challenges and strengths and come up with lesson plans for other innovative teaching techniques, like differentiated instructions that focus on teaching the students based on their strengths and weaknesses.
Teachers can also use the team-building skills of the students through this activity to conduct other activities, such as group debates! A collaborative classroom also allows teachers to challenge the students by pairing them with friends with different opinions and views to help them expand their perspectives and be open-minded!
Develops Worthwhile Bonds & Fosters Trust
Building teamwork skills ensures that students get to know each other well and trust each other better! As collaborative learning allows students to work together as teams, the activity helps students develop close bonds with each other, which is crucial for young minds as friends play a huge role in their personal and social development!
Trust and healthy bonds among peers prompt young minds to develop empathy and loyalty, which are extremely important for children to have a healthy social life that involves friends to count on, expand knowledge and have fun with!
With the benefits of collaborative activities explained, let us look at a few drawbacks of the collaborative classroom teaching technique so we can come up with plans to perform this enjoyable and beneficial activity by clearing the hurdles to our best!
Challenges Of Collaborative Learning
A few challenges need to be addressed to have an effective collaborative classroom session are –
Difficult To Start
Changes can be challenging to adapt, and by bringing in new teaching techniques, teachers might face resistance from parents who are unaware of the benefits of collaborative learning. Students, too, can be difficult to manage at first, as building teamwork skills can be challenging and daunting for young minds!
Difficult To Manage The Classroom
Collaborative learning involves students discussing amongst themselves, and starting a conversation in a classroom filled with energetic young students can be chaotic and difficult for teachers to manage, given the already limited time available in the classroom!
Time Constraints
As effective and fun as this activity might seem, group discussions and twain conversations require time, which classrooms might not be able to spare, making conducting this activity on a daily basis difficult for teachers!
However, teachers from top schools in Bangalore, India, like the Global Indian International School, use their resourcefulness to work around this challenge and provide students with ample opportunities to utilise this beautiful learning methodology to help young minds in their holistic development!
Difficult To Track Progress
When there is more than one set of group discussions, it becomes difficult for the teachers to provide apt feedback and track the students’ progress. Students, too, without much assistance from the teachers on occasion, might find it challenging to keep track of their progress and difficult to move ahead with the lesson reading!
However, the benefits of collaborative learning trump the drawbacks, and the teachers from top international schools like the GIIS, Bangalore always find ways to help their students experience the benefits of collaborative learning in one way or another!
To allow your children to experience many innovative teaching techniques and to help in their holistic development, click here and start your children’s higher secondary admission journey at the best international school, the Global Indian International School!
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