合作学习与协作学习概念辨析：collaborative learning versus cooper

合作学习与协作学习概念辨析：collaborativelearningversuscooperativelearningADefinitionofCollaborativevsCooperativeLearningTedPanitz(1996)IhavebeensearchingformanyyearsfortheHolyGrailofinteractivelearning,adistinctionbetweencollaborativeandcooperativelearningdefinitions.IamgettingclosertomyelusivegoalallthetimebutIamstillnotcompletelysatisfiedwithmyperceptionofthetwoconcepts.IbelievemyconfusionariseswhenIlookatprocessesassociatedwitheachconceptandseesomeoverlaporinter-conceptusage.Iwillmakeahumbleattempttoclarifythisquestionbypresentingmydefinitionsandreviewingthoseofotherauthorswhohavehelpedclarifymythinking.Collaborationisaphilosophyofinteractionandpersonallifestylewhereascooperationisastructureofinteractiondesignedtofacilitatetheaccomplishmentofanendproductorgoal.Collaborativelearning(CL)isapersonalphilosophy,notjustaclassroomtechnique.Inallsituationswherepeoplecometogetheringroups,itsuggestsawayofdealingwithpeoplewhichrespectsandhighlightsindividualgroupmembers'abilitiesandcontributions.Thereisasharingofauthorityandacceptanceofresponsibilityamonggroupmembersforthegroupsactions.Theunderlyingpremiseofcollaborativelearningisbaseduponconsensusbuildingthroughcooperationbygroupmembers,incontrasttocompetitioninwhichindividualsbestothergroupmembers.CLpractitionersapplythisphilosophyintheclassroom,atcommitteemeetings,withcommunitygroups,withintheirfamiliesandgenerallyasawayoflivingwithanddealingwithotherpeople.Cooperativelearningisdefinedbyasetofprocesseswhichhelppeopleinteracttogetherinordertoaccomplishaspecificgoalordevelopanendproductwhichisusuallycontentspecific.Itismoredirectivethanacollaboratvesystemofgovernanceandcloselycontrolledbytheteacher.Whiletherearemanymechanismsforgroupanalysisandintrospectionthefundamentalapproachisteachercenteredwhereascollaborativelearningismorestudentcentered.SpencerKaganinanarticleinEducationalLeadership(Dec/Jan1989/1990)providesanexcellentdefinitionofcooperativelearningbylookingatgeneralstructureswhichcanbeappliedtoanysituation.HisdefinitionprovidesanunbrellafortheworkcooperativelearningspecialistsincludingtheJohnsons,Slavin,Cooper,GravesandGraves,Millis,etc.Itfollowsbelow:Thestructuralapproachtocooperativelearningisbasedonthecreation,analysisandsystematicapplicationofstructures,orcontent-freewaysoforganizingsocialinteractionintheclassroom.Structuresusuallyinvolveaseriesofsteps,withproscribedbehaviorateachstep.Animportantcornerstoneoftheapproachisthedistinctionbetweenstructuresandactivities.Toillustrate,teacherscandesignmanyexcellentcooperativeactivities,suchasmakingateammuraloraquilt.Suchactivitiesalmostalwayshaveaspecificcontent-boundobjectiveandthuscannotbeusedtodeliverarangeofacademiccontent.Structuresmaybeusedrepeatedlywithalmostanysubjectmatter,atawiderangeofgradelevelsandatvariouspointsinalessonplan.JohnMyers(CooperativeLearningvol11#4July1991)pointsoutthatthedictionarydefinitionsofcollaboration,derivedfromitsLatinroot,focusontheprocessofworkingtogether;therootwordforcooperationstressestheproductofsuchwork.Co-operativelearninghaslargelyAmericanrootsfromthephilosophicalwritingsofJohnDeweystressingthesocialnatureoflearningandtheworkongroupdynamicsbyKurtLewin.CollaborativelearninghasBritishroots,basedontheworkofEnglishteachersexploringwaystohelpstudentsrespondtoliteraturebytakingamoreactiveroleintheirownlearning.Thecooperativelearningtraditiontendstousequantitativemethodswhichlookatachievement:i.e.,theproductoflearning.Thecollaborativetraditiontakesamorequalitativeapproach,analyzingstudenttalkinresponsetoapieceofliteratureoraprimarysourceinhistory.Myerspointsoutsomedifferencesbetweenthetwoconcepts:Supportersofco-operativelearningtendtobemoreteacher-centered,forexamplewhenformingheterogeneousgroups,structuringpositiveinter-dependence,andteachingco-operativeskills.Collaborativelearningadvocatesdistruststructureandallowstudentsmoresayifformingfriendhipandinterestgroups.Studenttalkisstressedasameansforworkingthingsout.Discoveryandcontexturalapproachesareusedtoteachinterpersonalskills.Suchdifferencescanleadtodisagreements....Icontendthedisputeisnotaboutresearch,butmoreaboutthemoralityofwhatshouldhappenintheschools.Beliefsastowhastshouldhappenintheschoolscanbeviewedasacontinuumoforientationstowardcurriculumfromtransmissiontotransactiontotransmission.Atoneendisthetransmissionposition.Asthenamesuggests,theaimofthisorientationistotransmitknowledgetostudentsintheformoffacts,skillsandvalues.Thetransformationpositionattheotherendofthecontinuumstressespersonalandsocialchangeinwhichthepersonissaidtobeinterrelatedwiththeenvironmentratherthanhavingcontroloverit.Theaimofthisorientationisself-actualization,personalororganizationalchange.RockyRockwood(NationalTeachingandLearningForumvol4#6,1995part1)describesthedifferencesbyacknowledgingtheparallelstheybothhaveinthattheybothusegroups,bothassignspecifictasks,andbothhavethegroupsshareandcomparetheirproceduresandconclusionsinplenaryclasssessions.Themajordifferenceliesinthefactthatcooperativedealsexclusivelywithtraditional(canonical)knowledgewhilecollaborativ