Online Engagement in VLEs:
A Short Reflection on Cooperative Learning
There are intrinsic challenges related
to student-centered learning in an online course. In addition, designing and
redesigning activities to promote collaborative learning is also demanding. But
even though, it is quite well understood that this learning philosophy is
extremely important in today’s education; there are certain things that we
instructors must keep in the lookout.
Among the challenges one can anticipate
while facilitating a student-centered, autonomous activity in one’s current or
future online course, instructors must understand what formal cooperative
learning entitles.
1.
Making pre-instructional decisions:
Several decisions need to be made by the teacher before s/he asks the class to
break up into small groups to fulfill a task. This is not just a random
organization of students; learners have to be thoughtfully grouped.
2.
Explaining the cooperative nature of the exercise:
The teacher must explain the learning objective to achieve and how students can
succeed in its completion by working cooperatively. Cooperation implies a joint
effort to succeed, not individual work.
3.
Monitoring and assistance through the process:
The instructor is present through the process to assist and keep track of what
is or is not happening to provide feedback that can lead to success. Students
do not have to feel lonely.
4.
Final assessment for the whole process and group:
This needs to highlight the individual and group accountability for the
completion and quality of the task and its result. The idea behind cooperative
learning is to facilitate the building of knowledge by at least two people.
Without the cooperation of students in
class, it will be very difficult to achieve any kind of cooperative learning in
an online teaching setting. The fittest students are the ones who can
cooperatively work together towards the achievement of learning outcomes that
benefit the groups and their members, not vice versa where members benefit
themselves without helping others learn.
Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (n.d.) An Overview of Cooperative Learning.
Retrieved on May, Sat 10, Cooperative Learning Institute Interaction Book
Company Website: http://www.co-operation.org/home/introduction-to-cooperative-learning/
? To
fully comprehend the scope of this teaching reflections, it is highly advisable
that the following topics must be expanded further:
·
Understanding Virtual Learning Environments
(VLEs)
·
Autonomous Learning Vs. Cooperative Learning
·
Types of Cooperative Learning
·
Steps Towards Cooperative Learning
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Pronunciation
Development
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Reading Skills
Development
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Curated Topics Online
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Article
published on Sunday, May 11, 2014
How to quote this
blog entry:
Acuña,
J. (2014, May 11). Online Engagement in VLEs: A Short Reflection on Cooperative
Learning. Retrieved
from Reflective Online Teaching Website: http://reflective-online-teaching.blogspot.com/2014/05/online-engagement-in-vles-short.html
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