Question

What are the benefits of collaborative learning? How does University of the People integrate community-oriented learning into the classroom? In your response, be sure to share any experience you have with collaborative learning.

Your discussion shoulde be at least 250 words in length but no more than 750 words. Use APA citations andreferences for the textbook and any other sources used. When you're done, read, rate and comment on at least three of your classmates' posts. Your responses should be at least 100 words and advance the discussion of the topic.

Answer 1

Collaborative learning is a type of learning where teaching and learning involve groups of students working together to complete their assignments.

Benefits of collaborative learning:

Students can learn important skills like communication and compromise in a group environment. Collaborative learning can also be useful for students by making them expose to diversity. They can communicate with students from all over the world by working in a group. By working collaboratively students can understand each others' culture, personality and thinking style. Students in a group can stretch their limits to work by sharing thoughts, concerns, ideas and struggles.

University of the People integrate community-oriented learning into the classroom through various ways. Firstly, University of the People allows students to participate in peer to peer discussion and assessment of their assignments. These peer assessments help students in achieving their final grades along with other forms of learning.

University of the People also allows online learning platforms where students need to post responses to reading assignments within a discussion forum. Then the student's work is reviewed thoroughly by other three students in the class and each award the work with a grade. During this period, the student being reviewed will also need to read,review and grade the discussion assignments of other three of his peers.

This enhances the ideas and perspectives of their classmates and improves their critical thinking skills. In this way, classroom learning and community are integrated by University of the People.

The experience that I have with collaborative learning is working on group projects. While working on group projects we share our ideas, experiences and techniques to complete the project. We take interest in solving problems, innovating new techniques and applying each others' ideas in order to reach the final solution. In a group, we stretch our limits to work which is not possible while working alone. It is the collaborative learning which makes our mind more sharper, stronger our determination and provides us an environment which is full of fun and learning.