Collaborative study is a great way to help children learn better. When chil-dren are encouraged to interact and actively pursue subjects together, they demonstrate not just greater informa-tion-processing ability but also better understanding.
Today's teachers, therefore, should think about how best to bring collabo-rative learning to their students.
A well-crafted teaching plan can work wonders because instructors now have modern technology at their dis-posal.
With computers, online resources, simulations, games, wikis, blogs, pod-casts, web conferencing, vir-tual learning platforms, RSS feeds, mobile learning and so on, collaborative learning has never been easier to create. Technology can improve the learning process and enable ways of teaching that are much better matched to how students learn.
Collaborative learning is an impor-tant cognitive strategy based on the social construction of knowledge, which leads to deeper processing and understanding than learning without collaboration.
Thanks to the latest technology, all students can be easily connected via networks for their shared activities in the collaborative-learning environ-ment. Their teachers can also present each topic to them in not just audio but also visual form. Even a 3D image can be constructed to boost the stu-dents' understanding of the topic.
Research shows students learn bet-ter if they are actively involved in the learning process, like having paid keen attention to the topic presented and directly dealing with learning tools.
Researchers believe technology may support the mental processes of thinking, perceiving and remembering, when students are encouraged to actively engage in learning, connect to real situations and provide feedback frequently to the class.
However, the use of technology will be effective only if teachers plan the learning process and class activities well. Educational technologies, after all, are just tools that support teachers in delivering their content via their instructional design.
How can other parties help teachers use the technology effectively for col-laborative learning?
The combination of technological tools and new instructional approach-es has a higher chance of success if teachers adopt the pedagogical use of technology, specifically the classroom guideline.
As a consequence, setting up proce-dural activities in the classroom should be embedded in the design of the learning environ-ment.
At a policy level, it is best to ensure clear and broadly generalised measures of the effective use of technology before committing to big investments in edu-cational technologies.
The key concept should be trans-forming computers into interactive and collaborative tools for students to manage their own learning in a more collaborative way.
In the process, teachers should play a role by introducing real-life issues, real-world situations and key subjects. Teachers should also encourage stu-dents to interact with their peers so that they can pursue the subject together.
Further research into the effective use of technology in collaborative learning environments should be con-ducted to investigate the teaching process in the classroom when tech-nology is a component of learning.
The findings will help set up clear guidelines on how teachers should integrate modern tools into their class-es for their students' best advantage.
PRIYAKORN PUSAWIRO
Learning Scientist
Computer Engineering Dept, KMUTT