5.5. Sharing the trends of Real world collaboration in Ugandan institutes

Collaboration  may be defined as "working together on a common goal for mutual benefit"

The effectiveness of collaborative learning in the classroom has as much to do with the teacher as it does with the students in the groups. There is an ongoing discussion surrounding the effectiveness of group work in the classroom and its effects on student learning. Some teachers praise collaborative efforts, while others have a strong disdain for group work. There is considerable research on both sides of the issue that has produced results for and against collaboration in the classroom, stoking the fires of debate surrounding the merits of such teaching practices. There are always numerous variables at play in the classroom that influence an outcome or opinion of either the merits or disadvantages of utilizing group work. In one particular classroom, collaborative learning clearly results in an additional stimulus that enhances learning by straying from the traditional teacher and student interaction. In yet another classroom, collaboration could have a negligible or even negative effect on learning. How best to get students to learn in the classroom is truly a wicked problem, in that addressing one classroom variable changes several others, and because of it, collaborative learning and its synergistic effects do not always work. (Rittel and Webber, 1973) 

I have learnt that my learners need to work together do develop projects and present their findings in groups.

Teachers must assume the leadership role of group work in the classroom and ensure that the purpose and process of collaboration are clearly defined. Most literature on the subject supports the idea that the teacher should design the student groups, as students may not have learning and effective team building at the heart of their group membership decisions. For many students, collaboration is simply a collection of individuals discussing a topic as they complete their work, or perhaps a dominant member that does all the work as the rest of the group practices social loafing. (University of North Texas, 2008)

COLLABORATION on line  is challenged oftenly by lack of ICT devices in villages where the learners emerge.

I have found that some collaborative tools can be used too while in class and outside class  Such as evernote,VoiceThread,Wevideo,scrible among others.

Posted by Niwamanya Gilbert