I believe that there are good reasons why cooperative learning has become a strategy in most modern classrooms. The cooperative approach to education-the point at which students cooperate to solve problems and finish tasks-affects the development of some of the most important life skills, such as teamwork, communication, and empathy.
One major transformation that is visible is a shift in social dynamics. In collaborative learning, the students have to interact with one another, and such isolated nature that comes with lecture-based methods is disintegrated. As students learn in a collaborative environment, diversity is cherished, an experience that naturally leads to empathy. It is very effective for early childhood education, where social interaction leads to emotional development as well.
The academic benefits are equally impressive. Peer education creates a peer-to-peer learning process where students explain concepts to other students. This helps strengthen the memory and retention and comprehension are better because students have to clearly put down what they understand and not be afraid to respond to what is given.
Besides that, collaborative learning encourages critical thinking. For example, the students have to critically think through various approaches, negotiate their roles, and combine their knowledge to solve an assigned problem. Exploration through such group work encourages deeper cognitive engagement than one may often find with individually learned activities.
It transforms classrooms into dynamic community settings in which students learn not only academic knowledge but also the many necessary interpersonal skills: empathy, cooperation, and critical thinking. This means that learning will be holistic preparation for students for both academic excellence and life beyond school.
