Group work and collaborative learning revisited: Coach or pumpkin?

Abstract

As effective teaching and o.ptimal learning are particularly crucial to. a develo.ping So.uth Africa, it is perhaps time to. take ano.ther, clo.ser lo.o.kat co.llabo.rative learning, currently o.ne o.f the mast papular teaching metho.ds. This article examines the theo.retical fo.undatio.n o.f the metho.d and draws a distinctio.n between it and traditio.nal gro.up wo.rk. It assesses the advantages and disadvantages, discusses the kind o.f learning that takes place during the pro.cess o.f co.llabo.ratio.n and whether the metho.d carries particular so.cial benefits. It also. explo.res practical issues such as the ro.le o.f the tuto.r, the compo.sitio.n o.f gro.ups and elements essential to.success. Aangesien effektiewe leermeto.des en onderrig van kardinale belang is in 'n o.ntwikkelende Suid-Afrika, is dit no.dig am fyn te besin oar die o.nderrigmeto.des wat gebruik ward. Hierdie artikel vergelyk ko.operatiewe leermeto.des en gro.epwerk wat tans o.o.ralin gebruik is. Dit bestudeer die teo.rie wat die onderigmeto.des ondervang, weeg die praktiese vo.o.ren nadele, o.nderso.ek die ko.gnitiewe o.ntwikkeling wat gedurende ko.operatiewe gro.epwerk plaasvind en of die meto.de enige spesifieke so.siale vo.o.rdele inho.u in multikulturele klaskamers. Praktiese o.o.rwegings so.o.sdie ro.l van die tuto.r, die strukturering van gro.epe en die elemente wat suksesvo.lle toepassing verseker, geniet o.ok aandag.