Cooperative vs Collaborative Learning: Difference and Comparison

Learning for students is a significant factor during their development and growth. Learning can be of different types although it is done to attain knowledge while working together on an activity or assignment.

Learning together helps students to deal with other real-life problems and tackle them.

Moreover, acknowledging others’ opinions and expressing their opinion, all happen in a group that somewhat helps students to attain a quality of expression and acknowledgment of others’ opinions. 

Key Takeaways

1. Cooperative learning involves structured group activities where each member has a specific role, promoting individual accountability.
2. Collaborative learning encourages a shared learning experience, with group members working together towards a common goal.
3. In cooperative learning, the teacher assigns roles and tasks; in collaborative learning, the group organically determines roles and tasks.

Cooperative vs Collaborative learning 

Cooperative learning is an instructional approach where students work together in small groups to achieve a common goal or complete a task. Collaborative learning is a broader concept that refers to any situation where two or more people work together to find a solution or solve a problem.

Cooperative learning is teacher-structured learning where students work together as a group. Yet, the roles and participation of the students are determined by the teacher. Moreover, the information is given by the teacher to an extent.

If the students are stuck at some point, then the teacher intervenes to help the students. Furthermore, the result of the group activity is submitted to the teacher.

Collaborative learning is group-structured learning where student manages and determines roles and participation on their own. Thereby, the sole administrator of the group is the students themselves.

Moreover, the information is gathered on their own without anyone’s help. The teacher doesn’t intervene as the teacher is not monitoring such learning. Furthermore, the result’s performance is based on student’s individual strengths. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of comparison	Cooperative learning	Collaborative learning
Definition	Cooperative learning is a teacher-driven activity.	Collaborative learning is group-driven learning.
Roles and responsibilities	Cooperative learning deals with learning where students are assigned roles and participation by the teacher.	Collaborative learning deals with learning where students determine participation and efforts by themselves.
Information	In Cooperative learning, information is given by the teacher.	The information and sources are found by the students themselves.
Teacher monitor	The teacher monitors the progress of the activity in cooperative learning.	The teacher doesn’t monitor collaborative learning.
Teacher involvement	In cooperative learning, the teacher intervenes when required.	The teacher doesn’t intervene in collaborative learning.

What is Cooperative Learning?

Learning is an important factor in students’ education. Along with that, some characteristics are learned with the learning as well. They have equal importance as theoretical education.

However, learning is categorized as collaborative and cooperative learning. 

Cooperative learning is teacher-driven learning that enables students to work in groups. But, the roles and responsibilities are assigned by the teacher.

With that information and sources are given by the teacher. Therefore, these types of activities are led by teachers, not the students themselves. 

Even the teacher intervene in the activity if necessary. For example, if a group is having a crisis in managing or organizing information and does not know what to do.

The teacher intervenes and lets students know what they need to do to get the desired result. 

Moreover, the activity is submitted to the teacher at the end. Altogether, every part of the activity has some sort of participation of the teacher. Besides, the overall result depends on the effort and participation of the members. 

In conclusion, cooperative learning is teacher-driven activity, where the overall result is evaluated by the teacher. And the roles and responsibilities in a group are predefined.

With that, the participation of teachers is more active and sources may be obtained with their help. Aside from that, it is most preferable for kids and youngsters. 

What is Collaborative Learning?

Types of learning, cooperative and collaborative learning that are distinct from each other. However, they share some similarities as well.

The major aspect of this type of learning is relying on students’ participation, making student identify their responsibility, working together as a team, social interaction, enhancing cognitive skills, and increment in information retention.

Collaborative learning is group-driven learning that enables students to work in groups. But, the roles and responsibilities are not assigned, but they need to figure it out by themselves.

With that, information and sources are searched by the group themselves. Therefore, these types of activities are led by students themselves due to the absence of a monitor.

Even the teacher doesn’t intervene in the activity if necessary. For example, if a group is having a crisis in managing or organizing information and does not know what to do.

The teacher doesn’t intervene on their own. However, the help can be taken by the teacher. 

In conclusion, collaborative learning is group-driven activity, where the overall result is evaluated by the group themselves. And the roles and responsibilities in a group are assigned by discussion.

With that, the participation of teachers is absent and sources may be obtained on their own. Aside from that, it is most preferable for adult and mature students.

Main Differences Between Cooperative and Collaborative Learning

Kinds of learning are adopted to encourage different aspects of tackling skills and cooperation with others. Education with other necessary characteristics is required in reaL-world and to attain it.

Cooperative and collaborative learning is adopted. People tend to use it synonymously, but they are very different from each other. Despite the distinction between them, they have similarities as well. 

1. Cooperative learning is a teacher-driven activity, while collaborative learning is group-driven learning. 
2. Cooperative learning deals with learning where students are assigned roles and participation by the teacher. Meanwhile, collaborative learning deals with learning where students determine participation and efforts by themselves. 
3. In Cooperative learning, the information is given by the teacher, while the information and sources are found by the students themselves. 
4. The teacher monitors the progress of the activity in cooperative learning, while the teacher doesn’t monitor collaborative learning. 
5. In cooperative learning, the teacher intervenes when required, while the teacher doesn’t intervene in collaborative learning. 

References 

1. http://journal.umg.ac.id/index.php/didaktika/article/view/47
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00346543050002315