Present day teaching is no longer didactic. Students want an active participation in the teaching-learning process. To be more precise, teaching and learning has become collaborative. Hiltz defines collaborative learning as an environment, in which: “both teachers and learners are active participants in the learning process; knowledge is not something that is ‘delivered’ to students but rather something that emerges from active dialogue among those who seek to understand and apply concepts and technique.”
If we look a little deeper, the fact emerges that collaborative learning is not just the latest trend in the learning and teaching environment but perhaps, the best one. A very important benefit that collaborative learning offers to the students is the thinking process. Rather than accepting the words of the teacher, the thought process of the students start churning. Now, this sets a stage of apprenticeship in life skills as well. Inadvertently, collaborative learning sets in a habit of looking at the pros and cons in a given situation.
When we consider Virtual Classroom, as a collaborative teaching and learning tool, we decipher that it has benefits much beyond just collaboration. Many times, rather most of the times, in face to face interaction children are hesitant to participate in discussions or state their point of view. In Virtual Classroom, it is not essential for a student to disclose his/ her identity. This gives the learner some courage to express views. It can be in the form of just chat. Since the first hesitation is removed, the reluctant child starts gaining confidence. This initiates lessons not in a particular subject but in life itself.
Virtual Classroom, brings together learners from various places, communities and races. Sharing of experiences; discussions amongst teacher and learners and interchange of ideas between the learners, initiates in the learners a process of deducing and inferring. More and more involvement on the part of the learner sets a platform for reasoning out between the choices. In other words it enhances logical reasoning at the formative stage of life.
As a member of the teaching faculty, I feel that Virtual Classroom has the potential to infuse confidence and life skills in the learners. It sets a stage where the reluctant learner comes out of the cocoon and becomes an active participant. The exchange of ideas sets into gear analyzing power of the mind. The focus starts shifting to logical thinking. The intuitive quality develops the listening power and the learner learns to weigh the issues before actually coming to a conclusion.
So, the formal academic instruction transforms into an instruction of life skills. Won’t it be apt if we call the Virtual Classroom, as Élan Vital of Life Skills or Life Skills Tutelage?
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