The concept of collaborative learning isn’t new. For decades, educators have been encouraging students of all ages to work together on different tasks and projects. And they still do it now.
Although collaboration is still an important part of the academic program, it has changed a lot over the years. Why is it still crucial? How was it affected by technology? And what tools are available for students now to get the most out of collaborating with each other? In this article, an expert academic writer from a trusted essay writers service for college students will answer all these questions. Let’s dive in!
Why Is Collaboration Crucial in Education?
Every student knows that collaboration is always a part of the educational process. Starting from elementary school, students are often tasked to work in groups and complete shared projects. But why is this such a big thing in education?
Recent research by Cornell University reveals that educational activities that are social, active, and student-owned can lead to deeper learning. And that’s what group projects are. They are contextual and engaging. At the same time, they provide plenty of opportunities for socialization, thus, helping students develop a variety of crucial skills, including:
- Oral communication;
- Higher-level thinking;
- Leadership;
- Self-management, etc.
Given all these benefits, collaborative learning is indeed an important thing in education. In fact, it’s much more beneficial than boring essay writing that only makes students want to find someone to write a research paper and delegate their assignments.
How Technology Affects Student Collaboration
Without any doubt, technology and the Internet have long made our world much smaller than it ever seemed. Now, we can easily communicate in real-time with someone who is located thousands of miles away from us. And, of course, this affected the way students collaborate.
Thanks to technology, modern students can conduct research together and create group projects without being physically together. They can use a variety of online collaboration tools to communicate, exchange files, work on documents and presentations together, and do much more. As a result, according to studies, such collaboration maximizes students’ learning and helps them grow a large number of crucial skills.
4 Best Online Collaboration Tools for Students
Now that you know why collaborative learning is so important in education and how technology and the Internet are supporting it, let’s move to the most exciting part. In the list below, you will find some of the best online collaboration tools that every student should know about.
1. Google Drive
The first tool on our list should be well-known to each of you already. Google Drive is a popular cloud-based office suite similar to Microsoft World. This suite features a number of handy apps for creating text documents, presentations, sheets, and other files with ease.
Many students use it to write essays online and complete other academic assignments. And it is known for its excellent collaboration features. With its help, you can provide access to your files to your fellow students and work on group projects together from the comfort of your home. The tools included in Google Drive allow seamless file sharing, commenting, and editing for multiple users.
2. Microsoft Teams
The next tool on our list is a full-fledged LMS (learning management system). It is designed to let users manage all classes, assignments, and projects in one place. With its help, students can easily create their own online groups where they can communicate and collaborate on shared projects. And since it’s an LMS, their activity can be observed by a teacher, and they can get instant feedback on their work.
3. Quizlet
Exam prep is always a time-consuming, challenging, and stressful process. But did you know that studying for exams in a group can actually boost your performance? Science and research confirm that group studies increase motivation, focus, and information retention. So if you want to nail your next test, consider getting ready for it with your peers, and Quizlet will help.
This tool enables you to prepare for tests with the help of ready-made or custom flashcards. And it also supports collaboration. Using Quizlet, you can create sets of flashcards together with your friends and quiz each other in real time.
4. MinecraftEdu
Who says that learning and collaboration have to be boring? MinecraftEdu proves that they don’t have to be! If you haven’t heard about it, it is an educational edition of the worldwide known game. It is a game-based platform designed for learning, problem-solving, and collaboration in a fun and immersive digital environment. It can be used by students of all ages, and it features a wealth of exciting lessons that can teach students geography, history, coding, and much more.
Experts confirm that this form of collaboration and learning is much more effective than traditional methods because it’s fun and engaging. So it can actually make sense to delegate the boring tasks to the best research paper writing services and spend time with your fellow students playing and collaborating on MinecraftEdu.
The Bottom Line
Collaboration has always been and will remain a crucial part of learning. It is proven to maximize students’ potential and help them succeed academically. And now, thanks to the Internet and technology, there are a variety of tools that you can use for this purpose.
After reading this article, you now know more about collaborative learning and the available online collaboration tools. Use this knowledge to learn smarter, not harder!
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