Cooperative Learning - NIE Digital Repository - National Institute of ...

The Value of Learning Journals 123they visit, they progress in their teaching by learning to be succinct andfocus on the main points. We actually learned without a "teacher". I havesince used this method to conduct my tutorial classes and studentsenjoyed it. The learning was also improved.. Teacher educator: As mature-aged students from diverse fields sharing acommon ground-teaching-we are keen to share and discuss issues we facein our profession. The organization of groups to that end was very flexibleand productive. It provided the opportunity for social interaction andimportantly diversity in discussion. As mature-aged students from variedprofessiondl fields, flexibility with no constraints led to a fruitful discussion.I felt that immediately we were put at ease to express "unguardedopinions. I feel this atmosphere is vital for the coming discussions andour learning.Having seen what academics chose to write about and how they did it,what might we learn from this about collaboration?ConclusionI designed each module with two main goals. First, I wanted my colleaguesto be confronted with new knowledge, then use their process skills andappraise its merit for their diverse needs. Second, I wanted them use theircritical dispositions to build a new personal understanding with the unspokenobjective that this would potentially change their practice as disciplineteachers.Journal extracts show me that they account for new knowledge andcomment on it. When they process they "play" with this knowledge and"kick it around" in order to make sense of it. They sometimes commentcritically and reflectively on themselves or others based on their experience.Then they project how they might use their new understanding. I sawan increase in subject matter interest, critically reflective thinking, and suggestionsof how new understanding might be used or actually is beingused. Reading their journals showed me how collaborative discussionsone-on-one with me or their colleagues, plus small group work, assisted inbuilding their understanding. Finally, I gained ideas of how I might betterorganize things next time. Without these journals I would have no knowledgeof any of these matters.