The personal and professional benefits of collaborative learning.
Collaborative learning involves students working together on learning tasks to achieve a common outcome, such as solving a problem or completing a group task. It is an educational approach used across all school levels. It can be as simple as having discussions, projects, and assignments done in groups or pairs.
Learning is a two-way street. Learners, no matter their age, are always encouraged to think independently and come up with their own conclusions, realisations, and solutions. Learning also encourages diversity of ideas, collaboration, and creativity.
Collaborative learning in transport training can bring many opportunities for the students to explore and share knowledge with one another. Here are some of the main advantages of employing this educational approach in transport training.
It works on the problem-solving skills of the students.
Transport is not always smooth and without problems. A road is a place where all kinds of drivers and pedestrians meet. It is also subject to different weather conditions, depending on the territory. Many situations, which may not be favourable to the driver, can arise. A driver must be able to deal with and solve these problems when left to his own devices on the road.
Giving students situational problems where they work together to think up a solution sharpens their analysis and problem-solving skills. Working together allows them to go through possible solutions and analyse which one will work best.
It promotes teamwork.
Being in the transport industry does not mean working alone with a truck. For long-haul transport, two or more people may work together during the whole trip. These people must work along as a team, to ensure a smooth and efficient transport. Being on a long trip can bring out the best and worst in anyone, especially if stress, fatigue, and issues set in.
Collaborative learning activities allow students to work with other people with different temperaments and personalities. It also enables them to improve and work on their interpersonal skills. Because one cannot choose who they will eventually work with, they must know how to deal with different types of people.
It encourages and boosts social interaction.
People in the transport industry are expected to meet and deal with people outside their circle. Some situations will also require one to interact with other people while on the road, such as road patrol authorities and other drivers.
Collaborative learning activities encourage students to communicate effectively with their teammates to share their thoughts and ideas. They have to be eloquent in expressing their thoughts and be able to maintain eye contact to increase their trustworthiness.
Aside from being able to express themselves, they should also learn how to listen intently. In case they are hailed down the road by authorities, they should be able to answer confidently while still being able to listen respectfully.
It promotes diversity of ideas.
To be an effective part of a team, a member must be able to respect and acknowledge differences in beliefs, perspectives, and ideas. It allows the team member to look at each idea objectively and without any prejudice.
Collaboratively learning also teaches students to accept and inspect the ideas of others. Of course, nobody gets it right every time, which is why one must know how to seek the opinion of others to come up with solutions that will work best for all.
It fosters trust.
Working with a team while on the road is essential. When doing shifts in the driver’s seat, the other team members should trust the driving and decision-making skills of the driver. Not being able to trust others will cause issues and affect productivity as well as the team’s morale.
Trusting that members of the team would each do his or her share correctly and effectively will lead to a smooth working relationship. Those who find it hard to trust others will learn to trust in the skills of their teammates during collaborative learning activities. Positive interdependence is crucial in every working team and can make working together more fun and efficient.
It prepares the students for real-life situations while on the road.
Collaborative learning activities can provide transport students with a glimpse of the things that await them on the road. While it is impossible to prepare for every occurrence that they may encounter, it gives them an idea of the real-life situations they may face when they finally get employed.
It boosts creativity.
Collaborative learning activities, where students are given a situational problem that they need to resolve, boost their creativity. It allows them to explore possible solutions without the consequences they could face in real-life situations. It lets them freely think outside the box, exploring and considering a variety of solutions and ideas.
It likewise develops higher-level thinking in students since they have to think on their own, without their instructor spoon-feeding them with ideas.
It promotes management skills.
Working collaboratively with a team requires management skills. It involves managing the other team members and managing one’s self.
Those who work as the team’s leader also develop leadership skills. It lets the leader manage the expectations and needs of each team member so that all will feel that they are a valuable part of the team. Doing this effectively will reduce problems and feelings of resentment between team members. An effective leader can also see the strengths of each member and let them do what they do best.
It boosts learning retention.
It is normal not to do it right during collaborative learning activities. However, when one commits mistakes, it opens up opportunities for learning new things. Since the students have worked hard on their collaborative learning activities, the learnings they gather have more impact on them. They can then use these experiences and knowledge in their future employment.
Choose the Right Training School with Chris Shilling Transport.
CS Transport Training offers transport and truck training courses in Newcastle, Central Coast, Mid North Coast, Port Stephens, and Hunter Valley. We are a locally owned and locally-operated training centre with over three decades of experience.