Individual, Collaboration e Cooperative

Many of the students who seek the possibility of a distance education do so because they need more freedom and flexibility in the learning process. The student with greater flexibility individual will be able to manage their time in their own way between the family, their learning, their friends, etc.. Not all students enjoy working in a secluded, there are many who enjoy the collaboration of a group (of belonging to a community of learning). As reported by Paulson, these two aspects are difficult to reconcile, but not impossible. In fact if we have an individual learning, we are also faced with a learning that contributes to greater flexibility on the part of students.

But does this flexibility allow inclusion in a learning community?
A teacher who idealizes an online course to provide individual learning to students, is aware or should be aware that he is denying students access to a learning community.

On the other hand, when teacher designing a collaborative learning is giving their students the opportunity to belong to a community of learning. This learning community has been somehow limited individual flexibility.

But then how collaboration limits the flexibility?
Students in collaborative learning make plans for collective progress. These plans promote cooperation among students, but will limit the flexibility.

But then I can not attend a course that allows individual flexibility and a learning community Online?

Paulson said it is possible through the combination of the Theory of Freedom Cooperative. But what is this theory? Requires the development of virtual learning environments that allow students to have individual freedom when integrated into online learning communities. This theory is, in contrary to previous theories, contributes to the convergence of individual flexibility and learning communities.


One of the great dilemmas of teachers in online courses is the same, I must promote flexibility through individual progress plans, or should promote the existence of learning communities? Which of these will contribute to greater cooperation?

It is indeed a big problem and a major decision. As a teacher I can not say which of these options will be the best. The student here has a role. The enforce a model of learning is not and never will be a good policy for the smooth progress of student learning. I, for example, in my school do not have a virtual learning environment that is able to implement what is theory. The decision by the NKI Distance Education about applying for individual progress and allow each student to have in your profile whether or not to be a cooperative learner, goes some way to contribute to the success of this venture of NKI Distance Education. Whether this is a motivated student in the learning mode, will undoubtedly be a successful student in that learning. The cooperative community is successful when it is constituted by people motivated and happy.

Fontes:
COGs, CLIPs and Other Instruments to Support Cooperative Learning in Virtual Learning Environments - Morten Flate Paulsen Professor of Online Educationa

Cartoon about the Theory of Cooperative Freedom by MorterFP 19 de Maio de 2008