Collaborative Learning

How do we learn from others? With the rise of  technology is has become easier and easier for ideas to be shared and spread, from retweeting, to sharing, to forwarding, to even going viral. This newfound power has arrived with an additional side consequences, we now find it easier and easier to learn from our peers, whether it be through copying and plagiarism, to simple observation. Many professors and classes have failed to fully utilize this untapped potential, and I am quite glad I was able to experience a class that has. 

When first instructed to analyze and evaluate my fellow classmates blogs, I initially reacted with apprehension. How was I suppose to gain insight into these blogs and videos when they ha been given the same assignment instructions as me. As the semester progressed I began to realize how much that could be gained from my classmates, noted especially during the to 10 inventions assignment. While the majority of students used the same 20 or so inventions in their top 10 list, I was most intrigued by the students who slipped in advancements that no one else had included. When reading their reasoning and logic behind their decision, I could not help but agree with many of their points and validity, even questioning some of the inventions on my own list. 

Overall I think one of the most valuable lessons I learned from this class was not actual course material, but method of learning. Too often we fall into the cycle of believing the only person to be learning from in the classroom is the professor, and I give major credits to Professor Lavian for challenging this assumption. As a famous person once say, "There are obviously two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live."